The Navy Christian

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2016-08-14T10:55:00.001-04:00

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July 2016: A Plea for Prayer

2016-06-19T20:48:00.001-04:00

A Plea for Prayer!

Jerry McCullah, President of Impact Prayer International

Webster’s Dictionary lists one definition for “Mind” in this way: “Propensity” ~ “a natural inclination; or mind-set”

Thesaurus uses these options, among others: attention, concentration, awareness.

God used America in the past because she was both “God-minded” and “mission-minded”. She had, as a nation, a general desire to follow the precepts of God in the forming, and following, a new and bold Constitution. Her propensity, her inclination, mind-set, concentration, desired focus was on the laws of God Almighty. She was “God-minded”!

America also became a Gospel hub, sending many thousands of missionaries worldwide to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. She was “Mission-minded”!

Changing generations and the passing of time, gravely affected these once valued mind-sets, not to mention the advancement of worldly education and behaviors. America’s concentration is no longer on good and godly things; she is in a state of confusion and the worship of self.

I believe, as a nation, America has lost her mind.

It is not that America needs to be "great" again, but when America remembers it is God Who is "Great", she will once again be "good"!

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12

Around the time of the American Revolution, the nation as a whole was in serious moral decline. In addition, the same problem was in the churches. The Methodists were the largest denomination, and they were losing more than they were gaining in membership. Second, were the Baptists and they said, “They were having their most wintry season.” The Congregationalists had not added one young person in sixteen years.

John Marshall, the Chief Justice of the United States, wrote to the Bishop of Virginia, Bishop Madison that “the Church is too far gone ever to be redeemed.” Voltaire said, “Christianity will be forgotten in thirty years time.”

Kenneth Scott Latourette, church historian said, “It seemed as if Christianity were about to be ushered out of the affairs of men.” It appeared that churches were about to die out. How did God change that situation? It came through the concert of prayer.

Just prior, a Scottish Presbyterian minister in Edinburgh, John Erskine, wrote a booklet titled: “Pleading with the People of Scotland and Elsewhere to Unite in Prayer for a Revival of Religion.” He sent a copy to Jonathan Edwards in New England. Edwards was so moved, he wrote the response: “A Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of All God’s People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom.”

The year after John Wesley died; the Second Great Awakening began and swept Great Britain. However, in New England, there was a man of prayer named Isaac Backus, a Baptist pastor. In 1794, he sent out an appeal for prayer to ministers of every Christian denomination in the United States. They knew this to be their only hope. The Presbyterians, the Methodists, the Baptist Associations, the Congregationalists, the Reformed, and the Moravians all adopted it and America became saturated with a network of prayer meetings, using the first Monday of each month to pray. It was not long before revival came!

Today, the only hope for families, for our communities, for this nation, for this world . . . is for God’s people, His Church, to go to their knees in selfless, God honoring, Kingdom building, extended periods of prayer. Pastors, we can no longer assume our people are praying. We must teach them; encourage them; lead them; give opportunities and guidance to get into the battle. Pastor, do know your people are prepared for the possibility that government and society ceases to tolerate the Church? What would they do?

When Jesus ascended into heaven, He instructed His chosen disciples, and the other followers (about 120), to gather and wait for power by the Holy Spirits coming. They immediately went to the upper room and stayed and ...prayed . . . and stayed and waited . . . and stayed and prayed! You see, they had a promise of power, and they had expectancy! They prayed until the promise came!

Today, we are less hungry, and so, less powerful. Even in the throes of what our modern world faces, we approach God and prayer differently. We do not like to wait, but we do like to schedule.

Our practice today seems to be that we plan a day, perhaps months in advance, to meet together in modern day PC type of repentance. Our hope seems to be that God will notice all of our planning, advertising costs, high caliber preachers and praise bands, have pity on us and send revival.

What God truly wants of us has a much higher value in His heart. What does God want? Nothing less than hunger, expectancy, and waiting --- salted heavily with brokenness and repentance.

The world needs praying people! God seeks praying people!

“ And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22:30)

“ . . . My house shall be called the house of prayer . . .” (Matthew 21:13)

“If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14)

What might happen if God’s people just made a few calls to one another saying: “Meet me at church! We must pray! We must have Jesus!”. . . And, then waited, and prayed, and wept . . . night and day . . . together . . . until power came?

Beloved, would you join me in seeking God for revival and awakening, our only hope?

July 2016: Patriotic Prayer

2016-06-19T20:47:00.000-04:00

PATRIOTIC PRAYER

By: Donald R. Patterson

In his memoirs, George S. Patton wrote that as a boy he frequently prayed God would not call him into the ministry. He said, “You can’t tell God ‘No’”. Patton understood the dichotomy of being a believer in this fallen world. We are citizens of two kingdoms, the earthly and the heavenly. And as the General acknowledged, The Heavenly kingdom takes precedence. Recognizing this dynamic, I believe it is still possible be a patriotic as well as a heavenly citizen. Indeed, allegiance to the Heavenly makes it easier to be truly patriotic and not merely nationalistic.

I find the most difficult aspect of praying patriotically is heeding the biblical injunction to pray for those in authority. (1 Timothy 2:1-3) Praying for those we agree with is a snap. However, it is far too easy to ignore this command when the person in question is someone we don’t respect. We should pray anyway. We don’t have to pray that they get everything their way and have all the blessings they can stand. In the case of those we disagree with, we should pray that righteousness is done by them and they be restrained—even protected—from evil.

Regardless of how I may personally feel about a leader, he is in authority over us. Scripture is clear that temporal authorities are God’s instruments for restraining evil (Romans 13:1-7) There may come a time when authorities fail to restrain evil. Then good men must consider their options. But the Word is adamant that peaceful obedience is what God calls for first. To put it in perspective, the infamous Nero was emperor when Paul wrote those words. Thus, scripture enjoins us to pray for all in authority.

