Casting Off Prayers

"casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
1 Peter 5:7

Are you heavy laden and burdened by the cares of this world?

Are you concerned about...

• your marriage
• finances
• children
• elections
• the evil that seems to be increasing
• projects
• school
• ministry
• work
• health
• relationships
• (fill in the blank)

We've had some overwhelming circumstances around here as of late and I'm doing a lot of casting off prayers.  I always have a knitted dishcloth in progress so I'll often sit for a bit and have a quiet time of prayer, knitting 4 rows of the dishcloth while casting my cares off the Lord. The rhythmic click, click, clicking of my needles and time of prayer bring a feeling of calm to my anxious heart, knowing He cares, sees and is working even if I'm not yet seeing change.  

Try it... cast your cares.  Let go and trust.

Making Your Home a Haven, Week 2 - Music

 

It's week two of the Making Your Home a Haven challenge.  Hosted by Courtney at Women Living Well. 

 

Have you been lighting your candle?  We have - the boys are taking turns each morning lighting the candle and praying for peace in our home before we begin family worship time.  We've read Romans 12:9-21 a few times over the last week. 

 

My Holiday Spice Yankee Candle is just about  burned through and before weeks end I'll need to get another.  ☺  I'm not sure if I'll get the same scent or look for a new one. 

 

 

Over the last few months I've purchased a few new cd's and I've been playing those throughout the day.  In years past (and still) I've enjoyed listening to George Winston but I recently found Paul Cardall and downloaded a selection of his music as well as some Fernado Ortega from Amazon and onto my cloud storage.  I can play it through an app from either my computer or my iPhone which is nice because because its mobile and I can listen to it whenever and wherever I want.  :)

 

 I also have two cd's that I purchased from the Revive Our Hearts ministry with Nancy Leigh DeMoss that I love!  The first is a cd collection of Hymns.  The cd title is Be Still.  The second is Hidden in My Heart:  A Lullaby Journey Through Scripture.   Don't let the lullaby part fool you.  These are beautiful Scriptural truths set to music that are soothing to any age.

 

This summer I watched a talk by Michelle Duggar.  She opened by having everyone sing (a capella) a beautiful hymn titled A Christian Hymn.  I am not sure where this hymn originated but over the summer I've taken it as my own and have sung it to the Lord and a prayer for my family and home.

 

 

A Christian Home

(sung to Be Still My Soul)

 

O give us homes built firm upon the Savior,

Where Christ is head and counselour and guide;

Where every child is taught His love and favor

And give his heart to Christ, the crucified:

How sweet to know that , tho' his footsteps waver,

His faithful Lord is walking by his side!

 

O give us homes with godly fathers, mothers,

Who always place their home and trust in Him;

Whose tender patience turmoil never bothers,

Whose calm and courage trouble cannot dim;

A home where each finds joy in serving others,

And love still shines tho' days be dark and grim.

 

O give us homes where Christ is Lord and Master,

The Bible read, the precious hymns still sung;

Where prayer comes first in peace or in disaster,

And praise is natural speech to every tongue;

Where mountains move before a faith that's vaster,

And Christ sufficient is for old and young.

 

O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever!

We trust to Thee their problems, toil and care;

Their bonds of love no enemy can sever

If Thou art always Lord and Master there:

Be Thou the center of our least endeavor

Be Thou our guest, our hearts and homes to share.

 

 

Isn't it lovely?!  May God bless you this week as you work towards building a haven for your family.

 

Making Your Home a Haven - Week 1 was the #1 read post at the So Much at Home Link up!  How fun and welcome to all the new readers who came through the link-up.  I hope you'll stop by again, leave a comment so I can return the visit.  Please click below to visit and read the posts submitted to this week's link-up. 

  

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Marriage Monday, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Coffee and Conversation, So Much at Home, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Hearts for Home Thursdays, Growing in Grace Link-up,  Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Simple Meals Friday, Making Your Home a Haven,  Thank you to each of the lovely ladies listed above for hosting.

 

Learning to S.O.A.P.

 

 

There are so many different ways to study Scripture.  This summer, I went through the book of 1 John.  I studied out one verse each day (in context) and then looked up key words in my Greek/Hebrew Study Bible.  I also read through any Scripture references and did the same with those verses that captured my attention.  It was slow and very deliberate.  I enjoyed this method of study very much and felt the Holy Spirit revealed many truths to me through the extensive study of one book over many months.

Currently I am reading through the Bible 1 chapter a day and following a study method known as S.O.A.P.  I first heard about this method of study years ago through the ministry of Good Morning Girls, but am unsure of where it originated. 

The S.O.A.P study method is a very solid method of Scripture study because you are studying in context.  I also love how it gives structure in its approach which makes it an ideal method for those that are new to Bible study or need a little more direction.

SOAPing takes me between 15-45 minutes each morning.  I begin with prayer, asking the Lord to bless my time in His word and for the Holy Spirit to bring understanding and reveal truth to me as I read.  I then read through the chapter and S.O.A.P the verse or verses that really stood out to me.

So what exactly is the S.O.A.P method? 

The S.O.A.P method focuses on 4 different key areas each day. 

S – Scripture – Read through your chosen selection or chapter of Scripture. In your notebook, hand write the part of the scripture that has captured your attention or that the Holy Spirit spoke to you.  Some days this is just a verse, on others it might be a longer passage.

O – Observation – Carefully and deliberately examine the verse or verses you wrote down. Ask yourself some of the following questions.  Who is speaking?  What was said?  Are there others there?  How did they react?  Where is this taking place?  What kind of details are mentioned as to location, time, etc.?  What is happening?  Is there a command or promise?  To whom is the command or promise given?  Really take your time here and study to learn everything you can about the selected passage.

Some days I have more time available and I’m able to look up commentary on the verses.  This is especially helpful if I’m having trouble understanding something in the passage.  Sometimes there are cultural aspects that I am unfamiliar with and reading through commentaries, while not necessary, can help to bring further clarification. I use a Bible study software called PC BibleSoft but you can find study helps and resources online at places like Bible Gateway (com) or Bible Study Tools (.com) Bible Study Tools has Matthew Henry’scommentary and others free to use.  I also like to use the 1828 Webster dictionary online.

A – Application –  Here is where our study gets personal.  How does this passage personally apply to my life?  Has the Holy Spirit revealed truths within the passage that I need to give attention to?  Are there attitudes or actions I need to respond to through repentance and obedience in light of what I’ve read? Are there relationship conflicts that I need to resolve or give to the Lord, people I need to forgive, truths I need to meditate on and receive?  Write it all down and then…

P – Prayer –  Commit all you’ve learned today to the Lord in prayer.  Ask the Holy Spirit to seal the truths of the passage to your heart and for the strength to move forward in trust and obedience where He has asked.

 

What a blessing that in America we can study the Scriptures so freely and have so many resources available to aid us in our study.  I hope this post will be a practical help to you if you are wanting to read and study the Scriptures but are unsure of where or how to start.  If you have any questions feel free to ask below in the comment section.  :)

Making Your Home a Haven - Week 1

 

Each Autumn I've followed along with the Making Your Home a Haven challenge at Women Living Well.  Courtney gives some practical ways in which we can help make our homes a haven for our loved ones.

 

Here is the challenge for week 1

 

 "Go buy an extra large candle and light a candle everyday in your home. I will be starting mine in the morning but you can start yours at dinner time or whenever is convenient for you.  I will be placing mine in the kitchen – the main hub of my home.  Each time the glimmer of the candle catches your eye, say a prayer for peace and patience within your home."

 One of the things I especially love about this challenge is lighting our candle each morning. Although we don't do it everyday, we've continued with this practice all throughout the year.    Our candle is pictured above and is part of the centerpiece on our living room coffee table.  Our living room is open to our school room and the kids spend quite a bit of time here reading and working on school. 

 

One morning this week as we were preparing to have family worship time, the Holy Spirit spoke to me.  I was to have the boys each take turns lighting the candle and then praying for peace in our home rather than my doing it.  I think it has made a huge impact on them as they are realizing that we are each responsible to do our part.

