Plant Gratitude

Grow flowers of gratitude in the soil of prayer.  ~Terri Guillemets

Father, we want to teach our children gratitude.  We try to model it for them, but they live in this world and this world is full of "more more more."  Jesus, plant seeds of thankfulness in my kids' souls.  Show them how to look at the blessings they have instead of those they do not.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

Remind me to Pray

"The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, buy unoffered prayer."
F.B. Meyer

Jesus, help me to offer everything up to You in prayer.  In moments when I am about to lose my patience, remind me of Your infinite patience and compassion.  Send me to my knees, asking for Your will in my life as a parent and in the lives of each of my children.

Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.
1 Kings 8:28

Love

"Most men pray for power, the strength to do things. Few people pray for love, the quality to be someone."
Robert Foster

Father, fill my children with Your love.  It can be so hard to see them fight with each other.  I want them to get along, to love one another.  As my children are growing up, teach them compassion and, in turn, kindness.  I pray to see them showing kindness towards one another. Help them to be patient with one another and to conquer the envy and competition that naturally arises between siblings.  Honor them by teaching them humility, leading them away from pride and boasting. Tame their tongues so that the rudeness the world teaches will be overcome and they can begin to put others above themselves, turning away from anger. Fill my children with a desire for Your Truth, God. Amen.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Good Mornings

The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him. ~William McGill

Abba, help me to hear Your voice in the mornings.  Help me to be a patient and cheerful parent even though I am still sleepy and not feeling quite up to the day ahead.  Children wake up with so much energy and enthusiasm.  Help me to honor their natural worship of You on a new day.

Amen

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation (Psalm 5:1-3 NIV).

Praying with my Legs

I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.
~Frederick Douglass, escaped slave

Abba God, the hardest part of parenting is the doing.  Sometimes, I get so tired.  Sometimes life is so full and busy.  Please help me to slow down and focus on the children you blessed me with.  Please help me to not just pray good things for my kids but to also DO good things for them.  Show me how to be a godly parent.

Amen

 
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. James 2:22

Do This Through Me

Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays. ~Søren Kierkegaard

Abba God. This job is hard. Way harder than I thought before I first dove in. Help me not to rush them into adulthood. Help me to slow down and enjoy them as they are. Help me to have patience with their silliness and their loudness. Help me to be the mother you saw inside of me when you chose me to care for these children. I cannot do this. I have been a mother for a while now, and one thing I have learned for sure is I CANNOT DO THIS. I need You, God. For the sake of my children, their father and myself, I need You to do this through me.


Amen.

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

John 15:16

Unceasing

My husband named the blog.  He did good.

I have been sad to see the Lifting Hands blog end its run. 2010 has also ushered in a new need to cover my children in prayer.  This blog will include pre-written prayers for our children, along with scripture references.  It will also include links to articles on prayer and ideas for incorporating prayer more creatively into our lives as parents (and grandparents).

Join me on the journey?

Heather