“God shapes the world by prayer. The more prayer there is in the world, the better the world will be, the mightier the forces of good against evil …” – E.M. Bounds
Flying bullets, suicide vests, terrorist threats and racial riots. Our society is filled with fear. Many are disillusioned with our government systems and peacekeepers. We are all imperfect, sinful people. We need Divine intervention.
What is the solution?
God is our shield, but He has given us sentinels who safeguard our daily lives. Do you pray for them faithfully? Walk up to them on a street corner, in a restaurant, on a playground and say, “Thank you! I am praying for you today.”
The courageous soldiers and first responders who protect our nation are unsung heroes. Day and night they keep watch over our homes, our families, our cities and our nation. How can we pray for these brave protectors? David, mighty warrior and poet, penned powerful passages to guide us as we cover them and bless them.
Our warriors in the Armed Forces stand bravely on the field of battle, never knowing if this is the day they die for their country. Many return home, bruised and traumatized, and no one even says thank you. The soldiers in World War II returned home with a ticker tape parade in New York City. The world applauded them. My grandfather, father-in-law and uncle died in battle. Their wives mourned their loss every day.
Most first responders here at home are often underpaid and under-appreciated. Yet all of us feel safer because of them. They run to our sides when we frantically dial 911, they race to the scene of a bloody car crash, or patrol our neighborhoods so that our children can safely play. Even as our nation is threatened by terrorists, they carefully stand guard.
I know firsthand how critical it is to pray. Daily. Rick, my son-in-law, is a first responder. He serves as a firefighter, paramedic and hasmat specialist. When training, Richard was tasked with the “RIT team” (a designated crew that searches and rescue of any missing, trapped, injured fire fighters in a burning building). He works 24 hours on and 48 hours off. So, basically, he rarely sleeps. Recently, his crew rescued twenty babies from a smoke-filled hospital NICU. Now those little ones can grow up safe and strong. Just another day on the job….
King David was a warrior and a fighter. He relied upon his mighty men to protect his people. The psalms are full of his prayers.
Here are a few ways to bless and cover our first responders in prayer.
Pray for God’s power to strengthen them:
Psalm 98:2
“The Lord has shown the nations that He has the power to save and to bring justice.”
Pray for wisdom and discernment as they face every crisis:
Psalm 5:8
“Lord, I have so many enemies! Lead me to do Your will; make Your way plain for me to follow.”
Pray for vigilance as they keep watch:
Psalm 130: 5-6
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I place my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.”
Pray for the families who wait for them and support them:
Psalm 127:1
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” NIV
Pray for God’s angels to watch over them:
“If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent, for he will give his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
Pray for their salvation, and a faith in Christ to sustain them in the face of danger:
Psalm 27:1
“The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?”
David, the man after God’s own heart, knew how to cling to God in his darkest hours. That’s why he penned these reassuring words,
Psalm 23:4
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.”
Thank you, Protectors. Our hearts are with you.