Day 3: July 6th - Pray for our Military  & their families

Prayer for those who serve and have served

Dear Jesus, 

​we remember before you with grateful
 hearts the men and women of our armed forces at home 
and abroad who in the day of 
decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. We commend them to your gracious care and
 keeping and we pray that day by day you will defend them 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. Grant 
that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the
 benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines.Receive Lord all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and those whose faith is known to you alone, that, with all the 
saints, they may have rest in that place where there is no pain or grief, but life eternal. We pray for those who joined you in your heavenly kingdom.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Troops:
All-powerful and ever-living God, when Abraham left his native land and departed from his people you kept him safe through all his journeys. Protect these soldiers. Be their constant companion and their strength in battle, their refuge in every adversity. Guide them, O Lord, that they may return home in safety.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Safety of Soldiers
Almighty and eternal God, those who take refuge in you will be glad and forever will shout for joy. Protect these soldiers as they discharge their duties. Protect them with the shield of your strength and keep them safe from all evil and harm. May the power of your love enable them to return home in safety, that with all who love them, they may ever praise you for your loving care.
 
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

​Prayer of a Spouse for a Soldier
 God of power and might, at every moment and in every place you are near to those who call upon your name in faith. In marriage you have blessed us with a share in your divine love. Look upon my husband/wife and keep him/her in your safekeeping, no matter where the road may lead. And when the battle is ended, bring him/her safely home to those who love him.
 
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.


Prayer of a Son or Daughter for a Parent
Loving God, you watch over each and every one of your children. Hear my prayer for my father/mother. Be his/her constant companion. Protect him/her no matter where he/she goes, and bring him/her safely and quickly home to those who love him/her.
 
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
​
Prayer of a Parent for a Soldier
Father all-powerful and ever-loving God, from before we were born, your love has nurtured and sustained us. Hear my prayer for N., my son/daughter. Keep him/her safe in time of battle and faithful to you, day in and day out. Bring him/her safely home to those who love him/her.
 
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for Those who Await a Soldier's Return
God of all goodness, look with love on those who wait for the safe return of their loved ones who serve in the armed forces of their country. In faith and hope, we turn to you for comfort. Grant that we may trust in your mercy and send an angel to sustain us as we await their safe return.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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For Veterans
“Jesus, you said, ‘There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ Today we pray for those men and women who have, in their military service, sacrificed their time, strength, ambition, health and even their lives on this earth to benefit ‘friends,’ known and unknown.
​
Many of our warriors carry scars in their hearts as well as on their bodies. Dark memories haunt their dreams at night. Fears cloud their waking hours. Jesus, you came to give us abundant life by providing a way for us to release our pain to you. On the cross you bore our sorrows and brokenness and when we trust you, we can exchange our wounds for your joy in a future unhindered by fate. Bring this gift now to the veterans of our nation who bear tangible and intangible wounds. Heal them, Jesus.
Bless the families of soldiers who bear these pains vicariously. Give them patience and wisdom and strength to endure, and more than endure to hope in faith for a blessed life. God, not everything that happens in life is good. But you promise to work all things together for good to those who love you and align their lives with your purpose. Create good in the families of veterans who have experienced pain and loss. Do this miracle, we pray.

We honor our veterans in your name. We thank you – as we thank them – for their sacrifice. We ask you to return to them the favor of your blessing, a gift we on our own could never offer. We ask that you would give our veterans a peace beyond the peace they fought to secure, a peace in their own hearts, wrapped in the joy of a life touched by your strong hand.

For those who have given their all - their lives 

Lord God Almighty, whose only Son sought not to preserve his life but to make the ultimate sacrifice so that we might have abundant life, we remember this day the personal sacrifices made by many of our fellow citizens in the service of their country. On this day we pause, however briefly, to remember and recall those who gave the last measure of their lives for their faith, their country and their fellow compatriots in arms. The record of their courage is in the hands of history and the vestige of their lives is at rest in our memories. Grant that we and all the citizens of this land may have the grace to honor their good deeds as in righteousness we strive for peace among all the people of God’s creation. Remembering their sacrifice, we rededicate ourselves to the tradition of courage that you, our Lord, have instilled in us. Give us a deep sense of reverence for life that is tempered by a passionate desire for justice. Continue in us the valor of those who have woven this tradition into the  fabric of our country. 

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Scripture
Pray for divine protection and guidance for our armed forces. Ask God to intercede for military chaplains and loved ones at home.

• II Chronicles 32:6-8
• Psalm 57:1
• Psalm 59:1
• Proverbs 2:8
• Psalm 5:11