Gratitude For America’s 13 Fallen Heroes And Comfort For Their Families
Prayer
Almighty Lord and God of all comfort,
All praise to You God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are our merciful Father and the source of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3).
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). And now is a time to weep and a time to mourn.
We come to You Jesus with weary and heavy hearts. And You have promised that if anyone comes to You in this condition that You will provide rest for their souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Father God, we lift up our 13 fallen heroes, honorable, courageous, and loyal military men and women who lost their lives due to evil upon evil—a diabolic suicide bombing during the Afghanistan debacle. All of these servicemen and women were so young and had their entire lives before them. Then this avoidable tragedy. Oh Lord, these men and women are part of our American family. We are grieving as if our own sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, grandsons and granddaughters, were among these 13 honored dead.
When we look at the faces, innocent faces not hardened by life, but faces full of enthusiasm and trust, we see faces looking forward to serving their country and living the great adventure of life.
When we hear the ages, the names of high schools, the years of graduation, it slams us into the realization that their lives had only begun and they had just graduated from high school, schools like the ones we attended, schools named after American leaders.
When we hear the names, we know each was carefully selected by parents who were full of joy over this precious gift from You Father, a name to represnt them in the world. Truly our senses are overwhelmed with the gravity of what has happened, and our hearts are filled with intense sorrow.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). These 13 men and women exemplified this great love for their country, their fellow citizens, and the freedom which defines this nation.
Creator God, You know each of these American heroes by name. Even before they were born, their frames were not hidden from You, as they were knit together in their mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13, 15).
Heavenly Father, we want to honor each fallen service member and express our sincerest gratitude for their service and sacrifice. We state each of their names and remember them in Your Presence.
Marines
Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover
Sgt. Johanny Rosariopichardo
Sgt. Nicole L. Gee
Cpl. Hunter Lopez
Cpl. Daegan W. Page
Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez
Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza
Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz
Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum
Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola
Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui
Navy
Hospitalman Max Soviak
Army
Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss
These young men and women, heroes in the eyes of patriotic American citizens, have truly fought the good fight and have given the ultimate sacrifice. In keeping their oaths taken before You on behalf of our nation, their lives were cruelly taken from them as they dutifully fulfilled their call to service. Lord God, we express our gratitude for these soldiers and for their willingness to protect our freedoms.
Father God, we acknowledge the woeful inadequacy of our thanks in relation to their sacrifice. Therefore, help us to never forget August 26, 2021, the circumstances that led up to that day, and the pictures of mere children who had undertaken such an enormous responsibility.
Heavenly Father, we pray for the families and friends of each of our 13 fallen heroes—mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, grandparents, husbands and wives, fiancés, children, all those impacted so severely by this tragedy. And moreover, by the circumstances of this tragedy.
In the days, months, and years to come, every birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, all the special occasions when the absence of loved ones is felt so severely, we ask You to comfort them. Let them feel Your presence. Help them in these times of great sorrow and overwhelming pain. May they find joy in memories past and in the future hope of seeing their loved one again. We know and trust that You Father will supply every need of theirs according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
In the days, months, and years to come, we ask You to help family and friends to overcome the human tendency toward bitterness, especially given the circumstances of these untimely losses. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, may their grief and righteous indignation be transformed into a continuance of their sons and daughters’ mission—to serve and protect this country. Through family and friends’ personal testimony of the pervasive rot in our government and military’s traitorous and politicized “leadership,” may our 13 heroes continue to speak loudly and boldly, and thereby, defend the United States against enemies domestic. And God, You know. You know what the incompetence and dereliction of duty by an illegitimate commander-in-chief, and woke generals reveal—enemies domestic.
Almighty Lord, though this prayer is focused on our 13 fallen heroes, we also take this time to pray for Lieutenant Colonel Stu Sheller. We thank You for his heroic courage to demand accountability from bureaucratic military leaders for their incompetence displayed in the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. The same incompetence that led to the death of our 13 heroes.
