Troop Prayer Thread 10 - A Year of VICTORY!

THREE CHEERS FOR OUR WONDERFUL TROOPS, THEIR ALLIES, AND ALL WHO ARE SERVING IN SUPPORT CAPACITIES IN THE WAR ON TERROR! YOU HAVE GIVEN THIS NATION A YEAR OF VICTORY IN THAT WAR! The honor is yours, but know that we bask in your accomplishments and love you for your steadfast service on this day!

Welcome, everyone to the 10th Troop Prayer Thread! Today is the anniversary of the resumption of hostilities with Iraq, wherein our troops have made military history that shall ring down the centuries.

The troop prayer threads are dedicated to giving our troops, allies, and all who are serving the Holy Cause of Freedom, including (but not limited to) the families and loved ones waiting at home and those who are not in uniform but who are serving in dangerous situations supporting our troops and gathering intelligence spiritual support. We seek together to offer prayer, scriptures, encouraging messages, and other devotions dedicated to this purpose.

We have over the past year gathered together a prayer list of these servants of freedom. You will find it posted below. FReeper amom has been serving as our List Keeper this past year and I wish to thank and commend her for doing such a meticulous job of keeping it updated. She has also been keeping our ping list up to date. If you wish to submit a name for the prayer list or to add or take off a name from the ping list, please let either or both of us know.

For those of us who have somewhat limited computer capacity, or still have phone modems, we request that graphics be limited to pictures of loved ones for whom we are offering prayers, special visuals that seem particularly appropriate, and as much as possible, non-moving graphics. Thank you.

Thank you so much for spiritually supporting our troops, allies, support civilians, and their families.

We are grateful to God that for those who have been injured or taken back Home, He has dispatched angels to their care.

Troop Prayer Thread 8:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/994696/posts?page=451,50

Troop Prayer Thread 6:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/917197/posts?page=301,50

Troop Prayer Thread 3:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/873600/posts?page=151,50

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

Dear Lord,
Lest I continue
My complacent way
Help me remember
Somewhere out there
A man died for me today
--As long as there be war
I then must
Ask and answer
Am I worth dying for?"

Taken from the book, "A Man Called Intrepid" by William Stevenson about William Stephenson, the head of British intelligence services prior to and during WWII. He wrote this at the very beginnings of the Battle of Britain and shared it with Eleanor Roosevelt.

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'T is the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us as a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

AMERICA, WE LOVE YOU!
AMERICA, WE LOVE YOU!
AMERICA, WE LOVE YOU!
AND OUR LOVE IS GREAT ENOUGH TO HOLD YOU ETERNALLY VICTORIOUS IN THE LIGHT!

Thank you, TEXOKIE, for your words of encouragement. This president have endured more coordinated attacks from the left than any other in recent history.

I've been wondering about the reasons why the attacks have been so fierce and the alphabet media is to the point that they no longer even try to disguise their bias. Here are a few of my thoughts on it.

President Bush is a born again Christian and openly admits to praying seeking guidance from the Lord. The left fears this about him.

President Bush does not yield to the polls or the current waves, he simply goes about doing his job the best he can to protect America. No matter how they try to spin stories after stories to corner him and get him to submit to their agenda, this simply guy doesn't give in. They hate this!

For the same reasons that they fear and hate this man Bush, the rest of us love and admire him. We admire his courage and integrity. I disagree with Bush on some issues, but overall, this is the right man for the job at the right time.

In spite of, and because of, the mounting waves of attacks on Bush, I feel strongly that the right man will be reelected into the office. It IS always the darkest before the sunrise, but the Sun WILL rise.

I believe in the American Spirit.
I believe that our Father is in control.

In light of the recent beheadings and other attacks upon US Citizens and Allies, I want to share with all our Prayer Warriors an inspiring freepmail I received from one of you. I am allowed to share it only if I keep the identity of the writer confidential.

INSPIRATIONAL WORDS FROM A FELLOW FREEPER:

...A current favorite verse: II Chron 20:21 - (Jehoshaphat before facing a mighty enemy army)

"And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed
singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever."

Isn't that an awesome picture?

Now, on tough battle days, I am working to make a habit of picturing marching ahead of our Soldiers, singing praises to Jesus - what a wonderful way to face the enemy and help the troops! ... The picture - the simplicity of the mission - joy!)

((hugs))
Our Fellow Freeper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you, Our Fellow Freeper, for reminding us of that scripture and the significance of it for us as those dedicated to praying for our troops.

In keeping with that image of the shock troops of the Lord being those who give Praise to our infinitely beloved Father and His Son, please join together in prayers of Praise.

