Prayer for Marriages

Marriage is a sacred covenant to be held in high esteem by all. That is what your word says, LORD. I thank you for marriage. I come to petition you to protect and help marriages today. Husbands and wives need you LORD God. Please help them to be committed to you, to seek you, to love you, to honor you and glorify you in all ways every day of their lives. Help them to remember to invite you in and make you a part of their daily lives. Help them to guard their hearts and to seek to have minds and attitudes like Christ Jesus. I pray that they will be of one mind and one purpose and unified in the bonds of peace. I pray that their units remain strong and faithful. I pray that marriages will be strong in the LORD and in the strength of your mighty power. I pray that husbands and wives will reflect your unity with the Father in their marriages daily. In your name, Jesus I pray. Amen.

Prayer for Peace in My Life

The following prayer is taken from the Armor of God bible study by Priscilla Shirer. It is one that I find powerful and feel that it may help others as well. It is my hope and prayer that it will inspire you to seek to experience God's peace daily also.

God, help me to switch off the guilt induced, confrontation-avoidant recordings that play repeatedly in my mind. And then, let your peace do what your peace does in my life. Let your peace settle my heart as a woman who has received it and experiences it daily. Let your Spirit naturally guide me in living and sharing the blessings of your peace with those around me as I submit to your leadership and promptings. In your son, Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

From My Prayer Journal

A simple one today.......Holy Spirit guide me in all truth. Amen.

Free Yourself

Thought for the Day

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, 

let me sow love.

~St. Francis of Assisi

From My Prayer Journal

Your word is what gives me comfort in my difficulties. It is your word that gives me life. LORD I ask for your favor with all of my heart, please be gracious to me as you have promised. LORD teach me good judgment and knowledge because you are good and you do good. Thank you LORD for the difficulties I face so that I learn your statute. Keep my steps steady as you have promised. LORD let no sin have dominion over me. Redeem me from man's oppression that I may keep your rules for living. Let your hand be ready to help me for I have chosen your rule for how to live. Let my soul live and praise you, let your rules help me. Amen.

From Psalm 119

From My Prayer Journal

LORD, please give me a heart to understand, eyes to see and ears to hear you when you speak to me. Help me understand what you tell me.

From My Prayer Journal

I am to love you, LORD, the LORD, my God with all of my heart and all of my soul, taking care, being mindful to not let my heart be deceived that I turn to other gods (idols) and worship them. This is to be deep within my heart so that I will love You, walk in Your ways (follow You) and hold fast (commit) to You always. Help me do this LORD God! I desire what You desire for me!

From My Prayer Journal

Lord, 
Help me to do the things you require of me--to fear you, to walk and live in obedience to you, to love you and serve you with all of my heart and all of my soul. 

From My Prayer Journal

My Lord, My God,
You are the one true God, the God of heaven and of earth. You command us in your way and you bless and protect us when we walk in your way and adhere to your commands. Lead me on your path all the days of my life. Fill my mind, heart and mouth with wisdom, understanding and faithfulness. Today. Tomorrow. And forever. Let your grace abound in me. Amen.

From My Prayer Journal

My LORD,  
I often forget that you have bigger plans for me and my life. Thank you for reminding me that I am here for a purpose that you have decided. That purpose will be fulfilled because You alone are the LORD, my God whose love does not change nor end. You never quit before You have finished because with You every work is complete! You will never leave a work undone. You said You will bring the good work that You began in me to completion! Thank You LORD for your faithfulness to me! Amen! 

Because I trust You

LORD,
Because I trust you, let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love. Let me know where I should go because I put my life in your hands. Show me what you want me to do because You are my God. Let your good Spirit lead me over level ground. LORD, let me live in a way that causes people to praise your name. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

In Awe

Lord God,

I bless you and I praise you. There is none like you. This I can say with complete certainty. You never fail, your ways are faultless and your words are flawless. You're mighty, powerful, ubiquitous, and all knowing. And yet, you care for me and what I care about, what I'm concerned about. Let me care about others in that way also. I want to be more of who you want me to be and less of who I am. Speak to me. Teach me. Guide me. And lead me. I am listening LORD.

Lessons Learned

Well Spring Break has ended and it's back to school and work and schedules. With the exception of late risings on Monday, the week got off to a pretty good start and has been a really good week. The girls returned to receiving report cards which illustrated some excellent effort over the last quarter. This mom is really proud of her brood. So now we are in the final stretch and home plate is in full view.

While the girls were in school learning lessons, Emma taught me a couple of lessons this week at home. One of them is that maybe we need to actually demonstrate how to rest around here. Following lunch, I told her to lay down for a nap to which she replied, "Why?". I said, "because you need the rest." She responded by saying, " I don't need rest, I'm not sick." I thought to myself, "uh-oh" clearly there is a problem here. That got me to thinking about our need for margins and rest in our lives. Then I began to think about how I expect the girls to do things that I, myself am not doing. I was reminded that if I expect them to do things especially those pertaining to faith and character building then I am going to have to model that for them. I have to do more than just talk and/or lecture about what we should do and give them a real, present example of what it means to be a faithful follower of Christ. And because I need help doing this, I will go to the source and ask for His help. Everyday.

I will borrow a prayer from yesterday's devotion (Prov 31 First 5):

Lord,
Place a guard on my heart and mind to protect me from sinful thoughts and emotions. Let no weapon formed against me (physically, mentally, emotional or spiritually) prosper and let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to You. Help me to choose your will over my own today. Amen.

Because, after all, it all starts with the heart.

Still Relevant

I came across this prayer many years ago and felt that the words spoke directly to me. After many years it continues to speak to me, though for different reasons now. It will probably always remain a favorite of mine.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity 

to accept the things I cannot change; 

courage to change the things I can; 

and wisdom to know the difference. 

Living one day at a time; 

Enjoying one moment at a time; 

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; 

Taking, as He did, this sinful world 

as it is, not as I would have it; 

Trusting that He will make all things right 

if I surrender to His Will; 

That I may be reasonably happy in this life 

and supremely happy with Him 

Forever in the next. 

Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr