Pray for President Bush and our Troops - Day 1530 [Thanksgiving Day]

Pray for President Bush ^ | 11/25/04 | kayak

[kayak]

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

[kayak]

The story is often told.

It was the long, hot summer of 1787. Delegates from 12 of the original 13 colonies had gathered at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to make some necessary changes in the way that our new nation was governing itself. The Articles of Confederation that had been drafted during the days of the Revolution were not serving the country well in its first days of independence. And so more than 50 national leaders gathered at the "Constitutional Convention" to consider the future shape of our national government. The debates were long and contentious, and little progress was made.

And then, on June the 28th, Benjamin Franklin, then 81 years old and in failing health, rose to address the body. His remarks that day have been named one of the top 100 American Speeches of all times.

Franklin began by reminding the Convention that –

In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of dangers, we had daily prayers in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers were heard, and they were graciously answered….

And then he wondered out loud –

Have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance?

And then finally he made a proposal –

I have lived a long time, and, the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured in the sacred writings, that 'Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.' I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed, in this political building, no better than the builders of Babel…. I therefore beg leave to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this assemble every morning before we proceed to business…

There is no evidence that the Constitutional Convention of 1787 actually heeded this elder Statesman’s plea for prayer. But when the first Congress assembled under the provisions of the new Constitution that was drafted in Philadelphia, one of the first things they did was to appoint chaplains for both the House and the Senate so that every day’s business there might begin with prayer. And this tradition has continued uninterrupted ever since.

***
Perhaps the most famous Congressional Chaplain of them all was Peter Marshall who served the Senate from January 6, 1947, until his untimely death on January 25, 1949. Two weeks before he died, Peter Marshall opened the Senate with this prayer.

Stop us, O God, for a minute of prayer.
Stop our anxious minds from wandering, and our hearts from desiring anything but to know Thy will.
Let us stand at attention before Thee and hear what Thou hast to say to us.
We believe that Thou canst tell us not only what to do, but also how to do it.
If it needs making up our minds, Thou who didst make our minds canst show us how to make them up.
If it needs changing our minds, Thou canst work that miracle too. Speak, O Lord, and make us here, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

[kayak]

Heavenly Father,

We join with our forefathers in acknowledging that without You we would be nothing. All that we have, individually and as a nation, we owe to You. Even as we thank You for Your grace and mercy in the past, we seek Your continued blessings on our nation. We beg for revival and renewal throughout our land that we shall be a culture of life and a people who seek to do Your will, striving for those things which are true and honest and uplifting. Lead us into greater knowledge of You and greater service that Your name might be praised.

Our thoughts are with those in our military who, rather than gathering with family around a bountiful table, are in far away lands. Let them know Your presence and give them strength and courage. We thank You for these troops who make such personal sacrifice to fight the enemies of freedom and light and we pray for their safety and well-being. Comfort their families and feed them with the sustenance of Your word.

Lord, we pray for our President and his family. We rejoice that this good man, who hears Your voice and calls Your name, was re-elected. Guide him in the coming days, filling him with Your wisdom and placing Your will in his heart and mind that he may lead our country as You would have us be led. Hold him and his family in the palm of Your hand and increase their faith in You, showing them how You would have them walk. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

[citizencon]

Thanks to our Commander-in-Chief and to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for keeping us safe. May God be with you and protect you from evil always. Amen.

[Ciexyz]

Wonderful anecdotes. Let us never forget the wisdom of our founding fathers and mothers.

Happy Thanksgiving to all FReepers and to our service people!

[kayak]

Thank you for your prayers.

[kayak]

Thank you for joining us in prayer.

[Ciexyz]

And here's inviting all FReepers to join us in Thanksgiving prayers.

[Kitty Mittens]

Our Gracious Father,

Here we are, our Precious One, Assembling Before Thee to Praise Thy Name! We Celebrate Your Goodness, O Great God, on this Special Day when our Thanksgiving Arises to Thee for the Heaven-Sent Blessings we Rejoice to Receive. O Merciful Master, You are so Good to us! Our Cup Truly Runneth Over! In Blessings both Temporal and Eternal, You have Blessed us Beyond Compare, Beyond what we could ever Merit or Deserve! You Sent Your Beloved Son to Accomplish our Redemption upon the Cross, having Set Your Love upon us in Eternity Past, then You Applied His Death to our Account, Setting us Free because You Paid our Penalty for us! We are in Awe, O God, when we Consider these things, and our hearts are Made to Cry in Praise, "All Glory to the King!"

We Bring our brother-President to You now, Father Jehovah, Thanking You Fervently for Granting his Re-Election, and Pleading that he will be Rested and Refreshed as he enjoys Your Thanksgiving Day at his beloved Prairie Chapel Ranch. May his family be a Comfort and a Blessing to him, and may his guests Behold our Savior in our brother's Radiant Countenance and Godly Deportment. O Lord! My own heart is so Gladdened to think: our brother-President is ours for four more Wonderful years! Thank you, Papa-Father, for Giving us this Joy of Your servant and his family Gathering around our Lord Jesus Christ, instead of the Misery we would have known under John F. Kerry! Thank You, Father! Thank You, O Lord! Thank You from our hearts for having Pity upon Your children!!

