How to Pray in This Time of War
10 of the Best Ways You Can Help
by Jim Elzerman

1. Rely on the Holy Spirit to Guide Your Prayers. Sometimes when you don't know how to pray, you simply have to rely on the Holy Spirit to intercede for you. In Romans 8:26, the Apostle Paul reminds us: "… If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He [God's Spirit] does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans." (from The Message).

2. Pray for Opportunities to Advance the Gospel — that you might be light in a dark world. "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand-shine!" (Matthew 5:13-14, The Message). Times of crisis often provide opportunities to share the gospel that otherwise might not be available. Pray for boldness in your Christian witness.

3. Pray for Those in Authority — our president, other world leaders, military leaders. "Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live." (1 Timothy 2:2, The Message). Pray that they have wisdom and compassion in the decisions they make.

4. Pray for Our Missionaries and Church Leaders. Missionaries willingly make the sacrifice to leave behind their home and families to serve on the mission field. The isolation and sacrifice they make is all the greater when world events add to the danger and puts them in harms way. Pray that they will represent Christ, the church and country in positive ways. Pray for protection as our Bishops and church leaders travel to foreign lands and as our missionaries travel to and from their respective mission fields.

5. Pray for Children. Children are often the most vulnerable to the effects of war, both physically and emotionally. Pray for the children in Iraq. Pray for the children of service personnel serving in the Middle East. Pray for and talk with your own children or grandchildren regarding the war. With all the media coverage of the war, it is a good idea to pray for wisdom in how much of the coverage to watch. It's easy to become overwhelmed by the images and reports, especially for children.

6. Pray for Those Serving in the Military and for Their Families. Those prayers can be for safety and strength. Click here for a list of service personnel who have ties to the Free Methodist Church. Pray also for the spiritual needs of those in the service. Pray especially for salvation for those who do not know the Lord.

7. Pray for Families of Those Who Have Lost Loved Ones During the War. The list of casualties on both sides of the war is growing daily. The statistics we hear reported represent real people from real families. If you would like to put faces and names with your prayers for those families who have lost loved ones, you can at: www.cnn.com.

8. Pray for the Believers in Iraq. An article in Christianity Today dated November 18, 2002 states that there are an estimated 600,000 Christians living in Iraq. Pray for their protection and for their witness in a land so desperately in need of the peace Christ alone offers.

9. Pray for Our Enemies. "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves." (Matthew 5:43-44, The Message).

10. Pray Maranatha: Come Lord Jesus. (cf. Revelation 22:17-21) It is always appropriate to pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is also appropriate to echo the chorus in Revelation 22 that longs for our Lord's return.