Capital Prayer Alert

It is with the heaviest heart that I write today's alert. With the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan, I know that what I write in these lines could well be overtaken by events before these words even reach you. Tragically, I feel certain it will not be because things improved but because they got worse.

Please stop and take some time to pray for the evolving situation in Afghanistan, and then pass along these prayer points to other men and women of faith. Right now, we need an army of prayer warriors calling upon the Almighty, in addition to the army our military has tasked with safely evacuating American citizens and reliable allies.

1. Please pray for those who are at the airport in Kabul and inside what appears to be a protective ring of U.S. military forces. Ask our Heavenly Father to minister to them by giving them peace, clear minds and a sense of thanksgiving that they are more likely to exit Afghanistan safely. Help them to comfort any children or others in their midst overcome with fear. As they are able to exit Afghanistan let them always remember the precious taste of the freedom they can now enjoy and came close to losing. Prompt them to never forget those who may not get out and to live the rest of their lives accordingly.

2. Lift in prayer Americans and those Afghans who boldly stood with us but who now find themselves outside Kabul airport beyond the protective ring of U.S. forces. These people are in grave danger as they try to navigate various Taliban checkpoints. There are numerous reports of killings and beatings as the lives of these people are literally at the whim of brutal Taliban fighters intoxicated with their newfound power and anxious to prove who is now in charge. Ask God to grant them wisdom, drive, fearlessness and stamina as they make their way on a perilous trek where every move and every look could trigger their death.

3. Pray for those Americans and Afghans who have been reliable partners who are scattered throughout Afghanistan beyond Kabul. They have been told to shelter in place "unless and until" they hear they should make their way to the airport in Kabul. Yet the word is that the U.S. cannot guarantee them safe passage to the airport. Dear Lord, they must feel like cornered prey outside the densely populated capital city. No doubt it is generally known in the more sparsely populated areas of the country who they are and what their role has been with the United States. They must be living in fear of a knock on the door or peering out a window as the Taliban works its way down the street where they live.

They could be Christian missionaries, workers with non-governmental organizations, American contractors, or American citizens with Afghan family members, among others.Some have been able to communicate beyond Afghanistan through house church networks or social media.Their stories are chilling, the fear in their voices is palpable.Lord, let them feel Your presence beside them to give them strength and a peace that passeth all understanding of their critical circumstances.Give them wisdom beyond their own abilities and bolster them with Your love and the love of family and friends.

4. Heavenly Father, the U.S. military is now tasked with the extremely difficult mission of extricating thousands of our own and reliable allies from an airport in difficult terrain, with one runway and surrounded by the enemy. They must keep order and not let the airport be overrun. And they must get the right people on the outgoing planes. The situation is chaotic and seems like a fuse waiting to be lit. Even worse, we are depending on the Taliban for help in the coming days. Pray for our military on the ground and in the air as part of the evacuation force. Keep them focused on the life and death situation at hand, give them good judgment, imbue them with a "can do" attitude and a willingness to think outside the box to accomplish this most challenging assignment. Give them peace about their actions. As the days unfold decisions will be made on who gets on a plane and who doesn't and how the final evacuation of our forces takes place. Pray to God that there are plans unknown to us that will avoid even more disaster.

5. Pray for the many hundreds of thousands of members of the U.S. military who have been deployed to Afghanistan since 9/11. And, each one of them has family and friends who day in and day out live with the sacrifice of those who served. There are Gold Star wives and children and parents who have lost the presence of their loved one this side of eternity. There are tens of thousands who were severely injured and will live the rest of their days making adjustments to everyday life. And there are untold numbers who suffer from PTSD and the memories of what they witnessed on the battlefield. These men and women and their families must be completely demoralized as they watch the unfolding chaos in the country where they fought and bled. God, help us to find words and deeds to honor them and their sacrifice. Let us uplift them as we pray for comfort, solace, and peace from You that their personal sacrifices were not for naught.

6. Finally, pray for the president, vice president, secretary of defense, secretary of state and other officials who are now making life and death decisions with limited options. Pray for the best possible decisions to be made in these terrible, terrible circumstances. Pray for those immigration officials who are making decisions on which Afghans can come to the United States. Give them good judgment, clear minds and the ability to balance the paramount need for American security with our commitments to those who have stood with us.

There will be tremendous ramifications for this last disastrous week and the decisions and lack of operational planning that got us to this horrible place. Our national credibility has suffered badly, and the geo-political chessboard has been reset. We will pay a steep price. But in the meantime, until this immediate crisis has ebbed, we can all do one thing . . . PRAY.