O Loving Lord Jesus, Protect our President as You would a Most Valuable, Precious Treasure, for there are many who live to hate him, who long for his Total Physical Destruction. Garrison him, O God our Great King, with the Omnipotent Power of Thy Sovereign Spirit, that he will Walk in the Invincibility of our Lord and our God Most High. Cast Down his enemies before his face, that all will know that the Sovereign Ruler and Master of the Heavenlies has Chosen him, and, from All Eternity, has Loved him.

We Commit our Military into Thy Loving Hand, O Mighty God, Imploring that the Strength of the Lord God of Heaven will Accompany them unto Great Victories, to the Praise and Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Protect them, Sovereign Master, Delivering Diving Justice to satan's servants through the Agency and Instrumentality of the United States Military.

O Father of Mercies, O Thou Who Art the God of All Comfort, Succor and Strengthen every Grieving Soul who has lost a loved one in our War Against Terrorism. Send Thy Sweet Spirit of Peace to them, Thy Arms of Love Ready to Receive every Hurting and Grieving heart.

Thank You for Your Manifold Blessings to our America, Loving God! You are our King, and we Lift High Your Blessed and Holy Name! Receive our Worship, Receive the Honor and the Praise, and be Glorified both now, and throughout the Ages of Eternity to come. We Pray in the Name of our King Jesus Christ, and for the Glory of Your Majesty, amen.

[kayak]

We raise our voices with yours in your wonderful prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

[fleabitgray]

Kitty Mittens,

Praying in agreement with your beautiful prayer!
Hallelujah, Our God Reigns!!

[Faith]

Come, ye thankful people, come, Raise the song of harvest-home;
All is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storms begin;
God our maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God's own temple come, Raise the song of harvest-home. (Henry Alford)

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
Praise Him all creatures here below!
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen.

Blessings to all from this grateful heart.

[kayak]

Thank you for those familiar songs of praise and thanksgiving, Faith.

[Kitty Mittens]

Hallelujah, Our God Reigns!!

Amen! Praise His Holy name!

[alpha-8-25-02]

AMEN KAYAK AND AMEN TO ALL!
GRACE TO YOU BRETHREN!

Ps 121:1 A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills-From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.
(NKJV)

Dearest Lord,
thankyou for this day,this moment and this second.
thankyou for this time Your saints can gather before the majesty of Your throne of grace to send our prayers and supplications to home.
Lord,we pray for all of Your saints,and especially for george walker bush,laura bush,their family and the executive branch.
Lord,as it was in the past as You have taught us through Your word,there are men that do Your work.
we pray that Your grace will guide and strengthen our president in working to make this a more godly nation.
in so doing,Lord we pray this country will be a beacon of light and a testimony to Your geatness across the world.
Lord,we pray for all of the brave defenders of freedom and their families.
Lord,we pray for salvation for those that are not yet adopdted,safety for those in Your hands and infinite mercy for those that are in harms way.



Isa 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
(NKJV)


"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."
- Ecclesiastes 9:10



"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do," refers to works that are possible.
There are many things which our heart findeth to do which we never shall
do. It is well it is in our heart; but if we would be eminently useful, we
must not be content with forming schemes in our heart, and talking of
them; we must practically carry out "whatsoever our hand findeth to do."
One good deed is more worth than a thousand brilliant theories. Let us not
wait for large opportunities, or for a different kind of work, but do just
the things we "find to do" day by day. We have no other time in which to
live. The past is gone; the future has not arrived; we never shall have
any time but time present. Then do not wait until your experience has
ripened into maturity before you attempt to serve God. Endeavour now to
bring forth fruit. Serve God now, but be careful as to the way in which
you perform what you find to do-"do it with thy might." Do it promptly; do
not fritter away your life in thinking of what you intend to do to-morrow
as if that could recompense for the idleness of to-day. No man ever served
God by doing things to-morrow. If we honour Christ and are blessed, it is
by the things which we do to-day.
Whatever you do for Christ throw your whole soul into it.
Do not give Christ a little slurred labour, done as a matter of course
now and then; but when you do serve him, do it with heart, and soul, and
strength.


But where is the might of a Christian? It is not in himself, for he is
perfect weakness. His might lieth in the Lord of Hosts.
Then let us seek his help; let us proceed with prayer and faith, and when
we have done what our "hand findeth to do," let us wait upon the Lord for
his blessing.
What we do thus will be well done, and will not fail in its effect.



C.H.SPURGEON

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

TO THE KING ON THE THRONE AND TO THE LAMB,BE GLORY AND HONOR AND MAJESTY BOTH NOW AND FOREVER AND EVER!

[ejo]

"May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world now and forever Amen."

[Hiskid]

our hearts are Made to Cry in Praise, "All Glory to the King!"

Amen, and so we do as we rejoice in Your goodness, mercy, lovingkindess, faithfulness, steadfastness, power, majesty, provision and lovingkindness. Truly there is not a God more wonderful, majestic and glorious than You.

We set aside our puny idols and time wasters and choose to praise Your glory and Love.

We are SO grateful to have been adopted into the Kingdom of the Most High by Your grace and the power of Your Holy Spirit. Our Spirits can barely contain the joy of being one with You. All glory to You. Thank you for the name of Jesus by which we can enter Your throne and praise You this day.

[califamily4W]

What a touching picture of President Bush praying with our troops...how blessed we are.

[Kitty Mittens]

Praying your wonderful prayer out loud with you, dear child of our King!