Bring the Rain

A good friend of mine, Laurie, whom I met on an online birth message board for our February 2006 babies has been a source of wisdom and encouragement to me over the past year. We have been mothering accountability partners, so to speak, discussing through email Godly discipline, sleep deprivation, the joys of staying home with our children among other things. She loves Jesus and her family and I have been richly blessed by our friendship.

She led me to a blog - http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com titled "Bring the Rain". The author has a heartbreaking yet inspiring story to tell and her love for the Lord oozes out of the words of her blog posts. She has created a challenge called "Seven Prayers a Day" and I encourage any parent who reads my blog to visit her site and vow to take the challenge. In the Bible, the Lord tells us to pray without ceasing. What an honor it is to be able to pray for our children - for their salvation, their future spouses, their impact on the kingdom, their health and safety, their character development, among other things.

Angie, the author, created seven prayers to read during seven specific times of the day. I will post them on this entry but I encourage all of you to visit her blog site. It is truly a treasure.

Pray for your children when...

1. When they wake up: "Let the morning bring (child's name) word of your unfailing love, for she has put her trust in You. Show (her/him) the way (she/he) should go, for to you (he/she) lifts up her soul." (Adapted from Psalm 143:8)

2. When they are getting dressed: "Therefore, as God's chosen child, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Lord, help (him/her) bear with others and forgive whatever grievances (he/she) has against others. Help (him/her) forgive as the Lord forgave (him/her). And over all these virtues, help (him/her) put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Adapted from Colossians 3:12-14)

3. While they are eating: "Teach (child's name) the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Teach (him/her) that (he/she) can do everything through him who gives (him/her) strength." (Adapted from Philippians 4:12-13)

4. When they go out of the house: "(Name of child), do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Adapted from Romans 12:2)

5. While they are taking a bath: Lord, give (name of child) clean hands and a pure heart, and let (him/her) not lift (his/her) soul to an idol or swear by what is false. Let (him/her) receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God (his/her) Savior. Let (him/her) be part of the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. (Adapted from Psalm 24:4-6)

6. When they are going to bed: "The Lord Your God is with you; he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, be will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

7. While they are sleeping: "I pray that (name of child) will do everything without complaining or arguing, so that he/she may become blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which he/she shines like a star in the universe as he/she holds out the word of life-in order that he/she may boast on the day of Christ that he/she did not run or labor for nothing." (Adapted from Philippians 2:14-16)