It was double meaning as in, "matters of prayer" but also the obvious "Prayer does matter" and sometimes I need reminding of that.
For my birthday Brett got me a really awesome "journaling bible" which basically means really wide margins that are lined so you can write next to verses that stick out to you. I'm guessing it was meant for bible study in the more academic sense, but for me it has revitalized my prayer life. Sometime that has faulted a lot in the last year. Make that two. Basically ever since Ransom could pick up a pencil and scribble in my prayer journal. I'm not blaming anyone but me, but let's just say...its hard to put a prayer together, much less a basic full sentence without interruption with babies and toddlers sucking your life force (oops that was a bit dramatic)! But now that I've got a place to write again, and as my bible reading guides my prayers, I write them down ( usually just a few sentences) that way when I'm interrupted I know exactly where I was...it's written right in front of me!
But then another Mommy Brain area needed addressing. I've got tons of things that I'm praying for at any given time, but my Mommy Brain has assured me that I can't keep them all straight.
So entered the prayer card. It's a list of the Big Prayers. For me that means I don't put "hope I can make it to and from the grocery store in one piece today!" on the prayer list. No, that prayer is just going to happen...but we're talking praying for the Mom of a friend who passed away this year, or the friend who's marriage is rocky with a chance of avalanche. We're talking prayers like "10 people from our neighborhood find Jesus this year." or "That Ransom finds a good friend his own age." "That our friend will be healed of his life threatening illness"
The prayers that may take a while, the ones that I need to return to day after day.
Basically it's like a Prayer version of New Years Resolutions except that I know I can't do the things on my list! In fact, the fact that I can't do them makes them all the cooler. Because I know that Jesus can.
One of the cool editions to the prayer list this year is that right at the top I always put Brett, Ransom and Tabitha's name..not that I'll ever forget to pray for them...but this year I flipped the card over and wrote something new:
This year I got the idea from a friend to pray through the Fruits of the Spirit for my husband and children. And not just "May they have love, amen" but basically anything and everything I can think of in regards to each word.
For instance joy: May ____ have joy even when times are rough. May ____ be joyful in the middle of the night when ___ has a nightmare. May _____ find Joy in giving to others. etc etc.
Hopefully it'll give me a lot of new "material" in praying for them! Especially for my children. I feel like I spend so much time praying for our present season that I forget or loose sight of praying for big things. Salvation, schooling, friends, spouses there are allllll sorts of things I want to be praying for on a regular basis.
Right underneath my families names are the names of seven people who I've got BIG THINGS to pray for them about. These are the lost, the downtrodden, the sick, the broken hearted in my life. I love them and it just so happens that when I asked God who to put on my list he gave me 7 names!! COOL! Because now I get to pray for one of them every day of the week!!
There are of course other things on my card too. The dreams, the worries, the goals. And I also made room for some blank space for the BIG prayers that I know will cross our path in 2014. Because that's what life is.....it is stock full of things that we can decidedly not handle alone. They too will be going on the Prayer Matters Card.
May we all go into 2014 with our eyes upon Jesus the Author and Perfecter. He is Worthy and I wish each of us a growing relationship with Him this year!
2 comments:
Very nice idea and perfect to keep busy mom's on track. Thanks for sharing!
Perfect...One of my 2 commitments for the year...more committed meaningful prayer life. Teaching this morning from John 16, and the first 15 chapters before that, I was challenged and I challenged my ladies to remember that Jesus first of all, commanded his disciples to ask, assumed they would ask...always ask for and in a way that seeks God's glory, in Jesus name.
He will answer because he hears and loves us. Jn 17:26,27. Purpose- that your joy may be full.
Already excited about prayer for the new year. Your post was an encouragement for me and my commitment.
A lady shared in class how she chose one category a day to pray about...children, family. Friends. Missions. Church. Etc...for each day of the week. I think I like that. Will keep me focused and not scattered in my thoughts while praying. Going to get out my Daylight devotional and try to pray the Word more often as well.
I'll be remembering you this year in our journey.
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