We Need Another Dunkirk

Call for Prayer at Houston Gathering


Some of the 300,000 British troops who were evacuated from France by private boats in 1940.

One of my all-time favorite movie scenes is the one in Mrs. Miniver where Miniver's husband joins in the convoy of small boats to rescue the troops who are trapped in France. I've been out in the Chesapeake Bay in a boat that size and thinking of the actual historical event is inspiring.

At the recent prayer gathering in Houston, Dr. James Dobson referenced this perilous time in the history of Great Britian:

"The year was 1940. The moment was one of the darkest in the history of the English people. More than 300,000 British troops suddenly found themselves pinned down in northern France. Nazi forces were bearing down on them. The Brits didn’t have enough ammunition or supplies. At any moment, Hitler’s forces would launch a ferocious attack. The Brits faced imminent annihilation. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his advisors thought at best the navy could rescue 20,000 to 30,000 before it was too late. Others feared even that might not be possible. And the stakes couldn’t have been higher. If so many forces were wiped out, Hitler and the Nazis would invade the British Isles — and win.

So the King of England called for a national day of prayer. That Sunday, an estimated 70 percent of the British people showed up at churches all over the country. They begged for the Lord’s mercy on their fathers and sons, and for their national survival. And the Lord heard those heartfelt prayers and responded with what became known as “the miracle at Dunkirk.” Hitler inexplicably delayed giving his generals the order to finish off the Brits. A great storm over Germany prevented Nazi planes from being able to take off. The British people quickly assembled some 900 fishing boats, yachts, trawlers, and other private and government vessels, and began ferrying the troops of the French beaches and back to England a few at a time. By the grace of God, nearly a third of a million souls were saved as a result, as was the British nation." -- Joel Rosenberg

More on the Houston Prayer Gathering [click to read].