General Douglas MacArthur penned the following prayer in the early days of World War II as a spiritual legacy to his son Arthur. It was made public after the general died in 1964. Read the thoughts and consider how different our world would be if every father lived and prayed this way.
Build me a son, O Lord,
who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, brave enough to face himself when he is afraid,
Build me a son,
whose wishes will not take the place of deeds...Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort,but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenges. Let him learn to stand in the storm;let him learn compassion for those who fall.
Build me a son,
whose heart is clear, whose goals will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master others; who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
And after all these things are his, add, I pray,
enough of a sense of humor so that he may always be serious yet never take himeself too seriously...
Then, I, his father will dare to whisper,"I have not lived in vain."
Powerful sentiments! This father is passing this prayer along to his sons, and making a commitment to pray the prayer everyday. God willing, such a commitment will not only make a difference in the lives of my sons, but in the lives of those they are privileged to touch!
Always make a difference!
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2 comments:
Thank you for sharing this powerful prayers. I am a mother of three sons!! One who is also in the military. God Bless our sons.
Tanya Woods
Thank you for this wonderful prayer. I'm a son of a father whose prayers are always use MacArthur's words for his children. Thank you for parents who have been willing to make their children like this. God Bless our Parents. :)
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