And that brings me to my third point. How should we pray patriotically? I believe that godly prayer recognizes God’s sovereignty. Patriotic prayer seeks God’s will for my country. It cannot be mere “give us good stuff” prayers. Ultimately, the object is that the nation be in God’s will. Sometimes we must confess national sin, calling out in a voice of repentance.

In the current climate I see my country largely turned away from God. Patriotic prayer at this this moment should be a cry to God to pour out his Spirit in revival, lest he visit us in judgment. That is the essence of patriotic prayer, in my understanding.

Donald Patterson is the pastor of First Baptist Church Warsaw and author of Colombian Kilo.

July 2016: From the Founder

2016-06-19T20:44:00.000-04:00

From the Founder's Desk

By: S. Daniel Smith, Founder and Editor of The Prayer Gazette

As The Prayer Journal grows, and I’m excited to announce that it has grown in each of the two issues of it’s first year in existence, I feel I must come clean of something, especially as it relates to politics and praying.

The short and long of it is that I’m in the United States Navy, not that you're surprised by that information, considering the name of this blog. I’ve enjoyed a long and prosperous career that I’m grateful for and proud of. I like my career and believe that God has used it for his kingdom and hope that he will continue to do so. However, sometimes I feel like I’m not able to really say what I want to because of my career. I can’t really tell you what I think about President Obama or the two main candidates to replace him, Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton.

Not that I’d want to anyway. How you vote is not my business. All I want you to do is pray for our country. I want you to pray like you’ve never prayed before. I want you to do that because I believe our country needs your prayer more than ever before.

I categorically reject the notion that only Republicans can change our country, just like I reject the idea that the other isde of the isle can. My personal opinion is that the real fix for our country lies somewhere in between the two lines in the sand. There I go again, spouting my opinion…but I digress.

If you were to ask me who I am going to vote for, I would say that I don’t know. And that isn’t just a PC way of not answering your question because I’m in the military. The fact is that I really don’t know, and I may not vote in the general election for president. I will, however, vote for local issues where I live.

What I will do, with a fervor I have never had before, pray for America. I want us to be more than just a great country…I want us to support a great King and kingdom.

In this issue of The Prayer Journal, my goal is to give you as many pastoral perspectives as possible in order for you to better understand the vital role you will play as a Christian. These authors did this service for you out of their love for God. I hope you will be inspired by what they have to say. Blessings!

July 2016: The Risk of Minimum Wage

2016-06-19T20:43:00.000-04:00

The 3rd Party

J. William Seymour

Everyone knows about the $15/hour wage issue. Is it fair or is it economically destructive? I suppose it depends on who you ask. For evangelicals, of which I am only nominally one, the issue stands starkly against the idea that all persons are created equal and that all deserve a fair shake. Or do they?

I ordered my food at a Sonic recently and was served by a woman in a sling. She had very little voice. I assumed she had laryngitis. The waitress didn’t challenge my statement, so I assumed I had it right. Well, I came back a few days later (Sonic is one of my favorite places to visit) and she again served me. Her voice was better, but not great, so I mentioned how improved she was. Then I asked what had caused her voice to go out.

“I was attacked a few days ago while sweeping the lot at closing,” came the reply. I was stunned. In fact, the only thing that stunned me more than the statement itself was the fact that it was humbly given. She didn’t ask for sympathy or a handout, though her shoulder was going to be operated on for a severe separation in a few days. It was just a reality for her. And when I asked her why in the world she was still working there, she simply smiled and asked if I needed anything else.

My waitress, and thousands of men and women like her, simply does her job day in and day out, just like you and me. No one questioned my desire for veteran’s benefits as I was getting out of the military. “I had earned them.” Of course I had! But when it comes to the desire for a $15 an hour for flipping burgers (and apparently sweeping Sonic lots), can we put aside the rhetoric and realize these are real folks we’re talking about?

I don’t personally think that either side of the isle can reasonably solve the issue. It’s entirely possible that a third party can’t fix it either. The best bet for all concerned is to help people when they show a desire to help themselves (maybe tutor programs at churches to prepare adults for GED and ACT testing?). And pray…that’s what The Prayer Journal is all about, right? So instead of judging people, maybe say a prayer next time.

Hopefully, my friend will use a very terribly situation to spur her to better herself so that Sonic isn’t the best she can do. In the meantime, I will endeavor to think of people working in that business as real people.

Ministry Update 01

2016-06-07T20:45:00.002-04:00

I know I am getting right with God, or that I am right with God, because I am feeling once again called to preach the gospel. At times in my life I find that I’ve gone off the tracks. I’ve become distracted and I’ve sinned. Now, I sin every day. Of course. You do too. However, sometimes I find more sin in my life than other times.

The key to it all is the unconfessed sin. It’s one thing to sin and go to God for his mercy. This is part of the sanctification process. We are expected to do so. I had, until very recently, harbored a series of unconfessed sins. And they were piling up on me! If one sin can derail your walk with Christ, then mine had pulled up the rails, irreparably twisted them, and used the boards in between the rails as firewood.

Confession is good for the soul because it puts us in a right understanding with God. That place is one of humble understanding that I rely on his love and mercy every day. Christ is not re-sacrificed for me daily, but his sacrificed is remembered daily on my behalf, and he remains my intercessor.

Thankfully, like David in Psalm 51, I have realized that, against God, and God alone, have I sinned. Oh, there was confession at points with my wife as well, and some with brothers in my men’s group, but to God alone had I transgressed. Understanding that was key to regaining my position in God’s throne room.

That was a few weeks ago, and since then I’ve learned that two articles I wrote are being published. I’m very grateful. Only one of them is overtly Christian, but I’m hoping that the second one brings people to my blog to see posts like this one. My writing has appeared, or will soon appear, five times this year in print or online in places other than this blog. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that!

In addition to the publishing credits, I have gained 16 email subscribers in the last six months or so, another blessing to be grateful for. I know that isn’t many…in fact, it’s paltry and insignificant. However, it is my starting point in a branch of ministry. Through the email list I plan to keep people informed of my ministry, to include my writing, and a small project I call the Prayer Gazette.

I plan to update this blog more often with news about ministry, to include my writing ministry and work on my ship, the USS Hue City (CG 66), based in Jacksonville, FL. If you want to keep up with the work on The Navy Christian, then please subscribe to updates with the form to your right, or by clicking HERE.

I am forever grateful for the men in my life who provide accountability for me, for my wife and her forgiveness, and for God and his unending mercy. Until the next update…

Evaluations

2016-04-28T05:28:00.000-04:00

Hello Shipmate (and I mean that sincerely...not as a derogatory remark),

I heard today that you got your evaluation debrief and that you weren't happy with it. In fact, I have been told that you got visibly and audibly upset during your debrief. You should be angry! I took a look at your eval and I'd be angry too!

So where do we go from here? Let me show you the next few steps you can take.

First, understand a few points:

1. Your divo isn't going to change your eval. Division Officers have very little power over such things. It doesn't mean your divo is weak...it's how the system was built and the system works. He or she may like you a lot, but they only have so much control. Further, they have to toe the line, so to speak. You divo cannot pretend to agree with you.

2. To build on the first, your divo may be just as angry about your eval for the exact same reasons you are. He may know full well that you didn't deserve such a bad (or "average") eval. Again, he can only send up what he thinks is right (and really this is a "Chief" thing anyway). What the entire chain of command does with it is a different issue.

Stop complaining like a little wimp. It's unbecoming a man and woman. Feel free to complain to your best friend or your spouse or significant other, but not to your chain of command during your debrief. I realize it's probably too late to stop you now, but in the future, knock it off. I know that's some tough love there, but you deserve to know the truth.

Do you think your divo and chief hate you? Then fix it! You! Yes, you! As someone who has received more than one bad or average eval in my 20 years of service, I can confidently say that I "fixed" it. You know how I did that? I decided that mediocrity wasn't good enough for me. So I went to my senior chief and I said, "Senior, I don't want to be like this anymore. Tell me what to do to get to your rank."

He did.

Here's where we get to the meat of things: Create a plan for the next year!

1. Change your attitude. If you think the CoC is out to get you, then it will be. If you think you can go home at the end of the day and play video games until 0200 and then come back and do nothing all day, then you will never succeed. Your attitude is the single greatest resource you have. Use it!

2. Get a mentor. Don't just get one for the sake of having one for the Navy's mentorship program. I mean get a mentor. Find someone who has what you want and ask them how to get it. I'll tell you in the next point what that looked like for me. It's so vital for your career that I can guarantee you will continue to fail without one.

3. What watches are you standing? I bet you're standing the wrong one. If there is a qualification you need to get, and you put it off, then you should have been expecting the eval you got. I was like that too once. Can you believe that I was a ten year AEGIS Firecontrolman who didn't have CSOOW? Crazy, right? And I couldn't believe my CoC had the gall to give me an average eval! Think about your qualifications. If you're standing a watch that we give to thirds and you're a second or (God forbid) a first, you're doing it wrong. Start doing it right. Beg your Chief to get you a different watch. Work on one in your off duty time. Whatever it takes...do it!

4. What education do you have? The Navy has made it stupid easy to work on your education in recent years. I took PACE classes during my first tour in the Navy, got my BS in Management on shore duty, and my MA on my second shore duty. No one was going to tell me I didn't have enough education. You can take a PACE course or CLEP a class in the next year. In fact, you should do several.

5. Measure your success. In six months, demand a midterm from your Chief and Divo. It's a requirement that they do this for you, by the way, so make sure they do. Bring real strengths and weaknesses to the discussion, and show them the changes you've made to yourself and your career path. Help them understand what your plan is and how you're implementing it. Give them the fodder they need to give you the eval you want!

Ok, that's enough for now. I could write for days, but I need to close this. You're a good Sailor. Now do the right things that will help your divo and Chief prove it to the Chain of Command.

Sincerely,
Warrant

Prayer: Essential Activity in Salvation

2016-03-30T05:44:00.003-04:00

The Calvinist in me shuddered a little writing the title of this blog post, but it's no less true just because it makes me a little squeamish. For my brothers or sisters who are also Calvinist, depending on your level of acceptance of the theology, you might have difficulty with this. I promise I'm not going to write heresy.

So why am I so bold about saying that prayer is essential activity? I say that because, while Jesus Christ accomplished all of the work needed for our salvation, we accept that work based, largely, on prayer. It is not a requirement for salvation, but it is our activity in salvation.

Here's what I mean:

Romans 10:13 says, "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Again, I'm not saying that it is required for salvation, but anyone who carries out the activity of prayer, in order to express their belief (an acknowledgment of which is required-Rom 10:9), will not be turned away. Paul is quoting Joel 2:32 in this verse.

In fact, prayer is often the way we lead someone to a saving knowledge of Christ, isn't it? We ask them to pray the "sinner's prayer." Yes, there is some controversy over that in recent years, and I agree with much of it. Yet, at it's heart, the sinner's prayer is simply an acknowledgement that I am a sinner in need of grace and that God has supplied the necessary sacrifice on my behalf.

It is an essential activity in receiving salvation, but it is not essential for salvation.

So while we acknowledge that it is Jesus who did everything we needed for salvation, it is our prayer that acknowledges this and our prayers that connect us with God in our relationship. Prayer is an essential activity, and I'm afraid many people don't take it seriously enough!

Five Reasons to Join the Mailing List

2016-01-24T16:57:00.000-05:00

If you're like me, you see lots of requests to join e-newsletters and mailing lists. Sometimes, if the ministry or resource is particularly intriguing, I'll do it. Other times, I shy away. Then there are times that I did sign up that I soon wish I hadn't and unsubscribe. When it comes to mailing lists, you can't be too picky.