 

Here is a picture of my youngest praying this morning after he lit our candle.

 

 

 

I shared this quote earlier in the week in my Daybook post but I'll share it here again because it fits so beautifully. 

 

 

So how do we go about creating a foretaste of heaven in our homes.  First through prayer - pray daily for your marriage - the earthly visible example of Christ and the church.  This relationship is the most important one you will have aside from your personal relationship with Christ.  Next pray for your relationship with each of your children.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you find creative ways to love on and encourage them.  Pray for the relationships of your children one with the other.  If you are noticing conflicts or issues, make them a matter of prayer. 

 

Living peaceably with others begins in our homes, amongst our families. 

 

Romans 12:9-21 (KJV)

 

"Let love be without dissimulation.  Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality.  Bless them which persecute you:  bless, and curse not.  Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.  Be of the same mind one toward another.  Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate.  Be not wise in your own conceits.  Recompense to no man evil for evil.  Provide things honest in the sight of all men.  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:  for it is written, Vengenance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in doing so thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

 

I'd love to hear from you in the comments... how do you work to create your home a haven?

 

 

 

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Marriage Monday, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Coffee and Conversation, So Much at Home, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Hearts for Home Thursdays, Growing in Grace Thursdays,  Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Simple Meals Friday, Making Your Home a Haven,  Thank you to each of the lovely ladies listed above for hosting..

 

Prayer for the New Year

 

La Belle Fille

 

O LORD,

 

Length of days does not profit me except the days are passed in thy presence, in thy service, to thy glory.

 

Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour, that I may not be one moment apart from thee, but may rely on thy Spirit to supply every thought, speak in every word, direct every step, prosper every work, build up every mote of faith, and give me a desire to show forth thy praise, testify thy love, advance thy kingdom.

 

I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year, with thee O Father, as my harbour, thee, O Son at my helm, thee O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.

 

Guide me to heaven with my loins girt, my lamp burning, my ear open to thy calls, my heart full of love, my soul free.

 

Give me thy grace to sanctify me, thy comforts to cheer, thy wisdom to teach, thy right hand to guide, thy counsel to instruct, thy law to judge, thy presence to stabilize.

 

May thy fear be my awe, thy triumphs my joy.

Morning Dedication

ALMIGHTY GOD,

As I cross the threshold of this day, I commit myself, soul, body, affairs, friends, to thy care; watch over, keep, guide, direct, sanctify, bless me.
 

Incline my heart to thy ways; mould me wholly into the image of Jesus, as a potter forms clay;  may my lips be a well-tuned harp to sound thy praise;  let those around see me living by thy Spirit, trampling the world underfoot, unconfirmed to lying vanities, transformed by a renewed mind, clad in the entire armour of God, shining as a never-dimmed light, showing holiness in all my doings.

Let no evil this day soil my thoughts, words, hands.   May I travel miry paths with a life pure from spot or stain.  In needful transactions let my affection be in heaven, and my love soar upwards in flames of fire,  My gaze fixed on unseen things, my eyes open to the emptiness, fragility, mckery of earth and its vanities.

May I view all things in the mirror of eternity, waiting for the coming of my Lord, listening for the last trumpet call, hastening unto the new heaven and earth.

Order this day all my communications according to thy wisdom, and to the gain of mutual good.

Forbid that I should not be profited or made profitable.  May I speak each word as if my last, and walk each step as my final one.  If my life should end today, let this be my best day.

 

From The Valley of Vision; A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

Praying for our husbands - His words

Words

The Bible says that that life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). The Bible has a lot to say on words and so it is an area that we should pay special attention to.  Pray today that your husband would speak God honoring, life giving words that would build up and encourage those around him, both at home and on the job.  

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.” –Matthew 15:18

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearer.” –Ephesians 4:29

“But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” –Matthew 12:36

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Colossians 4:6

There really are so many more verses that speak to us about our words, the tongue and what proceeds out of our mouth.  If you have the time, do a word study and look up all the verses.  It might be a good thing to do as a family too.  There was a time in my life when I really struggled with my words and I began a notebook, or what I call a Victory Journal.  I actually have two of them, one on words and the other on healing. When I come across a verse that speaks to one of these areas I write them in my journals along with any notes I might want to add.  This is a great tool to help you in gaining victory over an area in your life.

