Monday Morning Manna: Praying for and with Veterans on Their Day

One of God’s greatest gifts is memory. When we remember, we sometimes sit in a recliner and reflect. Other times we do something in response to memory. Yesterday, people placed flowers at grave sites, and memorials of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Others attended ceremonies in cemeteries and at national monuments. Still others, paused in the midst of worship services to remember and pray. We acted out our remembrance and our appreciation, for those who served in the past, and those who serve today. For me that includes a father and two uncles who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, a brother who served in the U.S. Army National Guard, and a son who served in the U.S. Marines, and continues to serve with the U.S. Homeland Security. On this day-after Veterans Day, may we continue to pray for those who serve, perhaps praying 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” May we also join with those who serve in praying for peace. General Douglas MacArthur said, “The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.”

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, is the WestCoast Baptist Association’s Spiritual Life & Leadership Mentor. Follow Dan on Twitter @DrDanRC and Facebook www.facebook.com/dan.crawford.