Dear Lord hear my prayer
You Lord are the ultimate maker of peace. I am
but a temporally assigned enforcer of manmade
laws and order. This job that I have is not
easy Lord, but you know that.
You led me and my peers to this calling and I
know you will provide us with all that is
needed to perform it. You never promised that
it would be easy. It is my prayer Lord that I
always perform my duties in a way that honors
you. Give me the inner strength to be patient,
calm, fair, honest, brave and compassionate
toward all of those with whom I deal.
This job requires a lot of oneself! Lord help
me keep my life in perspective. Help me to keep
the essentials of life and faith in the
forefront; for if I fail at that, I will be
unable to be effective at my work
Each day I report for duty I am exposed to the
evils of this world. While evil is a powerful
force, it cannot win or overcome your power.
Let me represent that power as I confront evil
- Walk with me and guide me Lord.
Lord, I realize that danger lurks in many
facets of my work. I accept that and know that
I put my life on the line in this chosen
profession. Should I succumb to death, please
comfort my family, friends, and peers and
protect them from harms.
Lord I ask that for these things I pray be
granted to my brothers and sisters who serve
this noble profession. Watch over them as they
watch over each other and let them feel your
presence always but especially in their time of
need.
Lord, I was just thinking how much our jobs are
alike. Neither job is easy, we are often not
appreciated, ignored, and disliked. We both
have strange hours- mine rotate from shift to
shift; yours is 24/7. Our claim is “to protect
and serve” and Lord you certainly have shown
countless times that you do that. Both of us
are often times called upon as a last resort
and we see people at all stages of emotion. We
both face death while performing our job; you
Lord faced an early death in yours.
Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy. Thank
you for having our back even when we are
thoughtless to ask for it.
In HIS most holy name we pray—Amen
©Kent Fletcher
July 16, 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kent Fletcher retired as Deputy Chief of the Durham NC
Police Dept. He served with that department for 301/2 years. He is a graduate
of the 162nd session of the FBI National Academy and has an AA and BS degree in
Justice Administration from Guilford College. Writing short stories and poetry
has become a part-time hobby. He can be reached at
hkfletcher@nc.rr.com
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