Father, today I lift up ______________ and his speech.  I pray Lord that you would reveal to him any specifics in regards to his speech that need to be lined up with your word.  I pray Lord that ______________ would have a right and ready word for all that he comes in contact with and that his words would give life and hope to those who hear them.  Impress upon ______________ that he will give account for every idle word and what might be casually seen by others as insignificant are really a weighty matter that requires our diligence and carefulness.  Give ______________ this diligence to speak life giving truth and blessing and not death and cursing.   Most of all Lord, I pray that ______________ would use his mouth to speak your truth to others, that he would sing the Your praises  and give testimony of your goodness in his life that it might be a witness to those he encounters and that every would bring glory to your name.  Amen. 

30 Days of Prayer for our Husbands ~ Day 3

Fatherhood

Pray today that your husband would be a good father.  Parenting is tough and although we moms spend the greater percentage of time with our children throughout the day our husbands have an accountability before the Lord as to how they have taught and trained their children.  Praying for our husbands will help to support them as they make decisions, set biblical standards and lead our families.  Pray that your husband would love each one of his children unconditionally, pray for his time with each of children individually.  If there is an area of struggle between father and one of the children, cover the relationship in prayer.

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”  -Ephesians 6:4

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” –Proverbs 22:6

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” –Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Father this morning I pray that _____________________ would be a good father.  I pray against any distractions that might draw his attention away from his spending time in the word and in prayer and in spending time with his children.  I pray Lord that you would bless and multiply the time that __________________ has with each one of his children both together and individually.  I pray Lord that he would know the state of each childs spiritual walk and that he would be able to speak encouragement and truth to them in each situation.  Give __________________ godly wisdom and discernment to know if there is something “not right” and to deal with it swiftly.  Give ________________ compassion and understanding and turn the heart of _____________ to his children and the hearts of our children to their father.  In Jesus name, Amen.

30 Days of Prayer for Our Husbands, Day 2

Day 2

Balance… it is something that I, as a wife, homeschooling mom and keeper at home strive to have in my life but not something I often thought about in my husband’s life.  However, it is especially important for us to be praying for our husbands in this area.

God has created and placed the desire in our husbands to be providers and leaders.  This is a good thing!  But the enemy will look for ways to bring about imbalance in this area, thus taking the husband and father out of the home, whether physically, spiritually, emotionally and relationally.  The world’s way is imbalanced, making either work or play, idols in one’s life.  Pray today that your husband will have a healthy balance between work and play and that he will have wisdom to set boundaries and priorities in all areas of his life.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Matthew 6:33
“Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.  For riches are not forever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?”  Proverbs 27:23-24

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”  Exodus 20:3

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Luke 12:34

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”  Romans 12:2

Father God, I lift up ______________ to you today and I pray that you would give wisdom to ____________, helping him to set biblical priorities in his life.  I pray Lord against any strongholds and schemes of this world, which would try to sway _____________ heart from You and his family and that he would be quick to discern any unhealthy associations with work and play.   I pray Lord that ______________ would have a heart that seeks after You above everything else and that he would not be conformed to the what the world says and how the world lives but rather would be bold in his convictions, living out his faith sincerely before You and man.

30 Days of Prayer for our Husbands ~ Day 1

Day 1

Daily our husbands are called upon to make many decisions in their lives.  Whether in their jobs, in/for their families, in regards to finances and the future they need our prayers for godly wisdom, discretion and understanding.

Pray today for your husband to have wisdom from the Lord as he makes these decisions.  Let your husband know that you are praying for him and supporting him as he leads your family.  It will be an encouragement to him to know that you trust him and are praying for him.

