Posted: 1/28/2013 10:58:34 AM EDT
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I was just making a reference for a friend to an old post that I put up (archived thread here)
Quoted:
Something that I wrote over the weekend. A Prayer For Those Carrying Concealed Weapons Lord, today I pray that you will help keep my eyes open today so that I may be vigilant and aware of my surroundings so that I may be able to steer away from trouble when I see it. Guide me so that I may be steered away from the danger that I do not, or can not see. Watch over me and keep me safe, so that I will not have to use my weapon or weapons to defend myself, for I have no wish to hurt or kill anyone today. But if danger should come upon me; if I or my family should be threatened, give me the wisdom to make the right assessment and the correct life and death decisions. Grant me the courage and competence to do what is necessary to stop the threat and nothing more. Give me the wisdom to make the best tactical decisions to defuse the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible. Keep me mindful of my foreground and background so that I can protect the lives and safety of those around me as well as be respectful of the surrounding property. Give me composure and competence to handle the aftermath appropriately. God grant the law enforcement personnel who respond, the wisdom and the ability to stay calm, cool, and collected when they arrive and the ability to deal with the situation appropriately. God grant me the ability to deal with the mental trauma and potential anguish over what I was forced to do to defend myself. And Lord, I pray for the person who may attack me. That you may touch his or her heart and turn him away from his evil deeds. If you are unable to turn him away from his intended path, I pray that I am not forced to kill him to stop him from killing me. I pray that he heals from his wounds, both physically and mentally. I pray that he turns to you as his Lord and Savior. But if he should die, I pray that you forgive him, as I shall try to do. Lord, thank you for being by my side, my guide and constant companion through all of the trials and tribulations. In thy glorious name I pray. Amen The Shortened Version: Lord I pray that I may not be forced to use my weapon today. But if I am, I pray that you give me the Courage, Knowledge, Wisdom, Competence, and Composure to do all that must be done to protect my life and the lives of others. Amen by Derek Babcock, © 2010 and I saw a comment that I had either missed or didn't take much notice of before Originally Posted by Spiffums
So CCW is now a self help group? I love that you thought of a prayer because we need all the divine intervention we can get in today's world but to model it on the "I have no will power I am helpless someone give me steps" deal is just wrong in so many ways. I did not write that thinking that I have no willpower of my own, and I am helpless without someone else to watch my back I arm myself and get all the training that I can afford and can fit into my busy schedule (which isn't even 1/10 of 1% of what I want to do). I try to do everything that I can to prepare myself for the possibility of needing to use my weapon(s) to defend my life or the lives of others. But if you believe in God (which supposedly over 90-95% of the people in this great union of ours believe in some kind of a god or higher power), Since we are all human, and are imperfect, and very capable of error, I think you would be unbelievably stupid not to ask that higher power to watch your back. (Which, for the record, isn't what Spiffums said) I believe in God. I believe that He is not an "absentee landlord". I believe that He does watch over us and I believe in asking Him for His help and guidance; whether that comes in the form of a "feeling" that I don't need to turn down this street, or that I need to take a different route, or that I need to turn and shoot in this direction or that. What if He sends some angel to make me slip so that I miss some bullet that would have otherwise hit me? Or, if He wants to actually change the flight path of a bullet? If I ask Him to help heighten my awareness, more so than I may be capable of, I think that's a good thing. Whatever form his guidance or assistance takes, I want it. But the reason why the prayer was written how is was is because no matter how good we think we are, no matter how much we prepare ourselves, no matter how much we practice. We can still make mistakes. Police practice at the range all the time, and SWAT personnel train even more. There is a police/sheriff range down the road from where I currently work. I was just out getting lunch and heard hundreds of shots going off in the 2 minutes it took me to go from one building to another. If they train that much and still sometimes three SWAT guys fire over 80 rounds and only hit the bad guy twice [I heard a SWAT guy relate a story recently to Mark Levin], I think that I'm potentially in real trouble if I get faced with an incident, because I can't afford to shoot and train as much as they do. I train as much as I can. The rest, I'm going to have to leave in God's capable hands. I want God to watch out for me. I want Him with me at all times and in all places. I also want him watching out for those police officers who get called because of an assailant with a gun. I don't want them shooting me because they mistake me for the bad guy. (I also don't want to be caught in the crossfire.) I pray for God to be watching out for all of us. ALL of us have a tendency to think that we can do everything by ourselves. But you know what? I'm 100% positive that I don't want to do it by myself. |
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Quoted:
Thanks .... but I'll keeping clinging to my guns. You can have the religion. Not self help, just a good idea to think about before you head out. I believe Patton said that there are no atheists in fox holes. I pray every day that I don't have to shoot somebody. And that if I have to use my God given skills, then that my judgement be clear and that my aim will be straight and true. Besides, if I miss or run out of ammo or my knife slips, I may meet Jesus earlier than I intended. I keep my bible and my gun close. 
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