All the Bible verses in this edition of The Presidential Prayer Team
for Kids Update are from The New Living Translation of the Bible.
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  • God is answering your prayers--awesome!
  • Observe Memorial Day by praying for our troops!
  • Give thanks to God for Billy and Ruth Bell Graham--it's a special week for them!
Things to pray for

President Bush took questions from members of the media at a White House Rose Garden press conference on May 24.  The President used this press conference to explain the compromises that have been met as he and his team have worked with members of Congress on funding for the war in Iraq.  Pray for the President as he continues to work with commanders on the ground in Iraq to bring the very best results there.  Photo courtesy of the White House. 

  1. God has been answering your prayers!  President Bush and Congress have been having a tough time coming to an agreement about funding for the war in Iraq.  You’ve been praying about it, and now there is compromise!  That’s a great thing, so good job with your prayers, and remember to thank God for His answers! And remember to keep on praying for President Bush as he seeks compromise with Congress on other concerns facing the country—especially immigration reform.

Hurricane season is starting, and we need to pray for a mild season and for protection for our country’s shorelines.  Photo courtesy of NOAA.

  1. Did you know that this week is National Hurricane Preparedness Week?  Proclaimed so by President Bush, it’s a great time to pray that this will be a mild hurricane season in spite of what the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted.  Pray that no storms will make landfall and that no one will be hurt by storms this year.  Don’t forget to thank God for answering our prayers last year, when the season was also much milder than predicted.

Billy Graham began by speaking to teens in the 1940’s and went on to preach to millions over six decades!  Give thanks to God for his tremendous life!  Photos courtesy of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

  1. Something really special is happening in Charlotte, NC next week!  That’s where the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is headquartered.  They’ve built a special library to honor Rev. Billy Graham and Ruth Bell Graham, and it will be dedicated on May 31.  Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton will take part in dedication ceremonies along with many other noted personalities.  So it’s a great time to give thanks for the life and ministry of Ruth Bell Graham and Rev. Billy Graham —he has spoken live to more people than anyone in the history of the world!  His efforts have brought millions into God’s wonderful family through faith in Jesus Christ! Pray for comfort and strength for Rev. and Mrs. Graham as both are in frail condition with health concerns.  Pray for peace of mind and heart for these two tremendous servants of God.

On Memorial Day we give thanks for the sacrifices of troops who died preserving our freedom, and we pray for peace!  Photo courtesy of the U.S. Marines.

  1. It’s Memorial Day, and all across our country Americans will pause to pray for peace and to acknowledge the tremendous sacrifices made for us by the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives through military service.  So remember to thank God for the great freedoms you enjoy in America—freedoms you have because of the sacrifices of generations of troops.  And remember to pray for peace in our world, because that’s what Memorial Day is about! 

Do you have a member of the military who you pray for?  It’s a great way to support our troops and help America at the same time.   PPT has a fantastic effort that will help you find a member of the military to pray for.  Or maybe you have a cousin, uncle or sister who you’d like to have others pray for.  We invite you to check with your mom or dad and visit our newly re-done Adopt Our Troops in Prayer website.  You can adopt a person in prayer or register a person for others to pray for.  You can learn about our troops there too .    

Leaders to pray for

We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away.
--Proverbs 10:7

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.  Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
--Philippians 1:3-6

All Americans honor the memory of the lives that have been lost in defense of our freedom. Our Nation mourns them, and their example of strength and perseverance gives us resolve. We are also thankful to those who have stood by our service men and women in times of war and times of peace.  On Memorial Day, we honor all those who have fallen by remembering their noble sacrifice for freedom. We also pray for our troops, their families, and for the peace we all seek.
--George W. Bush

Read all of President Bush’s Official Memorial Day Proclamation.

Memorial Day is a really neat holiday, because it is a time that our country has especially set aside to do two really important things--to remember and to pray.  It’s a very special time when we honor the sacrifice of those who have given their lives in service to our country, and we use God’s wonderful gift of memory to do so!

Every sunset is a gift from God, reminding us that He is the source of all beauty!  Isn’t it great when you get to share a sunset with someone you love?  When you remember those special moments it strengthens your faith in God. Photo courtesy of Inter-Varsity. 

Have you ever thought about what a wonderful and awesome thing memory is?  Memory is really a terrific blessing from God!  Maybe you remember a time that you and your friend giggled until you couldn’t get your breath.  Or perhaps you have a special memory of a beautiful sunset that you enjoyed with your family, or a time when you knew that God was very, very near to you--at camp or in church or alone in your room.  With God’s wonderful gift of memory, you can relive those fantastic moments in your mind, just by remembering! 

In the same way, God allows us the gift of memory so we can stay close to Him by recalling the many ways He has worked in our lives.  We remember His goodness and His faithfulness and the many ways He has given us just exactly what we needed, even if we forgot to ask for it. 

This illustration shows what it might have looked like when the Children of Israel worked as slaves in Egypt.  It was very hard work and the conditions were very bad—and kept getting worse.  Yet, after they had escaped, they quickly forgot the kindness of God in sending the plagues, forcing Pharoah to let them go.  No wonder God reminds us to “Remember and believe!” 

Remembering strengthens our belief, just as it did for the Children of Israel when they were in the wilderness.  They were tempted to doubt and to think that God had forgotten them.  He had not forgotten them--in fact He was leading them to a new and better life.  They nearly missed out on the wonderful Promised Land that God had made for them, because they forgot--they forgot to remember! 

They forgot how horrible their slavery was.  They forgot how hard it was to make bricks without straw.  They forgot how sad it was to live in a land that was not their own and that did not honor God.  So when you feel tempted to think that God isn’t working in your life or answering your prayers, just remember!  Remember all the really great blessings God has given you--and believe!

Can you think of a Bible verse that talks about the importance of remembering?   Hover here to read.

In the same way that God wants us to remember the great things He has done for us, our president wants us to remember those who have sacrificed and given their lives for our freedom.  That’s what MEMORIAL DAY is all about!  It’s a special time when we remember the dedication and service of the members of our military.  We stop to thank God and to thank them for the way they gave themselves so that we could continue to enjoy our freedom.  By remembering, we get a bigger appreciation of the blessing of freedom.

Have you visited our Prayer Walls yet?  Just in time for Memorial Day, we have a new Adopt Our Troops Prayer Wall.  It’s filled with inspiring photos of our troops from every branch of our military working hard, all around the world. Click HERE to check it out and, after you check with your mom or dad, you can post your prayer right away!

Did you know Memorial Day is a day set aside to pray for peace?  Since our God loves peace, it is really great to take time to pray for His peace.  Pray for nations to be at peace, for our troops to be at peace and for you and your family to be at peace!

Memorial Day is also about prayer!  That’s right!  It’s a day set aside to pray for peace.  President Bush has called us to pray for peace in the world and for the safety of our troops.  Even if you pray every day for peace, this is a great time to get others praying with you!  So talk to your mom or dad or friends in your church or neighborhood and be sure to pray on Memorial Day.

Do you know a Bible verse that talks about the importance of praying for the people who lead our nation?  Hover here to read.

President Abraham Lincoln spoke to a large assembled crowd at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, PA.  His speech there is considered one of the best and most important ever.  This is a picture of a newspaper account of that very special day, November 19, 1863.  Courtesy of the Library of Congress. 

Abraham Lincoln was president through some of the most difficult years of our nation.  Our country was being torn apart by war and many good Americans were giving their lives in the fight.  One especially rough battle took place in Gettysburg, PA. 

On November 19, 1863, a large group of people gathered to dedicate the battlefield and to remember the sacrifices of those who fought there.  President Lincoln addressed the crowd with words of gratitude and appreciation for their sacrifices.  His speech there was very short.  But his words were very sweet.  Many say it is one of the finest speeches ever given.  In his speech he called on God to help our nation find peace. 

The Gettysburg Address is appropriate for Memorial Day because we are so appreciative of the many troops who have risked their safety in Iraq to protect our freedom here at home. 

Read President Lincoln’s words and see if you don’t agree. 

The Gettysburg Address
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

President Abraham Lincoln honored the many soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Civil War. He reminded everyone that even though the North and the South disagreed, now they are all Americans who must move together toward peace. Portrait courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate--we can not consecrate--we can not hallow--this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
--Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863

Lyndon Baines Johnson was our country’s 36th president, and he became president quite suddenly and unexpectedly following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.  At his first National Prayer Breakfast as President, he noted how completely reliant on prayer our leaders have been from the start:  The men who have guided the destiny of the United States have found the strength for their tasks by going to their knees…

Lyndon Johnson spoke at Gettysburg on the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's famous address. He also spoke of moving forward as a nation committed to peace. Portrait courtesy of the White House.

