“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” —Psalm 100:1-2, 4, NIV
Father in Heaven, these words from Psalm 100 are so appropriate as we consider all that has happened this past year in the Military Ministry arm of Stonecroft. We give you thanks and praise for many wonderful military events, such as the Military Appreciation event on September 11 in Bartlesville, OK—attended by 500 people—and the “Monumental Hour of Prayer” held at Mt. Rushmore on July 8, where more than 360 came to hear Tom Greco share his story, and fourteen decisions were made for Christ.
We overflow with gratitude as we think about the many successful Stonecroft Military Heart Events this year:
- Dobbins Air Force Base, Cape Cod NH, June 12, and Cape May, NJ.
- McConnell AFB, Wichita, KS, September 20. We praise you for the wonderful attendance and the many who signed up for Stonecroft Bible Studies.
- MacDill AFB, Tampa Bay, FL, September 21. Thank You for this first women’s Military Heart Event with many receiving Christ and signing up for Stonecroft Bible studies.
- Camp Pendleton, CA, October 6. We praise and thank You for the large group that came to this third annual event and welcomed their new lead Chaplain. We rejoice in knowing that many women signed up for Pray & Play and mentoring.
- Mt. Home AFB, ID. We praise You for this event, also a third annual event, our first Family Heart Event. We thank you for this great time of joy as men, women, and their children celebrated together—an event made sweeter because many of the military personnel had just returned from deployment.
- Vandenberg AFB, CA, October 24. We thank You for the great turnout, especially for the many who prayed to receive Christ and signed up for Bible studies. We also thank you for the successful one-day Bible study held the next morning. We praise you that this Bible Study event will be a model for others.
- Virginia Beach, VA, October 27. Thank you for this awesome third annual event which was so well attended—in spite of hurricane Sandy. You are Sovereign! Our God reigns!
And now, Abba Father, we look toward the open doors and opportunities before us. We remember the words of the Apostle Paul: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12, NIV).
Again, heeding the words of Paul, help us to bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances we may have against one another. Help us forgive as You have forgiven us. And over all these virtues may we put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Col. 3:13-14)
Father, our hearts’ desire is to glorify You and honor Your Name. We pray that the seeds sown during these military events will bear fruit for Your glory.
We pray for those who received special military Bibles from Biblica. Please help them to read and understand Your living Word. We ask that those who signed up for Pray & Play and Stonecroft Bible Studies will grow in Your Word and in fellowship with one another.
Father, we pray for our National Military Ministry leaders:
• Pauletta Staley, Director
• Robin Harnist, Speaker/Trainer Consultant
• Kathy Torrence, Liaison Consultant
• Teasia Levin, Liaison Consultant
• Anne Rice, Prayer Consultant
In the Name of Jesus, we unite in prayer against the work of the enemy, and we put on humility. We see humility not as a dark, wet cloak, but as a beautiful adorning silk scarf. Join our hearts together as one body so that Your light, Your love, and Your glory will overcome all darkness and confusion.
We pray for the other ministries that serve alongside Stonecroft:
• Child Evangelism Fellowship, which reaches out to children during military events
• Biblica, which provides special military Bibles for us to give free-of-charge
• National Day of Prayer, which ministers with us on and around military bases
Thank You for providing special opportunities to share the ministry in ever widening circles. We ask Your blessing and direction for upcoming events in 2013.
“Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord.” –Psalm 33:12a
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As you join us in prayer with and for Stonecroft’s military family and friends, maybe you are led to join us in serving individuals and families in the military. If so, please contact Pauletta Staley, national director of Military Ministry, at pstaley@stonecroft.org.
If you have family and friends serving in the military, please add your prayers for them in the comment section below. [Please use first names only, unless the individual or family has specifically requested that their names be posted here, and avoid mentioning their location unless you know their mission is unclassified.] You can also share other prayers you have for the military and military ministry.
