Veteran's Day Prayers

I have recently discovered that when I don't have the words I want for prayer and I can't seem to find them in the Bible that the Book of Common Prayer is a wonderful resource. The prayers are so poetic and seem to say exactly what I am feeling.  Here are 2 that I found that seemed appropriate for Veteran's Day.   The third prayer was taken from a Veteran's Day prayer found on line.  I hope you will join me in praying for our great country and the men and women who serve and have served.

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage:  We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will.  Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners.  Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way.  Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues.  Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth.  In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  Book of Common Prayer, p 820


Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad.  Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  Book of Common Prayer, p 823

We ask for blessings on all those who have served thier country in the armed forces.  We ask for healing for the veterans who have been wounded, in body and soul, in conflicts around the globe.  We pray expecially for the young men and women, in the thousands, who are coming home from Iraq with injured bodies and traumatized spirits.  Bring solace to them, O Lord; may we pray for them when they cannot pray.  

Have mercy on all our veterans from previous wars.  Bring peace to their hearts and peact to the regions they fought in.  

Give us all the creative vision to see a world which, grown weary with fighting, moves to affirming the life of every human being and so moves beyond war.  Hear our prayer, O Prince of Peace.  Amen.