The Prayer Journal, a mailing list and newsletter I started based on the Military Prayer Week Facebook page and prayer ministry, is an attempt to expand my writing ministry into a new area. I'd love for you to consider signing up. If you join, I'll send you a free PDF copy of my ebook on John 14:6 called, "The Most Important Verse in the Bible? A Study of John 14:6."

Top five reasons to sign up for The Prayer Journal Newsletter:

1. Learn strategies for being more effective and efficient in prayer!
2. Get a head start on the 2016 Military Prayer Week!
3. Quarterly updates on the Prayer Ministry!
4. Be introduced to resources on prayer and military ministry!
5. Get a free ebook!

Sign up here: My Mailing List

First Five for God

2016-01-07T05:05:00.001-05:00

Last night I went to bed with a new plan: I would wake up, get dressed, and then give God my first five minutes. I tend to pray periodically throughout the day, but I struggle to give him a dedicated time early in the day that I can just talk to him.

So I got up (a little earlier than usual), got dressed, and set my iPhone's timer for five minutes. I didn't even start the coffee first. Aside from absolute necessities, God got my first five minutes.

Another thing I did last night was plan ahead about what I wanted to pray about. That doesn't mean that the Holy Ghost wasn't involved in my prayers. It just means that he and I worked it out beforehand about the subject matter. I knew I wanted to pray for a guy at church who I've become burdened for and I wanted to pray for my church in general, as we are going through a transition of sorts.

When you're tired, it's hard to pray "well." Or pray at all. By planning ahead, and setting a timer to keep yourself honest, you'll go a long way to reaching your prayer goals. Give it a try and let me know in the comments how it goes!

It Takes More than a Gym Membership

2016-01-06T10:21:00.001-05:00

It takes more than a Gym Membership to reach your weight loss and fitness goals.

The number one New Year's Resolution in America is to lose weight. You probably made that your resolution, as did I. Thousands of Americans head to the gym every year to start their annual attempt at weight loss. I too, have started working out again after a rather unfortunate and extended layoff. 12 percent of all gym memberships start in January, so if you've started back up, you're definitely not alone.

Yet 80 percent of those who start a gym membership won’t last their first six months!

My British friends across the pond have the same problem, with over 60 percent making the resolution to get fit and over a third quitting by the end of January.

So 80 percent of new members will quit and 1 in 3 won't even make it out of January. There are several reasons for this. Work gets in the way, and many people have commitment issues with resolutions anyway. I would venture to guess that many people get discouraged with they can't get the weight off as fast as they want to and give in to their comfortable life of eating junk and watching TV.

The Issue of Gluttony

New Year, New You is a great catch phrase, but it doesn't equal success. Setting goals is very important, but unless eating is taken into account, all the workouts you attempt are just going to increase your hunger. Without a solid eating plan, you're out to lunch...pun intended.

My wife and I use the 21 Day Fix. Yes, it's a bit faddish, but it requires me to eat a ton of vegetables and good proteins while reducing (but not eliminating) carbs. If you're interested in the program, I know a few coaches that can get you started.

Surviving January will require more than a gym membership. It will require you to attack the issue of gluttony. I approach it on the basis of Christian faith (this is The Navy Christian, after all), but even nonbelievers will understand the issue I'm talking about.

You know the one...you come home from a long day at work (you maybe even hit the gym on the way home) and there's nothing in the fridge. Well, Dominos delivers, right? So you torch all of your progress for the day by stuffing very delicious pizza down your throat. Hey, I'm a realist. I know it tastes good.

If you want to avoid that, you need a plan, which is why we use the 21 Day Fix. It keeps us thinking about what we ought to be eating, not what we want to eat. Left to our own devices, we're heading back to pizza and pop. You can use any plan you want, you just need to have one and stick to it.

Of course I think there is a faith component. That's why I spent time studying gluttony and scriptures that pertain to it. You can download my book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble (also available for iBooks through your iTunes store).

The bottom line is that you can't reach your weight loss and fitness goals by gym membership alone. You must bring in the faith component and beat gluttony as well. Take a look at the subject on this blog and, if you need more assistance, buy the ebook. Feel free to leave any questions as comments and I'll answer as quickly as I can!

Here's to a great 2016!

The Prayer Journal for January-March 2016

2016-01-01T07:53:00.000-05:00

Click on the photo below for the 1st Quarter 2016 Prayer Journal e-newsletter in support of the Military Prayer Week!

You can join hundreds of other concerned Americans by going to Military Prayer Week and "liking" the page, or sign up for updates on the right!

Christmas Letter 2015

2015-12-25T05:44:00.000-05:00

Good day to you, my dear. Here I sit, on Christmas morning at 4:45am with Christmas music in the background and the tree lights on, banging away on my keyboard. I want to write something pithy about my life, or maybe a wish for you to have peace during the season. I want you to relax today and enjoy the event wherein we celebrate God's ultimate gift to us (even if we most likely celebrate it at the wrong time of the year).

Yet in my mind I know that's not a good idea. Too many people are going without this year to wish you a Merry Christmas. People in Paris are undoubtedly still thinking about the recent attacks on their soil, those in the Middle East are either unable to freely celebrate Christ or don't want to, and a shooting occurred at a mall in America on Christmas Eve.

So maybe just wishing for peace isn't enough, even on a day known for being a powerful motivator for peace. After all, they once stopped a war just because it was Christmas.

Maybe I'll say a prayer for the world on Christmas. After all, I run a page dedicated to prayer on Facebook. But maybe that won't help. I think prayer should be focused and personal. I don't know how effective we are when we simply pray general prayers after a tragedy. I suspect most of us mean well when we say it, even if we don't intend to actually pray in that manner. Besides, people don't really want our prayers, and the Dalai Lama doesn't think God will listen to us.

Maybe I'll go do something today. Actually, I guess I am going to do something. I'm on duty today on the USS Hue City. I suppose that counts for something, though I'll probably be as happy about it as a seasick crocodile.

