Warriors Under His Wings - Church Prayer Leaders Network

It started with an email from my son Ben during the Iraq War. The email subject line caught my attention that summer day: “In the Sandbox.” I knew what it meant. Ben, a Navy Flyer in 2006, was on the ground in Iraq.

Inhaling sharply, I fought the welling tears. I trembled as I responded to my son’s unexpected announcement. Before that time I’d found some comfort that Ben was relatively safe, flying off an aircraft carrier on the Persian Gulf. Now my son had been sent to the war zone on special duty. I’d already lost my only daughter to cancer. God was stretching my faith and trust to the limits. God, why have You placed my son in even greater danger?

Then I remembered God’s assignment for His Son. And I wept. And I submitted myself to His will. I knew I needed to entrust my son into the Lord’s hands.

A friend shared Psalm 91 as a way to pray. Begging the Lord to shield Ben should he ever be in danger, I prayed the Psalm with heartfelt assurance. Other days my faith was frayed and weak, but I continued to claim the verses in Psalm 91.

Soon my focus expanded. There were other military families who shared my fear. So I added their warriors to my prayers. I now keep a list in my Bible so I can lift them up by name.

This is what I pray through Psalm 91:

Safety: “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare” (v. 3).
Freedom from fear: “You will not fear the terror of night” (v. 5).
His angels to protect: “He will command His angels concerning you to guard you” (v. 11).
Success in their mission: “You will tread on the lion and the cobra” (v. 13).
Salvation through Jesus: “If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge’ . . . no harm will overtake you” (vv. 9–10).

Ben came home safely from that first deployment. There have been two more since then. Each time I have lifted him up in prayer and believed the promises of Psalm 91.

By now, I have the Psalm memorized. It is tucked in my heart just as my list of warriors is tucked in my Bible. Most of the service men and women I pray for have no idea I am lifting them up in prayer each day.

While I understand that not all of my prayers are answered according to my desires, I believe the Lord has called me to this prayer ministry. And I know that He is working, whether I see the answers or not. He has called me to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17, kjv). I leave the results with Him.

ELAINE MARIE COOPER is the author of Fields of the Fatherless and Bethany’s Calendar, a memoir of her daughter’s battle with brain cancer (elainemariecooper.com).