Prayer for a Soldier

Perhaps you know a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine. Maybe s/he is serving overseas. Maybe in a very hostile place, overseas. I certainly know a few.

Whether they are serving here or overseas, it is impossible not to feel concern for those we love. We worry about those who are defending freedom and our country.

What can get us through the stress and uncertainty facing these brave men and women? How can we help them, when we may be thousands of miles away? One way is through prayer. Frequent, fervent prayer.

I have found Psalm 91 to be one of the best scripture passages in the entire Bible to pray on behalf of those in harms way. My favorite translation comes from the Complete Jewish Bible (I've replaced any Hebrew transliteration with the equivalent English words, and "ADONAI" is the Hebrew equivalent of "LORD" in the English Bibles):

You who live in the shelter of The Most High,
Who spend your nights in the shadow in the shadow of The Almighty,
who say to ADONAI, "My refuge! My fortress!
My God, in whom I trust!" -
He will rescue you from the trap of the hunter
and from the plague of calamaties;
He will cover you with His pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
His truth is a shield and protection.

You will not fear the terrors of night
or the arrow that flies by day,
or the plague that roams in the dark,
or the scourge that wreaks havoc at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand;
but it won't come near you.
Only keep your eyes open,
and you will see how the wicked are punished.

For you have made ADONAI, the Most High,
who is my refuge, your dwelling-place.
No disaster will happen to you,
no calamaty will come near your tent;
for He will order His angels to care for you
and guard you wherever you go.
They will carry you up in their hands,
so that you won't trip on a stone.
You will tread down lions and snakes,
young lions and serpents you will trample underfoot.

"Because he loves me, I will rescue him;
because he knows My name, I will protect him.
He will call on me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him when he is in trouble.
I will extricate him and bring him honor.
I will satisfy him with long life
and show him my salvation."

Scripture quotation taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources Int'l. All rights reserved.