There are many verses that speak to the importance of wisdom and understanding.  Here are just a few from the book of Proverbs that you can use in praying for your husband

“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:”  Proverbs 1:5

“Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:”  Proverbs 2:11

  “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.”  Proverbs 3:13

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption." 1 Corinthians 1:30

Father, I thank you that you have been made wisdom unto Scott and that he is a wise and understanding man that will hear and increase his learning.  Thank you Lord that discretion shall preserve him and your understanding shall keep him on the right path as he makes decisions for his life, our family and his job.  Father I pray that you would bless Scott today as he goes about his day, I pray that he would always look to you and your Word first for counsel about any decisions that he needs to make and that you would show him great and mighty things.  Thank you, Father for the gift of the Holy Spirit who is Scott's comforter and counselor in all things, leading and guiding him into all Truth.

Everyday Prayer

In April our church held a women's event where we were treated to a wonderful morning of testimony and practicality of prayer by a godly Titus 2 woman.  She shared a resource, a prayer binder, that she uses as a tool to organize her prayer time.  It was such an encouraging morning to hear her share how she uses this binder and what a testimony to God's graciousness and goodness as she looks back over the years of answered prayer in that binder!! 

After the sharing time, supplies were provided for each of us to begin working on assembling our own prayer binders and I have been using mine almost daily since then. 

In the front of the binder, to the left I have a list of Scriptures that was given to us that pertain to prayer and on the right I have about 6 or 7 different hymns printed off that I am memorizing.  I usually begin my prayer time by singing two hymns and then follow that with a time of quiet reflection where I ask God to reveal anything in my life that I need to repent of.

 

My binder has 7 sections that are separated by tabbed dividers and labeled as follows:

Everyday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Thankfulness

Under the Everyday section I daily pray for my husband, children and other requests such as a friend who is battling cancer, some youth I know who are on a missions trip, friends who are praying for God's direction in their life, those looking for jobs etc. 

My husband and each of my children have a page in this section where I can write down specific areas of prayer for them but I also use a 30 day resource when praying for my husband (more on that later).  The rest of the requests are written on one page and I just pray down the page.

On Mondays I pray for the requests of those in our church who have asked for prayer.  I also pray for expecting and new moms on this day and for the many orphaned children who are waiting for families to adopt them.  We are especially praying for one little girl who captured our heart.

On Tuesdays I pray for our friends the Rolfzens who are missionaries in Peru.  I also pray for the missionaries and ministries that our church supports.

On Wednesdays I pray for those who are in authority over us in our nation, state and region.  I also pray for the peace of Israel and any other world current events.  I will admit that this day is the hardest for me.

On Thursdays I pray for our extended families.  I have a page for my parents and for Scotts parents and then a page for each of our siblings and their families.  As requests are made known I write them on their page.  First and foremost is for our families salvation but then for example, I was praying for my mom in her decision to cut back on her hours for work so that she could be home more.  She was unsure how her boss would respond.  My neice was dealing with some unexplained tummy troubles that they couldn't find a cause for and so I wrote this request down on my brothers family page.

Friday is kind of a miscellaneous day, for shorter requests or requests that don't fit under other categories.  I use Fridays to also pray for online friends such as my Good Morning Girls group. 

The last section is my Thankful section where each day I write down at least 1 thing that I am thankful for.  It might be an answer to prayer, the wonder and excitement of Andrew finding caterpillars, a loving look from my husband or a surprise call from a friend.  It is a place to cultivate a heart that is thankful for the many gifts and blessings the Lord gives.

The prayer binder has really been a wonderful tool to give direction to my prayer time, especially for my husband and I thought I would share with all of you my 30 days of prayer for my husband.  It probably isn't anything new and I'm sure if you searched you could find similar resources on other blogs or from other ministries but I wanted to share here in my little space.  :)

So, in the month of June and into July I plan to share the different areas of prayer that I cover for my husband along with some Scripture referrences for these areas and a short prayer.  I wont be able to post everyday but the posts will be labled under day 1, day 2 etc. so that you will be able to find them easily and at the end of the 30 days I will post a link to a pdf for you to download them if you'd like. 

If you have any question about the prayer binder, ask away.  I had plenty of them for our lovely Titus 2 woman that day and in the days to follow. 

This post is linked at Women Living Well, Raising Homemakers, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home