A Prayer For Our Fallen

I bend my knees, Lord, now to pray.
But today is like no other day.
Still I thank you for your love and will,
And I seek you more each day now still.
Since you alone can hear my voice,
For my prayer today I've made my choice.
That you take my prayer to those who's sound
Was silenced on our battlegrounds.
We had no country of our own.
The seeds of our nation, brave men have sown.
They spilled their blood upon the ground,
As Your Son once did upon the mound.
They died for us, that we might live
In freedom that they fought to give.
Our first, they died, to break away
From those who controlled the way we pray.
They fought and died, back in their day,
To create the nation we have today.
They made a country, tried and true,
And placed it safely under You.
That man would have a place to pray
Before you and in his own way.
They set up laws, they put in place
To keep this right forever safe.
And since their time, there have been others
To face our nation, and kill our brothers.
With them each time, you've always stood.
And upheld them as only our Father could.
They defended our freedom, they fought with pride.
And when it was over, on the ground there they lied.
The bodies of those who gave all that they had,
For our freedom, our county, and peace in this land.
And when it was over, our country secure.
The new Enemy comes, of that to be sure.
And though we can't stop him by missile or gun,
Through You, our great victory's already won.
He fights not only against us but You.
His destruction and evil, forever ensue.
And though in the end, only You have your say,
He conquers more of this great nation each day.
Over him, through You, can we easily win,
But we've fallen before him, a county of sin.
He's driven you out of our own children's school,
And now plants his seeds in our government's rule.
He's driven you out of our courts and our law,
That now good and evil must come to a draw.
Our laws say one man can now marry another,
And unborn children can be killed by their mother.
And those who love sin, can display it with pride,
While Christians, their words, now forever must hide.
And "Freedom of Religion" once fought for by men,
Has become "From Religion" As if it's always been.
And now we're at war with our own and afar,
And without your protection, alone we now are.
When crisis first hit us, we ran quick to you.
But once we'd recovered, forgotten so soon.
Our whole nation prayed, for your guidance and will,
Now that the shock's over, we oppose it now still.
We all put up signs, to honor your name.
Now we're tearing them down, is it all still the same?
Your children still live here, and pray for our land.
We still know the meaning of the wound on your hand.
But our nation rejects You, and casts you aside.
So content in their sins, to ever abide.
The freedom we have is no longer for you,
But to live for ourselves, as our people will do.
So I think to the time when these men gave their lives,
And left behind children, their families and wives.
To fight for a nation, they so dearly loved.
And looked to the future, when You'd rule above.
They made safe a nation, where people could pray,
Even if they might worship in different ways.
Our nation's been blessed in power and wealth.
We're great in our influence, business and health.
Our churches are safe now, your children still meet,
Though Your Word is no longer as safe on the street.
We fight still to keep Your love strong in our heart,
But looking around us, God where do we start?
It's clear you still hold us, so tight in your hand.
But we still drive you out, will you turn from this land?
The dreams of our fallen would be forgotten this way.
As the world tries to cast You from our nation today.
So my prayer's not just to thank them for the sacrifice they made…
But to beg for their forgiveness, if we throw it all away.

This poem won first place for the December 2007 poetry contest