March 30, 2015

The concept for today's prayer is not original with me, but I can't remember or find the source... So, shameless plagiarism here. Also, I want to join the 'hardest prayers of a mother' from the blog site: 

http://wearethatfamily.com/2015/03/the-hard-prayers-of-a-mother/

Lord Jesus, it's Holy Week.

And we realize how un-holy our lives are.

Help us to take up our cross

and follow You on the road to Golgotha--

the place of the skull

the place of death

where selves die

As we realize how pathetically weak we are

we see how amazingly strong You are.

Lord Jesus,

I, my people, our troops, our country,

we have ran away from You--

"My feet were nailed for you"

Our hands--we've used them in sin

we've hurt people in our anger

we've chosen not to help

"My hands were pierced for you"

We've turned our back on You

we've chosen our own rules

we've chosen to believe our own lies to avoid bowing to You

"My back was whipped to stripes for you"

Lord, we can hardly stay focused for more than 5 minutes on You

our minds wander 

chasing after the winds of our hearts

"My head bore a crown of thorns for you"

The bottom line is we don't love You enough Lord

our hearts are far away

we try to protect them in comfort

"My heart was pierced for you"

Thank You Jesus 

Thank You

Thank You for loving us so much

Help us to bear our crosses

to love You enough to sacrifice

to value You more than anything

even if it hurts

Lord break our wills, 

break our hearts

break our pride and self-sufficiency

whatever it takes to make us see

for You are worth everything--

We pray this for ourselves

for our husbands

with some fear, we pray this for our children

You've given us the strongest military in the world

but don't let us lose our soul

do what You must to bring our soldiers to You

For those that are broken, we pray You will heal them

May they find true rest and comfort in You

not drugs, or meds, or alcohol, or relationships or adrenaline or or or

In this Holy Week, may our chaplains and chapels and our Christian soldiers be joyous guiding lights.

Out of a deeper understanding of Your sacrifice, grow our love for You.

Lead on Lord--through the PCSs, the illnesses, the child raising, the career choices, the daily choices of how to live these lives You have given us--and to live them abundantly!

Amen!

March 23, 2015

1. ’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just to take Him at His Word;
   Just to rest upon His promise,
   And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
   • Refrain:
     Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
     How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
     Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
     Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
2. 
   

Yes! and Yes, Lord Jesus!

We get so lost in our own little swirl, we forget to remember all You have already done:

Thank You! for lives saved from bondage to sin.

for deployments that ended with happy reunions

for giving us our best friends as husbands

for men of courage and valor leading onward

for houses sold

for financial crises averted

for healing from illnesses

for spring! coming year after year

for forgiveness and healing in relationships

for friends and sisters in Christ

for children growing and conquering one challenge after another

for career advancements

for triumphs as we use our talents for You

for songs of praise rising from Your chapels

for verses of comfort coming from Your love letters

and on and on....Lord Jesus we thank You!

1. Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
2. Just to trust His cleansing blood;
3. And in simple faith to plunge me
4. ’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
5. Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just from sin and self to cease;
   Just from Jesus simply taking
   Life and rest, and joy and peace.

And endless thanks for saving us from sin. When we've made messes bigger than we can clean up--You are there.

Thank You for saving us from always having to worry about our selves.

You've said in our weakness, You would be strong.

We are too weak to fight the battle against temptation; Thank You for Your strength.

We are too weak to love our kids enough to sacrifice for them. Make us strong.

We are too weak to give up our 'rights' in dealing with our husbands. Make us strong.

We are too weak to find time to help others. Make us strong, Lord Jesus.

We are too weak to face the giants on the path You have called us to take. Make us strong.

And we pray for true strength for our military, Lord. When our soldiers need to show self-restraint in theater--Lord be with them.

When they need courage to face another night

When they have to be broken enough to humble themselves before You

When they feel so lost in their personal lives

When they have to carry their families, and their country

Lord be with them. Thank You for loving them. Thank You for forgiving them. Thank You for understanding them.

And Lord, please, help them fight against the suicide epidemic. May they find You in the dark.

1. I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
   Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
   And I know that Thou art with me,
   Wilt be with me to the end.
2. Lord many of our brothers and sisters are facing the end, in this world. They are hated and being annihilated because of Your name. Which You also promised us would happen. We know You will make it all right in the end. But we do pray for them now. We ask You for help in this spiritual battle, for the glory of Your name. And as questions are raised about what it really means to be a Christian, may all of us be ready to wield Your Sword.

1. • Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
     How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
     Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
     Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Yes, for grace to trust You more!

March 16, 2015

"Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God from the angel's hand." --Revelations 8:3-4

Oh, Sisters! Can you imagine? A vessel holding the prayers of the people, the essence of them rising to the Lord God.
And we have added our drop in the bucket...While the Lord knows the number of our prayers, thanks to a page-view count, we can see that we have gathered here and lifted over a thousand prayers. He hears every one, and each one 'avails much.'
Let's be encouraged to press on!

Ah Lord God!
Do you smile when we dance? Or laugh to see us flying on a sled behind a dog team? Do you nod in approval when we run our fastest? Do you guide our hands when we paint? Do you love to see our joy when riding a galloping horse? Does your heart swell when we are kind to the least of these? Do you say 'yes, yes' when we work out a math problem?

We know you sing over us--sing with us. We know you kiss us with the peace of sleep. We know you enjoy just sitting and talking with us.

Thank You for loving us Lord! You have made us a little lower than the angels, and given us this incredible world as our garden to maintain. Thank You for animals to train. Mountains to climb. Scientific mysteries to work out. Art to create.

But Lord, we often lose our way. We lose sight of what our mission is. You seem hidden. Speak to us Lord. Restore the joy of our salvation. Renew our sense of purpose and send us out. Don't let us discount our ministry in the face of the talents of others. Don't let us ignore the important because of the busy.

Help us to be the wives, the mothers, the friends You would have us be. Give us the courage to pursue the gifts You have given us--as teachers, encouragers, prayers, artists, servants.

We pray this for our husbands...

We pray this for our children...

We pray this for our soldiers. Lord protect them. Make them skilled in their work. Help them to navigate the difficult emotional worlds they need to handle. As only You can do, turn their deepest hurt into their greatest turning point.

Lord please protect the soldier's wounded heart. Please turn the tide of veterans' suicides.

Lord we pray for the families of the fallen, especially those who died in the helicopter crash this week.  Hold them close to You Lord.

Lord use us! We desperately need to know that we have a purpose. You created us that way, and You only can fill that need. Use us to change Your world--starting today, starting right here.

Amen, Lord; Amen.

Eagle's Wings

March 9, 2015

I didn't get it done! Sisters, please help me in my failure. Add in prayers in the comments if you can today--

As the earth gathers itself, waiting to burst forth into spring--

So it is busting at the seams, waiting to praise You.

But You gave us the voice.

Help us to gush out with our story

of all the wonderful things You have done.

This is my story this is my song

 praising my Savior all the day long

We want to share our story. We want others to see how You change lives.

And now for others, Lord hear our prayers: