As wars, deployments, terrorism, and battles linger among us for years – do not grow weary in your prayers. Your soldiers, airmen, marines, sailors, and guardians rely on your prayers.

John 15:13 – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Greetings from Around the World this Lord’s Day

The alarm awakens me at 0100 (1:00 A.M.) This is the alarm on the table next to my bunk (not a general base alarm). With only an hour or so of time on my pillow, I quietly pull on my uniform, lace up my boots, comb my hair, wash my face, and brush my teeth. Then I venture out to catch the shuttle to the flight line.

The temperature is around 40 degrees (pretty cold for this Savannah resident). All is quiet. The night crew is going about their work as the 24-hour ops tempo of our base continues. Why am I out and about at this hour? My dad always told me that nothing good happens after 11 o’clock at night.

I have mixed feelings about the accuracy of that instruction this morning. I need to be at the flight line to meet visitors – three men passing through our site. I’m sure my dad would agree that such respect and hospitality would be a good thing. But, the reason for their brief stop over was far from good.

The event is designated as a DT. That is, its purpose is a dignified transfer. With tears and quiet reverence, men and women from my unit gathered on the flight line to render honors to three men who were making their final trip home. These men – one from Darlington, WI, one from Nampa, ID, and one from Carrollton, OH (two soldiers and one marine) had given their all in service to their country.

All of us who stood by the tail of the C-130, from the youngest of airmen to the wing commander, with one deliberate gesture, saluted our fallen brothers in arms. It was a silent yet powerful moment in the cool of this September morning.

At a DT ceremony, the chaplain is asked to climb the ramp toward the fallen warriors, and then turn to offer a prayer for those who have gathered. The noise of a busy flight-line competes for the ears of those gathered. But, ultimately, the One to Whom I pray has no trouble hearing.

I pray for the families and friends who did not expect this kind of homecoming. I pray for wingmen and battle buddies who continue to serve and fight and often have little time to grieve and reflect. I pray for the flight crews – the pilots and navigators and loadmasters who are charged with the weighty responsibility of this journey. We pray that the impact of such ceremonies never eases but that the frequency does. I pray that this sin-sick world would soon know the redemption for which it groans (Roman 8:22).

I pray that the Lord would hasten the day when swords shall be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks and nations will not lift up sword against nation neither shall they study war any longer (Isaiah 2:4). We know that to be the day when the Lord Almighty, the Prince of Peace, shall establish His Kingdom and reign forever and ever. And, I pray that, until that day, that the Lord would strengthen those who serve and sacrifice and comfort those who grieve.

As wars, deployments, terrorism, and battles linger among us for years – do not grow weary in your prayers. Your soldiers, airmen, marines, sailors, and guardians rely on your prayers. The families of those who sacrifice in separation and grieve in loss depend upon the battle you wage upon your knees. God’s people are called upon to be prayer warriors not prayer hobbyists. Don’t give up. We need you.

Chaplain (Capt) Thomas Brannon Bowman is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and is pastor of Grace of the Islands PCA church in Savannah and an Air National Guard chaplain. He is deployed to a Middle Eastern country for a few months.