The Value of Prayer

Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer took the Seventh Calvary regiment to an area known as the Little Big Horn in June of 1876. He was outnumbered and cut off from reinforcements. The enemy forces surrounded Custer and the soldiers under his immediate command, and in the subsequent massacre all 211 men, including Custer, were killed.

Almost 90 years later, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore took 450 men of the Seventh Calvary regiment into the Ia Drang valley in the central highlands of Vietnam on November 14, 1965. He found himself outnumbered and cut off from reinforcements. The enemy forces, over 1600 in strength, surrounded Moore. However, Moore used precision air strikes and constant artillery barrages as a shield between the enemy and his men; this screen protected them, broke the enemy’s advance, and changed what could have been a massacre into a victory.

The primary difference between Moore and Custer was that Custer did not possess heavy artillery.
In the life of a Christian, there will be times that we are under attack from the World, the Flesh and the Devil; times that the battle gets so difficult that we can do nothing but stand and take it. The Bible tells us that at those times, “…and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore… (Ephesians 6:13-14) When standing in defense, having armor can help deflect some of the blows that would normally afflict us.
Ephesians Chapter 6 tells us of the Armor we are given access to as Christians, armor that will protect us in the battle; “…having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always…” (Ephesians 6:14-18)
If we are to stand for Christ, we must learn to use our armor; it will protect us in those times that we have done all we can, and we just need to take it. While many Christians understand some of the benefits of the armor God has provided, there is one piece given to us that is often overlooked...
“Praying always…” (Ephesians 6:18) Prayer is often not understood as an important part of the Christian’s armor, but it is probably the most important one there is.
Consider again the difference between Hal Moore and George Custer. There will be times that we are in the battle, and even the armor that we have may not protect us from the fiery darts that are hitting us from all sides. At those times all we can do is hunker down and take the hits.
But, there is a God in Heaven. When we pray, His protection is like artillery from Heaven that will create a barrier between the enemy and the Christian, and can turn a spiritual massacre into a victory.

In honor of Lieutenant General Hal Moore (Retired) 1922—2017