The Washington Post is carrying further information on the ambush that left four U.S soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter dead and three others missing. I read the online news every day and often quietly petition God for His mercy. In my own life, I sporadically keep a prayer journal and make note of how my Father in Heaven responded.
It just occurred to me to do it in a blog and perhaps by so doing, others will silently send a prayer along, as well. Maybe it will just be a record of my own faith journey.
For those who do not walk with God, you may wonder what it means when God does not seem to intervene. In the story in Daniel about Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, when they were about to be cast into the flames, they said to the king something like, We believe that God will deliver us. But if He does not, we still won't worship as you have commanded. We still believe in our God. The truth is, we live in a wicked, fallen word with the enemy on all sides. There is no safety in the world, the only safe place is God Himself. When storm clouds gather and calamities loom, we run into His presence and stay there (Psalm 57:1).
George MacDonald said, "That man is perfect in faith who can come to God in the utter dearth of his feelings and desires, without a glow or an aspiration, with the weight of low thoughts, failures, neglects, and wandering forgetfulness, and say to Him, 'Thou art my refuge.'"
Father, a day has passed since these young soldiers were taken by a ruthless enemy. I just plead for mercy on their behalf and lift them up to Thee. Please give them courage, please make their burdens and pain light, surely they were injured in the attack. Please grant special insight to all of those who are searching for them, make them astoundingly successful.Please choose one captor and touch his heart, help him to be merciful to these young men. Help our soldiers to know Thee, to know of Thy concern and tender care for them, even in the face of such cruel capture. Bring their friends and families together in faith to pray for them.We don't understand it all but know that this war in Iraq is part of a much bigger battle for men's souls. We love Thee and seek to be and do all that would make us Thine, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Imagine what would happen if an entire neighborhood or an entire city or an entire nation got on the same page with God through prayer
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