How to Pray for the Military

How to Pray for the Military Lt. Col. Al McCarn, US Army Alexandria, VA March 2, 2008 Believers in our Messiah Jesus tend to agree that the instruction of His apostle Paul still applies to all of us today: Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (I Timothy 2:1-3) This is a good scriptural basis for praying for every authority in our society, including the military. But just what do we mean by this name, “the Military”? A basic understanding of the United States military establishment would be a good thing for the people of God to have. This will help in shaping focused, effective prayers as the Lord leads so that His purposes through our military may be accomplished. Let’s start with the basic numbers: our defense establishment consists of over 3.1 million men and women, both military and civilians. Some 1.4 million of those are on active duty with the Army (520,000), Navy (335,000), Marine Corps (187,000), Air Force (330,000), and Coast Guard (41,700). Another 670,000 are civilian employees of the federal government. There are another 1.1 million in the Army and Air Force National Guard, and in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Reserve forces. All of these (except for the Coast Guard, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security), are under the Department of Defense. The chief official, as required by our Constitution, is the civilian Secretary of Defense. He is advised and assisted by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Civilian Secretaries also lead the Departments of the Army, Navy (which includes the Navy and Marine Corps), and Air Force. They are advised by the senior military leaders who run the daily business of the Services: the Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Naval Operations, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The same arrangement exists in the Department of Homeland Security, where the civilian Secretary is advised by the Commandant of the Coast Guard. The current leaders of our Defense establishment are: · Secretary of Defense Dr. Robert M. Gates · Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon M. England · Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen · Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright, USMC · Secretary of the Army Dr. Peter Geren · Chief of Staff of the Army General George W. Casey · Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter · Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead · Commandant of the Marine Corps General James T. Conway · Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne · Chief of Staff of the Air Force General T. Michael Moseley · Secretary of Homeland Security · Commandant of the Coast Guard Admral Thad W. Allen That is the basic organization, but it hardly scratches the surface of a living organism that embraces about 1% of the population of the United States. And we have not even considered the millions more who are family members of these Service members and civilians, or the two million military retirees who continue to be part of the wider military community, or even the millions of defense contractors who provide products, services, and expertise without which our forces could not operate. Then there are the research organizations, both in institutions of higher learning and in private industry, that look toward the future of our military by developing new technologies adapted to the ever-changing combat environment. When you stop to think about it, “the Military” is far, far more than the Soldier on the ground in Iraq. Those brave men and women are the “point of the spear”; the business end of our foreign policy. They are the ones who interact with people in foreign lands, both friends and foes, to carry out the orders made by the President on behalf of the People of the United States. Yet behind each one of them are many hundreds of others who recruit, train, equip, transport, feed, protect, and serve them in every way. If these numbers and statistics bewilder you, don’t worry. You do not have to know that much about our Military to pray and help us. Think instead in plain and simple human terms: · Perhaps you know a young woman in your church who is struggling to raise three children while their father is away in Afghanistan with his National Guard unit. If you pray for her, then you pray for the military. If you offer to watch her children while she goes to the store, you have contributed more than you know to national defense. · Perhaps you pass an Army Reserve center on the way to your grocery store. You can be certain that the people who pass through the doors of that facility have either been deployed overseas at least once in the past six years, or they are just coming home, or they are about to go. If you see them out there standing in formation on a Saturday morning, pray for them. They would rather be playing ball with their sons, or shopping with their daughters, but they have chosen instead to make sacrifices for our nation so that their children may grow up in freedom. · Perhaps you see one of our military leaders on the news testifying to Congress. Pray for him, for he is a human being just like the rest of us. He carries the weight of many decisions that will affect the lives of Service men and women, their families, and the nations to which they are deployed – and he also carries the weight of responsibility as a husband, father, citizen, taxpayer, brother, and (very often) churchgoer. When his father-in-law is sick unto death, he cannot cease being the decision maker even while he tries to comfort his wife and provide for his family’s needs. Therefore double your prayers on his behalf, and do not criticize him when, for his burdens are greater than you know. If you are interested in learning more about the Military, there are many readily available sources. You can start at the Department of Defense official web site (http://www.defenselink.mil/). But know that you don’t have to be an expert on defense to pray for us. These simple examples are just the beginning. The Lord will give you the specifics if you just ask Him. And on behalf of my brethren in uniform and in civilian service to this nation, and our families, I thank you for lifting us up before the throne of the Living God.