SGI Statesmen Global Initiatives Jeffrey A. Ziegler President

PO BOX 787 MADISON OHIO 44057 ceejz@ncweb.com 440-413-1264 www.s-g-i.org

PRAY ON TO VICTORY!

“Successful prayer is answered prayer!To say prayers in a decent, delicate way is not heavy work. But to pray really, to pray till hell feels the ponderous stroke, to pray till the iron gates of difficulty are opened, till the mountains of obstacles are removed, till the mists are exhaled and the clouds are lifted, and the sunshine of a cloudless day brightens-this is hard work, but it is God’s work, and man’s best labor.” EM BOUNDS

Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations. GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON (250,000 prayer cards were distributed with this prayer to the men of III Army during the Battle of the Bulge to clear the weather) 1 day after distribution – the weather cleared. Patton; “Chaplain, I am a strong believer in Prayer. There are three ways that men get what they want; by planning, by working, and by Praying. Any great military operation takes careful planning, or thinking. Then you must have well-trained troops to carry it out: that’s working. But between the plan and the operation there is always an unknown. That unknown spells defeat or victory, success or failure. It is the reaction of the actors to the ordeal when it comes. Some people call that getting the breaks; I call it God. God has His part, or margin in everything, that’s where prayer comes in. Up to now, in the Third Army, God has been very good to us. We have never retreated; we have suffered no defeats, no famine, no epidemics. This is because a lot of people back home are praying for us. We were lucky in Africa, in Sicily, and in Italy. Simply because people prayed. But we have to pray for ourselves, too. A good soldier is not made merely by making him think and work. There is something in every soldier that goes deeper than thinking or working–it’s his “guts.” It is something that he has built in there: it is a world of truth and power that is higher than himself. Great living is not all output of thought and work. A man has to have intake as well. From God. Those who pray do more for the world than those who fight; and if the world goes from bad to worse, it is because there are more battles than prayers. ‘Hands lifted up,’ said Bosuet, ‘smash more battalions than hands that strike.’ Gideon of Bible fame was least in his father’s house. He came from Israel’s smallest tribe. But he was a mighty man of valor. His strength lay not in his military might, but in his recognition of God’s proper claims upon his life. He reduced his Army from thirty-two thousand to three hundred men lest the people of Israelwould think that their valor had saved them. We have no intention to reduce our vast striking force. But we must urge, instruct, and indoctrinate every fighting man to pray as well as fight. In Gideon’s day, and in our own, spiritually alert minorities carry the burdens and bring the victories. Chaplain: Urge all of your men to pray, not alone in church, but everywhere. Pray when driving. Pray when fighting. Pray alone. Pray with others. Pray by night and pray by day. Pray for the cessation of immoderate rains, for good weather for Battle. Pray for the defeat of our wicked enemy whose banner is injustice and whose good is oppression. Pray for victory. Pray for our Army, and Pray for Peace.We must march together, all out for God. The soldier who ‘cracks up’ does not need sympathy or comfort as much as he needs strength. We are not trying to make the best of these days. It is our job to make the them the most. Now is not the time to follow God from ‘afar off.’ This Army needs the assurance and the faith that God is with us. With prayer, we cannot fail.

Be assured that this message on prayer has the approval, the encouragement, and the enthusiastic support of the Third United States Army Commander.

PRAYER FOR THE NATION! By Jeff Ziegler President SGI

Almighty Triune God, in the name of Christ we approach your eternal throne. Our Father, we acknowledge your providence and transcendence, as the one who upholds all things by the word of his power, who is before all things and by whom all things consist. Lord Jesus Christ, we submit ourselves to your benevolent rule, for the earth is yours and the fullness thereof and your name is above all names. Thou art Lord of the nations.

We humbly entreat thy goodness on behalf of these United States of America. May your Crown and Covenant, your Law, govern our affairs with righteousness and equity. Establish us with pure and undefiled faith and may the everlasting gospel diffuse its heavenly light and spread Christian brotherhood, liberty, and peace from sea to shining sea. We pray for our national and state governments, that all branches and departments may be constantly filled with the wisest and best men. Men who fear God and tremble at your Word. For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. May all legislative assemblies be granted thine assistance to reward and advance righteousness, even while abhorring and restraining wickedness. May the administration of justice be in the hands of men well qualified for their offices, not given to bribery or perverse judgments, which would throw down the bridle and sanction of law. Lord, may our civil magistrates with one voice, establish and defend our Constitution, that we the people may know the blessings of good governance. Lord Christ be in our midst, direct and assist us, impressing our hearts with your fear that we may know your present and future blessings in reward for fidelity to your inscripturated will.

We repent for the myriad of sins which our Republic and our states have committed against your ways. We repent for the great holocaust of abortion wherein the voice of innocence has been so cruelly dashed by the hardness of our own hearts. We repent for the grievous burdens placed upon our people and injury inflicted to the family by excessive-tyrannical taxation. We repent for governments’ appetite for living beyond its means and jurisdiction, thus mortgaging our children and our children’s-children’s future. God grant us forgiveness and grace to act in accordance with your will. May we be resolute and undaunted to establish uncorrupted morality, and justice for all men. Grant us the vigor to protect and defend life, the voice to herald liberty and the spirit of enterprise in the pursuit happiness. Finally, we stand shoulder to shoulder with our founding fathers and declare that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God. For such liberties we pledge our lives, our treasures and our honor, to preserve and defend the altar of Liberty. SO HELP US GOD!

Now to Him who rules all things according to his own pleasure and wisdom be praise, honor, glory, and dominion forever and ever, through Christ Our Lord AMEN.

Jeff Ziegler

440-413-1264