"Prayer shouldn't be casual or sporadic, dictated only by the needs of the moment. Prayer should be as much a part of our lives as breathing. Never has our world stood in greater need of people who will pray."
Dear God,
While there are many kids in my life that are preparing for marriage, there are even more who are not. They're working. Going to school. Dating. Not dating. And Lord? They need Your hand on their lives too. God I pray that You would speak to them; encourage those who feel hopeless, grant peace to those struggling with anxiety, give wisdom to those who seek it, comfort those who are hurting, protect them from temptations they aren't equipped to walk away from.
God I pray for their minds ... give them the strength, power and desire to control their thoughts.
God I pray for their friends ... may they sharpen each other, speak the truth boldly to each other, and challenge each other to live lives pleasing to You.
God I pray for their families ... may these kids have relatives that are holding them up to You in prayer everyday.
And Father, I pray for their future spouses ...
I pray that unless Your plan is for them to remain single, You will send the perfect marriage partner for my kids, their friends, their cousins... at the perfect time and give them a them a clear leading from You as to who it is. I pray that these young people will be submissive enough to hear Your voice when it comes time to make a marriage decision, and that they will make that decision based on what You are saying and not just on physical desire. I pray that they will trust You will all their hearts and lean not on their own understanding. I pray that they will acknowledge You in all their ways so that You will direct their paths.
Prepare that person who will make the perfect husband/wife for each young person on my prayer list. Help these kids to know the difference between simply falling in love and knowing for certain this is the person with whom God wants them to spend the rest of their lives. If they become attracted to someone they shouldn't marry, I pray Lord that You would cut off that relationship. Help them to realize that unless You are the center of the marriage, it won't stand. Unless You bless it, it won't be blessed.
When these young people do find the right one to marry, I pray those spouses will be godly and devoted servants of Yours, who love You and live Your way. I pray these boyfriends and girlfriends will be like sons and daughters to their parents and a blessing to their new (in law) families.
Lord, once they get married, I pray there would be no divorce in their futures. May there never be emotional, mental, or physical abuse of any kind. I pray against divorce, separation and disunity. Give them all strong desires for fidelity and remove any temptation to infidelity.
May they each have one mate for life who is also their closest friend. May they be mutually loyal, compassionate, considerate, sensitive, respectful, affectionate, forgiving, supportive, caring and loving toward on another all the days of their lives,
Amen.*
I think I have a theme going this month.
It's not lent or advent so it feels a little bit weird, but what the heck. I'm going to go with it...
During the 31 days of January, I read a chapter of Proverbs each day.
During the 31 days of March, I'm going to post a prayer for someone(s) in my life.
Feel free to pray along. (The 'buzz' word for praying along, is praying in agreement.) Praying in agreement is a good thing.
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Remember the other day I was talking about Personal Vision Statements?
Here are a few that I found to be very inspiring:
(We were preparing a graduation brochure at work, and I was blessed to edit the statements page.)
My foremost desire in life is to be connected to my Heavenly Father through prayer and the study of scripture so I can please the Lord and be found faithful to what He has called me to do. I purpose to give my wife and our boys the focus and attention they deserve as they are the most important people in my life and to not let my ministry come before them. I will proclaim God's restorative power to all whom God puts in my path.
~
I will be faithful to Him who has saved me, enjoying His presence and living life to the full. My ambition is time and worship spent with God; being lovingly devoted to my wife and children, and to treat people I encounter outside the Church, as if it were Sunday ... inside the church.
~
May my character reflect My King's love for me. May I be a history maker, speaker of truth, joyful and rooted in Christ. As a husband and father, I desire to model Christ. I desire to have deep relationships and want to act as a catalyst, initiating new things in our community. I seek peace. I intend to engage in youth culture and create opportunities for them to journey towards their full potential in Christ.
~
My vision for my life is to become the man that God created me to be. I will pursue a simple life marked by humbly walking with my God. I will seek to love and serve my family as Christ loves the Church. I will do my best to care for the community of people around me by doing justice (fighting for what is right), loving mercy and relying on the Holy Spirit.
~
Know what?
I think maybe it would have been beneficial to have had a vision statement as a married couple that we both wrote together during our first year of marriage. And then every year on our anniversary to revisit that statement to see how we'd done or to decide if it needing tweaking.
I think maybe it's not too late to have one now.
So.
I'm turning 50 this year. And plan to live to 100. I will have a Vision Statement for the second half of my life.
It will have God in it. And my kids. And prayer. And ... well I have some work to do.
Three things I'm thankful for:
1. Inspiring words from Max Lucado:
You want to make a difference in your world? Live a Holy life:
- Be faithful to your spouse.
- Be the one at school who refuses to cheat.
- Be the neighbour/student who acts neighbourly.
- Be the employee/student who does the work and doesn't complain.
- Pay your bills.
- Do your part.
- Enjoy life.
- Don't speak one message and live another.
People are watching the way we act more than they are listening to what we say.
2. Inspiring pod casts: HERE.
3. My job.
Shalom.
*From The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian
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