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Armed Forces Day

2.  PATRIOTIC / NON RELIGIOUS SPECIAL DAYS

 

Armed Forces Day

 

O God and Father of us all, we gather on this special day to bear solemn testimony before thee and to the citizens of this great nation of ours, for loving gratitude and respect for all of our servicemen and women in uniform today. Grant, we beseech thee, Lord, that the liberty and freedom we count so dear, might remain with us always, and that those who are still in bondage by tyrants, might someday have the same privileges we do. We especially pray today, heavenly Father, for safety, guidance, and protection for all our service members. Comfort and sustain their spouses and children who often have to sustain the pain of long separation. Keep, O Lord, our nation at peace, but should our enemies dare to test our strength, may they find us invincible because our trust is in thee, in whose name we make these petitions.  Amen.

 

Our Father, we thank you for your providential hand in history and especially for these last successful pages in American military history. We are proud to be Americans and to stand our watch in uniform over values that are worth defending. May our pride never become arrogance and our strength never be found in weapons alone.  Amen.

 

Our Lord of hosts, in whom our fathers trusted; we give thanks for all men and women, citizens of the United States of America, who have and are serving the Armed Forces of our land. In time of peace, each stands as a promise of peace; in time of disaster or conflict, each stands as our nation’s willingness to support, defend and bequeath their lives for this freedom. May our tribute to each of these citizens and service members imitate our support to all nations whose love is for peace. God, support our Commander-in-Chief and military leaders that our sacred trusts in our Armed Forces be echoed “In God We Trust.” Amen.

 

Almighty and ever-blessed God, on this Armed Forces Day, we dedicate anew our military power for the cause of peace both at home and abroad. Accept our humble thanks for the opportunities that abide in our land, for your guidance in hours of peril and for your tender love in times of need. We pray today for your blessing upon all the men and women of the Armed Forces who stand ready and willing to serve and defend our country. Grant them steadfastness of heart, inspire them in the cause of peace, guide their endeavors as they remain loyal to our country and faithful to you. Rekindle in all America a spirit of sacrifice and a steadfastness of purpose. Empower us with the intellect to comprehend, with the compassion to be concerned, with the dedication to achieve and with the faith and fortitude to follow each task through, so that all our labors support peace and freedom for all mankind. Hear us as we pray for this nation and all nations that you will hasten the fulfillment of your promise of peace that shall have no end, now and ever more.  Amen.

 

Almighty and ever-blessed God, as we begin Armed Forces Week, we come to you with grateful and humble hearts. For over 200 years you have blessed our nation with dedicated and selfless men and women in uniform always prepared to defend our nation’s freedoms. The peace and security that is ours today is a direct result of the continued contributions and sacrifices made each day by men and women in uniform in the line of duty. We pay tribute to them, Lord, and ask you to protect them wherever in this world they proudly serve their country.  Amen.

 

Dear Lord, tonight we have so many things for which to be thankful. As a nation we have been granted many freedoms that are not available to people of other countries. We have freedom of speech and most important, the freedom to worship you, O Lord. Tonight we are assembled to recognize the members of our Armed Forces who strive to ensure that our country remains strong and free. We ask that you bless all service members stationed throughout the world. Remember those who have given their lives for their country. We ask a special blessing for the President of the United States and thank you for the strength and guidance you have provided him. Lord, we ask that you also bless the families of our servicemembers and continue to watch over them during times of hardship and separation. We ask this in your name.  Amen.

 

Especially today we would pray for those who wear our country’s uniform in areas of danger, and for those who prepare to go to such places. For all in every place who devote years of their lives to the safeguarding of liberty and justice for all, we pray. We pray for our president and his advisors, for the United Nations, for those leaders of countries whom we call our enemies, that their hearts and minds may earnestly desire and strive for peace among the nations. And we pray for ourselves, that we may be peace-makers in our own small way, seeking more to build up than to tear down, more to praise the good than to condemn the bad, more to do honest work than to complain. We are but children who need a Father’s love and correction, his strength and his instruction. Make our lives strong, Lord, for the sake of Jesus Christ and his witness in the world.  Amen.

 

May the Lord God of Hosts be mighty in his blessings of us and our country. May he challenge our minds with memories of the valiant patriots who have gone before us. May he inspire our wills with steadfast courage to follow the good paths where they have led. And may he strengthen our hearts with determination that we never falter in the honored service of our country and in faithful worship of our God.  Amen.

 

Lord God of Hosts, whose powers are from everlasting to everlasting and whose name is above every name in heaven and earth: keep, we pray thee, under thy protecting care the Armed Forces of our country and all who serve therein. Defend them amid violence on land or sea or in the heavens, and grant that they may be a sure defense and safeguard for the peoples of the United States; a security for such as come and go in peaceful and lawful pursuit. In time of peace keep them from evil, and in the day of conflict suffer not their courage to fail; that they may guard the American heritage against those who would destroy or straiten the liberties of government by the people and to the end that the blessings of religion and law may be preserved to posterity. Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

Heavenly Father, I commend to thy gracious care and keeping all the men and women in our Armed Forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with thy heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils that beset them and help them to know that no one can pluck out of thy hand those who put their trust in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

O Lord God of Hosts, stretch forth, I pray thee, thine almighty arm to strengthen and protect the airmen of our country. Support them in the day of battle, and in the times of rest and training keep them safe from all evil; endue them with courage and loyalty; and grant that in all things they may serve without reproach through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

O God, to whom we give our highest praise, look with mercy, we beseech thee, upon all who wear the uniform of our Armed Forces, and upon all people of the free world. As all people are called to a task, and we are called to this task of continually winning and keeping our nation’s freedom, may we accept this mission gladly, and perform our tasks admirably. But, O God, as we display the power and might of a warrior, may we never forget that the ultimate might and power rests in thy hands, and even as we arm ourselves with weapons, may we also arm ourselves with thy truth and righteousness, that true victory may surely be ours. In the name of our Master.  Amen.

 

Almighty God, we thank you for this opportunity to come together this afternoon. You have given each of us a need for support in our lives and a need to be assured that what we are doing is appreciated. We are especially grateful to those who have concern for the men and women in our military and wanted to express their concern by attending this luncheon. We ask you to bless them with continued health of mind and body and reward them for their efforts. We in the military are thankful for this occasion and ask that you deepen our appreciation for all who support us. Help us to show our gratitude by a sincere willingness to make whatever sacrifices necessary to do our part in preserving the gifts you have given each of us and our country. Accept this occasion as our way of saying we are your people, united in keeping your peace and spreading your kingdom. Bless this food we are about to receive and our efforts to serve you.  Amen.

 

Eternal Father, we are gathered here to remember the selfless service of those who are honored today. I pray that you will bless them in their new endeavors. Give them the strong sense of your presence and leading in their futures. May their example spur us on to greater accomplishments. In your holy name we pray.  Amen.

 

Father in heaven, as we conclude this enjoyable social time, we find it hard to believe that many of our young people are walking along the DMZ in Korea or other far off locations on the edge of freedom. They probably feel alone, unsupported, fearful. It is hard to believe that some in this room may be called to direct their people into combat. They too, will feel alone, unsupported, fearful. Most of us here will be called upon to make decisions that will affect the careers and lives of others. At those times we will also feel alone, unsupported and fearful. Bless us with a constant awareness of your presence in our lives. Let this occasion, and occasions like this, give us the support we need from our fellowmen and women to lessen our fears. This we ask with confidence in your fatherly care and providence.  Amen.

 

Eternal and ever blessed God, who has been our helper in times past, continue to be our help in these days. On this Armed Forces Day we offer to you our praise and thanksgiving for the blessings of the past, the challenge of the present, and the hope of the future. Make us ever mindful of the sacred trust we have received from our fathers. Instill in our hearts a deeper sense of righteousness and justice. Enable us to rededicate ourselves to the heritage and principles that have made our nation great. Keep us ever alert and ready to seize the opportunities of today and give us the ability to take a hard look at the future and a willingness to accept the challenge of tomorrow. We pray for the men and women who constitute the fabric or our military strength. We would especially remember those who are exposed to danger and peril in the defense of our nation, those who are prisoners of war or missing in action and their families, who wait in loneliness and sadness of heart. Be near to each one of them and give them a sense of comfort of your presence. Finally, we pray for your fatherly benediction as we join with those around the world who work toward the end that righteousness and peace shall prevail among all the nations of the world.  Amen.

 

O God, we pause to acknowledge you as the Lord and giver of life. We thank you for all your blessings upon us. Be with those who serve in the armed forces today, especially our leaders. Endow them with courage and conviction. Add wisdom to their knowledge, and flavor their ambition with a sense of service. Do not allow us to be victorious without first being right; may we not have greatness without goodness. May our motivation for might be our love of peace; peace in our world, among all people, within ourselves, and most of all we pray for peace with thee. We ask you not for tasks more suited for our strength, but strength more suited to our tasks. Give us a positive faith that we may see in every difficulty an opportunity, in every blessing a responsibility, and in every protection a purpose.  Amen.

 

Almighty God, we thank you for your many blessings upon our great nation. You have given us a bountiful land in which to live. Your hand has ever been upon us to sustain us in adversity and to guide us in prosperity. We thank you for the gift of dedicated people who have served in the armed forces of our country; for each person in every level of responsibility who has loved and defended our nation, who has helped to pass on to us the blessings of freedom and peace. You have given our nation great strength and wealth. We humbly pray for great wisdom to use aright the mighty forces at our disposal for the defense of that freedom and the preservation of peace in our world. Help us always to trust in thee, to honor and to value highly the qualities of faith character, and moral integrity that provide the ultimate source of our strength. Provide all those who serve today in the armed forces a full measure of your care and protection. You, O Lord, are our strength and shield. We thank you for the food we will enjoy tonight and all the sustenance you have provided. Bless us with your abiding presence now and forever. In thy name we ask it.  Amen.

 

Let us pray. We have assembled here on this Armed Forces Day, gathering by the strength of our commitment to that great community of patriots who are going and have gone before us in the endless pursuit of American freedom. O Lord, you call us each by name and bind us together in spiritual unity. It was you who instructed us to keep justice, and do righteousness for soon your salvation would come. You commanded us to proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. Our American forefathers followed your guidance and built this nation on the principles of liberty and justice for all. As we strive to follow both your direction and theirs, give us the mind to recognize and remember the real sacrifices of lives, families, homes, riches and more that our comrades in arms gave for us that we might live a free people. Give us the heart to realize that not all peoples are free in this world. That true liberty for America is bounded by true liberty for all people. Our thanks and praise pour out to you, Lord God, for giving divine strength to the men and women who served their country faithfully, throughout our nation’s history, in conflict and in peace. Help us to heed the words of John Philpot Curran when he said, “It is a common fate of the indolent to see their rights become prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance which condition, if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt.” Lord, we are not slaves except to your will. Keep us ever vigilant that we fall not prey to our selfish pride and comfort but help us to truly practice worthy sacrifice for world peace and national liberty. By your almighty power we pray.  Amen.

 

O Lord, grant us freedom with discipline, motivation with understanding, and determination with compassion. O Lord, give us the will for self-preservation, and the strength and power to help those who are willing to help themselves. O Lord, give us insight and patience, wisdom along with a sense of duty, and ability coupled with restraint to adjust to the changes in nature and men. O Lord, show us your ways, and never deliver us into the hands of any enemy. Bless us with your heavenly and earthly bounties, and never let us be in want. Guide us in being friendly and generous toward one another. Instill in us faith and knowledge, and let all of us have the ability to live at peace within ourselves. O Lord show the people of our nation the right way to serve and guard the sacredness of all orderly freedoms. Let us realize that you have given us riches not given to any other nation under the sun, let us be ever grateful, and accept the responsibilities which they entail. You are our God, and to you we would ascribe glory and honor, now and forever.  Amen.

 

Eternal and everliving God, in whom we have our faith, our hope and our trust, we thank you for our heritage of freedom and liberty. With joyful hearts, we give you thanks for those noble and courageous individuals who have returned from prison camps, strong in their faith and steadfast in their resolve. May their examples of heroism, sacrifice and perseverance continue to be an inspiration to us all. Keep us ever mindful of those families who still have loved ones missing in foreign lands. Help us to share more deeply in their anguish. Sustain and strengthen them in their solitude and sorrow by your presence. For all the men and women of the armed forces, grant them your protection; preserve them from harm; make them courageous, vigilant and faithful in the performance of their duties. Give them the assurance of your guidance and strengthen them that they may serve in accordance with your will. Finally, we pray for your benediction as we join with men and women of good will around the world to work for peace and justice among all people and all nations.  Amen.

 

Our God and Father, we acknowledge you as our creator, sustainer and redeemer. Thus, we bow before you. You always desire the best for your people, so we thank you that you created us with a passion for freedom and that in every generation you have raised up people who have risked their lives to preserve this virtue. We are particularly grateful for the men and women here tonight who have been so instrumental in defending our nation and maintaining peace. We honor them for their service to the Air Force and our country and pray your blessings upon them and their families. Fill us now with good cheer, and bless the food to our strength and our lives to your service.  Amen.**

 

Our gracious God, we pause in grateful thanks for all that you have given us as a nation and a people--for this association of these men and women who are engaged in a most honorable profession that counts duty more than cost--honor more than sacrifice. Rekindle in us and good people everywhere the spirit and commitment to carry high the banner of freedom, and give us clarity of vision that would recognize peace at any price is not peace at all--that life is not without risk nor freedom without sacrifice. Continue to bless our good land, our president and our commander. Give us the strength and courage to stand against evil for that which is right and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Bless us all now as we gather here in one mind and spirit “to enjoy these good gifts of food which flow from the bounty of your hand.” Amen.

 

There is always a soldier who lies in the field, and once he defended his country. There are those who have worn the military uniform, and still carry in their hearts the spirit of patriotism. There are those who stand tall to salute their flag. And their hearts beat with glory and greatness. There are those who are always ready to carry arms to defend their country. And there are many people who would stand to greet them when they pass by. We are proud of those soldiers who have stood with courage to protect liberty, justice and equal opportunity for all. There are many soldiers who are proud to see their country great among all nations. The greatness of a nation and people are a gifts of the Lord to those who know him at all times. The Lord brings his people out of war in victory to live in love, honor and peace. Let us honor all soldiers with respect and appreciation, and be proud before all nations.  Amen.

 

Lord God, our Father, you know better than we do that recruitment for defense goes at least as far back into biblical times as Gideon--the judge who rose in a time of need to defend the Hebrews in the Promised Land. It is as current as the slogan, "Aim High - Go Air Force." We thank you for the honor of work, the dignity of defense involvement, and the responsibility of citizens to defend and protect America. We're grateful for those who keep that challenge in the eye and minds of our citizens. Let excellence, effectiveness, and efficiency be their watchwords, and give success to their work. Father, in these days of democratic stirrings and sacrifices for freedom in other lands, help us to hold freedom's torch high. Let us be more completely your children from day to day, O God our Strength and our Redeemer.  Amen.**