General MacArthur’s Speech to the People of the Philippines, 10/20/1944

“I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil — soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples. We have come, dedicated and committed, to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over your daily lives, and of restoring, upon a foundation of indestructible, strength, the liberties of your people.

“At my side is your President, Sergio Osmena, worthy successor of that great patriot, Manuel Quezon, with members of his cabinet. The seat of your government is now therefore firmly re-established on Philippine soil.

“The hour of your redemption is here. Your patriots have demonstrated an unswerving and resolute devotion to the principles of freedom that challenges the best that is written on the pages of human history. I now call upon your supreme effort that the enemy may know from the temper of an aroused and outraged people within that he has a force there to contend with no less violent than is the force committed from without.

“Rally to me. Let the indomitable spirit of Bataan and Corregidor lead on. As the lines of battle roll forward to bring you within the zone of operations, rise and strike. Strike at every favorable opportunity. For your homes and hearths, strike! For future generations of your sons and daughters, strike! In the name of your sacred dead, strike! Let no heart be faint. Let every arm be steeled. The guidance of divine God points the way. Follow in His Name to the Holy Grail of righteous victory!”1 (General Douglas MacArthur)

“So David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?’ And He answered him, ‘Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.’” (1 Samuel 30:8; NKJV)

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

  • Ask the Lord to give us more generals cut of the cloth of General Douglas MacArthur. He was brave, committed, patriotic, and God-honoring in all he did.
  • General MacArthur understood the cause he was fighting for. He said he returned to the Philippines “to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over [their] daily lives, and of restoring, upon a foundation of indestructible, strength, the liberties of [the] people.” Ask God to clarify what you are fighting on your knees for.
  • He was relentless in his pursuit of the enemy. Rise up and ask God for a fresh deposit of faith that overcomes. Say, “God, give us hearts that will never faint.”
  • Declare, “We will strike the enemy until we see him in full retreat! We will strike for our homes and hearths! We will strike for our sons and daughters and future generations! We will strike until our nation is secure in God’s purposes!”
  • Ask the Lord for His holy and providential guidance to point the way forward. Follow in His Name to the Holy Grail of righteous victory for America!

A prayer you can pray:

Lord, today we remember the U.S. Army. We are thankful for those brave men and women who have marched into battles around the world for both our freedom and security, as well as that of other nations. We are thankful for those leaders you have given us over the years, such as General MacArthur, who led our army forth into battle, filled with an open faith in You and boldness that only You can give. There are many lessons to be learned from many of our army’s leaders and from the battles they fought for us. General MacArthur understood the cause he was fighting for. He said he returned to the Philippines “to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over [their] daily lives, and of restoring, upon a foundation of indestructible, strength, the liberties of [the] people.” God, make solidly clear to us what we are contending on our knees for.

Lord, make us brave and make us bold. Give us unwavering faith and resolve to not stop until we see Your purposes come to pass in our lives, our communities, our states and our nation. The enemy is pressing hard, but Your Ekklesia can undo all the works of the evil one. We will declare and decree Your Word, and we will strike the enemy until we see him in full retreat! We will strike for our homes and hearths! We will strike for our sons and daughters and future generations! We will strike until Your purposes are secure in America! Guide us providentially and give us victory in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Today’s decree:

Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all!

1http://www.macarthurmilwaukeeforum.com/resources/speech-to-the-people-of-the-phillipines/