How can you pray for our deployed military’s family?
Many prayers are directed to our deployed military personnel, and that is so great, but it is equally important to pray for their loved ones at home. Here are thoughts to consider when praying for military spouses and children:
Pray…for the home front spouse
- That they would trust God and that they would be firmly rooted in Christ and the Word of God and draw strength from Him.
- For joy, hope, endurance, strength, patience, protection and safety.
- Pray against fear, loneliness, fatigue, despair, depression.
- That support would be present when needed, that friends, family, co-workers, neighbours would rise up and extend assistance and encouragement.
Pray…for their marriage
- For loyalty and commitment in their marriage, and that their relationship would have trust.
- That their love would grow stronger during the time apart.
- Pray against temptation or inappropriate relationships.
- For a healthy way to fill the hours left empty that would have been spent with their spouse.
Pray…for their children
- That the spouse at home would be strong for their children and would have wisdom and discernment in parenting.
- That children would learn how to cope with the deployment (fears, anxieties, sadness) and learn how to express themselves.
- That schools would be understanding and helpful.
And keep praying following the deployment!
- Pray for the time of re-integration. After the happy reunion, the period of adjustment can be tough. the whole family has been affected/changed by the deployment.
- It may be a time of dealing with unresolved issues.
- The deployed parent needs to fit back into the home that has been managed independently without him/her for a period of time. Parental/spousal responsibilities may shift.