Let Us Pray

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to a group of women about prayer and praying for their families.

I informed them from the beginning that I am in no way an expert...just a practitioner.

It has been an incredible journey as God has taught me the importance and power of prayer.  I was blessed to be able to share it today.

I promised a list of resources.  Here are the ones I mentioned and a few more:

Books

The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson

Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets

Praying the Scriptures for Your Children by Jodie Berndt

The Beginner's Guide to Fasting byElmer L. Towns


Websites

www.aholyexperience.com by Ann Voskamp author of One Thousand Gifts
Click on the Free Gifts for you Tab for some great resources

www.jeniferjerigan.com  One of the table leaders, a good friend of mine, found a great resource on praying scripture for your family on this site.  There are other tools as well.



Prayer Tools

For the Family by Sylvia Gunter


The resources above are wonderful.  They answer questions.  They inspire. They can help give direction.  However, there is nothing more powerful, in my opinion, than praying God's Words.  Here are some scriptures that I personally suggest to pray over your loved ones:

Psalm 91
Ephesians 6:10-18
Colossians 1:9-13
Ephesians 1:15-23



This not a comprehensive list of all the resources I've ever used.  These are the ones that stand out in this season.  I would LOVE to hear about what you are reading...even if it doesn't have to do with prayer!

If you have a resource or a book suggestion please leave it in the comment section!

I leave you with this today and pray these words for every reader,

Psalm 20

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
    may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
² May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and grant you support from Zion.
³ May he remember all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.
⁴ May he give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.
⁵ May we shout for joy over your victory
    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

⁶ Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They are brought to their knees and fall,
    but we rise up and stand firm.
⁹ Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us when we call!

I Remember

It is with a heavy heart that America greets today. 

We remember.  We will never forget. 

We have said those words for 11 years now.

I was in my college apartment sleeping under my Urban Outfitters bedspread.  My phone rang.  The Fly asked me if I had seen the news.  I didn't have class until 11...of course, I hadn't seen the news.  Groggy from late nights, papers, friends, work, fun, college-life, I laid my head back down.

I couldn't fall back asleep.  I didn't understand the depravity that had occurred.  I had hardly understood the words coming out of the phone.  I got up and walked into the other room to turn on the TV.

Then I saw...over and over as they replayed what had happened.

Shock and disbelief.  Then the fear.  Where was my dad?  Flying from coast to coast and home on the weekends, this was his life. 

Relief rushed through me as I heard his voice.  He had been at LAX when it happened.  He was coming home.

He was coming home.

2,996 others did not go home that day.

Today we remember them.  With flags and banners, names read aloud, memories and stories told of those who suffered the consequences of another's evil plot.

As a nation we wonder.  We cry.  We form strong opinions.  We argue.  We plan.  We protect.  We do whatever we can to cope with the reality that evil and wickedness are very real.

We ask questions.  We blame God.  We defend God.

We don't want to admit it but we are still afraid.  We fear what might happen.  What's next?

These things well up in us today.  And, as we remember the past, we remember that our future is ahead of us.  Our near future holds some critical moments that will determine the direction of our country in the next 4 years.  Today our remembering not only brings the emotions of the past but it also causes the emotions surrounding the next 56 days.

This week's rhetoric will be charged with emotion of the whys and why-nots and how-to's and how-not-to's of our decision making.

So what do we do?

 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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14


It's been impressed on my heart to pray the Psalms for both presidential candidates, the American people, and the election itself.

Today was the 11th day I've done this.  I opened my Bible to Psalm 11.  I read this:

Vs 6 and 7,

Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup.
For the Lord is righteous.
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.

Fire and Brimstone have a bad rap, rightfully so.  But as I read this today I felt a unity with my fellow Americans, those that think the same and those that think differently.

Wherever our opinions place us in the war of politics, today we can come together and remember.  Remember that our God does not look at what happened 11 years ago and sit passively by.  He too hates wickedness and evil. His plan is for redemption.

As you remember today, I humbly ask you, set down your opinions, set down your agendas and if you are the praying type,  humble yourself before God.  Ask him to direct your prayers.  And pray. 

Pray for those that are still with us today, hurting from those evil actions of others. 

Pray for your fellow Americans; pray they experience peace today. 

Pray for President Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden.  Ask  God to give them wisdom and direction. 

Pray for Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney and Vice Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan.  Ask God to give them wisdom and direction. 


A final note...

As I was researching a few facts for this post I came upon this headline...

Mitt Romney, Barack Obama campaigns avoid negative politics on 9/11 anniversary


Proud to be an American. 

God Bless America.

  

In the Morning

"Oh what a beautiful morning.  Oh what a beautiful day.  I  have a beautiful feeling, everything's going my way." -- Oklahoma!

Nothing like a little musical theater throw-back and good sunrise picture to inspire your day.

Fly took this picture of the sunrise this morning.  It was breath-taking. 

  

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly.

Psalm 5:3

 Why?  Why is it so hard sometimes to open this?  Why does the extra long to do list suddenly appear in my mind as I reach to pick up the life-giving words?  Why does my phone end up right in front of me and robotically I tap the screen to lead me to time-wasting and minute-filling?  The news feed entertains me and even encourages me at times but it does not feed my soul.

I see the Fly carry his up the stairs and my eyes fall back upon my own.   I put the phone down with all the self-control I can muster.  It really is emabarrassing, the hold that little piece of technology has on me.

I open up the book that will curb my hunger and sustain me for the day.

Psalm 5.  I've been reading one a day.  Sitting in it and soaking it in as the words effervesce, issue forth bubbles, of Life.

I come upon these rich words:

Verse 7, "But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;"

They strike a deep chord.

I read the New King James version...not because I think it's the best but because it sounds the most like Shakespeare.  Laugh, roll your eyes, or try it yourself.

The words in verse 7 hang on.  I feel my heart clinging to them.

The truth is I NEED a multitude of mercy.  It is the only way I can survive.

I want to be a good person, a good wife, a good mom.  Good.  Good.  Good.  I try so hard to be good.  And everyday, EVERYDAY, I fail myself and those I love.  And, the worst part of it all is that I beat myself for it.  I hang my head low and walk in the guilt and the shame more often than I stand in the grace and the multitude of mercy.

I cry.  Okay, so I cry often.  But this morning I cry because I know better.  I know the grace.  I know the mercy that my God offers me.  I know it is worse to not receive it.  I know it is in vain that I ignore His gentle nudges.

Forgive me.  Forgive me for being swept away in my self.  I carry the burden of "not-good-enough" because I constantly try to do it all...all by myself.  

It's kind of like idolatry.  Ouch.  But it is.  If I put all my faith in myself then what do I need Him for?

For His multitude of mercy.  I will never be good enough.  And, I'm so thankful I don't have to be.





If you have time to read more today follow this link to more inspiration...