Troop Prayer Thread 6

Many thanks to amom for updating the troops list.

For those who wish to pay their respects and honor our Fallen Heroes, please visit this thread:

Beloved Heavenly Father,

This is the Memorial Day weekend celebration. Father, we are so very mindful about the precious hearts who have recently given their lives for the freedom and protection of our nation. We are very mindful that it is the time to specially hold in our hearts the sacrifice which men and women throughout our history have given. We individually may not know each and every single name of the Ones who have fallen, but each and every single one is precious to us and we know that you not only know their names, but you know their hearts. Father, please, we ask that you will grant a special blessing to each and every one of them wherever they are in your universe. Thank each and every single one for us for the immense gift they have given to us individually and as a nation. We ask this not only for the Fallen Heroes of our own nation, but also for those who have ever given their lives in the holy cause of Freedom on this earth. Bless, Father, the families of those who yet mourn a Fallen Hero.

While we have seen with gratitude, the return of our POWs and the accounting of those who have been listed as MIA in the recent conflict, we are aware that there are yet MIAs remaining from previous conflicts. We are aware that there are even those who are working to protect us who do not wear uniforms. Father, we ask that you will bless all Fallen Heroes and all who serve in our intelligence services and agencies. We are particularly mindful of the 3 agents in Columbia who are MIA. Father, we are asking, united in our prayers, and confident with great hope, that you will protect and care for and bring home those who are missing and yet alive. Give information to those who are searching for answers, and guide and protect any rescue missions. For those whom you have seen fit to call Home, we ask that you will bless them and their families. Grant the families the relief and comfort of a full accounting of their loved ones.

Father, some of us here in our prayer circle have seen the horrors of war. They have experienced the bullets and shrapnel flying. They have seen buddies fall. They have felt the hurry-up-and-wait tedium of war. For these who are our veterans throughout this nation, we ask that you, Father, will place a huge package of our gratitude and your blessing upon their heads. Heal any and all scars and open wounds caused by the Hell of war. Let these who have come home know of a certainty that their service IS appreciated, howbeit in some cases belatedly.

Father, we who have been spared from being on the battlefield kneel before you in humble gratitude for all of our heroes who have fought and held watch to defend our cocoon of peace and freedom. Please take our gratitude and grant the active military and our veterans and their families a very special blessing during the festivities of the weekend. Bless the boyscouts who are decorating the graves of the Fallen with flags. Grant this nation the blessing of being able to maintain the memory and cognizance of the importance of our military and the profound gift which each one who serves honorably has bestowed on us. As long as we can remember where our freedom comes from, we have a chance of holding on to it. Father, bless these who have given all to defend our Constitution and the Rule of Law which preserves the freedoms which you bestow as our natural birthright.

We have seen in recent days, Father, the waves of returning servicemen from overseas. We rejoice in the stories of those such as Major Sellers, who today has returned to see his baby Dillon who had heart surgery while he was serving overseas. We rejoice that you have seen fit to answer the many prayers which have been given on the Sellers' behalf, and that Dillon and his mother are doing well and now reunited with the Major. We rejoice at the safe return of each and every one of our men and women.

Father, we have been experiencing terror alerts over the past several days. We are mindful of the extra efforts our military, intelligence, police, firemen, healthcare professionals and all public servants, are exerting at this time. We are grateful for their service. Please grant that all plans for mischief will be revealed in a timely manner to those who can put a stop to the injury which evil ones are seeking to inflict. We are mindful that agents and troops and interests not only at home but abroad are targeted. Please, Father, intercede and protect our nation, her people, her interests, and her allies in this hour and in the days to come. Father, help our leaders and those in decision-making roles win the Peace! Bind all attempts to compromise the sorely won Victory! We CLAIM that Victory, and we demand, according to thy will, that ONLY your will shall be done in Iraq, Afghanistan, the entire Middle East and throughout the earth!

We invoke your mercy and forgiveness for our shortcomings, and as your children, we are grateful for the infinite care and love you have for each of us. We ask that our prayer be adjusted in accordance with your own perfection and that you will multiply our prayers as much as your Great Law will allow. We thank you and praise you, our God, our own Father, for the miracles which we know we can expect to see. To you is the Glory and Honor. To you we give our hearts.

Amen

PINGING FOR A NEW THREAD!!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, EVERYBODY!!

My father was a WW11 Vet in the Pacific Theater. We just lost him in January.

My mother, sister, and I decorated this resting place with flags and flowers for Memorial Day.

As our and coalition troops maintain our Freedoms and protect us around the world,

Please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops. Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, prayer is the very best one.

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen."

Asking Divine Protection for Those In Service

O God, I beseech You, watch over those exposed to the horror of war, and the spiritual dangers of a soldier’s or sailor’s life.

Give them such a strong faith that no human respect may ever lead them to deny it, nor fear ever to practice it. By Your grace, O God, fortify them against the contagion of bad example, that being preserved from vice, and serving You faithfully, they may be ready to meet you face to face when they are so called: through Christ our Lord. Amen

Sacred Heart! Inspire them with sorrow for sin, and grant them pardon. Mother of God! Be with them on the battlefield during life and at the hour of death, and grant that they may live and die in the grace of thy Son. Amen. St. Joseph! Pray for them. May their Guardian Angel protect them. Amen.

