Day 4 - Men in our lives - #31DaysOfPrayer

Lord I thank you for the men in my life and the men who are building Your church. I’m thankful that Your spirit lays deeply within them.

Joshua 1:9 [MSG] says “Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God your God, is with you every step you take.” I pray for the courage of rising men - that they may stand tall and proclaiming Your goodness amongst their peers, that shame and fear of not being accepted will not cloud the fact that they serve an ever loving and rewarding God. 

I pray for future leaders, that they may immerse themselves in Your word, that they may use the gift You have blessed them with wisely and listen to Your instructions for using it. May the things of the world not deter them from the leadership path You have put them on and that they may be submissive to Your every word and be the person to bring change to the people they encounter. Help them to lead with integrity and lead their lives in a way that honors You. 

Show them how to be men without demonstrating toxic masculinity, teach them how to be kind and merciful. Bless their mouths that they may speak empowering, loving, Godly words. Lead them into dark places that they may be the ones to show people Your light.

I pray for a clear way forward, that in any and every situation they face they look to the cross for guidance. May they be consumed with a passion to build Your house in a way that is pleasing to You. May You capture their hearts with visions and dreams. 

In their roles as husbands, fathers and sons may you lace their very being with the power to be patient and understanding, that they may be providers and leaders of their family unit - Lord that in the midsts of family problems and hard times he may be prayerful and lay everything at Your feet. Teach them how to honor and respect their wives, teach them how to take responsibility of their homes, and teach them how to be prayerful, loving, and honorable examples for their children.

Lord we thank you. Amen

“But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life - a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in faith. Seize the eternal life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.”

                                                  - 1 Timothy 6:11-12 [MSG]

Day 3 - The Women in our lives - #31DaysOfPrayer

God I thank you for the way the women of Your church are rising up. A thank You for the confidence You have instilled in us to take ownership of our roles and purposes in Your kingdom.

I thank you for the female leaders that have gone before us and have shown us how to be leaders and still respect and honour the men of the church.

I pray that in the times of adversity, pain, and darkness that they may gain strength in You. Father that they will have the strength to rise above the enemy. I pray that they walk with conviction as they stamp the devil out of their families, their work/school life, and their finances. Lord that they will be stomping women - victorious women, women who don’t allow the way of the world to block their blessings and miracles.

Lord I cover all of them with the power to be gentle yet assertive with what it is You have called them to do. I pray that you give them the ability to be great daughters, caring sisters, loving wives, and nurturing mothers in every season of their lives.

If they are going through a difficult season God I just thank you for them - Lord may they walk through this season with grace and with their heads lifted high. May they leave room for the season to develop their character and reaffirm Gods love and grace upon their lives

Father I just lift all the women in my life to You, Lord that Your promise may fall upon them abundantly. We thank you for their loving, nurturing and understanding ways. We’re thankful for the prayers from the women that have gone before us and pray for those to come after us.

In Your mighty name, Amen.

“Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!”

                                                - Proverbs 30:30-31 [MSG]

Day 2 - New Christians - #31DaysOfPrayer

Heavenly Father I just pray over those who have recently joined this big family of love. I pray that as they start this journey they’d lean closer and closer into you. I pray that every new scripture they read and every new godly encounter they have allows them to fall deeper in love with you.

I pray that though the beginning may seem tough and temptation is all around they are able to keep their eyes fixed on the cross Lord that they may see Your love anew. Deuteronomy 29:29 says “The secret things belong to the Lord our God…” - help them to understand that there will be many encounters and miracles that they won’t understand but that they have to trust that it’s the work of the faithful God they serve.

I profess love, blessing and breakthrough over their lives, that they may be the person to change their immediate world, that they won’t allow the darkness of their past to diminish Gods light inside of them. Luke 15:10 talks about the way the heavens celebrate when a lost soul turns to God - Father I rejoice just as the heavens rejoiced when they made that decision to follow Christ. 

May Your love be shown to them as simply as day that they may openly receive their blessings and purpose and use them to help bring Your lost children home and be a blessing to others.

Father we thank You for allowing us to have new beginnings and I pray that our journey may be used as a testimony to how faithful You are to those who profess with their words and express with their actions that You are Lord.

We thank You for giving Your son in the most beautiful exchange and for the greatest love story ever told that allows for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances.

