It's not quite a quiver full, but it's a start!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
THE MOMMY CALLING HAS A NEW HOME!
In case you haven't noticed, there has been a serious lack of posts going on lately. A) There were some issues with spam postings that I just couldn't figure out and B) it was summer and I really needed time with my family. The problem was I really missed blogging! I'm so excited to be starting back and on a new site! Join me at the *NEW* Mommy Calling site, and please excuse the appearance and lack of features while I am in transition! I'm also starting a new feature, Schooling Sundays, which will go through our week of homeschooling. I'm really excited to be adding these and other new features! I hope you choose to follow me over at the new locale!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Day 17: Prayers for Gentleness
"Call to me and I will answer you. I will tell you great and mighty things that you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3
{IMPORTANT!!! My blog has been hacked and we are working to get it taken care of. However, posts are being changed, paragraphs deleted, etc. If you see content that you find disturbing please let me know since I cannot monoitor each and every post constantly for changes. and I'm really hoping to not have to take down the blog to fix this issue. Also ***DO NOT CLICK ON LINKS THAT ARE UNDERLINED*** Any links that I add (to Scriptures or previous posts) will NOT be underlined, they will simply be red. I am so sorry, and I hope to get it resolved soon!}Day 17: Prayers for Gentleness
"Believers shouldn't curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone." Titus 3:2
I have previously shared my struggles with gentleness. I'm pretty sure every mother has struggled on occasion. It seems that something that should be most reflected in our speech and in our correction of our children is actually one of the hardest things to practice in the moment. In fact, it's something I was talking with a few other mothers about yesterday. My children will be screaming at me, at eachother, at the wall, at whatever it is they feel like screaming at, and here I come screaming right back, "Quit screaming! It's not nice! We don't scream at people!" *insert red face here* I mean really? Here I am screaming at them telling them not to scream because it's not nice. Mommy fail.
I pray that my sons will not struggle with gentleness the way that I do. Some people are just naturally more gentle than others, and I pray that maybe somehow they are just a little bit more naturally gentle. Apart from that all I can do is pray that they will come to know Christ, come to be filled with His Spirit, and come to put into practice the fruits that are placed in them. And I will pray that they will practice gentleness in abundance!
Lord, I pray over my sons gentleness. God, fill them with your spirit, guide them and direct them. Lord, help me to be an example of gentleness to them no matter how unnaturally it is for me. I know that no matter what you are there, that I have your power inside of me. I know that no matter what I can make the choice every single time. I know that I can chose to turn away from my flesh, from my short temper and mean spirit, and that I can instead choose gentleness. I can instead choose You. I pray that my struggle will not be a hinderence to my sons, Father. I pray that they will always have a gentle heart, a gentle spirit, and gentle actions...
AMEN.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Day 16: Prayers for Faithfulness
"Come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before The Lord, our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep of His hand." Psalm 96:6-7
{Do you feel like this prayers for sons has become a "chore"? If you have, I urge you to continue! Yes, it actually is a chore. It's work, it's time consuming, but it is just as important as sticking out those days when our sons just want to fight with us, when they just want to be disobedient and defiant. One way that I found to make it a little less of a "chore" is to make it spontaneous. Doing it at a different time each day, as you can tell by the timing of each post. There were nights when I realized, "Oh man, I haven't done my prayer over my sons today," and I had to take the time no matter how tired I was. There were some early mornings when I tried to get up before the sun...and my sons (and daughter)...Today I am excited about continuing because I slept in after a long week of Vacation Bible School last week. I am rested, recharged, and ready to go. I hope you can find some way to make sure this is remaining an important part of mothering rather than growing to be something you don't enjoy.}
Day 16: Faithfulness
"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." Luke 16:10
Like goodness there are few verses dealing with faithfulness when it comes to man. A vast majority of them simply deal with the faithfulness of God. This is one of the things I stressed when we began praying the Fruits of the Spirit over our sons. These are not things we can instill in them, not things that come naturally, and not even things that can be prayed into them. These are given to us at salvation and the evidence of these fruits will grow and multiply as our relationship and obedience to Christ grows.