You know what? I think instead I'm going to choose to be grateful for what I have and let the world be on standby for just one day. We have a wardroom family function planned on the ship, complete with Chinese food from our favorite restaurant in Jacksonville. I expect to really enjoy this event. I'm grateful that, though I'm on duty, I'll be able to see my kids and wife. At least I'm not on deployment. To my brothers and sisters who are, God bless you.

I do hope you have a good Christmas and I do hope it is peaceful for you. Have a great day!

Review of 30 Days of Prayer for the Military

2015-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Edward Fudge, noted author and theologian, recently reviewed my new book, 30 Days of Prayer for the Military.

He writes:

"Sometime in 1998 (gracEmail was approximately one year old at the time), I received an email from a young sailor serving in the U.S. Navy aboard ship somewhere near Japan. His name was Sheldon Daniel Smith, and he asked me to pray for him concerning two specific matters: that he be faithful to the Lord under what sometimes were very difficult circumstances, and that God would use him to minister to his fellow-sailers. Daniel subscribed to gracEmail and kept in touch with me through the years. Today he is a career U.S. Navy Sailor, has earned a graduate degree in religious studies, is married with three children, and has written a significant book due for release next month (November 16).

Titled 30 Days of Prayer for the Military: How to Pray Fervently and Effectively for the Military (131 pages), Smith's book is focused, useful, and practical. Chapters 1-3 introduce the subject, explain intercessory prayer, and briefly summarize the author's own story. Chapters 6-7 point the way forward, offer specifics on making prayer for military service people and their families a congregational project, and speak to church leaders. Sandwiched between these chapters are 31 very particular prayers, one for each day of the month, with a short introduction that tells why each prayer is important in a military context.

But there is more. As I read these prayers, it occurred to me that with minor editing, they are also applicable to other contexts as well--professional, corporate, educational institution, and so on. Again, this book will be available after November 16 from BN.com and Amazon.com."

How to Join Military Prayer Week

2015-10-14T12:31:00.000-04:00

We are just three weeks away from Military Prayer Week 2015! Each year we add a few prayer points, expand our reach a little, and encourage more believers to pray for the different military services. This year is particularly exciting as we expand even more with an active Facebook page and email list.

I won’t rehash the reasons to pray for the military as I do that in detail here on this blog, but I do want to spend a few minutes telling you how to get signed up to join us in this prayer event and future efforts.

There are two ways to get involved.

The first is to like our Facebook page, Military PrayerWeek.

The second is to join the mailing list HERE.

I know what you’re thinking: You don’t want SPAM. I don’t either, and I don’t want to spend my time trying to sell you something you don’t want. This email list will meet both of our goals! I will send emails out only as they pertain to significant blog articles, updates on the ministry, prayer points, and a very few sales emails where I will bring a resource to your attention.

For example, I will be releasing the book, “30 Days of Prayer for the Military” after this year’s Military Prayer Week. I will only announce it once in a sales email. You won’t be bombarded with my desires for you to buy this book.

Still, if you don’t want to be emailed about these prayer points, ministry issues, and the upcoming book, simply “Like” the Facebook page and you won’t have to receive those emails. You’ll still be notified of prayer points and ministry updates without them coming to your email. Be sure to check back regularly for updates!

Thank you for your interest in prayer for the military. I look forward to joining you in this effort.

Your Greatest Strength (Fiction)

2015-08-29T07:18:00.000-04:00

I wrote this and posted it because it's for fun. Sometimes I like to write as a way of just setting life aside for a few minutes and enjoying my imagination. If you enjoy this, please share it with your Facebook and Twitter friends!

Your Greatest Strength

By: S. Daniel Smith

The wind was chilly, but felt good against his legs as Paul trotted down the lane toward the starting line. He wanted to be warm enough at the start of the race to get off quickly. Of course, the bios weren’t warming up. They didn’t have to. The millions of nanobots that acted as sensors and trigger servos in their legs and lungs would make up for the deficiency.

Paul didn’t care that he was the only runner left in the elite class who ran as a whole human, or “non-bio” as they were termed. Everyone else, in order to compete against the other bios, became a bio too. Oh sure, thousands of people ran marathons, even competitive ones, as non-bios, but they didn’t really compete. Often they were charity runners. An important part of the running culture to be sure, but not where Paul operated.

“Mornin’ Paul,” said another elite runner as they crossed paths. Paul recognized the runner, a fellow American named Todd Bogart…a bio. Todd had reportedly made the switch a year ago. He hadn’t won anything yet, but it often took a year or so for the implants to reconfigure the muscular and cardiovascular systems.

Paul nodded, but didn’t speak. He was angry.

The trotting was over. Paul conducted a very short, very simple stretching routine. He didn’t want to stress his muscles too much before the race. They would be tested plenty once the gun went off. He wanted to win. When he beat the bios, he wanted them to see it. He wanted his body as fresh as possible.

“All elite runners please report to the starting line!” bellowed the loudspeaker. “Race starts in 10 minutes!”

Paul made his way forward. The bib number told others around him that he was an elite. They made way for him. Some of them didn’t know who he was, but most did. They, being non-bios, knew Paul the non-bio because all of the running magazines did articles on him. He was the fastest non-bio in competitive racing.

“Two minutes until start!” warned the loudspeaker. He was telling jokes and making fun of the newbies in between warnings.

Paul took his place in the second row of the elite group. He didn’t want to be too brash, even though he planned to beat every last one of them. Knowing what he knew, and having the advantage that he had, he didn’t mind starting just behind them. He took notice of who was around him. Many of his fellow runners had raced non-bio for years before succumbing to the pressure to compete. Money came from winning, or at least placing in the top three, and the top three was harder to come by for non-bios. A small wave of sympathy washed over him, but Paul dismissed it with a furrowed brow. He was angry.

“One minute!”

Only one other bio was in the group with him. Paul didn’t know the guy’s name, but did know he came from Ethiopia. Once upon a time, that would have mattered. It didn’t anymore, for the most part. While the biomechanical implants helped everyone improve, regardless of talent level, the body’s natural abilities still had an effect. The implants couldn’t just make a fat couch potato a star athlete (that had been tried before), but it nearly always gave an advantage.

