Monday, October 31, 2011

31 Ways to Pray for Your Children

This list of 31 Ways to Pray was done by Bob Hostetler.  I first received it as a prayer card at my church quite a few years ago.  I will be a workshop speaker at the upcoming PWOC Asia Regional Conference and will be handing this prayer card out to those in my class.

1 Salvation "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory"
(Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10).

2 Growth in Grace "I pray that they may 'grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ'"
(2 Peter 3:18).

3 Love "Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to 'live a life of love,' through the Spirit who dwells in them"
(Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22).

4 Honesty and Integrity " May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection"
(Psalm 25:21, NLT).

5 Self-Control " Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be 'alert and self-controlled' in all they do"
(1 Thessalonians 5:6)

6 A Love for God's Word " May my children grow to find your Word 'more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb'"
(Psalm 19:10).

7 Justice " God, help my children to love justice as you do and to 'act justly' in all they do"
(Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8).

8 Mercy " May my children always 'be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful'"
(Luke 6:36).

9 Respect (for self, others, authority) " Father, grant that my children may 'show proper respect to everyone,' as your Word commands"
(1 Peter 2:17a).

10 Strong, Biblical Self-Esteem " Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are 'God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus'"
(Ephesians 2:10).

11 Faithfulness "' Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],' but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts"
(Proverbs 3:3).

12 Courage "May my children always 'Be strong and courageous' in their character and in their actions"
(Deuteronomy 31:6).

13 Purity "'Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,' and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions"
(Psalm 51:10).

14 Kindness "Lord, may my children 'always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else'"
(1 Thessalonians 5:15).

15 Generosity "Grant that my children may 'be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age'"
(1 Timothy 6:18-19).

16 Peace, Peaceability "Father, let my children 'make every effort to do what leads to peace'"
(Romans 14:19).

17 Joy " May my children be filled 'with the joy given by the Holy Spirit'"
(1 Thessalonians 1:6).

18 Perseverance " Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to 'run with perseverance the race marked out for [them]'"
(Hebrews 12:1).

19 Humility " God, please cultivate in my children the ability to 'show true humility toward all'"
(Titus 3:2).

20 Compassion " Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion"
(Colossians 3:12).

21 Responsibility " Grant that my children may learn responsibility, 'for each one should carry his own load'"
(Galatians 6:5).

22 Contentment " Father, teach my children 'the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . . through him who gives [them] strength'"
(Philippians 4:12-13).

23 Faith " I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them"
(Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40).

24 A Servant Heart " God, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, 'as to the Lord, and not to men'"
(Ephesians 6:7, KJV).

25 Hope " May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit"
(Romans 15:13).

26 The Willingness and Ability to Work Hard " Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, 'as working for the Lord, not for men'"
(Colossians 3:23).

27 A Passion for God " Lord, please instill in my children a soul that "followeth hard after thee," a heart that clings passionately to you
(Psalm 63:8, KJV).

28 Self-Discipline " Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire 'a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair'"
(Proverbs 1:3).

29 Prayerfulness " Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to 'pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests"
(Ephesians 6:18).

30 Gratitude " Help my children to live lives that are always 'overflowing with thankfulness,' 'always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'"
(Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 5:20).

31 A Heart for Missions " Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples"
(Psalm 96:3).

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Happy Fall!!

I am so excited that fall is here!  This is one of my favorite seasons.  I love everything pumpkin, roasting marshmellows over a fire, cool weather that requires a cozy sweater and a good-smelling Yankee candle.  It's the time for apple picking, hayrides and corn mazes.  And jumping in the leaves on a clear, sunny day. 

While living in Korea, we still get to experience fall weather, Yankee candles and even pumpkins, which are for sale at the commissary, but I still miss the other aspects that make fall....well FALL.



Every morning I wake up, light a candle and open the window above my kitchen sink.  The cold air reminds me that fall is here.



The other day I baked pumpkin muffins and later in the week I think I'll make a pumpkin pie.  YUM!  I hope the commissary keeps the canned pumpking stocked up. 

What is your favorite season? What makes that season special to you?