So what is faithfulness? Simply stated, it is just sticking it out. Not straying, not leaving, not turning away. Faithfulness needs to be practiced in our everyday life: our relationships, our beliefs, our jobs. Let us pray that our sons will remain faithful to the Lord and His teachings, that they will remain faithful to their friends and their future spouse, and that they will be faithful to their commitments. Let us pray that no matter what they will "stick it out".
Lord, I pray that the spirit of faithfulness will be abundant in my sons. I pray that I will never forget the perfect model of your faithfulness to your creation, and that I will be a model to all who do not know you. Lord, I pray that faithfulness will be reflected in my sons' actions and speech. That they will remain faithful to You, to their beliefs, to their commitments in all that they do...
AMEN.
{Do you feel like this prayers for sons has become a "chore"? If you have, I urge you to continue! Yes, it actually is a chore. It's work, it's time consuming, but it is just as important as sticking out those days when our sons just want to fight with us, when they just want to be disobedient and defiant. One way that I found to make it a little less of a "chore" is to make it spontaneous. Doing it at a different time each day, as you can tell by the timing of each post. There were nights when I realized, "Oh man, I haven't done my prayer over my sons today," and I had to take the time no matter how tired I was. There were some early mornings when I tried to get up before the sun...and my sons (and daughter)...Today I am excited about continuing because I slept in after a long week of Vacation Bible School last week. I am rested, recharged, and ready to go. I hope you can find some way to make sure this is remaining an important part of mothering rather than growing to be something you don't enjoy.}
Day 16: Faithfulness
"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." Luke 16:10
Like goodness there are few verses dealing with faithfulness when it comes to man. A vast majority of them simply deal with the faithfulness of God. This is one of the things I stressed when we began praying the Fruits of the Spirit over our sons. These are not things we can instill in them, not things that come naturally, and not even things that can be prayed into them. These are given to us at salvation and the evidence of these fruits will grow and multiply as our relationship and obedience to Christ grows.
So what is faithfulness? Simply stated, it is just sticking it out. Not straying, not leaving, not turning away. Faithfulness needs to be practiced in our everyday life: our relationships, our beliefs, our jobs. Let us pray that our sons will remain faithful to the Lord and His teachings, that they will remain faithful to their friends and their future spouse, and that they will be faithful to their commitments. Let us pray that no matter what they will "stick it out".
Lord, I pray that the spirit of faithfulness will be abundant in my sons. I pray that I will never forget the perfect model of your faithfulness to your creation, and that I will be a model to all who do not know you. Lord, I pray that faithfulness will be reflected in my sons' actions and speech. That they will remain faithful to You, to their beliefs, to their commitments in all that they do...
AMEN.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Day 15: Prayers for Goodness
"But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer." Psalm 66:19
{Sorry for dropping the ball yesterday! We had an out of town wedding, and time just completely got away from me before it was time to leave. I hope that you continued to pray over your sons yesterday even though there wasn't a specific "topic" to pray over. I know I could have written the post on a previous day and just scheduled it to post, but I have really enjoyed typing out my thoughts as I am doing my daily prayer for my sons, so I hope you forgive me for missing a day and being so late on this post as well. Typing it out as I pray is also keeping me accountable to participating along in the challenge!}
Day 15: Goodness
"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23:6
Interestingly, apart from the scripture referencing the Fruits of the Spirit I could not find a verse that spoke of men and goodness. It was always used in reference to God. Now there may be a verse here and there that I am not aware of and just could not find reference to, but I guess the point is that even if there are one or two not well-known verses referencing it, there are many, many Scriptures referencing the "Goodness of God". Kindness and Goodness. How are they two separate things? It sounds confusing at first, and honestly even after learning about the differences and the similarities in my Bible Study last year, I probably even lumped the definition of goodness in with kindness the other day. Kindness is our emotions towards someone, our feelings of love and mercy. Goodness is our actions toward someone, actions that are driven by kindness.
Scriptures reference over and over and over how the goodness of God flows over His people. How His goodness covers His dealings with them. I pray the same thing over our sons. If the fruits of the Spirit are the evidence of the Lord in our life, and the abundance of fruit a sign of our relationship with Him, then we should show the same goodness to others as God does. I love how the fruits are things that are impossible for us to do in our own power, that these seemingly "simple" emotions and feelings, actions and reactions, can come from nowhere other than our relationship with God. I suppose it is only fitting then that since God is the only one who is truly good, that that is the only goodness the Scriptures reference. I pray that our sons will model this goodness in their actions. That their feelings of kindness would overflow into their every day dealings with people, and that there will never be any question where this goodness has come from.
