All the Bible verses in this edition of The Presidential Prayer Team
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  • Wow! It’s Memorial Day—time to remember!
  • Can remembering help you believe? You bet—it’s God’s way.
  • Presidential Reminder on Memorial Day: remember to honor those who have sacrificed!
Things to pray for

President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair approach their lecterns for a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 17.  Pray for President Bush as he strengthens relationships with many world leaders.  Photo courtesy of the White House.

  1. Many important things have been going on this week!  President Bush met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on May 17 and the two men expressed again the importance of their relationship and the relationship between our two nations.  President Bush also learned of Congress’ new proposal for immigration reform. So it has been a big week at the White House, and a really good time to pray for President Bush as he continues to lead our country, meeting with world leaders, members of Congress and his own team.  Pray for God’s powerful wisdom, peace and strength to be at work in him.  Pray also that God will empower President Bush to accomplish many good things for America according to His will.

  1. Pray for President and Mrs. Bush as they spend this weekend at their Crawford, TX ranch—for refreshment and renewal.  On May 20-21 they will host NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the ranch.  Pray for safety and for a really great time of meeting and discussion.  Pray also for the President as he speaks to the graduates at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT on May 23.  Pray for all the graduates of our nation’s service academies as they launch from their educational setting to a career of service to America.

Army Soldiers from the Florida Army National Guard work to prevent a wildfire from re-starting near Camp Blanding, FL. Pray for protection for everyone fighting fires across America.  Photo courtesy of the Department of Defense.

  1. Did you know there are wildfires raging in many places across our country?  While some are in remote places with no people or buildings, others have caused great disruption and difficulty, forcing citizens to evacuate and homes to be lost.  Firefighters are working very hard to stop these fires, so it is a good time to pray for God’s protection for firefighters and for success in putting out these blazes.  Pray for rain in all areas needing it!  Fires are currently burning in Georgia, Florida, New Jersey, Minnesota, California and Arizona.

These Army soldiers conduct a search of a car, during a combined patrol with Iraqi army soldiers in the Zafaraniyah area of East Baghdad, Iraq.  Pray for our troops as they work to bring security and safety to Iraq.  Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army.
  1. Pray for our troops, asking God to hold them in His loving and strong hands and to protect them as they protect us.    Pray for their families to be strengthened as they endure daily life without their loved one. Pray that many more citizens will make a commitment to pray for our troops faithfully.   And as our nation prepares to celebrate Memorial Day, remember to give thanks for the many sacrifices made by generations of faithful and brave troops who have sacrificed to give us freedom.  Pray that all Americans will understand and appreciate the dedication of our military and will commit to pray for them every day.  What better way could there be to celebrate Memorial Day? 

Leaders to pray for

Photo courtesy of the White House.

 

White House Press Secretary—Tony Snow
Tony Snow has been President Bush’s Press Secretary since April 26, 2006.  He came to the position having worked in all three major media--newspapers, radio and television. He started his career in 1979 writing editorials in Greensboro, NC and has written for many newspapers.  For seven years, he hosted a many different shows for FOX News.

In 1991, Snow took a sabbatical from journalism to work in the White House for George H. W. Bush, first as chief speechwriter and later as deputy assistant to the president for media affairs.  In his role as Press Secretary, Tony Snow now represents President Bush and his views to the members of the media.

Tony Snow received his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Davidson College, North Carolina, in 1977, and studied philosophy and economics at the University of Chicago during the 1978-79 academic year. He taught school in Kenya and in Cincinnati and worked as an advocate for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled in North Carolina.

Born in Berea, Kentucky, in 1955 and raised in Cincinnati, Snow is married to the former Jill Ellen Walker. They live in Virginia with their three children, a son and two daughters, and three dogs and two cats.  Recently, Tony Snow has been fighting a return of the colon cancer that he successfully conquered in 2005.  He is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Photo courtesy of the White House. 

Secretary of Education--Margaret Spellings
“Spellings” is a great name for the nation’s top education leader, don’t you think?  As Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings is responsible for watching over the education of every public school student in our country!  She works to set standards for schools and teachers so that every kid can get the very best education possible.  She gives the President advice on any matters that have to do with education, and she is also responsible to watch the budget for her department, making sure that all the money our government set aside for education gets to the kids, the schools and the administrators who need it most.  

Ms. Spellings has worked with and for President Bush for many years, and was a domestic policy advisor before whe became Secretary of Education in November 2004.  

She was born in Michigan and moved with her family at a young age to Houston, Texas, where she attended public schools. She graduated from the University of Houston in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in political science.  In addition to all the other things Secretary Spellings takes care of, she is a mom!  In fact, she is the first mom to serve as Secretary of Education.  With her husband Robert, she also has two sons, Britain and Robert as well as two daughters, one, named Mary, is just starting college.  The other, Grace, is a middle schooler. 

