I forgot that we'd prayed

"Do you ever feel like God is saying, 'Did you see that?"' -- Lee

Prayer.

I don't completely understand it.

But last year, God powerfully answered a prayer that I forgot I'd even prayed.

In late September, our church joined up with another large church in the area, and together, over a thousand voices worshiped and prayed for our city, especially the first responders.

As a fire fighter, Lee was surrounded and prayed for by the people around us, and he had two requests:

1. Safety: At work and home.
2. His Job: The city was talking about letting go of even more fire fighters by the end of the year. Lee would have been one of the positions cut.

ONE WEEK LATER:

1. Safety: Lee was miraculously rescued from what should have been a fatal motorcycle accident.
2. His Job: Funds were "found" and Lee's position was secure.

The thing is, with all the chaos around the accident, we forgot. We forgot that we'd prayed. I forgot that I stood next to Lee, holding his hand, surrounded by people who loved us and complete strangers who loved Jesus.

Until a friend sent us this photo from that night:

There we are, being prayed over, a week before the accident.

And God whispers to me through my tears, "Look. Remember. Pray. Trust."

So I humbly bow my head in thanks to the great Creator whose ways are unsearchable and whose love never fails.

Husband Prayers Day 1

Have you ever wanted to begin praying for your husband but didn't know where to start? There are many books on the topic, and in order to avoid copyright infringement back in 2008, I wrote my own set of prayers based around Bible verses to distribute to a group of women.

For the next month, I'm going to post these prayers. Please consider joining me in prayer for our husbands or the men in our lives. Share this 30-day challenge with your friends. Together, we can lift up our men to God.

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Day One: Praying For His Wife

Dear Lord, You say that if I have sin in my heart, you will not hear me (Ps 66:18). Please search me, God. You know my heart. You know when I have been unloving, angry, unforgiving, and critical of my husband. Please forgive me specifically for _________. I’m sorry for these sins. Please lead me in your way forever. (Ps 139:23-24) Oh God, make my heart clean and renew my spirit so I am right with you and with my husband. (Ps 51:10) 

Replace my bitterness, anger, and hurts with your love, peace, and joy (Gal 5:22-23). I need your help daily to be kind to him, tenderhearted, forgiving him just as you, through Christ, forgave me (Eph 4:32).

Please help me not to get tired and weary from doing good, and remind me that at just the right time I will reap a harvest of blessing, if I don’t give up (Gal 6:9).

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
       test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
       and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:19-23

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Are you joining me on this 30 days of prayer? Leave a comment here or on facebook and let me know!

Because you prayed

My heart is full. I read II Kings 18-20 this morning, the life of Hezekiah, a man who was praised above all others. "There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him." Before or after? Really? Even David?

Read what it says about him:

 ⁵ Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. 

There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.  

⁶ He held fast to the LORD and did not stop following him; 

he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses.  

⁷ And the LORD was with him; 

he was successful in whatever he undertook. (Chapter 18)

I looked up the word "held fast." The NASB uses the word "clung." It also means "abide." It reminded me of what Jesus said in John 15:4, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."

Hezekiah's life was marked by prayer and trust in God. When he received word that an army was about to attack, he prayed. When he was told he was about to die, he prayed, and God gave him fifteen more years of life.

Oh, to have that be my first response!

The phrase that made me look twice was God's response to his prayer.

"Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you."

Because you have prayed.

I was recently challenged, "What if God only gave you today what you prayed for?"

Because you have prayed.

That's enough to chew on for the day, don't you think?

Wow, God!

Three stooges. Three muskateers. Three amigos. Three Blind Mice. Many things come in groups of three.

It's true for my life as well, as three separate areas are currently pointing in the same direction, leading me to declare, "Wow, God!"


1.) I & II Kings

In reading through I & II Kings, I see that over and over, God promises to do something great, people doubt, and He does it above and beyond all they'd asked or thought was even possible. (And an important note: Those who doubted usually met with a hard end! Just read II Kings 6 and 7.)

In these books, laws of physics are defied, nations are rerouted, and even bears are sent to do His will! It leads me to ask, "Is anything impossible with God?" And of course the resounding answer that shouts loudly from these pages is, "No!"  I am consistently inspired to say, "Wow, God! You are amazing!"