Lord, I pray for the goodness of my sons. God, I pray that your Spirit would overflow in them, that it would pour out in every word, every action. I pray that they will treat everyone with love and mercy, that these feelings would drive every action. I pray that every single reference to your goodness will be fulfilled by them. That there will be no question where their goodness is coming from. Lord, I pray that you will indwell in their exceedingly wicked hearts and turn them into beating hearts of flesh. I pray that they will have a heart full of love, of joy, of mercy. A heart of pure goodness...
{Sorry for dropping the ball yesterday! We had an out of town wedding, and time just completely got away from me before it was time to leave. I hope that you continued to pray over your sons yesterday even though there wasn't a specific "topic" to pray over. I know I could have written the post on a previous day and just scheduled it to post, but I have really enjoyed typing out my thoughts as I am doing my daily prayer for my sons, so I hope you forgive me for missing a day and being so late on this post as well. Typing it out as I pray is also keeping me accountable to participating along in the challenge!}
Day 15: Goodness
"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23:6
Interestingly, apart from the scripture referencing the Fruits of the Spirit I could not find a verse that spoke of men and goodness. It was always used in reference to God. Now there may be a verse here and there that I am not aware of and just could not find reference to, but I guess the point is that even if there are one or two not well-known verses referencing it, there are many, many Scriptures referencing the "Goodness of God". Kindness and Goodness. How are they two separate things? It sounds confusing at first, and honestly even after learning about the differences and the similarities in my Bible Study last year, I probably even lumped the definition of goodness in with kindness the other day. Kindness is our emotions towards someone, our feelings of love and mercy. Goodness is our actions toward someone, actions that are driven by kindness.
Scriptures reference over and over and over how the goodness of God flows over His people. How His goodness covers His dealings with them. I pray the same thing over our sons. If the fruits of the Spirit are the evidence of the Lord in our life, and the abundance of fruit a sign of our relationship with Him, then we should show the same goodness to others as God does. I love how the fruits are things that are impossible for us to do in our own power, that these seemingly "simple" emotions and feelings, actions and reactions, can come from nowhere other than our relationship with God. I suppose it is only fitting then that since God is the only one who is truly good, that that is the only goodness the Scriptures reference. I pray that our sons will model this goodness in their actions. That their feelings of kindness would overflow into their every day dealings with people, and that there will never be any question where this goodness has come from.
Lord, I pray for the goodness of my sons. God, I pray that your Spirit would overflow in them, that it would pour out in every word, every action. I pray that they will treat everyone with love and mercy, that these feelings would drive every action. I pray that every single reference to your goodness will be fulfilled by them. That there will be no question where their goodness is coming from. Lord, I pray that you will indwell in their exceedingly wicked hearts and turn them into beating hearts of flesh. I pray that they will have a heart full of love, of joy, of mercy. A heart of pure goodness...
Friday, June 8, 2012
Day 14: Prayers for Kindness
"I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." 1 Timothy 2:8
{We've been praying over our sons now for two weeks. Have you been reading your Warrior Prayers book? I have really enjoyed the book, and I hope that you do too! How have things been going these few days? Have you found it easy to follow along, easy to participate, easy to pray? I hope you have seen some great changes through praying for your sons, even if it's only a change in your own attitude and heart.}
Day 14: Kindness
"What is desirable in a person is kindness." Proverbs 19:22a
If there's one thing that will have the greatest impact on how our sons are seen by others it is their kindness. It will influence how others see them, how they see others, and their effectiveness for the gospel. Our concern for others, our actions towards them, and our attitude towards others in general is a grave reflection of our need for kindness. I pray that kindness will not be something my sons struggle with. I pray that love and mercy will fill their actions and that kindness will result in all they do.
Lord, I pray that my sons' hearts will be filled with kindness. That their kindness towards others will always point toward You. I pray that they will not struggle when it comes to treating others with kindness. I pray that I can be an example of kindness to them...