“On your mark!”

Now the adrenaline was pumping. Paul always got nervous, even though he knew he would win this day.

“Get set!”

Why did they count down like this? It was stupid. A race like this, that lasted the better part of two hours, didn’t need a sprinter’s countdown.

“Go!”

Lots of cheering, bodies bumping against each other, and runners dodging elbows. He almost wished he weren’t an elite runner. Then he wouldn’t have to deal with it as much.

The race started normal enough. The elite runners, Paul included, tore off on a 4:10 pace down the main stretch of the road toward their first turn. The bios could maintain that pace nearly the entire marathon. Paul, while the elite of elite as far as non-bio running was concerned, could only maintain 4:25 or so per mile. Human running had adapted significantly over the years, even to the point of almost calling it evolution, but keeping his pace below five minutes per mile for the entire length of the race was still impossible…unless one was a bio runner.

“That’s where your greatest strength becomes your greatest weakness,” Muluneh had said several months back He was the last elite Kenyan runner to go bio a few years before. It disgusted Paul. He liked Muluneh a lot. The guy was a fierce competitor. Too bad he was in today’s race.

Paul stayed with the pack for several of the first miles, then started drifting back a little. They were maintaining a sub-4:15 minute mile pace and he was starting to eek a little above. A few seconds here and there would add up soon.

“Just a few more miles,” he breathed to himself. He took water at the five-mile mark. Several years ago, back in the early part of the century, a 4:20 pace would have been incredible.

But that was before the big running companies started testing biomechanical running aids. Elite runners shunned the equipment for several years and major races like Boston, London, Berlin, and New York disqualified bio runners.

Things change though…people do too. Berlin was the first to allow bio runners. Once a major marathon dropped the rule, the others followed suite until the USATF was forced to do the same. It was all downhill from there.

“Almost time to make your move,” he told himself as he lost sight of the last bio elite runner ahead of him. They had rounded the turn at mile 19 without him. He was still running a blazingly fast speed, but it wouldn’t be enough. His greatest strength was his greatest weakness.

Mile 21 came and went. It was now or never. Paul was high-fived by a friend of his at the water station, where Paul took his last drink for the race. That friend then texted another friend at mile 23 (where the bios were in the race). A simple howdy-do was all he needed, and he pushed a button on the cell phone that linked to an encrypted satellite, that linked to a hacked cell phone tower, that linked to the biomechanical controller implanted in the elite runners’ bodies.

He knew the risk. The doctor he had consulted told him that it could hurt people. The biomechanical equipment hadn’t been tested in a way that bypassed its normal shutdown routine because no one had ever hacked the system before. Arrogance. It serves them right.

Except for Muluneh of course. He really didn’t deserve this, but he had gone bio too. It was another nine minutes before Paul saw the effects of his high five. He started passing them at mile 24, but a few had managed to escape the first blast and the “man” had to trigger a second one. Paul found Muluneh at mile 26, a mere 350 yards from the finish line.

Paul was alone. No other elite ran as a non-bio. He slowed as he approached Muluneh and stopped by his side. Muluneh was lying prostrate on the road, trying desperately to claw to the finish line. He dragged two inept legs behind him.

“Something is wrong, Paul,” he said, out of breath in his heavily accented Kenyan accent. “I can’t work my legs.”

Paul knelt down and touched his adversary on the shoulder. For a brief moment, the race seemed to stop. He looked at Muluneh and sighed.

“Your greatest strength is your greatest weakness, Muluneh,” said Paul. “I’m sorry. I hope they figure out what happened.”

Then he got up and won the race.

Join Military Prayer Week 2015!

2015-08-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm so grateful for your interest in joining our "ranks" for the 2015 Military Prayer Week! With 90 days to go until kickoff, I'm getting more excited with each passing day.

Military Prayer Week exists to encourage civilian believers to pray for believers in the military. We encourage you to do this because we fervently believe that a revival in the hearts of military Christians will lead to a revival in the hearts of Christians everywhere!

We promise not to abuse the Military Prayer Week 2015 mailing list! In fact, here's exactly what you'll receive in terms of communication:

1. You'll receive no more than one (1) email per week regarding Military Prayer Week strategy, prayer suggestions, or news. We won't overwhelm your email inbox!
2. You'll receive one (1) email per day during the actual Military Prayer Week 2015 (running from November 8, 2015 until 14 November 2015).
3. You'll receive one (1) email requesting funds to increase the exposure of Military Prayer Week 2015 in September. We don't require much money, and everyone working with MPW is on a volunteer basis, so we only need money to raise awareness for the need for prayer.
4. You'll receive one (1) email inviting you to purchase the short book 30 Days of Prayer for the Military, which will assist you in praying for military believers after Military Prayer Week.

We want to be as up front as possible so you know exactly what you're getting involved with. Our goal is not to be a burden, but to be an encouragement. If you want to be a part of the team, please fill out the simple form below to get on our mailing list. Thank you and have a blessed day!

The way to Revival in America

2015-07-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

I believe that a revival could come to America through a revival in the military. Now, there is a risk in this statement. A revival may never come to America. Am I then a fool? A revival may come to America, but not through a military revival. Am I then misunderstood?

The fact is that I want a revival in the military so badly that I'm willing to pray for it until it happens. I want a revival in America so badly that I will do the same, and regardless of how it happens, I will be just as glad.

Humanly speaking, there is a risk in stating that a revival in the military will result in a revival for America. I could look silly if what I think would happen doesn't come true. Everything we do for God has some risk. Think about it...when you talk to someone about your faith, you're risking rejection and the loss of a friend or turning an acquaintance away. Yet we know that Jesus gave us an order to tell the world about him. So we take this risk.

I'm doing nothing different by calling for a week of prayer for the military (which I hope will result in 30 days of prayer after that). I hope that if not this year, then next year, or the year after, a revival will happen. And if it doesn't, then I've taken my risk for God, and so have you, if you join me in this endeavor.

