Prayer

Communicating with God through prayer and meditation is vital to waking up to the wonder of God’s work in your life.

Author Philip Yancy wrote, “Christian faith is…basically about love and being loved, and reconciliation. These things are so important, they’re foundational and they can transform individuals, families.” Not only is reconciliation core to our Christian faith, it is a big deal to God! In fact, God went to great lengths to offer reconciliation to mankind even sacrificing His own Son. As recipients of His grace, He now expects us as believers to become ministers of reconciliation in our world. One of the best ways to do this is through reconciliation prayer.What Is Reconciliation?Before we can take a look at a few reconciliation prayers we must first understand the nature of reconciliation. The word “reconciliation” comes from the Greek root allassowhich carries the idea of change. To be reconciled means there is a change in the relationship. Former enemies become friends. In order for reconciliation to happen someone needs to take the initiative.Sin left our relationship with God fractured. However, God took all the initiative and sent His Son, Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin so that we might be reconciled to God. The way our reconciliation is completed is by us responding to the forgiveness Christ offered. When we receive God’s gracious offer of forgiveness, God forgives and restores us to a right relationship with Him. This is where our journey of reconciliation begins.Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes

There are insights in Scripture on the subject of prayer many of us may have missed. Here are a few…

Faithful Father, we lift up our leaders to You. Please lead and guide them to do what is good, noble, and right. Sway them from selfish motives and protect their hearts and minds as they make decisions for our nation. Give them the desire and passion for seeking You and walking with purpose and integrity. As a free nation that is given the opportunity to take part in the election process, grant us the wisdom to choose leaders and officials that will honor You, Lord.

You may have a job or money in the bank, but those things are resources that can come and go, as recent events in our society have proven. By relying on God for provision, you are acknowledging him as your source, and you can trust him knowing he will provide everything you need.

It’s the season of graduation and new beginnings. While many are focused on high school graduates, there are also college grads who have put everything into their education. Concluding a commitment to education is no small task, and they’ve accomplished great things by finishing their pursuit of higher learning.How can we best support the college graduate in prayer? How are their experiences different or like when they graduated from high school just four years ago? Or perhaps, they’ve gone on to further education and have pursued a Master, a Ph.D., or a Doctorate. Maybe they’re passing the Bar exam or have finally completed their pursuit in medicine. Whatever their story, they are bidding farewell to the time of learning and entering a transitional period. With transition comes excitement, anticipation, trepidation, anxiety, obstacles, and more.Prayer is often added to the end of a graduation card. The proverbial “Praying for you in your new endeavors” is a typical message, perhaps worded differently. But are you? Are you truly praying for college graduation? Or do you struggle to know what to pray?Here are a few ideas you can draw from to enrich your prayers for the college graduate in your life:

Our marriages have to be guarded and continually prayed for. Temptation lies everywhere! How quickly our eyes can pull us away from honoring the gift of marriage we have been given. Maybe it's a picture that tempts us online, a comparison that says I should have it better than I do, or lust that draws us towards a person other than our spouse. The struggle to remain faithful to each other in heart, mind, and body is real.

Pray! When all else fails, that's what we do, right? It seems like that is the common "go-to," if you will. I must admit it has been for me. After I had exhausted every other option and gone through every scenario in my head, discussed and devised a "doom's day plan" with my husband, and shared all the "helpful" memes and social media posts with all my friends - then I will finally fall apart and open my heart to God.

We all have a mom! A woman in whose womb God created us and brought us into the world.For you created my inmost being;you knit me togetherin my mother’s womb (Psalms 139:13).Even if she wasn’t the woman who raised and nurtured you, she gave you the gift of life. For those with a mother who devoted her life to making sure you were safe and secure until you could go out on your own, she deserves honor, love, prayers, and devotion. Sometimes it’s easy to take moms for granted, but without the mother who birthed us, we would not have experienced the breath of life.Why Should We Pray for Our Moms?Unfortunately, we’re living in a culture where motherhood is coming under attack. Recently, there was even an attempt in Congress to remove the term mother and replace it with “birthing person.” Fortunately, that ridiculous idea received extreme pushback, but some people still use that innocuous term to negate the biological fact that only a woman can enjoy the privilege of giving birth to a child.Many have enjoyed the benefits of having a praying mother.Dwight L. Moody encouraged mothers, “The impression that a praying mother leaves upon her children is life-long. Perhaps when you are dead and gone your prayer will be answered.” He was saying that a mother might not see the answer to prayers in her lifetime, but God hears the cries and prayers of a mother’s heart, and they may be answered after we’re with Jesus. So don’t stop praying. In my book Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, I sign it, “Keep praying! 1 Thess. 5:17.”Billy Graham also talked about the blessings of having a Christian mother. “Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children.”Not every child has a praying or Christian mother, but every child can pray for his or her mother. As a mother and stepmother, it warms my heart and soul when one of my children tells me they’re praying for me. I feel loved, cherished, and appreciated. “May she who gave you birth be joyful!” Proverbs 23:25Following, are prayers you might consider for the season of life your mother is experiencing at this time. She will feel those prayers even if you’re miles apart.Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Martinan

With the onslaught of worldwide tragic loss in recent years, we desire to express our grief and empathy over these events. A popular phrase to share concern is “my thoughts and prayers are with you.” Yet while prevalent, this phrase is losing significance.Sharing your compassion for those experiencing grief is welcomed, but the phrase “thoughts and prayers” is offered so frequently that it may not be taken seriously.Photo Credit:©Getty Images/Rawpixel