Special Forces Prayer

Almighty God Who art the Author of Liberty and the Champion of the oppressed hear our prayer. We the men of Special Forces, acknowledge our dependence upon Thee in the preservation of human freedom.

Go with us as we seek to defend the defenseless and to free the enslaved. May we ever remember that our nation, whose oath "in God We Trust," expects that we shall requit ourselves with honor, that we may never bring shame upon our faith, our families, or our fellow men.

Grant us wisdom from Thy mind, courage from Thine heart, and protection by Thine hand. It is for Thee that we do battle, and to thee belongs the victor's crown. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power and glory forever. Amen!

The Marine Prayer

Almighty Father, whose command is over all and whose love never fails, make me aware of Thy presence and obedient to Thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and deed and helping me to live so that I can face my fellow Marines, my loved ones, and Thee without shame or fear. Protect my family.

Give me the will to do the work of a Marine and to accept my share of responsibilities with vigor and enthusiasm. Grant me the courage to be proficient in my daily performance. Keep me loyal and faithful to my superiors and to the duties my Country and the Marine Corps have entrusted to me. Help me to wear my uniform with dignity, and let it remind me daily of the traditions which I must uphold.

If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again. Guide me with the light of truth and grant me wisdom by which I may understand the answer to my prayer. Semper Fidelis

Prayers For Our Soldiers

Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the US Navy

O eternal Lord, God, you alone spread out the heavens and rule the raging sea. Take into your most gracious protection our country's Navy and all who serve therein. Preserve them from the dangers of the sea and from the violence of the enemy, that they may be a safeguard unto the United States of America, and a security for such as sail upon the seas in peaceful and lawful missions. In serving you, O Lord, may our Sailors serve their country; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

A Soldier’s Prayer

Lord Jesus, Mighty Warrior and Prince of Peace, all glory and power is yours. I offer myself and my military career for the welfare of our nation and for your glory.

You said "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord"; make us mindful of our nation's heritage and of who we are. You said "Be strong and of good courage", this is my prayer. You said "A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength"; be my protection and my strength. While I defend the nation, may all of Heaven safeguard my family back home.

Almighty God, when you will to safely return me home, help me to see in each member of my family all that I am willing to fight for- life, liberty, freedom and justice. Give me wisdom to share what experiences would lead my sons to Christ-like valor, my daughters to Christian compassion. When Mary witnessed you falling wounded to the ground, she reaffirmed her trust in God her savior. Fill my spouse with surety in your divine plan for me, our family and our nation. You called me to be a soldier. March along side me. Jesus, I place my trust in you. Amen.

Air Force Hymn

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

You who keep with tender might
The balanced birds in all their flight,
Lord of the tempered winds, be near,
That, having you, they know no fear.

Control their minds with instinct fit
Whene'er adventuring, they quit
Firm security of land;
Grant steadfast eye and skillful hand.

Aloft in solitudes of space,
Uphold them with your saving grace.
Oh, God, protect the ones who fly
Through lonely ways beneath the sky. Amen.

Coast Guard Prayer

Almighty and Everlasting God, Whose hand stills the tumult of the deep, we offer our prayers for those who serve in our Coast Guard. We are mindful of their traditions of selfless service to the seafarers who make their ways to appointed ports.

Employ their devotions of good ends as they track the weather and search for the seas for those in extremity of storm, shipwreck or battle. Make their soundings and markings sure that safe passages may be found by those who go down to the sea in ships.

Encourage them, O Lord, as they stand guard over our coasts and the bulwarks of our freedoms. Graciously deliver them from threatening calamities in all their perilous voyages. Bless the keepers of the lights and be Thou their close friend in lonely watches. Keep the beacons of honor and duty burning that they may reach the home port with duty well performed, in service to Thee and our land. AMEN.

Night Stalker Prayer

Father of the heavens and the night; Stretch forth Your almighty arms to strengthen and protect us. Even as You gave Saint Michael, Your angelic warrior, power to do spiritual battle in the heavens, so give us power to command the darkened skies.

Guide and direct us in the defense of our country and in the maintenance of justice among the nations. Give us the courage to face all obstacles that might keep us from our time on target. Send Your holy Angels to protect the precious cargo which we carry; the elite Special Operations forces of the United States. Sustain us in the hour of danger with the knowledge of Your mercy and return us safely home.

Watch over our families when we can not. May Your presence give them comfort, and Your love lend them the courage to face each day, confident in the knowledge that You will never leave them nor forsake them. Protect them with Your unfailing mercy and grace. Grant that wherever we serve, we may be loyal to our proud heritage. Make us to choose the harder right over the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be won. May we ever embody the principles upon which the Night Stalkers are founded and serve proudly with the memory of those who have gone before. Give us the courage to fight to win and the faith to die rather than quit. Because, Night Stalkers Don't Quit!

Prayer For Absent Family Members

O God, whose fatherly care reaches to the uttermost parts of the earth: We humbly beseech you graciously to behold and bless those whom we love, now absent from us. Defend them from all dangers of soul and body, and grant that both they and we, drawing nearer to you, may be bound together by your love in the communion of your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

To your father...SALUTE

To you and your mother and sister a hug and a thanks.

Thank you and God Bless all our troops, past and present.

And a BIG hug and thank you to the families who have lost their loved ones who died while fighting the good fight.

I am so sorry for your loss, DL. My prayers are with you and your family. He must have been a very special man.

My dad was a marine in WWII, Pacific theater too. We lost him a few years ago. It is a hard thing to say goodbye. God bless you. My mom and sister will be decorating my dad's resting place on Monday.

Thank you for your service, SAMWolf. Hugs, and happy Memorial Day weekend!

I thought I'd share this update on baby Dillion Sellers and family.

Marine in Calif. rejoins infant son who had heart transplant
ASSOCIATED PRESS 10:09 a.m., May 24, 2003

SAN DIEGO – When Marine Maj. Hal Sellers left for the war in Iraq, there were no guarantees that he would come home, or that his infant son Dillon would be there if he did.

The boy was born with an inoperable heart defect and needed a transplant to survive. His father left him with a prayer.

"I told him 'Hey, I love you' and that I wanted him to be here when I came back," Sellers recalled.

Dillon did what he was told. Sellers recently returned to Twentynine Palms and found the boy, now 7 months old, recovering from his March 12 surgery.

"I told him he's a good boy. He did what I asked him," Sellers said. "He's still here."

Sellers, 37, is second-in-command of the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion based in Twentynine Palms. The 13-year Marine chose to deploy with his troops about three months ago rather than accept a desk assignment that would have kept him close to his wife and baby as they waited and hoped for a heart to become available.

The decision attracted national media attention as well as some criticism. But with Dillon crying in the background, Sellers said Friday he had no regrets.

"I knew there wasn't anything I could personally do for Dillon," he said. "In my own mind, there were things I felt I could do for my fellow Marines. I certainly understand that people may have differing opinions. But I had to make the decision for myself."

While his choice was difficult, he points out that many men and women deployed and missed births, deaths and other important moments with their families.

"Everybody makes sacrifices. But you understand that when you join up," Sellers said. "Fortunately, everything worked out for the better."

Doctors said Dillon would have died without the transplant. Now, he is recovering from the procedure performed at Loma Linda University Medical Center and shows no signs of organ rejection or infection. He and his mother, Betsy Sellers, are staying in an apartment in Loma Linda so he can be close to the hospital in case of an emergency.

During Sellers' deployment, Dillon grew from 9 pounds to 17. He can now roll himself over and lift his head. He's also making cooing sounds that were impossible before his dad's deployment because of the constant need to use a respirator.

The child's time in the hospital has slowed his development slightly. But physical therapy sessions scheduled to begin soon should help that, Sellers said.
Everyday, the Sellers say a prayer for the parents of the child whose heart gave Dillon a second chance. They have not learned the identity of the child or the parents.
"We're incredibly grateful they made the decision they did, that something positive came out of their tragedy," Hal Sellers said.

The couple has two older sons, Alex, 8, and Erik, 6, who are happy to have their dad home and encouraged by the recovery of their baby brother.

Doctors will evaluate Dillon's progress in the coming week. If everything is going well, he could go home in early June.

Said Hal Sellers: "That would be a great Father's Day present."

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20030524-1009-ca-afathersduty.html

Prayers For Our Troops
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

You enjoy the Memorial Day holiday too.

Thanks for the story on the Sellers family, amom! That's such great news!!

Thank you for your Memorial Days prayers and graphic, Ms Feather.

Thanks, SAMWolf! Workin' on it!! :-)

PRAYER WARRIOR FIELD TRIP

While amom and I were putting together this new thread, she ran across an article which we think merits a Prayer Warrior Field Trip alert!

This is an article about our own BK Wells aboard the USS Tarawa. It tells of his reenlistment and the surroundings he chose.

http://www.surfpac.navy.mil/fleet_news_ship_by_ship/tarawa/tarawa_stories/tarawa_6.html

"Onboard USS Tarawa -- During the early morning of June 26, Sailors from USS Tarawa (LHA-1) spoke in hushed tones and walked slowly in their freshly pressed white uniforms through the chamber of the USS..." *SNIP*

(For those who have been asking, a Prayer Warrior Field Trip is a link to an article that seems to have particular bearing on the work we are doing with this thread.)

Thank you for your Memorial Day graphic in post 15, Ms Feather.

This is an article about our own BK Wells aboard the USS Tarawa. It tells of his reenlistment and the surroundings he chose.

Thank you for posting this link regarding bkwells on the USS Tarawa.

Your# 10.............................Amen!!!

Also,.......More,......

We pray not only for our troops in harm's way, but also for our leaders, our nation, and our people, as well as our allies, and any situation or circumstance which can have an effect on any of those things.

Be Safe!!

Nice Graphic Feather.