Of course, there is also the work of the Gospel, which I'm not denying. A literal army of Christian troops on the ground will be needed to spread the message of hope and of Christ crucified in order to make this revival happen. I'm not so bold as to think this can work without actually opening my mouth and preaching the good news.

I've done this sort of work before. I've been a part of groups of Christians involved at various commands in my past. I was nearly reckless with my faith back in the late '90s on the USS Mobile Bay, challenging almost anyone to cross my path, including Satan. We had a great prayer group that prayed hard about our ship. But this is the key...we prayed. We prayed hard back then, especially my prayer partner and I. And that prayer led to a revival on the ship. So we pray hard for our ships, shore stations, Army bases, Air Force bases, Marine camps, and Coast Guard Stations.

May revival come...

Military Prayer Update: 4 Months and counting!

2015-07-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

We are less than four months from the 2015 edition of Military Prayer Week! I'm very excited! Here's a quick update on the three goals for this year (from this post):

1. 30 Day of Prayer for the Military: The draft is finished and editing will start very soon. Tentative release date is 01 October so that we can get it into as many hands as possible before Military Prayer Week. It will be very affordable (somewhere around three dollars on Kindle, iBooks, etc) and includes several chapters in addition to the prayers themselves. The chapters will cover a short instruction on effective prayer, an overview of the month ahead, and what to do once the dedicated time of prayer is over. I will post several samples from the book as we get closer.

2. Now that the initial draft of the book is done, and I can confidently move forward on marketing the MPW, I'll be reaching out to churches in support of a November 8 start. Most likely, my search will focus on Jacksonville as that is where I currently live, but if you're interested in bringing Military Prayer Week to your church or small group, let me know! Email me at dan@navychristian.org.

3. The theme this year is Spiritual Development, and I'm pleased to announce that all seven days of the event have one prayer dedicated to the theme.

So overall, this year's goals are progressing very well. Significant progress has been made on goal 1 and goal 3 is complete. Hopefully I will be able to report some great information on goal 2 soon.

I believe I will be able to offer a preorder of the book around September so that you can get your copy as soon as it's available. I'll update that as we get closer as well.

Thank you, as always, for your support and encouragement. This is going to be the best year yet for Military Prayer Week.

A Philosophy of Missions

2015-06-21T18:39:00.000-04:00

I think it's a good idea for everyone who believes in the missionary spirit (should be every Christian) to have a personal philosophy of missions. It's ok to use your church's philosophy if you agree with it, or the philosophy of a mission agency you support if it matches your personal values. Still, I think that owning the philosophy helps create a passion for reaching the lost for Christ.

As I look at options for future ministry, I started developing the following as a personal philosophy of missions:

1. We have 1story to tell...just 1...we preach Christ crucified (1 Cor 1:23). It isn't about what he can do for someone, but what he already did. To some, that logic is insurmountable. To others, it is archaic nonsense. But to some, it is the power to become the sons and daughters of God (John 1:12).

2. How do we get to tell this story? That is the only problem. America, indeed the world, has changed. Hard, fiery preaching and crusade/revival work is considered ineffective and inappropriate. yet we must, at some point, preach (Rom 10:14-15).

3. So whatever we do, it must be done in order to tell our one story. Whatever is needed in order to tell that story we must do (I Cor 9:19-23). So we become poor to reach the poor. We become broken to reach the broken. We become scarred to reach those with scars.

4. We build trust with those we want to preach to. So we serve them with an eye to opportunities. We pray hard for God to provide opportunities. Our desire is to show true religion in order to reach the lost (James 1:26).

I'm sure that, over time, my philosophy will mold to meet the continually changing landscape of missions in America and overseas. Yet here it is for now. I'd love to hear your comments about it!

Praise for The Navy Christian Bullet on Gluttony

2015-06-13T08:12:00.001-04:00

As a fledgling writer, it's always fun to read the reviews that my writing receives. Sometimes, I'd rather not, but I find as someone starting out that people generally say nice things when they can. I was overjoyed when I read a recent review of Gluttony: A Study of Overeating in the Bible, which is the second Navy Christian Bullet.

Here is the reviewer's remarks: "Honest and sound advice. Many good strategies to put into practice. Perfect use of scripture for application. Hard topic but well done!" The reviewer gave me five stars too!

I don't pay reviewers to look at my work, so while I don't know G. Davis, I'm grateful for the review. I'm also grateful that my writing has helped someone and that they have gleaned useful information from my work.

If you're struggling in the fight against gluttony, or otherwise unhealthy eating habits, please pick up a copy of Gluttony: A Study of Overeating in the Bible today! I think it will help you as much as it helped my reviewer.

Navy Christian Bullet #3: As Lighting from Heaven

2015-06-13T08:02:00.002-04:00

For the 3rd installment of The Navy Christian Bullet series, I've stepped away from practical theology (gluttony) and back toward a more academic study. I spent some time studying Satan during my graduate studies, and I've expanded that research in this volume. It is not my desire to settle the issue of Satan in this short, $0.99 book, but just to get your engines going. I aim to go deep enough to get you started, with resources noted in the end notes, but not so deep that I lose folks just getting started in theological research.

From the book: " Many people refuse to see Satan as anything but a pitch-fork-wielding, red-bodied, horned-and-hoofed animal. This is unfortunate at best, and destructively misleading at worst. " This is why I wrote the study on Satan's work and his fall.

We do know that Satan is a powerful being, though how powerful he is is up for debate. He does prowl around like a lion (I Peter 5:8) seeking who he can devour. That alone should encourage a believer to study about him as a sports team might study their opponent or a general might study his adversary. Satan is, after all, our enemy.

This short work can be picked up for any Kindle app or device whether it's a Kindle tablet or an Android or iOS tablet with the Kindle App. The links are below to help you in that endeavor. Thank you!

Buy "As Lighting from Heaven" Here
Get the Kindle App for Android or iOS

Military Prayer Week 2015

2015-06-07T14:30:00.000-04:00

I know what you're thinking... "Don't you usually do Military Prayer Week in November?"

Yes, I do, and Navy Christian will be hosting it this November too. Yet I'm writing this now to let you know about some things coming this year that are going to make it the best one yet. Here they are:

1. An e-book on praying for the military, which will include a small amount of writing re-purposed from the blog, but will also include mostly new work on the issue of praying for military believers. The book will be entitled, "30 Days of Prayer for the Military" and will be available at major retailers.

2. Church involvement is so crucial. I plan to reach out and enlist churches to make the effort this year as bodies of Christ to go to God in prayer for those who are in the military. In short, I'm hoping this year's MPW goes from being a ministry with scattered individuals to an outreach opportunity for churches!

3. This year will include several new prayers, as years past have. This year, however, will be slightly different because I will be focused on a theme. This year's theme is: Spiritual Development. Some of the new prayers you'll take part in this year include prayers for scripture memorization among others.

Since I first started using this blog to help get the word out about praying for the military, I've seen some really neat things happen. Yet we're also so very far away from the revival I had hoped for. I do think that prayer is the path to revival, however, so I will continue to pray. I hope you will join me as many of you have since 2009. Let's make year six something to remember!

2014 Year End Review and Fitness Goals for 2015

2015-01-03T13:41:00.001-05:00

2014 was a great year for myself and for my family! I was able to commission as a Chief Warrant Officer (Two) in the US Navy, we moved to a wonderful new base in Mayport, FL, started new schools, and many other things.

Personally, this year represented a lifestyle change for me. I lost 30 pounds, ran two half marathons, and passed two US Navy body fat composition assessments and subsequent physical readiness tests. The year was great for me professionally, spiritually, and physically.

More than just running those half marathons, I set a personal record of 2:01:20, just shy of my ultimate goal of beating 2 hours. Those half marathons were part of 490 miles run in 2014.

I’m also very happy that my resting heart rate is in the high 50s. While I’m still a fairly large man, I’ve made some good strides to get completely healthy in 2014, and I’m really looking forward to continuing that in 2015.

Unfortunately, not all is rosy. After working very hard to pass the fall body fat composition assessment, and doing so with flying colors, I’ve let my body fat rise from 20% to 28%. While I haven’t gained pounds because of it, I’ve lost definition in my arms and my belly is flabby. I haven’t stayed strong on strength training (pun intended) and my core workouts have slipped horribly since my last Navy weigh-in. I’m grateful that it didn’t equal a falling off of the wagon weight wise, but there is definitely some work to do in order to get where I want to go.

I have a vision of where I want to be this year, and I’d like to share it now:

Half Marathon time: 1:49:00
Navy PRT 1.5 mile time: 11:20
Navy PRT pushups: 61
Navy PRT curlups: 96
Resting heart rate: 55

The PRT results will get me an “Excellent” rating, which I haven’t had in a long time. The pushups will be difficult with my wrist, but I think I can train to that weakness and beat it.

In order to reach these goals, I will need more victory over gluttony, else I’ll just out-eat my gains. It’s a sad state of life for me. I enjoy food more than I burn the calories it brings. I’ll also need to do a better job of drinking water. When I get lazy, I drink soda or coffee, things ready made that take very little effort and honestly taste better than water.

So, in the end, it comes down to whether I want to do better with weight loss or if I want to remain in the status quo. Today, I’m choosing to change.

To learn more about the battle against gluttony, check out my short volume on the subject at Amazon. It’s on sale for $0.99!

Becoming a Bible Hacker

2014-11-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

I love reading the Bible. It’s a desire I received from my grandparents. I’d often see them digging around in the scriptures. Unfortunately, I can’t really read my grandmother’s handwriting, so I don’t know many of the notes she wrote, but both of them taught me how to get into the Bible and dig around. I remember calling my grandfather about some verses in Genesis a few weeks before he passed away. They were my go-to people for digging around in the Bible.

In essence, they were Biblical hackers. Grandpa understood scriptures and could maneuver between verses, chapters, and books to drive home his point. Grandma could make sense of verses in her daily reading, and proved it in the notes she wrote for herself in the margin.

There are people in this world who’s life calling seems to be digging around computer systems, tinkering around with them to make things work the way they want it to. These folks are hackers, and while the media tried several years ago to turn the word into a negative, true hacking is as pure as the code the individual works on.

Hacking is most commonly found in the Linux operating system, but is also found in app development for Android and iOS. These hackers can break down code in ways I could only dream of, all in the name of tinkering to make things work better. Facebook made this mainstream with their publicized “hack-a-thons.”

Yet for whatever reason, this sort of digging into the scriptures, to better understand the “code” of God’s word, to make our lives work better, is shunned by more people. They would rather be fed from the pulpit and maybe get a devotional that they can follow. In neither case does the believer actually learn how to handle God’s word. They do not become hackers. They are simply operators. They can sit with a Bible, but they cannot make it work in their lives.

Choose today, dear believer, to become a hacker of God’s word. Do whatever it takes to learn how to dig through the Bible with a goal to learn who God is for yourself.

It’s not difficult, but I would offer the following piece of advice: Get a good commentary to help you out. Even once you become proficient at scriptural study, you’ll need the learned writings to delve deeper into the native languages of the Bible. I value Matthew Henry’s commentary as well as the NIV Application commentary series. John MacArthur’s commentaries are a good place to start as well. My first assistance in the Bible came from the notes in my Scoffield Reference Bible. He’s fallen very far out of favor now days as dispensationalism has moved forward, but it helped me a great deal.

Another recommendation is to have more than one version of the Bible available. This is as easy as clicking a few buttons on your tablet or smartphone now days, thanks to modern technology. I use ESV for most daily work, but quickly switch from that to NIV, KJV, and HCSB to see how different scholars see a word or phrase.

Start with these two tools (a commentary and several versions of the Bible) and get started in hacking today!