A Prayer for September Eleventh
– By Joshua J. Masters, from his book “AMERICAN PSALMS”
“Father God, You are our strength in times of trouble. Today we are reminded of a wound in our nation’s history. We are grateful for the soldiers, fire fighters and police officers who voluntarily placed themselves in harm’s way to protect us – so many of our brave first responders were lost. This day is also filled with the remembrance of innocent victims who’ve lost their lives.
We know you are a God who sees our pain and comes close to the brokenhearted. Unlike many of our nation’s solemn days, we still remember the twisted metal and smoke rising into the horizon over New York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. For many, it is still a day of loss and suffering.
We remember the fear and uncertainty we felt that September morning. But like the Americans at Fort McHenry in 1814, we also remember the hope you gave us as the smoke began to clear and we saw our star-spangled banner, still waving, unfurled over the battlefield our enemies meant to be our place of defeat. Lord, encourage and strengthen us on this day.
I confess there are some of us who are still angry – some still live in fear. Send the Holy Spirit to comfort us, and give us the strength to comfort one another. Remind us that we have victory in Christ, and that we can find rest in you:
When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.
(Proverbs 3:24-26)
I pray a blessing of peace on the families who mourn the loss of their loved ones – whether a flight passenger, office worker, fire fighter, police officer or member of the military, each one of the people lost that morning had friends and families who suffer in silence today. May the Comforter be sent to their side, and may our communities rise up to meet their needs. Protect our hearts and strengthen our resolve. Amen.”
(Prayer is used with permission from the author.)
My Review:
This book contains 52 heart-touching weekly prayers that includes many areas of our life in America. These cover a wide range of topics: prayers for our political leaders; military leaders; our troops; military families; firefighters; police officers; teachers; the church in America; our National holidays; and many more. There’s an “In the Word” section of scripture references that go along with each prayer. There are also patriot quotes throughout the book, as well as a section of several worksheets entitled “Real Prayers for Real People” that you can use to make your own prayer lists to fill in specific names of people for whom you wish to pray.
In remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the attacks on September 11, I am including in this blog post “ A Prayer for September Eleventh”. I think it very well represents the written prayers in this book. I have this book on my shelf where it’s a visual reminder to me to pray for our nation and to use as a guide when I pray. I’m glad I have this book and highly recommend it to all of you.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
More than a devotional, American Psalms: Prayers for the Christian Patriot offers a worship-based approach to becoming a Praying Patriot. Filled with Scripture-focused prayer, tips for spiritual formation and tools to fulfill God’s command to pray for those in authority over us, this book will renew your heart for the nation that gives personal liberty and the God who gives eternal freedom.
This prayer guide is perfect for your Prayer Ministry, National Day of Prayer gathering, Small Group or Personal devotions.
Steeped in American history with a strong biblical foundation, American Psalms takes the reader on a one-year journey of spiritual growth with weekly prayers for the nation, psalms for special days of prayers, relevant teachings to enhance your perspective and PDF worksheet downloads designed to promote prayer for America’s leaders. With prayers spanning subjects from our troops to the presidency, from NASA to the fishing industry, and from the economy to our children’s teachers, Masters has covered nearly every aspect of American society with scripture-based prayer while teaching the reader how to regularly pray for our nation without political bias.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joshua J. Masters is a pastor, author, and speaker. He’s been featured on CBN Television, HIS Radio, and the Light Radio Network. Josh is the author of American Psalms: Prayers for the Christian Patriot and a columnist for the award-winning writing blog, The Write Conversation. He’s been a contributing author for Feed Your Soul, Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and One Christian Voice.
As a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Josh has also worked as an actor and crew member in the film industry.
As a pastor and ministry leader at a large church with a weekly attendance of nearly 5,000 people, Josh has had the opportunity to evaluate the issues that most commonly affect people’s spiritual growth. Combined with his extensive background in the fields of theater, film, and communication, his ministry work has uniquely equipped him to address those spiritual stumbling blocks in an approachable, yet challenging way.
Josh lives with his wife, Gina, and Franklin the Pup outside Greenville, South Carolina where he serves as a care and speaking pastor.
Another wonderful book by this author: