All Articles
A Mighty Endeavor
At 9:37 pm on June 6, 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sat in front of a microphone in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House waiting to begin a national address. These fireside chats were quite commonplace for the President. But this particular one was unique. This time FDR’s address took the form of a prayer. Roosevelt’s “D-Day Prayer” struck a powerful chord with the nation.
One excerpt from that prayer is as follows:
“Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.”
Although today we do not face the exact same struggle as those in our country in 1944, as Christians we too have set upon “a mighty endeavor.” Scripture clearly states that our adversary is prowling, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5.8). Our battle today and tomorrow and the next day is not against flesh and blood. It is one against the spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6.12).
I’m reminded of what Paul wrote to the Corinthian brethren towards the end of his first letter:
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
1 Corinthians 16.13-14
And so, we rage on in this mighty endeavor. For isn’t that one of the reasons we gather together every first day of the week? To remember the battle has already been won. Our dear Savior gave His life so that we might live. We draw strength from one another. Wherever our home may be. So, I say to all of us today: Stand firm in the faith. Be strong. And let everything we do be done in love.