AMEN.
{We've been praying over our sons now for two weeks. Have you been reading your Warrior Prayers book? I have really enjoyed the book, and I hope that you do too! How have things been going these few days? Have you found it easy to follow along, easy to participate, easy to pray? I hope you have seen some great changes through praying for your sons, even if it's only a change in your own attitude and heart.}
Day 14: Kindness
"What is desirable in a person is kindness." Proverbs 19:22a
If there's one thing that will have the greatest impact on how our sons are seen by others it is their kindness. It will influence how others see them, how they see others, and their effectiveness for the gospel. Our concern for others, our actions towards them, and our attitude towards others in general is a grave reflection of our need for kindness. I pray that kindness will not be something my sons struggle with. I pray that love and mercy will fill their actions and that kindness will result in all they do.
Lord, I pray that my sons' hearts will be filled with kindness. That their kindness towards others will always point toward You. I pray that they will not struggle when it comes to treating others with kindness. I pray that I can be an example of kindness to them...
AMEN.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Day 13: Prayers for Patience
"I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue." Psalm 66:17
Day 13: Patience
"[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy." Colossians 1:11
Such perfect timing since I am literally walking in the door from my Bible Study tonight where we just talked about the fruit of patience. My heart is so full on the subject right now I could probably write an entire book, but instead I'll try to focus on my prayers for my sons. Based on hope when it comes to our circumstances and mercy when it comes to dealing with others, patience is the ability to endure trials without surrendering to them and the ability to restrain from actions when it comes to others. Let us pray that our sons will have patience in all circumstances and with all people. Let us pray that they will have a life full of forgiveness, free of judgement, and surrounded in mercy.
There is a Dutch Proverb that I never understood until I came to understand the definition of true patience. "A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains." How often do we act out of frustration, anger, or simply just out of impulse when we should have had the patience to just wait? How often are we quick to speak, yet slow to become angry? How often do we question God's timing, impatiently calling on Him to work, rather than being patient in the fact that His timing is perfect? All it takes is a little patience to overcome our mouths of fire, all it takes is a little patience for God to do His perfect work, all it takes is a little patience for us to overcome all things. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. " James 1:2-4. Praise God that our patience is not in vain. However, I guess it's only fitting that the thing that makes us perfect and complete is one of the hardest to practice.
Day 13: Patience
"[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy." Colossians 1:11
Such perfect timing since I am literally walking in the door from my Bible Study tonight where we just talked about the fruit of patience. My heart is so full on the subject right now I could probably write an entire book, but instead I'll try to focus on my prayers for my sons. Based on hope when it comes to our circumstances and mercy when it comes to dealing with others, patience is the ability to endure trials without surrendering to them and the ability to restrain from actions when it comes to others. Let us pray that our sons will have patience in all circumstances and with all people. Let us pray that they will have a life full of forgiveness, free of judgement, and surrounded in mercy.
There is a Dutch Proverb that I never understood until I came to understand the definition of true patience. "A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains." How often do we act out of frustration, anger, or simply just out of impulse when we should have had the patience to just wait? How often are we quick to speak, yet slow to become angry? How often do we question God's timing, impatiently calling on Him to work, rather than being patient in the fact that His timing is perfect? All it takes is a little patience to overcome our mouths of fire, all it takes is a little patience for God to do His perfect work, all it takes is a little patience for us to overcome all things. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. " James 1:2-4. Praise God that our patience is not in vain. However, I guess it's only fitting that the thing that makes us perfect and complete is one of the hardest to practice.
Lord, we have heard that if we want to be tested we have to only pray for patience, but, Lord, we know the tests are coming anyway. We pray that our sons will have patience in all things. Lord, we pray they will come to the knowledge of You, of the hope that comes from their salvation, and that they will be a living example of mercy. May we impart onto others the patience that you impart onto us. Lord, we pray for our patience as we pray for our sons so that we may be an example to them and not a hindrance. We pray that in all circumstances we will come even closer to becoming perfect and complete lacking in nothing...