I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people.  And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.
--Philemon 1:4-6

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
--I John 5:14-15

All Americans honor the memory of the lives that have been lost in defense of our freedom. Our Nation mourns them, and their example of strength and perseverance gives us resolve. We are also thankful to those who have stood by our service men and women in times of war and times of peace.  On Memorial Day, we honor all those who have fallen by remembering their noble sacrifice for freedom. We also pray for our troops, their families, and for the peace we all seek.
--George W. Bush

Read all of President Bush’s Official Memorial Day Proclamation.

Memorial Day is a really neat holiday, because it is a time that our country has especially set aside to do two really important things--to remember and to pray.  It’s a very special time when we honor the sacrifice of those who have given their lives in service to our country, and we use God’s wonderful gift of memory to do so!

Every sunset is a gift from God, reminding us that He is the source of all beauty!  Isn’t it great when you get to share a sunset with someone you love?  When you remember those special moments it strengthens your faith in God. Photo courtesy of Inter-Varsity. 

Have you ever thought about what a wonderful and awesome thing memory is?  Memory is really a terrific blessing from God!  Maybe you remember a time that you and your friend giggled until you couldn’t get your breath.  Or perhaps you have a special memory of a beautiful sunset that you enjoyed with your family, or a time when you knew that God was very, very near to you--at camp or in church or alone in your room.  With God’s wonderful gift of memory, you can relive those fantastic moments in your mind, just by remembering! 

In the same way, God allows us the gift of memory so we can stay close to Him by recalling the many ways He has worked in our lives.  We remember His goodness and His faithfulness and the many ways He has given us just exactly what we needed, even if we forgot to ask for it. 

This illustration shows what it might have looked like when the Children of Israel worked as slaves in Egypt.  It was very hard work and the conditions were very bad—and kept getting worse.  Yet, after they had escaped, they quickly forgot the kindness of God in sending the plagues, forcing Pharoah to let them go.  No wonder God reminds us to “Remember and believe!” 

Remembering strengthens our belief, just as it did for the Children of Israel when they were in the wilderness.  They were tempted to doubt and to think that God had forgotten them.  He had not forgotten them--in fact He was leading them to a new and better life.  They nearly missed out on the wonderful Promised Land that God had made for them, because they forgot--they forgot to remember! 

They forgot how horrible their slavery was.  They forgot how hard it was to make bricks without straw.  They forgot how sad it was to live in a land that was not their own and that did not honor God.  So when you feel tempted to think that God isn’t working in your life or answering your prayers, just remember!  Remember all the really great blessings God has given you--and believe!

Can you think of a Bible verse that talks about the importance of remembering?   Hover here to read.

In the same way that God wants us to remember the great things He has done for us, our president wants us to remember those who have sacrificed and given their lives for our freedom.  That’s what MEMORIAL DAY is all about!  It’s a special time when we remember the dedication and service of the members of our military.  We stop to thank God and to thank them for the way they gave themselves so that we could continue to enjoy our freedom.  By remembering, we get a bigger appreciation of the blessing of freedom.

Did you know Memorial Day is a day set aside to pray for peace?  Since our God loves peace, it is really great to take time to pray for His peace.  Pray for nations to be at peace, for our troops to be at peace and for you and your family to be at peace!

Memorial Day is also about prayer!  That’s right!  It’s a day set aside to pray for peace.  President Bush has called us to pray for peace in the world and for the safety of our troops.  Even if you pray every day for peace, this is a great time to get others praying with you!  So talk to your mom or dad or friends in your church or neighborhood and be sure to pray on Memorial Day.

Do you know a Bible verse that talks about the importance of praying for the people who lead our nation?  Hover here to read.

President Abraham Lincoln spoke to a large assembled crowd at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, PA.  His speech there is considered one of the best and most important ever.  This is a picture of a newspaper account of that very special day, November 19, 1863.  Courtesy of the Library of Congress. 

Abraham Lincoln was president through some of the most difficult years of our nation.  Our country was being torn apart by war and many good Americans were giving their lives in the fight.  One especially rough battle took place in Gettysburg, PA. 

On November 19, 1863, a large group of people gathered to dedicate the battlefield and to remember the sacrifices of those who fought there.  President Lincoln addressed the crowd with words of gratitude and appreciation for their sacrifices.  His speech there was very short.  But his words were very sweet.  Many say it is one of the finest speeches ever given.  In his speech he called on God to help our nation find peace. 

The Gettysburg Address is appropriate for Memorial Day because we are so appreciative of the many troops who have risked their safety in Iraq to protect our freedom here at home. 

Read President Lincoln’s words and see if you don’t agree. 