Amen.

“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life - to God! - is vigorous and requires total attention.”
                               - Matthew 7:13-14 [MSG]

Day 1 - For the month of May - #31DaysOfPrayer

G’morning Father,

Thank you for waking us up this morning and for bringing us into the month of May. As we move deeper into the year I pray for your provision over this month, Lord that the things that in April made us worry, stress and unsettled our spirits may be of the past.

I pray that we enter this month with a renewed mind, a renewed spirit, Lord that we allow for Your goodness to penetrate our very beings. Father that we will make ourselves available to the blessings You have in store for us.

I pray that you equip us with the things we need to make this month even better than the last. I pray for wisdom and strength to over come any adversity that may find us. We thank You that Your grace is so heavily upon us and for the privilege to call You friend.

In Your mighty name, Amen.

“…God is strong, and He wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way…This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own.”
                                     - Ephesians 6:10 - 13 [MSG]

My #31DaysOfPrayer Challenge - Starting in May

During the morning session of Colour today we honoured a woman called Maggie who regularly held prayer meetings with the women of the church to pray about different things (mostly in relation to the A21 Campaign). It was so beautiful and inspiring to watch and hear about how God has moved in her life and in the things they prayed about.

It got me thinking, Bobby (Houston) talked about how what Maggie does inspires and helps to nurture a younger generation of intercessors. It was sort of a remind of how important it is to pray for others - so I’m going to do a #31DaysOfPrayer challenge mainly because it’s just something I want to do but others can join in too if they like. We all deal with things differently and constantly think about ourselves not realising a lot of the things we face our neighbour is also facing.

I’ll be praying over the following in the month of May:

Day 1 - For the month of May
Day 2 - New Christians
Day 3 - The women in our lives
Day 4 - The men in our lives
Day 5 - Young people
Day 6 - Young adults
Day 7 - Adults
Day 8 - Students
Day 9 - Work life
Day 10 - Opportunities
Day 11 - Relationships
Day 12 - Future husbands/wives
Day 13 - Friends
Day 14 - Family
Day 15 - Health
Day 16 - Breakthrough
Day 17 - Purity
Day 18 - Senior leaders
Day 19 - Visions & dreams
Day 20 - Parents
Day 21 - Finances
Day 22 - The future
Day 23 - Depression and other mental health issues
Day 24 - Happiness
Day 25 - Confidence
Day 26 - Purpose
Day 27 - Seasons
Day 28 - Use of words
Day 29 - Control
Day 30 - Revival/#OnMission
Day 31 - The Church

These are just every day things - I’m not trying to make it complicated. I believe in the power of words and the power of professing goodness and mercy over our lives and the lives of people we encounter.

I’m sharing this because I want to be held accountable - I can’t say I’m going to do something and not do it! This is not just for those who believe in the Holy Trinity but for every day people who face every day things.

So feel free to join in - make sure you tag it 31DaysOfPrayer on the post and make sure you use #31DaysOfPrayer in the title (with the hash tag) so I can keep track of those on this journey. Feel free to do it in different ways - perhaps a poem, or a personal story - I’m not fussed, happy to have you!

I’ll try make sure I post in the morning so you have food for thought for the rest of the day but apologies in advance if it’s a little later in the day!

All the best :)

— Beyonce

To Be Patient.

The art of being patient isn’t easy. I’m starting to realise that everything I want I don’t seem to get when I want it. To make matters worse I don’t know if it’s due to bad decisions or just the steps God is ordering but I’m definitely in different with myself. 

Am I actually ready for all that I want and all that I’m working for? Because  all these things don’t seem to be ready for me. Forever chasing something I’m starting to feel is unobtainable which perhaps is where I let myself be defeated.

I think for tonight I’ll surrender this fight and pick it up where I left off in the morning. I’m mentally exhausted.

Teary Eyed

For a day that started off pretty good it’s just slipped to the other side of the spectrum. It seems my moments of extreme happiness only last for a few hours if that.

You sort of have to tell yourself to be strong and not let the things of this world get you down. But I sit in Starbucks teary eyed. Angry and frustrated. 

I guess I’m sick of nothing going right and then subsequently complaining and worrying about what may come. Those live for today quotes are bullshit to me at this moment in time. 

I’m tired of complaining. I’m tired of things failing. I’m simply tired.