2.) True Woman

I attended the True Woman conference this weekend here in Indianapolis. I came away with pages of notes, but there was one single lesson that settled on my heart for me to grasp and take a hold of:

I need to pray.

Oh, I pray. I pray for my kids. I pray for my day. I pray through my quiet time and for my own issues of sanctification. I pray before meals and I pray here and there. All of this is good!

But it was more: my prayers need to be less self-focused, and I was inspired to be an intercessor for others and God's work here and around the world.

I was also encouraged to not rely on my natural giftedness but on the super natural power of God. I should be praying that God would never let me get to the place where I can do it without Him. I should be asking for a ministry that can only be explained by God, rather than relying on tools, resources, and programs. Then I can step back, look at the work He's accomplished, and say, "Wow, God!"


3.) One Cry.

Have you heard about One Cry? I was exposed to it at the conference this weekend. The message: A call for Spiritual Revival through prayer. 

The aim? To gather 50,000 prayer warriors to band together, seeking the face of God for revival.

Their goals?

• to engage in earnest, intercessory prayer for revival
• to walk in brokenness, humbly repenting of every sin God reveals to us
• to seek the manifest presence of God, believing that a revived church will advance the gospel of Christ throughout the world
• to unite with others who share this revival vision 

"If my people, who are called by my name, 

will humble themselves and pray and seek my face 

and turn from their wicked ways, 

then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin 

and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14

I asked myself: Why wouldn't I get involved in something like this? Why wouldn't I sign up and tell my friends? What do I make more important in my life than seeking God's face on behalf of others?



OneCry from Life Action Ministries on Vimeo.

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Combine these three elements and you have a recipe for praying in faith! What is this going to look like? My brain wants to immediately go to the details: When I should pray. How I should organize my prayer journal. What tools I need. But I'm trying to avoid letting all of that delay my obedience. I'm just going to pray. Do you want to join me?

We'll then be able to stand back together and say, "Wow, God!"

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Psalm 119: Prayers for guidance, renewal, and strength

I like categorizing and sorting things. As you can see, that's how I've been working through Psalm 119. Today, I'd like to share the prayers of Psalm 119, sorted into three categories.

“Teach me Your Word”

- Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.

- Oh that my ways may be established to keep Your statues.

- Teach me Your statutes, and make me understand the way of Your precepts, so I can observe it to the end.

- With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me wander from Your commandments.

- I am a stranger in the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.

- Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart.

- Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.

- Establish Your word to Your servant, as that which produces reverence for You.

- Remember the word to me, in which You have made me hope.

- Teach me good discernment and knowledge, For I believe in Your commandments.

- I cried with all my heart; Answer me, O LORD! I will observe Your statutes. I cried to You; save me and I shall keep Your testimonies.

- Let my cry come before You, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Your word. Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word.

“Be gracious to me”

- Strengthen me according to Your word.

- Deal bountifully with me, that I may live and keep Your word.

- May Your lovingkindness also come to me, O LORD, Your salvation according to Your word.

- May Your compassion come to me that I may live, for Your law is my delight.

- Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

- Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

- Uphold me that I may be saved, that I may have regard for Your statutes continually.

- Turn to me and be gracious to me, after Your manner with those who love Your name.

- Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes.
- I am Yours, save me; for I have sought Your precepts.

“Forgive me, and keep me from sin”

- Take away reproach and contempt from me, for I observe Your testimonies.

- Remove the false way from me, and graciously grant me Your law.

- Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to dishonest gain.                                                                         

- Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, emptiness, falseness, worthlessness, and revive me in Your ways.

- Turn away my reproach, shame, which I dread, for Your ordinances, decisions, and judgments are right.

- May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, so that I will not be ashamed.

- Establish my footsteps in Your word, and do not let iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, that I may keep your precepts.

- I have gone away like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

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You can see my two others posts about Psalm 119 here:

The Word Is...

What the Word Does for Believers

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Praying in the new school year

As I begin to plan the next school year, I've claimed this as my theme verse:

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. (I Samuel 12:23).

Prayer and teaching - pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?

Prayer. When your children wake early and your husband comes home late, when do you pray?

God knows the heart of a mother. I've found that posting scripture around the house is a huge help, reminding me to pray for them. In my bathroom, I have a sheet posted on the door of scriptures to pray for your children. I also have been trying to pray over them at night as I tuck them in, rather than giving a quick kiss and running off to do my own thing.

