Photo By Samantha Harms | Dozens of chaplains, religious affairs specialists, Soldiers and civilians pray during...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas — Dozens of chaplains, religious affairs specialists, Soldiers and civilians gathered for the annual III Armored Corps and Fort Hood Prayer Breakfast May 3 at the Lone Star Conference Center.
The installation hosts the annual prayer breakfast typically on Thursdays to coincide with the National Day of Prayer, though this year, the breakfast took place on a Wednesday.
The National Day of Prayer provides an opportunity for all Americans to “turn to prayer to seek guidance, bolster our faith and brace our spirits when we need it most,” according to President Joe Biden’s 2023 proclamation.
“Prayer is both a personal and communal act — composed of our most intimate thoughts and a practice observed by multitudes across our diverse nation in every language, culture, religion and belief system,” the proclamation continues. “On this National Day of Prayer, we recognize the profound power of prayer, grounded in deep humility and hope.”
The National Day of Prayer was formally established by President Harry S. Truman in 1952, although earlier days of prayer recognized by the larger public have been observed since the formation of the United States.
“The significance of prayer has been central to the human experience since the dawn of creation,” Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Jen Cooper, First Army Division West, stated. “In every culture on Earth, human beings have recognized this strength that’s needed both to endure life’s challenges and to fully appreciate creation’s wonder. And that this lies outside themselves. And they have therefore sought to connect with the divine.”
This year’s theme of the breakfast was “Building Spiritual Muscle: Finding Strength in Adversity.”
Chaplains of various faith backgrounds were invited up at the beginning of the event for a litany of prayers. Each prayed for the nation, the armed forces, for the Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) community, and for Army marriages and families.
Finding strength in adversity and Army marriages were the focuses for Col. Tracy Michael, commander of 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Armored Corps Sustainment Command, during his guest speech. Michael took the time to touch on his marriage, the importance that faith has played in his life and his personal background, touching on his formative years growing up in a home that “was plagued by drug abuse, domestic violence, scarcity and fear in that environment.” For him, finding his faith in Jesus Christ allowed him to understand and see God’s plan in everything that he lived through.
“Romans 8:28 does not say that all things are good, but it says that all things work together for good,” Michael shared. “The apostle invites us to not revel too much in our past successes nor drown ourselves in the past inevitable failures of life, but to think soberly, knowing that the enduring things of life, like a strong character and a good reputation, often take a little time and a bit of fortune.
“Sometimes God will use life circumstances like a chisel to chip away at the major flaws in our character or our attitude,” he continued. “But sometimes he’ll use it like light-coated sandpaper, just to smooth out the rough edges. No matter what the case is, he’s doing it for our good. And whether we grow from our experiences or not, will depend upon our ability to see the advantages in our adversities, to realize that sometimes the positive is wrapped up in the negative.”
| Date Taken: | 05.03.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.04.2023 16:21 |
| Story ID: | 457821 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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