Serving Military, cited in Practical Christianity Nov-Dec 1957, p12, published by the Armed Forces’ Christian Union.
The study of events immediately before and after the Days of Prayer, which were called in the wars by the Sovereign through the Ministers of the Crown and the Houses of Parliament, is intensely interesting.
During WW2 the nation was called to prayer on five occasions by King George VI and each had significance in the following days. The second day of prayer came in the crisis of the Battle of Britain, in September 1940.
Air Vice-Marshal Gossage spoke of the three phases of the battle – to close our ports and stop our shipping; to break London and industry; to wear out our pilots and machines.
Finally, with only a handful of fighting planes left in store, the country was saved through that great and gallant few and their tireless mechanics. Air Marshal Dowding later referring to this said, “I will say with absolute conviction that I can trace the intervention of God . . . Humanly speaking victory was impossible! We should not be too proud to arrange national days of prayer or to acknowledge the results”.
The King, and our leaders, who alone knew the full darkness of these situations, conscious they had not the power available to meet the crisis, called the nation to ask God for His help. Here are well-known historic facts which followed, entirely altering the position.
Let us take note, gauge the significance, renew our confidence in God who loves to answer prayer, and return again and again to give thanks and offer ourselves to Him to do His will day by day as individuals and a nation in the world of today.
*Photo Credit: Catalogue number – H 3988 – Production date – 1940-09-08 – Creator – War Office official photographer Taylor (Mr)