A Memorial Day Prayer

 

Dear Lord, 

We humbly adore you this day.  

We adore you 

because, in a beginning, 

it pleased you to set the universe on its path 

and make it so the sun would rise each day.   

We adore you 

because you have sought relationship with mankind 

and breathed, through your spirit, your word, 

so that we might get a glimpse of your heavenly realm 

and find kingdom relevance in our daily lives.   

We adore you 

because you chose prophets and wise teachers 

and you sent your son Jesus

who made it possible for us to receive grace.   

We adore you 

because of all of the provision you have made for us, 

for the food we eat each day, 

for the blessings of health 

and of happiness,  

for friendship 

and for family, 

and for this opportunity to worship you 

and be called your servants.  

 

Father, 

we thank you that you have seen fit 

to allow our country to prosper 

and we pray that it may always be true 

when we pledge ourselves as a nation under God, 

undivided in promoting liberty and justice, 

because liberty and justice 

are Godly principles according to your word.   

We pray that our hearts will always be thankful for these things, 

and that you will give us the hearts of servants 

to meet the needs of those less fortunate in our neighborhoods, 

in our country, 

and across the world.  

Help us to practice compassion.

Father, 

on this Memorial Day weekend 

we pause to remember the lives and spirits 

of men and women who, 

down through our history as a nation, 

have served to promote these principles of liberty 

and justice, 

men and women who have served well.   

We honor the lives of those who gave their lives, 

as a full measure of service to their country 

and their comrades.  

Father, we thank you for their courage 

and for their resolve 

to do what they could. 

Allow us now to contemplate their service, 

and for some, 

the terrible price paid in life 

and in mental anguish.   

As we contemplate current or past family members, 

friends or neighbors 

who served in the Army, 

the Air Force, 

the Navy, 

the Marines, 

the Coast Guard, 

the Merchant Marines, 

or in other service to our country, 

allow us to value them for all of the right reasons, 

and allow us to resolve to be better because of them.  

Cause us to devote ourselves to wage peace.   

Cause us to be ever vigilant 

and devoted 

in our attempts to serve others.

I pray this in the name of Jesus.   

If God be for us, 

who can stand against us?   

Emmanuel.