Faith forum

Can a person pray for troops without supporting war?

Acknowledging the humanity of soldiers, enemies

The Rev. Vicki Penner, chaplain, Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, 1429 Kasold Drive:

Yes. In fact, prayer is essential to active resistance to war.

Prayer is pausing in silence or meditation to consider our blessings and needs. In prayer, we open our hearts to God’s will instead of our own.

Such reflection is essential to seeing the humanity of our troops. All soldiers are human beings. As people, they are more than soldiers. They are sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. They have basic needs for food, shelter, support and meaning.

When we pray, we ask God to fulfill these basic needs in life-affirming ways. The more people can fulfill their needs in life-affirming ways, the less they will want to participate in the destruction that war inevitably brings.

However, we must not only pray for our troops. We must pray for our enemies as well.

War is based on dehumanizing others. War can only be supported by not seeing the humanity of our enemy. We can kill only if we see others as simply a terrorist, a communist, and so on.

In prayer, we open to the humanity of our enemies. They become people struggling to create a safe place to raise their families.

Out of prayerful compassion, we can step back from violence and brainstorm new, creative ways to meet all of humanity’s needs.

So, in fact, one of the most effective ways to work against war and for peace is to pause regularly in prayer to remember that we are all children of God.

– Send e-mail to Vicki Penner at vickipenner@sunflower.com.

Assistive prayer for troops a must for Christians

The Rev. Gary Myer, pastor, Lawrence Baptist Temple, 3201 W. 31st. St.:

The Bible says in James 5:16: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

First of all, we need to understand that prayer is conversation between God and his children. Now the only way to become a child of God is to be born again into his family. Jesus said – “Ye must be born again.”

Those who have not yet made that commitment do not have access to the throne of God because the only mediator, or go-between, is Jesus Christ.

The only prayer that God will hear from them is “God be merciful to me, a sinner, and save me.”

It is possible for a born-again child of God to pray for our young men and women in combat without supporting a war. Praying for God’s protection, especially for those who are saved, and praying for them to be witnesses of life in Jesus Christ with their fellow soldiers.

While praying for our troops, let’s not forget to lift our president and other leaders of our country up in prayer for God’s leadership and wisdom needed to get the job done.

Instead of being critical, we ought to be supportive. As a pastor and an American, I will support them.

The world that we live in is getting worse and worse, just as Jesus said it would. The only answer for all the problems, worries and troubling times is for people of the world to have a personal relationship with the one who has all the answers, and his name is Jesus Christ.

– Send e-mail to Gary Myer at pastormyer@juno.com.