We ask you to protect and watch over Lt. Col. Sheller. He risked everything he had worked for to stand up for truth, righteousness, and justice. In all the confusion, his voice was the only one speaking honestly and competently. The only one who publicly pronounced that the emperor was wearing no clothes. Yet, he also is the only one to be relieved of duty with cause. Father, never let him doubt for a minute that he did the honorable thing. Bless and prosper him and his family in civilian life 100x more than he was blessed in military life. Let his valor be a witness to all of us what it means to “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13).
Almighty Lord, use this needless tragedy at the defiled hands of incompetent politicized generals, and an illegitimate regime, to wake up American citizens across our land. Let it be a call to action for all Americans.
Let us use the many gifts that You have given us, to their utmost, to bring order to the chaos in America, and to build up Your Kingdom on earth, so that people everywhere may know there is a God in Heaven who saves His people and acts on behalf of those Who love Him.
Lord, regardless of the rubbish that is continually vomited by mainstream media, let us be ever mindful that people are made in the image of God. Our constitution reiterates our inalienable rights, divine gifts from You. We are not material, cheap labor, hedge fund donors, specimens for vaccine testing, and definitely not toys for the military industrial complex. No one has the right to take away or deny our God-given rights. Not an illegitimate resident of the White House, not the corrupt people who helped cheat him being installed there, not woke generals, NO ONE!
All people are made in Your Image Father God, and Scripture testifies that You alone know the heart of a person (1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 44:21; Luke 16:15; Acts 15:8; Romans 8:27; 1 John 3:20). Yet, Jesus told us that we can recognize wolves in sheep’s clothing because a tree is known by its fruits (Matthew 7:16).
As we look at fruits, we think of David, a man after Your own heart. After deliberately causing Uriah the Hittite’s death by purposely putting him in harm’s way (2 Samuel 11:14-17), David confessed his egregious sins and repented. He cried out for mercy (Psalm 51:1), cleansing (Psalm 51:2), and confessed that he had sinned against You and had done evil (Psalm 51:3).
Yet, in the same situation today, only 13x worse, there is no remorse—not one ounce—from the illegitimate and incompetent commander-in-chief, nor the woke and incompetent generals. None! No remorse! Are we surprised? No! Because Scripture bears witness to this: A bad tree cannot produce good fruit (Luke 6:43).
Father, as always, it is Yours to avenge (Romans 12:19). We praise and thank You that one day, justice will be demanded of these evil men. And Col. Sheller, along with many others who long for justice on earth, will see the accountability that the colonel demanded.
Nonetheless, if it be Your will, we ask that You speak the peace of Christ in each of their hardened hearts. And God, if they resist the Holy Spirit, may these unrepentant ones who caused the deaths of 13 military heroes, be meted justice in degrees appropriate to their treasonous behavior, as received by a repentant David, “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me… For you did this secretly, but I will do this openly before all the nation” (2 Samuel 10, 12). Thank You Lord God for granting justice to Your people speedily (Luke 18:8).
We remember and honor these fallen who have given their lives to defend a country they loved and a citizenry who loved them back. Yet, a country’s leaders who totally betrayed them in the face of danger. Thank You God for sparing them the knowledge of this blatant betrayal by their own feckless leaders.
We remember Jesus, history’s greatest Fallen Hero, Who has been raised and now sits at Your right hand. And we pray that these young men and women are too at home with You, at peace, resting in Your arms, high-fiving their victory, and free from the betrayals and evil of this world.
In the Name of Our Mighty Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
The American Heroes Of August 26, 2021
NY Post article and video honoring each of the military members who lost their lives on August 26. 2021.
Army Captain Maureen Bannon honors the fallen on Steve Bannon’s War Room Pandemic show September 1, 2021.
Col. Stu Sheller’s viral video demanding accountability from military leaders concerning their total failure in Afghanistan. The only person willing to stand up and state the truth evident to all Americans, and the world.
