Posts Tagged ‘pray’

Jesus Prays for Me and You!

Monday, November 7th, 2011

Hebrews 7:25 encourages me, especially on days when I’m frustrated, discouraged, or doubt-filled. It says, “Therefore he (Jesus) is able once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”

Why does this verse encourage me? Because it assures me that Jesus is praying for moi! How sweet is that? How powerful is that?

My hunch is that Jesus prays a lot more than, “God, please bless Grace today.” If I could hear Him pray on my behalf, I might hear requests such as…

  • “Please grant her a hunger and thirst for righteousness.”
  • “Please cause her to seek for wisdom as for hidden treasures.”
  • “Please cause her to love You with all her heart, soul, mind and strength.”
  • “Please enable her to love mercy, do justly, and walk humbly with You, her God.”
  • “When she feels anxious, remind her that You are her Shepherd and will provide everything she needs.”

In all honesty, until now I’ve never really thought about what Jesus prays for me day in and day out. I’ve found this an enlightening exercise. Exciting, too. Think about it—with Jesus interceding on my behalf, I have no reason to fear or fail or flounder. He’s pullin’ for me. What more do I need to face life with hope?

If you’ve come to God through Jesus, then He’s praying for you, too. What do you think He’s asking on your behalf? Complete this sentence: I think Jesus is asking that I will ______________________.

Photo courtesy: www.freedigitalphotos.net

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Prayer for My Children

Friday, May 6th, 2011

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m posting a prayer I wrote for my three kids several years ago. Enjoy, and feel free to share it with other moms and grandmas!


Dear Father,

If I focus on the state of the world around me…

Families broken

Integrity lost

Truth abandoned

Rights demanded

Life devalued

I could wring my hands in despair.

Instead, I will pray to You—the true and living God.

My children are growing up in this tainted, suffering world.

Their only hope is that You govern every aspect of their lives…

Choices

Friendships

Time

Entertainment

Career

Life partner.

Thank You for loving them more than I ever could.

I trust You to develop in them character qualities that honor You…

Love

Wisdom

Holiness

Truthfulness

Humility

Fear of the Lord.

Thank You for having a special purpose for my children’s lives.

Please teach them Your ways so they will…

Hunger and thirst for righteousness

Treasure Your commandments

Say no to temptation

See others through Your eyes

Serve others as Christ did

Recognize that their strength comes from You.

Thank You that Your plans are to give them a future and a hope.

As they grow up, please fulfill Your promises to…

Satisfy their spiritual hunger

Make them shine as lights in the darkness

Give them peace and add years of life

Grant them favor and a good reputation in Your sight and the sight of man

Cause their lives to prosper and bear fruit

Know the joy that comes from serving You first, others next, themselves last.

Hear this prayer for my children, dear Father.

Please give them pure hearts so they might…

Know You intimately

Obey You

Cling to You

Praise You

And love You

Because You loved them first.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

© Grace Fox 2011

Photo courtesy of www.christianphotos.net

Grace Fox is an international speaker at women’s events and the author of four books including 10-Minute Time Outs for Moms, 10-Minute Time Outs for You and Your Kids, and 10-Minute Time Outs for Busy Women. Her fourth book, Moving from Fear to Freedom: A Woman’s Guide to Peace in Every Situation, now has an accompanying 7-part teaching DVD and Bible study guide complete with leaders’ notes. Ideal for small groups!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, October 11th, 2010

I’ll take a break from the devotional to acknowledge Canadian Thanksgiving in a special way. In October’s issue of “Growing With Grace,” I invited my readers to shout out their thanksgivings to God. I’ve compiled their answers….

  • Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer. Without Him, everything else loses its value.
  • My family – husbands who make us laugh and cry and sometimes question our sanity, kids who make us laugh and cry and make us question our sanity.
  • My daughter, who always has time for a kiss for me.
  • My autistic son. God knew the incredible blessing our boy would become to us.
  • For grandchildren.
  • Being able to stay in touch with family and friends via email and Facebook.
  • Being hungry only by choice, and having a nutritious selection of food every day.
  • The lovely fall colors I see outside my bedroom window/on my daily walks.
  • The wonderful children I get to care for every day (from a daycare provider).
  • My church family
  • My dog, who snuggles up with me when I sit or lie.
  • The dried hydrangea flowers in my front garden that I can pick and keep all winter.
  • The cooler nights that make sleep easier.
  • Pretty earrings. They are a “pick-me-up” on an “I-feel-ugly” day.
  • A second chance at life after having a kidney transplant in 2008 – and for my husband who without hesitation said, “Test me for compatibility.”
  • The opportunity to participate in the ministry of Ratanak Foundation which rescues children sold into the sex trade in Cambodia.
  • The ability to express myself in spoken and written words, in deeds, and in music, with hugs and smiles.
  • The knowledge that I am loved by my faithful, loving heavenly Father and by countless family and friends.
  • For a new and more comfortable place to live.
  • The freedoms we have in this country. Right now, I appreciate most the freedom to homeschool our children, to keep them home and watch them learn and grow as we learn to live a Christ-honoring life together.
  • To wake up in good health.
  • For my daughter’s safety – she survived a roll-over accident last week.
  • For my husband’s learning to speak new words daily after surviving a stroke three years ago.
  • For a job to support my family.
  • For being able to have a relationship with one granddaughter, especially after a broken family relationship made it impossible to spend time with my other grandchildren.
  • For God’s ability to bring blessings from adversity.
  • The beauty of children’s laughter
  • The beauty of God’s endearing voice that whispers in our ears every day.

Here are a few thoughts of my own. I’m thankful for…

  • Immediate and extended family members.
  • Good health – eyes to see the beauty of creation, ears to hear a child’s giggle and birds sing, legs to walk, arms to hug.
  • The privilege of having God’s Word in my own language.
  • My friends from other cultures. Last evening we celebrated Thanksgiving with a Romanian congregation – a ton of fun!
  • A warm house and a reliable car.
  • Nice neighbors.
  • Everyone who prays for me as I write and speak to women’s groups.
  • Those who financially support me and my husband in our role as career missionaries.

I’m sure the list could go on and on for pages. What are you thankful for today?

BTW, you can subscribe to “Growing With Grace” by filling in the little box on the right side of my website home page.

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Pray First; Act Later

Friday, May 14th, 2010

What’s your usual response when faced with major decisions? Do you rush ahead or do you take a moment to ask God for direction? I’ve love to say that my usual response is the latter but that wouldn’t be totally true. All too often I’ve rushed forward only to regret not seeking God first. In one case, that nearly resulted in marrying a guy that would have been the worst possible life partner for me.

King Saul did the same thing. Well, not quite. His situation wasn’t about marriage. It was about war (hmmm…sadly, some people might say that is the same thing). 1 Samuel 14 tells of a battle between the Israelites and the Philistines. As the day draws to a close, Saul isn’t ready to quit. “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them,” he says. His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.”

Here’s the part that grabs my attention: “But the priest said, ‘Let’s ask God first’” (v. 36).

Yeah for the priest! His words are loaded with wisdom for those of us who tend towards being impulsive and doing whatever we think is best, especially when our emotions are involved. They tell us to slow down. To pray first and act later. To do things God’s way rather than doing whatever makes the most sense in the moment.

Granted, sometimes the necessity for split-second decisions doesn’t give us the luxury of spending hours or days in prayer. When that happens, a basic “Help, God!” works well. We can trust the Lord to guide us at all times when our hearts are in tune with Him on a consistent basis.

We can apply the priest’s counsel to every aspect of our lives. For instance…

  • If someone hurts us and we’re tempted to retaliate, it’s wise to ask God for His thoughts about our proposed plan of action.
  • If we’re presented with a wonderful new opportunity, it’s best to ask God if saying yes is truly what He wants us to do and if we need to give up something else before assuming a new responsibility. 
  • If we’re fed up with the hassles of our present situation, it’s best to ask God for His insights before bailing out or trying to remedy them our way.

Next time you’re faced with a decision, take the priest’s advice to heart. You might be tempted to do whatever seems best in the moment, but ask God first. He’ll guide you in the way you should go.

What’s been your usual response when faced with a major decision? How has praying first proven to be a smart thing to do?

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