Air Support Prayers
In 2011 on my second tour overseas, I was deployed at a remote base in Afghanistan. About a couple of months in, my team and I were called out on a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) mission to escort Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) to another unit that ended up stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED). After we arrived, my Platoon Leader (PL) told us to pull security down another path while EOD did their thing. As we were walking there, he ended up stepping on an IED himself. Our situation had just gone from bad to worse. After the sound of the explosion, he started yelling as my medic and I ran to him. If it wasn’t for only half of the homemade explosives (HME) going off, he would have lost his life, but thanks be to God, his life was spared (even though all the bones in both his legs were shattered). At this point, we heard over the radio that our enemy was sending in troops to intercept us, knowing that we were not at full strength. As the chain of command shifted, my team leader and I (now, the assistant team leader) had to work together to get our PL medevacked out and the rest of us back to base safely. I ended up taking two of our guys down the same trail where he had stepped on the pressure plate as it was the only route with space for a chopper to land. We went to find a suitable spot while my team leader stayed back and called in the medivac. The guys with me could barely move, so I told them to follow me and step exactly where I stepped. It was my duty to keep them safe and make sure they went home in one piece (even if that meant my life would be taken). After we located a landing site to medivac our PL, we went back for the rest of our team. I don’t remember how long all this took, but by the time we got back to the medevac point, the chopper was not far behind. We got him out safely but needed to get back to base ourselves. One of the air support choppers ended up staying around until we made it back safely. During this whole disaster, not once did we encounter enemy ground troops or take fire, and I firmly believe air support made all the difference. Choppers in the air were the only thing that seemed to cause real fear in our enemy.
I see that our prayer life resembles this situation very closely. As believers, we are called “soldiers of Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3-4). As soldiers of Jesus, we need to call in air support to push back our enemy, the devil. We are told by God in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14; 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. My brothers and sisters in Jesus, troublesome times come and go and the devil will use those times to exploit us (1 Peter 5:8) as the IED did to my team. Jesus even tells us Himself in John 16:33b “in this world you will have trouble.” It is never a matter of whether the trouble will come, but when will it come. Knowing this, we need protection. The rest of the verse (John 16:33c) says, “but take heart! I have overcome the world.” Through prayer, we receive access to the overcoming and unmatched power of Jesus. As my platoon had to call in air support, prayer is the only way we can call in the power that we truly need to stand strong and push past the enemy’s attacks.
Fully knowing how powerful prayer is, why then do we say things like “well, all we can do now is pray?” If you are guilty of this (like I am), we can and must do better. Prayer should never be our last resort, but rather our first response in everything. A couple of days ago my wife and I had an intense argument over something small. I must take the blame because before the argument even broke out, I was already anxious and would not humble myself and pray. Like a bull, I tried to charge through (as I have always done). Even though I was being unjust to her, she still stopped me and took the time and care to pray over me. I joined in, but my heart was not humble and consequently, things got so bad that I chose to say something hurtful, on purpose. I got offended, and at that moment, I felt the tormenting spirit leave me and continue its work on her. She went into the bathroom, hit the door, and wept like I have not seen her weep in a long time. She was now the one suffering because I could not humble myself and pray like I should as her husband. I was too weak to fight this off on my own. At this point, I started to pray with her in humility until the darkness lifted and she was no longer being tormented. About a few hours later, as we were going to bed, I began to be tormented again. I did not learn my lesson the first time and tried to fight this off on my own for at least an hour and a half. Not willing to let me battle alone, my wife came into the bathroom grabbed me, and prayed over me. She put on praise music and fought for me yet again! After the oppression left, she reminded me that by myself I can only put a thousand to flight, but together we can take on ten thousand (Deuteronomy 32:30). About 5 minutes later, I was out like a light.
My family in Jesus, we must always reach out and ask for prayer AND get on our knees ourselves. This is the only way we can have the “air support” we truly need to be equipped for battle. If we do not call in this air support, we are left exposed in the open while our enemy sends troops to intercept us. Life is hard enough as it is and we don’t need to leave ourselves open any longer in this way. I plead with you in the name of Jesus to get a prayer support group. We can not only fight but win against the enemy attacks, and prayer is the only way.
In closing, I leave you with this. In Jewish culture, they cannot even begin to pray until they have at least 10 people in their group. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:20 that all we need are two or three, then he is in the midst. I know every one of you have at least one or two people that can stand with you in prayer. Don’t leave yourself undefended against the schemes of the devil any longer. If you do, he will exploit you. Let’s gather together and pray. We were never meant to do this alone.
