In the United States, today is Memorial Day – a day to honor those men and women who have died in wars defending our freedom. In the midst of all these activities, I encourage you take time to pray these prayers today and throughout this week:
- Thank God for those who modeled sacrifice by giving their lives to protect our freedom. We are privileged to worship freely today, largely because others have defended our freedom through the years.
- Pray for those defending our country around the world today. More than 168,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed around the globe, many serving in dangerous places. Their lives are on the line every day.
- Pray for chaplains and Christ followers who serve among our forces. Believers in the military have a unique opportunity to be a light among those who daily face life and death issues. Pray for them to be faithful, obedient, and godly in a tough atmosphere.
- Pray for friends and church families who have lost loved ones in war. Regardless of the number of years since the death, remembering is both honorable and painful. Pray especially for any who’ve lost loved ones within the past year.
- Pray for believers around the world who face persecution today. Open Doors, USA reports more than 317 million believers live in places where they experience “high levels of persecution and discrimination”; we must pray for these believers as they face the possibility of death in a different kind of war.
- Pray for families around the world whose loved ones have died under persecution. In some extreme cases, the non-Christian family itself may have been the source of the persecution. Pray for those who grieve and for those who still need to follow Jesus.
- Thank God for believers who are now with Him, but who influenced your life for Him. You honor them today because they modeled faithfulness for you during the spiritual war. They showed you how to live victoriously, regardless of the cost.
- Pray for continued freedom to proclaim the Word and live for Christ without threat. None of us can know how long we will have this privilege. We must not take it for granted.
- Pray for your pastors. As under-shepherds of God’s church, they, too, are on the front line of the spiritual war. Praying for them now may prevent them from being shot down in this battle.
- Thank God for Christ, who paid the supreme sacrifice for us. No war death before or since the death of Jesus on Calvary has ever accomplished so much. We know the story, but we honor it too seldom: the Son of God paid the price for our sin, breaking the back of the enemy through His surrender to a cross. That’s worth remembering.
What about it? Would you take time to pray these prayers today and this week? Would you invite others to do the same?