Though Lyndon Johnson was not one to publicly proclaim his faith, it was a strong part of his life, nevertheless.  Like President Lincoln before him, President Johnson offered words of inspiration and called the nation to prayer at the famous site of the battlefield at Gettysburg. 
We, the living, have not forgotten--and the world will never forget--the deeds or the words of Gettysburg. We honor them now as we join on this Memorial Day of 1963 in a prayer for permanent peace of the world and fulfillment of our hopes for universal freedom and justice. We are called to honor our own words of reverent prayer with resolution in the deeds we must perform to preserve peace and the hope of freedom. We keep a vigil of peace around the world.

Until the world knows no aggressors, until the arms of tyranny have been laid down, until freedom has risen up in every land, we shall maintain our vigil to make sure our sons who died on foreign fields shall not have died in vain. As we maintain the vigil of peace, we must remember that justice is a vigil, too--a vigil we must keep in our own streets and schools and among the lives of all our people--so that those who died here on their native soil shall not have died in vain.
--Lyndon B. Johnson, Memorial Day speech at Gettysburg, May 30, 1963

The eagle is our national symbol, in part for its strength and dominance in the sky.  It is also a good picture of the steadfast love of God for His people.  When you pray Psalm 91 for others—especially our troops—think of the strength and security of the eagle, and remember that God’s strength is so much greater than the eagle’s!

Psalm 91 is known as the "Soldier's Psalm."  It offers great hope and the promise of security for those who trust in the Lord.  This Memorial Day, we encourage you to pray Psalm 91 for those in harm's way.  Can you think how to turn the words of King David into a prayer?  The full text of the psalm follows: 

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High      will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge--then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Photo courtesy of the United States Air Force. 

Thank You, Lord, for the men and women of our Armed Forces.  Protect them as they protect us.  Defend them as they defend us.  Encourage and strengthen them in spirit, soul and body in the execution of their duties.  Enable them to curtail hostile actions before they start.  Give our leaders wisdom and insight in all decisions.  Thank you, Lord, for providing America with the best trained, equipped and led military force in the world.  Fill them with Your saving grace and the gospel of peace that they may be shining witnesses of Your love.  Amen. 
--Anonymous

by Rev. Greg Asimakoupoulos

Come Monday, we will pause to think
about a chain formed link by link
that binds us to the liberties
that God desires for all.

It is a day for looking back
at how the mourners' dreaded black
maintains the colors that we love...
the red, the white and blue.
 
In cemeteries far and near
small flags at grave sites make it clear
that freedom's price was freely paid
by those who spent their lives.

And so on this Memorial Day
we place a wreath and humbly pray
that these who died courageously
will not have died in vain.

QUESTION 1

Read the last paragraph of President Lincoln's speech. Which of the following do you think best expresses the thoughts he is trying to convey?

  1. It is a silly waste of time to dedicate a battlefield.
  2. Someone has already consecrated this battlefield, so we have no need to be here today.
  3. We come here to dedicate this place, but there are others--those who sacrificed their lives--who have already dedicated it, and we are here to honor them.

QUESTION 2

True or False:
Mr. Lincoln says that the very best way to bring good out of this very sad loss of life is to see to it that America truly comes together to make a nation where all people are equal and have equal freedoms.

  1. True
  2. False

CLICK HERE TO SEE A PHOTO OF THE BATTLEFIELD AT GETTYSBURG.

QUESTION 3

True or False:
President Johnson said in his Gettysburg message that one of the best ways we can honor the sacrifices of those who have given their lives in battle is to continue to pray for peace.

QUESTION 4

Why do you think Psalm 91 is known as “The Soldier’s Psalm?”

We’re still celebrating Memorial Day!  And this week, we have all kinds of things to thank God for—especially for so many answered prayers.  It’s great when we can see God answering our prayers.  That really encourages us!  But we must remember that He is always working and is always answering our prayers, even if we don’t see the answers!  That’s especially true when we pray for our troops, because God is right there with them, strengthening them and helping them in ways we can’t see!  Memorial Day is a fantastic time to pray for our troops and for our President.  So remember to check out Adopt Our Troops in Prayer and our new Adopt Our Troops Prayer Wall!  Remember to pray for the President too, and be sure to have a fantastic Memorial Day celebrating and praying for peace! 

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