Fasting and Prayers for our Military and the suffering People of Iraq

3-6-03 | patriciaruth

[patriciaruth]

Anyone who would like to request prayers or fasting for their loved ones in the military or for themselves as they go into harm's way, or would like to offer up such prayers and fasts, please join this thread.

Isaiah 58

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seeth not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and acceptable day to the LORD?
Is not this the fast I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seeth the naked, that thou cover him; and that thy hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward.
Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thou light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day,; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

[ohioWfan]

Thank you so much, Patty, for your prayers for our son, Eric!

May God bless and protect each man and woman serving our great nation, volunteering to put themselves in harm's way for the cause of freedom, and for real peace.

May God protect the innocent, suffering people of Iraq as our troops liberate them from torture, murder and tyranny.

And a big BUMP to this thread!!

[olliemb]

It is Lent and therefore I am fasting and praying. Offering my fast and prayers for the military, and peace and change in the hearts of all men. I believe in the power of the Lord and the power of prayer and fasting. May the dear Lord watch over our military, our president, and the world. As per St Paul, pray continuously. I will say the Jesus prayer. On inhalation say, Jesus Christ, son of God and with exhalation say pray for me a sinner. Say this prayer or others continuously over and over or whatever little prayer for our troops, our president and the success of Iraq's disarmament and regime change.

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

Thank you for your prayer on behalf of my husband and all of the military.
I would also like to adding blessings and protection to my two military email buddies that are in the sand, and my two other military email buddies that are station outside of CONUS. I am distressed that I have lost contact with them do to a computer glich (major malfuntion that lost everything). I hope and pray that they are fine and that by miraclous means, we will be reconnected.

[AFPhys]

Lord, please bless my dear friend and godfather of my daughter, Rev.Cope Mitchell, and his family. I ask that
the words he gives to all the troops he comes into contact with be exactly what they need to draw ever closer to you, and that they all be protected from the snares of our enemies.

[AFPhys]

I just noticed the "fasting" in the name of this thread, so I'll mention this once, and once only, for the edification and encouragement of all:

I am an old-fashioned man who actually believes in bread and water fasting, and does so many seasons, including this one. I HATE IT. I encourage such self-denial, however, because I find it really keeps bringing my mind back to the reason for the fast - here, peace/war/our leadership & troops & families - thus putting my mind on prayer and God in the midst of the always busy day. (PS: It often seems simply giving up coffee can be even more effective for me... at least when I'm fasting, I hardly even notice the coffee is gone, too...LOL)

[homeschool mama]

What a precious lady you are, patriciaruth.

I'm in agreement with you and others in praying and fasting for our military.

Today my daughter is making cookies for the Army Recruiters in our town. Next week will be the Air Force...and so on.

[seams2me]

Pray for protection and peace for Trey, David, Cody, and Darby and their families.

They are my adopted soldiers/sailors/marine...some are married with kids.

May God keep them safe and strengthen them for the job ahead.

May God show compassion through them to the people in Iraq who are suffering under the oppressive government.

[zlala]

Thank you so much for remembering him. We are greatful for all the fasting and prayer on his behalf. We are fasting and praying on the behalf of all our military and support personnel. And for Pres. Bush and the other leaders who carry the heavy burden of this decision. God bless you. And God America.

[TruthNtegrity]

Thank you so much for the prayer and fasting and for the mention here of my brother, John. He was on one of the first deployments from Virginia Beach to the ME. For the past 7 years, he has had assignments that have allowed him to be with his family with only short trips away. Please pray for his wife and the 2 girls who are still at home, and the oldest, my Godchild, who is in College. Lord, make them all strong and faithful.

I'd also like to add AF_Blue to our prayer list. I think kayak has been maintaining this list, so I'm pinging her with this response. AF_Blue is active-duty AF, serving Operation Enduring Freedom at one of the bases on Hurlburt Field, FL.

[Inspectorette]

patriciaruth, thank you so much!

[Chemist_Geek]

Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!

O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walked'st on the foaming deep,
And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!

Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!

O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

---

Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
Through the great spaces of the sky;
Be with them traversing the air
In darkening storms or sunshine fair

Thou who dost keep with tender might
The balanced birds in all their flight
Thou of the tempered winds be near
That, having thee, they know no fear

Control their minds with instinct fit
What time, adventuring, they quit
The firm security of land;
Grant steadfast eye and skillful hand

Aloft in solitudes of space,
Uphold them with Thy saving grace.
O God, protect the men who fly
Thru lonely ways beneath the sky.

---

Saint Michael, Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And you, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl the world for the ruin of souls.

[kayak]

Prayers for all in our military.

[jtill]

May God bless, defend and strengthen all of our military and especially those for whom prayers are requested.

Please pray for Marine Colonel Paul Adams and his family.

[kayak]

Mail call.

[lizbet]

Patriciaruth,

Thank you for including me in this! I would like ask prayer for my cousin's son, Marc, who is shipping out from the west coast. He is a Marine.

I will be praying, too!

lizbet

[Jewels1091]

That is so sweet of you! Ross is in Kawait, and Chris is now in 'position'. Ross is a first responder..goes in if something goes wrong with a mission, so his job is very dangerous, no element of surprise, since everyone knows we won't leave anyone behind. Prayers are really needed now!

[firewalk]

Thank you for the ping

Bttt

[Alamo-Girl]

I join in prayers for all of these, our country, Israel, our allies, our leaders, our service men and women, our citizens.

[CyberAnt]

Thank you - Jody's not a Christian, but I'm believing GOD that he will be during this campaign; so I'm in agreement with you for his salvation.

[RaceBannon]

(James 5:12 KJV) But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

(James 5:13 KJV) Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

(James 5:14 KJV) Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

(James 5:15 KJV) And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

(James 5:16 KJV) Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

(James 5:17 KJV) Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

(James 5:18 KJV) And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.