Often, I will wake in the middle of the night for no reason, and instead of tossing and turning, I ask God, "What do you want me to pray about?" These have been sweet times with Him as I sit in the stillness and listen for Him. If we're memorizing scripture, I'll pray through the verses. Sometimes I'll be convicted of an area of sin, and other times a name will come to my mind.


"On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night." Psalm 63:6


And though all of this is good, I'm going to attempt a concerted effort to reclaim the morning time for Him. I've cleared a special spot in my closet for prayer, and I hope that if I'm quiet enough, I can slip in there and pray without waking the family! We'll see how it goes. :)



Reading through the Psalms has been a huge inspiration. It essentially a prayer book for the believer!


"Save me, O God, for the waters have threatened my life!" (69:1)
"God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us." (67:1)
"Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer nor his lovingkindness from me." (66:20)
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (51:10)
"O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling places." (43:3)


I mark prayer passages in green in my Bible. This is another way that prayer becomes a natural thing instead of a forced habit. Praying the words of God gives me confidence to approach Him.

When do you make time to pray? I'd love more suggestions. The more I talk to our Heavenly Father, the more I want to talk to Him!

"O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly, my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water."  (63:1)

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When life throws you on your knees

A couple of weeks ago, our daughter K disobeyed, and I was devistated. Both my husband and I were. It caught us off-guard, and I was in tears, at a loss as to how to handle the situation. I collapsed on the floor and rested against the couch.

On my knees.

And I realized, this is what has been missing.

I pray for my kids, occasionally, but most days, I think I can do it on my own. I know how to be a parent. I've read the books and have been to seminars. I have my "techniques" down perfectly, and I can share them with others.

But when it comes down to it, I realized again that I can't do it on my own. I am an imperfect human being who will mess up. I will fail them. I will be inconsistent. I will lose my temper. I will give bad advice.

What I need to teach her is what I've not been doing myself. I need to teach her to not try to be good on her own strength, because she can't. None of us can.

So I repented there on my knees, of trying to do it on my own, and my husband and I prayed for her. I am embarrased to admit that our time spent on our knees together for our children has been very limited.

Then I repented to her, and I asked for forgiveness for not setting a good example of relying on God's strength.

How many times I do I tell my kids, "Jammies, Teeth, and Bed" when I'm tired? Then after a quick blanket prayer for everyone, I rush out of the room and move on to more important things... like Facebook.

Well since that night, my habits are starting to change. I want to spend those precious, quiet moments praying over them. It's a perfect time to seek out God's help for each of their lives. As they hear me talk to God on their behalf, I pray they'll be strengthened and grow to love and depend on Him more.

Practically speaking, I even posted a page of verses in the bathroom for me to read through as I'm getting ready in the morning. It is a plain reminder that I need Jesus's help in every area of my life, and my kids do too.

I have seasons of prayer and seasons where I lack. Do you go through this too? How do you stay consistent in relying on God's power? Coasting isn't an option... we need to be seeking His daily bread -- well -- daily.

Bread of Life

I'm going through a book called, "Praying the Names of Jesus" and it has been so helpful. Right now I'm on "Bread of Life" and today's just struck me.

From John 6, after feeding the 5000 and filling their bellies w/ bread, Jesus said,

Stop working for food that spoils.
Work for the forever food that I will give you.
The work you need to do is to believe in me.
I am the bread of life.
When you fall down dead, I will make you stand up alive again on the last day.

Ann Spangler explains that it was too much for them - the crowd wanted a leader to rise up right then and meet their needs, but Jesus was more concerned with their life after their death.

She says, "What about you? How hungry are you? It's so easy to stuff ourselves with the world's cheap bread - with money, success, comfort, and pleasure - that we take the edge off our spiritual hunger. We fail to realize the dangers of living in an affluent, consumer-driven society in which we can be consumed by the things we desire. So many of us are like sponges, soaking up the world's good things with no space left for God..."

Good stuff!

I love how she combines Bible reading and teaching with daily prayer and reflection. I'd highly recommend it!

Each day you read new passages about the name, which are mostly written in the book for you, and then you pray through them. Not a big time commitment, but a good one.

I have the book and the journal. I'm considering going through this with the girls, in a simplified format, this summer.