Blessed Father of Us All,

We are meditating at this time on the truth of your Word which states,

"And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed
singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever."

We have been gathered here, Father for over a year to give spiritual comfort to our troops and those who support them. Father, we appoint ourselves to be among those to whom is given the task to give you Praise. In keeping with the instructions of our brothers and sisters centuries before, we Praise in you the Beauty of Holiness. We Praise our Lord and we acclaim that your mercy endureth forever!"

Father, we praise you for being mindful of the precious souls who have been sent Home to you before their time because of hatred and irrational violence. We praise you for the care and comfort you give the ones who are left behind. We praise you for the mercy and help you give to those who are yet in harm's way.

Father, we praise you for the cooling of the desert heat in which our troops have to work. We praise you for giving us technology which affords our troops a greater measure of safety and power on the battlefield so as to reduce the time of war and bloodshed. While other meanings are ascribed to it, one could see this ability to shorten the days of conflict as a fulfillment of the scripture telling us that there will be a shortening of the days of the Elect. Father, if it is thy Will, please guide our leaders in your Wisdom. If it is thy Will, please allow our troops to employ the might they have at their disposal in order to shorten those days of bloodshed. We ask that for those moments when it is necessary to slay the enemies of Freedom, that you will strengthen all of our resolve to do what is demanded for the preservation of our lives and civilization. We praise you for instilling in the hearts of our people and especially our troops with a desire to grant mercy when we can. Once we have defeated the enemy, and have only by thy grace and power have placed them in a position whereby they may not render further harm, then we praise you for guiding us in all humility before you to grant mercy to those who have been defeated.

We praise you for the history we have of using the power you have given us for the increasing of Freedom and Liberty in this world. We praise you for that very gift of Freedom. We praise you for giving us wise souls and teachers who are able to guide us in the use of those Liberties, who are able to guide us in the preservation of those Liberties. Father, we praise you for answering so many of our prayers, including allowing one such as our President "Dubya" to be in office in these trying times.

Father, we ask humbly that you will grant this president an unprecedented ability to hear your directions and to see your Vision. We also implore you to help him in conveying to our people and the peoples of the world that Vision which you lay upon his heart. We are grateful and praise you for the angels who gather each day to protect this president and all who surround him.

Father, we ask that you will, in your mercy and wisdom, multiply, according to your Law, our praises and gratitude to you. We ask that our prayers and praises and gratitude be the vanguard of your Light which acts as the buffer between our troops and all the dangers they face. Father, clear the way before these, your best servants, who face heat, and bullets, and sand, and terrorist attacks upon them for our sake.

We are grateful and praise you because you have created a beautiful world of perfection. We are grateful and praise you for our beloved Savior, who, by thy Grace is come into the world to forgive our sins and the imperfections we have fallen into. We are grateful and praise you for giving us the means of salvation and resolution and Hope. Help us to become each day a better instrument of thy Peace.

Amen

PRAYER WARRIOR FIELD TRIP!!!!

TXnMA's SGT CHRIS IS SET TO DEPLOY FOR FOURTH TIME INTO HARM'S WAY!! HE will be helping to safeguard elections in Afghanistan.

To visit the thread for him and the 82nd, please go here:

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1223509/posts

MERCIFUL FATHER,

We place before you the 82nd Airborne and all the young people being deployed with Chris in order to preserve the integrity and viability of the Afghan elections.

Father, intercede in that nation. Overshadow the 82nd and all our troops. We ask that you will place your loving hands over Chris and his fellow soldiers. Keep them safe, and bring them home victorious.

We are mindful that prayer is a key and lynchpin for victory of a righteous cause. Take our prayers and use them to clear the path before our troops of all danger, darkness, and chaos. We place our hearts and prayers before you and seek your blessing for these, our greatest treasure: our beloved young soldiers and troops.

Enfold all who are remaining at home. Bless and keep them safe and secure despite the fact that their loved ones are far away doing dangerous work in our behalf.

This is a pivotal time in history. Forces are arrayed in a clash which will determine the direction in which things will move into the future. Father, we petition you humbly for your divine Guidance and Vision for ourselves, our people, our leaders, our president, and the people of Afghanistan and Iraq who will be carving out new territories in the annals of self-determined government. Father, we are in a crucible and it can get hot in one of those. Help us to be tempered steel, able to withstand the refining fires. Help us to be able to hold fast to you, for when we do so, we know that you work through us to effect the changes which come from your heart and direction. We know that when we hold fast, despite the heat, you will grant us that only your divine Will shall be done.

We praise you for this. Help us to grow in your grace. We accept your mercy and blessings and we are grateful.

Amen

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