bumping up my prayer life

prayer is very important to me. i admit i've been in a slump lately though. i lose my concentration & focus. i don't pray from the heart, i've been praying from my head. (yes, i believe a christian's "heart" is in their mind, but i haven't been using my "mind"/"heart", i've just been using my skull!!)

yesterday at work, after my brother had his heart attack, i asked one of the guys who's a christian to pray for my brother & his family. we often share prayer requests back & forth. it's so good to work with a "brother" in Christ! he said, "let's pray right now!" he prayed a beautiful prayer, honest & kind, not all "churchy wordy" etc. i prayed silently while he was praying, "God, i want that back. i want to pray like i used to, from my heart." last night at church/prayer meeting, i was able to pray for the 1st time in weeks. it felt good!! and God revealed a few other things to me during the evening's bible study time. OH GOD!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

this was on renee swopes blog the other day. i don't have a name to put with this right now, but i'm gonna pray it. (goin' out on a limb??!!) and i'm going to pray it for suzanne's future husband. i pray for him now, but this is a really good "focus" prayer. and i'm gonna pray this for my son......i so want him to be a Godly man.....and i'm gonna pray this for suzanne, that she'll continue to be a Godly woman. but i'm also gonna pray this for ME. because if I'M not doing all these things, how can i expect them from others?? and i'm gonna journal my prayers again. i used to do this & it really helps keep my concentration & focus.

what's neat is there are 7 "parts" - to focus on 1 each day of the week & look up the Bible verses - & find other appropriate verses! i'm excited!!!

Praying for My Husband from Head to Toe
Free Download Printable from Renee Swope
www.ReneeSwope.com

Head
Father, I ask that You would continually renew my husband’s mind, resulting in a transformed life. Help him bring every thought to Christ and make it obedient to You. Give him a greater understanding of Your Word. Help him to think on things that are pure and right and worthy of praise.” (Psalm 119:15, Rom 12:2, 2 Cor.10:5)

Eyes
Lord, keep open my husband’s eyes to spiritual truths that You have for him. Help him to see things as You see them. Please guard his eyes from things that make his heart wander away from you and me. (Psalm 119:18, Psalm 119:37)

Ears
Father, help my husband to hear Your voice clearly. Give him wisdom to recognize your voice with certainty. Protect him from listening to those who aren’t seeking or walking with You. Guard him from negativity of what others say, and help him discern between good and evil. Thank you for giving him the ability to determine what is of You and what is not. (Is 30:21, 1 Kings 3:9, 1 John 4:1)

Mouth
Jesus, help my husband to speak the truth in love. Your desire is for him to be quick to listen and slow to speak – so I pray that you would make that his desire too. Give him courage to lovingly confront when necessary. Let the words he speaks be Yours, not his own. Help him speak words that bring grace and truth to the hearers. Thank you that You want to help him grow in his ability and desire to communicate with you and others. (Psalm 19:14, 119:13, 41:3; Eph 4:15, 4:29; James 1:19)

Heart
Lord, instill in my husband’s heart a desire to seek passionately after You. Teach him to guard his heart with diligence and wisdom. Help him deal with anything in his heart that is not pleasing to You or that separates him from You. Create in him a pure heart, O Lord. Thank you that You are enabling him to lead our family with integrity and honor. (Psalm 78:72, 119:10-11; Prov 4:23; 1 Thes 3:13)

Hands
Lord, I pray everything my husband does would be done with his whole heart, serving You rather than man. Seeking to please You alone. I pray You will increase his skills and his abilities so that he might bring honor and glory to you – and feel like a good provider for our family. Thank You for blessing everything he puts his hands to. (Psalm 24:3-4, Col 3:23)

Feet
Jesus, I pray my husband would love Your Words and walk in Your ways. Help him walk in a manner that is worthy of You, bearing fruit in every good work. I pray You’d show him how to creatively share your truth with our kids as he does life with them each day. Father, when he walks through the valley of the shadow of doubt and difficulties, I pray he would fear no evil because He knows that you are with him. Thank you for loving and leading Him. (Deut 6:7, 8:6, Col 1:10, Psalm 23:4