~Lifting Up My Husband and Children~

I picked up some over sized bookmarks awhile back and I really like them.  They were done by Family Life Publishing and I want to share them.  Prayer saves, changes, keeps, heals and breaks the strong holds of the devil.  Here are some pointers for praying for your husband and children.

LIFTING UP MY HUSBAND THROUGH PRAYER

Lord, I lift my husband to You today and pray, according to Your Word, that:

*You give him strength to lead (Joshua 1:7), time to know his family (John 10:14), and a passion to manage his home (1Timothy 3:4).

*You bless his work and show him daily how to honor You in his attitude and spirit; confirm the work of his hands unto Your purpose (Psalm 90:16-17; Daniel 6).

*He will be a wise steward of our finances and all we possess, remembering that all things are Yours and entrusted to us for Your purposes (Matthew 6:19-21).

*He will love You with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength and hate evil (Mark 12:30, Psalm 97:10).

*He will be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James1:19).

*You protect him physically, mentally, and spiritually (Psalm 28:7-9, Psalm 41; John 17:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:3).

*You give him the desire to teach and model a Godly lifestyle for our children (Deuteronomy 6; Psalm 78:5-7).

*You will instruct him and teach him in the way he should go (Psalm 32:8); give him peace in the circumstances and integrity in decisions he must face today (1 Corinthians 14:33; Proverbs 11:3)

*He would meditate day and night on Your Word, pray without ceasing (Psalm 1:1-3; Psalm 119:18, 73; 1 Thessalonians 5:17), and stay faithful to Christ to the end (Hebrews 12:1-2)

PRAYING FOR MYSELF AS A WIFE

Make me my husband's helpmate, companion, champion, friend, and support.  Help me to create a peaceful, restful, safe place for him to come home to.  Teach me how to take care of myself and stay attractive to him.  Grow me into a creative and confident woman who is rich in mind, soul and spirit.  Make me the kind of woman he can be proud to say is his wife.

I lay all my expectations at Your cross.  I release my husband from the burden of fulfilling me in areas where I should be looking to You.  Help me to accept him the way he is and not try to change him... I leave any changing that needs to be done in Your hands, fully accepting that neither of us is perfect and never will be.  Only you, Lord, are perfect and I look to You to perfect us.

Teach me how to pray for my husband and make my prayers a true language of love.

THE POWER IF PRAYER

... the power of a praying wife is not a means of gaining control over your husband. ... In fact, it's quite the opposite.  It's laying down all claim to power in and of yourself, and relying on God's transforming power.  This power is not given to wield like a weapon in order to beat down and unruly beast.  It's a gentle tool of restoration appropriated through the prayers of a wife who longs to do right more than be right, and to give life more than get even.  It's a way to invite God's power into your husband's life for his greatest blessing, which is ultimately yours, too.  You have the means to establish a hedge of protection around your marriage...

Be patient to persevere and wait for God to heal,  Keep in mind that you are both imperfect people.  Look to God as the source of all you want to see in your marriage and don't worry how it will happen.... leave it in His hands.

LIFTING UP MY CHILDREN THROUGH PRAYER

Lord, I life my children/grandchildren to You today and pray, according to Your Word, that:

*They will know Christ as Savior early in life and desire a close relationship with You throughout their childhood, teen and adult years (Mark 10:13-16; Luke 2:52; 2 Timothy 3:15).

*They will develop the discipline of prayer and time in Your Word (Joshua 1:8; Daniel 6:10; Matthew 4:4; Philippians 4:6-7).

*You will bring into their lives Godly adults and friends who will help them grown in Godly living (Psalm1:1-3; Philippians 1:27; Proverbs 27:17; 1 Corinthians 4:15).

*You will keep them pure and strengthen them against temptation (Job 17:9; Psalm 24:3-4; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

* They would develop discernment, wisdom, responsibility, and a strong conscience (1 Kings 3:11-12; 1 Timothy 1:5; Daniel 6:3).

*They will be caught if they wander into cheating, lies, or mischief (Psalm 119:71; Proverbs 20:30).

* They will see other people as You do, treating them with love and kindness (Matthew 25:35-40; Psalm 41; John 17:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:3).

*You will protect them from emotional, physical, and spiritual danger (Psalm 28:7-9; Psalm 41; John 17:15; 2Thessalonians 3:3)

*You will prepare them to be a Godly, loving and faithful spouse or prepare them to glorify you in their singleness (1 Corinthians 7:7-8); and that You also prepare their future spouse (2 Corinthians 6:14-15; Ephesians 5:21-33

*They would leave home with an eternal perspective and Christ-like values (Matthew 28:18-20; Galations 2:20; Philippians 1:21).

*They will sense Your calling on their lives and their lives will count for Your kingdom (Psalm 78:1-8; 103:12-18; 2 Timothy 1:9).

~Here Comes the Bride~

 We had camp meeting at our church last week.  It was an awesome, refreshing, recommitting, healing, life changing week.  It was Wednesday or Thursday that I knew what my next blog would be, I am sorry it has taken me so long to get on here and write it.

Jeremiah 2:32 

Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number

 

 

Jesus is coming for a bride who has made herself ready.  The church, His people, makes up the bride of Christ.  I keep picturing a bride preparing for her husband.  My cousin got married last month and I watched his wife preparing for that day, the day she would become his wife.  And I remember being the same way almost 7 years ago when I married my husband.  I tried on dress after dress looking for the 'perfect one.'  I wanted the shoes that looked just right even if my dress was so long no one would ever see them.  I wanted my hair just right, no fly aways for that day.  I wanted to know that everything was just right and when my husband saw me standing at the back door of the church, I wanted him to be proud.  I didn't want him to have to say it, I wanted to see it radiate from his face.

Could you imagine being at a wedding and the bride coming down the isle and stopping every so often on the way down the isle to make plans with someone else or not being able to wait until the wedding is over so she can go hang out with the girls or go shopping.  If that husband had any sense at all he would run fast in the opposite direction.  When we truly fall in love, that person has our full focus and our heart.  We do whatever we can to make sure they are happy and we want to make sure we keep ourselves in line because even the thought of ever hurting them breaks our own heart.  And when we are walking down that isle our groom is the only one we see.

If you are following Jesus you are part of his bride.  We are preparing ourselves for his return.  Jesus is coming back and I don't know about you, but I want everything to be just right.  I want my heart to be pure.  I want my thoughts to be his thoughts.  I want to be following his footsteps and I want my hands to be doing his work.  I want my eyes and my focus to be on Jesus.  He has to be my number one focus and if he is, everything else will fall into place.  When my Savior looks at me, I have to know that he is proud of me. 

Jesus is coming back for a bride who has made herself ready!

Matthew 25:1-13

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.