Comforter and Councilor,¹
We turn to you in our time of grief; our help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.² Since the Civil War, we have set aside a day for remembrance, and our hearts are broken for the men and women who have been lost while serving our country.

Neither national liberty nor eternal freedom comes without a price. You paid for our eternal salvation with your own son,³ and you feel the suffering⁴ of parents who’ve lost their children defending America’s freedom. You have heard the cries of spouses, children, siblings, and friends. You have collected their tears⁵ and will be their comfort:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
(2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

I am grateful for those who have died defending my freedom. Do not allow me to become complacent toward their sacrifice, but exercise my freedom to benefit my country and your Kingdom. Remind me daily that my freedom in both life and eternity came at a price someone else paid.

For hundreds of years, men and women have sacrificed themselves for my right to pursue happiness. They have shown the true meaning of love, for:

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
(John 15:13)

I am grateful to those individuals, and my heart turns toward the family members who are left behind. This day is a reminder of their sacrifice and I pray the Holy Spirit would comfort them.

AMEN.

_________
1 John 14:26
2 Psalm 121:3
3 1 Corinthians 6:20
4 Hebrews 4:15
5 Psalm 56:8

Adapted from the book, American Psalms: Prayers for the Christian Patriot by Joshua J Masters | Copyright 2012, 2016, Joshua J Masters and Kingdom Knight Productions. May not be reproduced without permission.