The Gettysburg Address
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

President Abraham Lincoln honored the many soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Civil War. He reminded everyone that even though the North and the South disagreed, now they are all Americans who must move together toward peace. Portrait courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate--we can not consecrate--we can not hallow--this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
--Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863

Lyndon Baines Johnson was our country’s 36th president, and he became president quite suddenly and unexpectedly following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.  At his first National Prayer Breakfast as President, he noted how completely reliant on prayer our leaders have been from the start:  The men who have guided the destiny of the United States have found the strength for their tasks by going to their knees…

Lyndon Johnson spoke at Gettysburg on the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's famous address. He also spoke of moving forward as a nation committed to peace. Portrait courtesy of the White House.

Though Lyndon Johnson was not one to publicly proclaim his faith, it was a strong part of his life, nevertheless.  Like President Lincoln before him, President Johnson offered words of inspiration and called the nation to prayer at the famous site of the battlefield at Gettysburg. 
We, the living, have not forgotten--and the world will never forget--the deeds or the words of Gettysburg. We honor them now as we join on this Memorial Day of 1963 in a prayer for permanent peace of the world and fulfillment of our hopes for universal freedom and justice. We are called to honor our own words of reverent prayer with resolution in the deeds we must perform to preserve peace and the hope of freedom. We keep a vigil of peace around the world.

Until the world knows no aggressors, until the arms of tyranny have been laid down, until freedom has risen up in every land, we shall maintain our vigil to make sure our sons who died on foreign fields shall not have died in vain. As we maintain the vigil of peace, we must remember that justice is a vigil, too--a vigil we must keep in our own streets and schools and among the lives of all our people--so that those who died here on their native soil shall not have died in vain.
--Lyndon B. Johnson, Memorial Day speech at Gettysburg, May 30, 1963

The eagle is our national symbol, in part for its strength and dominance in the sky.  It is also a good picture of the steadfast love of God for His people.  When you pray Psalm 91 for others—especially our troops—think of the strength and security of the eagle, and remember that God’s strength is so much greater than the eagle’s!

Psalm 91 is known as the "Soldier's Psalm."  It offers great hope and the promise of security for those who trust in the Lord.  This Memorial Day, we encourage you to pray Psalm 91 for those in harm's way.  Can you think how to turn the words of King David into a prayer?  The full text of the psalm follows: 

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High      will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge--then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Photo courtesy of the United States Air Force. 

Thank You, Lord, for the men and women of our Armed Forces.  Protect them as they protect us.  Defend them as they defend us.  Encourage and strengthen them in spirit, soul and body in the execution of their duties.  Enable them to curtail hostile actions before they start.  Give our leaders wisdom and insight in all decisions.  Thank you, Lord, for providing America with the best trained, equipped and led military force in the world.  Fill them with Your saving grace and the gospel of peace that they may be shining witnesses of Your love.  Amen. 
--Anonymous

by Rev. Greg Asimakoupoulos

Come Monday, we will pause to think
about a chain formed link by link
that binds us to the liberties
that God desires for all.

It is a day for looking back
at how the mourners' dreaded black
maintains the colors that we love...
the red, the white and blue.
 
In cemeteries far and near
small flags at grave sites make it clear
that freedom's price was freely paid
by those who spent their lives.

And so on this Memorial Day
we place a wreath and humbly pray
that these who died courageously
will not have died in vain.

QUESTION 1

Read the last paragraph of President Lincoln's speech. Which of the following do you think best expresses the thoughts he is trying to convey?

  1. It is a silly waste of time to dedicate a battlefield.
  2. Someone has already consecrated this battlefield, so we have no need to be here today.
  3. We come here to dedicate this place, but there are others--those who sacrificed their lives--who have already dedicated it, and we are here to honor them.

QUESTION 2

True or False:
Mr. Lincoln says that the very best way to bring good out of this very sad loss of life is to see to it that America truly comes together to make a nation where all people are equal and have equal freedoms.

  1. True
  2. False

CLICK HERE TO SEE A PHOTO OF THE BATTLEFIELD AT GETTYSBURG.

QUESTION 3

True or False:
President Johnson said in his Gettysburg message that one of the best ways we can honor the sacrifices of those who have given their lives in battle is to continue to pray for peace.

QUESTION 4

Why do you think Psalm 91 is known as “The Soldier’s Psalm?”

This year we encourage you to take time on Memorial Day to remember all the ways God has blessed you.  Enjoy your religious freedoms and take time to pray!  Pray for our troops, for our President and for our country.  Be sure you do more than just enjoy a day off of school, and use the wonderful gift of memory to consider how richly God has blessed our nation.  We hope you’ll be so overwhelmed with gratitude to Him that you won’t be able to stop thanking Him all day long.  And we especially hope that gratitude will cause you to pray for peace as President Bush and many presidents before him have asked us to do.  God hears and answers kids’ prayers with the same joy and urgency that he hears and answers anyone’s prayers, so be sure to pray, and watch for His answers!  And happy Memorial Day! 

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