The season of graduation and new beginnings can bring a mixed bag of emotions for many of us. Though its a time of great celebration and fresh starts, the letting go process can bring some pain too. Parenting is often just about that a constant learning to let go; its a journey through the years. And whether theyre taking their next steps towards kindergarten, were watching them head off to college, or straight into their first big job, it can be difficult for us as parents. But theres hope. Our children are His. No matter where they go, or how old they are, they are in His care. They are in His hands. He has great purpose for them in this life and that's the very best place we can let them go. In a dark world, that can be hard sometimes. We often want to keep holding on, tightly. Its a daily process to learn to let go, through all stages of parenting. But as we entrust them straight into the care of our powerful and loving God, we can be assured that He sees, He knows, and is there with them, always. He is able to care for our most precious ones, even far better than we ever could on our own. His hands are big. To carry. To hold. To protect. To cover. To lead. And He loves each one of them more than we could even imagine. Never underestimate the importance of speaking His blessing and truth over the lives of your children, no matter what their ages. Prayer is so powerful, and Gods words are true. He promises in Isaiah 55:11 that His word will never return empty, without accomplishing great things. He reminds us that He hears our prayers and is always at work on our behalf, and on behalf of those we love. So we can send them out covered in prayer, rich in blessing, with great hope and a future in store. Here are 10 prayers for the graduate. Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/XiXinXing

Is prayer something that feels too hard in the mothering days you’re in? Whether you’re exhausted from midnight feedings, shuffling kids to practices, juggling too many schedules, or scrubbing baby food off the high chair, God wants to meet you in that exhaustion with His power and peace. If you’ve been putting prayer off until the kids are older, when the days get smoother, or when you’re less frazzled, stop. Here are five simple ways beyond mealtime prayers to stack prayer onto things you are already doing, so you can begin to incorporate prayer into your daily routine with your kids now and make prayer a habit that will last their whole life through.

No matter what you face this Mother’s Day, you can turn to God and experience peace and healing through prayer. We have collected several prayers that can apply to your journey of motherhood. It is our hope that these will encourage your soul and speak life into your calling as a mom.

Get ready to fight for your wife in the way she needs most – and pray for her! Don't worry if you need a game plan; I've got you covered. Below you will find a Scripture and a simple prayer to lift up your lovely wife for each day of the week.

Mother's Day is a beautiful time of recognition and celebration to honor mothers. Every life begins and ends under the sovereign hand of God. There is no greater honor than leading freshly born hearts to His feet. It’s possible mothers learn more about themselves, their purpose, of life, love, and God through the eyes of the children He puts in their care. Every precious life belongs to Him. Every note of talent and nuance of personality are the products of His compassionate care and love.We are created in His image, and perhaps nothing solidifies that reality more than welcoming a new life into the world. Being a mother is a privilege packed with purpose we can’t handle apart from His strong and guiding hand. We pray for every mom this Mother’s Day. We pray for strength to sustain the hard parts, patience to embrace the days as they fly by, and courage to let go and love our children for who they already are right now, just as He does.Mother's Day prayers can be used in church, on a card, or said while sharing a Mother's Day meal. May these prayers bring joy and contentment to the heart of all moms! We also understand that Mother's Day can be painful and difficult for many - those who did not have a good relationship with their mom, those who have lost their mother, or those waiting to become a mom. We have included prayers for Mother's Day to encourage you and fill your heart with peace today.Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/evgenyatamanenko

Nothing is more powerful than placing your hands together and praying for the man God brought into your life. In all honesty, maybe now more than ever, this generation of men needs to be reminded of who they are in Christ and the amazing honor they have in leading, providing, and protecting their families.

If we are honest with ourselves, sometimes our prayer life becomes redundant and lacks the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When our prayer life gets boring or lukewarm, we need to take action. We can often get busy, stressed, or drained to the point that we recite mindless prayers. In our prayers, we must be intentional about talking with God, praising Him, and asking for His guidance.If your prayer life needs some reigniting, here are four ways to get started:Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Anastasiia Stiahailo

In times of uncertainty, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel can be difficult. That's why prayer is a powerful source of hope and comfort during these challenging times. Communion with God provides us with the spiritual guidance and strength we need to move forward with hope and confidence.

Mother's Day is a challenge for those of us without mothers. It's hard to stare at the cards in the store knowing you don't have a recipient at the other end. It's frustrating when the conversation circles around this holiday and everyone's plans.Mother's Day will never be the same for those of us who have lost mothers. You can still celebrate, but there will always be a note of sadness and loss to the day. A day that used to be filled with joy and love has morphed into a reminder of grief. That said, we are here and can learn from our suffering. Let's look at the history of Mother's Day and some prayers that might help you get through the day.The Fascinating History of Mother's DayMother's Day has a fascinating story. It dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele. Then in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, they would return to the "mother church" for a special service on the fourth Sunday in Lent. This custom faded and eventually merged with the American Mother's Day in the 1900s.A woman named Anna Jarvis from West Virginia worked to get Mother's Day named an American holiday. It was a way to honor the sacrifices mothers made for their children. She partnered with a business owner in Philadelphia named John Wanamaker, and in May 1908, they launched the first Mother's Day celebration in West Virginia and Philadelphia. From that point on, she worked to see the day become a nationally recognized holiday. This finally occurred in 1914 when Woodrow Wilson officially established the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.The story takes an interesting turn when the woman who worked so hard to get the holiday created changed her tune. Ann Jarvis, who was unmarried and had no children, imagined Mother's Day to be a day when mothers wore white carnations and spent time with their families. Once the day became a national holiday, things changed.Businesses quickly grabbed ahold of the new holiday and started capitalizing on the opportunity. Jarvis did not appreciate the commercialism and spoke out against the businesses trying to gain from the holiday, such as the confectioners and florists.The woman who got Mother's Day put on our calendar disowned the holiday altogether and was attempting to get it removed when she died in 1948.

By declaring God as King and Lord, we make our submission to Him known. We seek our King, our God, to hear our cry and send relief.