AMEN.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Day 12: Prayers for Peace
"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
Romans 8:26
Day 12: Peace
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
Like joy, true peace is something that can only be found in Christ. "If peace is the absence of busyness, then many of us may never find it. Peace is not the absence of to-do lists, appointments, and responsibility. It isn't the absence of a cell phone signal and Internet connectivity. Instead it is the presence of our Lord. Peace is the deliberate adjustment of our lives to the will of God. When we are aligned to His purpose, then and only then will we experience true peace that passes all understanding. The origin of peace is God Himself, and without Him at the center of our lives we will never experience true peace." Let us pray that our sons will know true peace.
Growing up I had one favorite hymn, "It is well with my soul." I'm not sure if it was my favorite before or if it became my favorite after, but I still remember the day my dad shared with me the story behind the hymn. In fact, he and I still talk about this hymn fairly often.
"When Peace like a river attendeth my way.
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot though hast taught me to say,
'It is well, it is well with my soul,'
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul."
In October of 1871, Horatio Spafford was financially ruined in the great Chicago Fire. Shortly after this tragedy, Spafford received a telegram from his wife which stated, "Saved alone," and he learned that all four of his daughters had died in a collision with another ship as they were crossing the Atlantic. Several weeks later, as his own ship passed by the spot his daughters had died, this song was inspired. Ironically, the composer who put Spafford's words to music died in a tragic train wreck shortly after writing this music. I cannot help but notice a parallel between the tragedy surrounding this song and the life of Job in the Scriptures. Yet, out of such tragedy came such greatness. I pray that this sense of peace, that this influence, can come from my life and the lives of my sons.
Lord, we pray that our sons will come to know your perfect peace. We pray that they will be able to rest in the knowledge of their salvation and the truth that victory has already come. Lord, we praise you that the battle has already been fought, that it has already been won, that all we have to do is join You in this victory. Lord, let no circumstance tear them away from this truth, let no trial separate them from you, let no heartbreak distract them from the life that they have in you. Grant them peace in all situations, wrap your arms of protection and strength around them when troubles come, and lead them back to you. Hide them in You, Father, so that the perfect peace that comes from you cannot be overshadowed by the things of this world...
AMEN.
Romans 8:26
Day 12: Peace
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
Like joy, true peace is something that can only be found in Christ. "If peace is the absence of busyness, then many of us may never find it. Peace is not the absence of to-do lists, appointments, and responsibility. It isn't the absence of a cell phone signal and Internet connectivity. Instead it is the presence of our Lord. Peace is the deliberate adjustment of our lives to the will of God. When we are aligned to His purpose, then and only then will we experience true peace that passes all understanding. The origin of peace is God Himself, and without Him at the center of our lives we will never experience true peace." Let us pray that our sons will know true peace.
Growing up I had one favorite hymn, "It is well with my soul." I'm not sure if it was my favorite before or if it became my favorite after, but I still remember the day my dad shared with me the story behind the hymn. In fact, he and I still talk about this hymn fairly often.
"When Peace like a river attendeth my way.
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot though hast taught me to say,
'It is well, it is well with my soul,'
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul."
In October of 1871, Horatio Spafford was financially ruined in the great Chicago Fire. Shortly after this tragedy, Spafford received a telegram from his wife which stated, "Saved alone," and he learned that all four of his daughters had died in a collision with another ship as they were crossing the Atlantic. Several weeks later, as his own ship passed by the spot his daughters had died, this song was inspired. Ironically, the composer who put Spafford's words to music died in a tragic train wreck shortly after writing this music. I cannot help but notice a parallel between the tragedy surrounding this song and the life of Job in the Scriptures. Yet, out of such tragedy came such greatness. I pray that this sense of peace, that this influence, can come from my life and the lives of my sons.
Lord, we pray that our sons will come to know your perfect peace. We pray that they will be able to rest in the knowledge of their salvation and the truth that victory has already come. Lord, we praise you that the battle has already been fought, that it has already been won, that all we have to do is join You in this victory. Lord, let no circumstance tear them away from this truth, let no trial separate them from you, let no heartbreak distract them from the life that they have in you. Grant them peace in all situations, wrap your arms of protection and strength around them when troubles come, and lead them back to you. Hide them in You, Father, so that the perfect peace that comes from you cannot be overshadowed by the things of this world...
AMEN.
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