31 Days of Prayer for Your Husband, Yourself & Your Children

I recently found a blog that I fell in love with. It's everything I want to read about, look at and learn from. It's the me I want to be! I have found so many inspiring things on the internet and can't wait to incorporate them into my own home and family! I am a crafty girl that does everything by the C.A.S.E method {copy and steal everything}. When I'm being good I call it: "Search and Reapply". :D

Anyway, there was this blog of prayer cards that she posted. 31 days of different prayers~ deep, meaningful prayers~ for our husband and prayers for you as a wife and as a mother as well a prayers for your children.
 
Just in time for the first of April so get your printers ready and click on the link below to print them out!

I'm going to print them out, cut them out, laminate them, hole punch them and put them on a ring and keep them on my dresser so that every morning I can go through each prayer card and pray God's blessings over my husband as he works hard each day, for protection for him and for salvation for my sons. I want God to do something in me as a wife so that I am a jewel far above rubies...I want my sons to rise up one day and call me me blessed. I am going to be a prayer warrior this year as well as pray for my warriors!

I pray you print this out to make your own prayer ring and bathe your family in prayers as well! 

Here's a look at what the prayer cards say...

For Your Husband
Day 1: Pray that he would grow spiritually & consider his accountability before the Lord. That he would guard his heart by developing spiritual disciplines {Bible reading, study & prayer}.

Day 2: His relationship with God & His word would bear fruit in his life. That he would be a man of wisdom & understanding, fearing the Lord.

Day 3: He would be quick and humble to agree with God about his sin...that his heart would be tender towards the voice of the Lord.

Day 4: He would grow in leadership skills providing and protecting us. That he would lead me wisely and love me sacrificially so that God would be glorified in our marriage. 

Day 5: He would be faithful to our wedding vows...that he would have a desire to cultivate our relationship as a sign of his loyalty and commitment to me & as a picture of Christ's love for the church.

Day 6: He would love righteousness & hate wickedness, especially the evils of the culture. And recognize & avoid wickedness in his own life & take a clear, strong stand against evil.

Day 7: He would safeguard his heart against inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex. That his heart would be pure and undivided in his commitment to me.

Day 8: That he would work hard for our family...that the character qualities necessary would be a growing part of his character {persistence, decisiveness, strength & determination}.

Day 9: He would handle finances wisely, having discernment concerning budget and investments & will be a good steward of our money and that money will not become a source of discord for us.

Day 10: He would cultivate a strong integrity and not compromise convictions...that his testimony would be genuine, honest in his business and never do anything to hide from anyone.

Day 11: He would have a humble, teachable spirit and a servant's heart before the Lord...that he would listen to God and desire to do his will.

Day 12: That he would yield his needs to the Lord and practice self control...that our intimacy would be fresh, positive, and a reflection of selfless love. 

Day 13: He would use practical skills to build our family and make wise decisions for our welfare...that he would serve unselfishly.

Day 14: He would speak words that build me and our family & reflect a heart of love...& that he would not use filthy language.

Day 15: He would choose friends wisely...that God would bring him men who would encourage his accountability before Him, and will not lead him into sin.

Day 16: He would choose healthy, god-honoring activities. That he would not live in bondage to nay questionable habits or hobbies, but will experience freedom in holiness as he yields to the Spirit's control.

Day 17: He would enjoy manliness as he patterns his life after Christ & strong men in the faith. For his mental, physical, emotional, social & spiritual strength.

Day 18: He would have an eternal perspective...that he would reject materialism and temporal values and put God first in His life.

Day 19: He would be patient and a man of peace...that he would not give in to anger but would allow the Holy Spirit to control his response.

Day 20: He would yield his mind and thoughts to the Lord and not entertain immoral and impure thoughts. 


Day 21: He would learn how to relax in the Lord and and find joy and peace in his relationship with God, in his greatest times of stress and that he would submit his schedule to the Lord.


Day 22: That he would practice forgiveness in our relationship as well as with others in his life...that he would recognize any roots of bitterness and yield any resentment and unforgiving attitudes to the Lord.


Day 23: He would be a good father to our children, disciplining them and loving them unconditionally. 

Day 24: He would have a balanced life...in work and play. That he fears God but also gains respect of those he works with and goes to church with.

Day 25: He would be courageous in his stand against evil and injustice and stand for the truth. Protection against against Satan.

Day 26: He would discover and live his God-given purpose. That he offers his dreams to the Lord. 

Day 27: He would understand the importance of taking care of his body- the temple of the Holy Spirit- that he would make wise food choices and exercise to stay healthy. 

Day 28: He would be a man of prayer...seeking and pursuing God in quiet, purposeful moments. 

Day 29: He would surrender his time and talents to the Lord. That the spiritual gifts he's been given will manifest in his work, home and at church.

Day 30: He would serve others with pure motives...that he will obey the Lord from his  heart and glorify God in everything.


Day 31: He would recognize the lies of the Enemy in his life...that his attributes and actions will be guided by the truth as he brings his thoughts into captivity to the word of God.

 For Yourself As A Wife

• Help in my role as a wife to be submissive, loving, attentive, nurturing, respectful.
• Help me to be forgiving and not resentful, to be physically pleasing to my husband {selflessly}. 
• Help me to keep myself healthy and together, my home warm, inviting, clean and presentable- a safe haven where my husband can escape from the world. 
• Help me to confront sin in kindness and be positive and supportive.  

 For Yourself As A Mother

• To be loving and gentle; consistent in discipline. Nurturing, diligent to teach my children the Bible, an example of godliness, to discipline in love {always} and that my children might one day "rise up and call me blessed" {Proverbs 31:28}.

 For Your Children

• For their genuine salvation.
• For their future spouse.
• For them to have love & respect for their parents and those in authority over them {with teachable spirits}
• Courage to stand up against temptation and peer pressure.
• Morally and physically pure until marriage.
• Physical protection from harm. 

If you would like to print out the prayer cards for yourself click here!
Let's pray for our husbands and children and may we be molded ever more to the image of God and bring Him glory and honor!


*Kelly

 

 

 

 

Orange...

Sunshine fun!

A little LOL...

SO true! :D 

Gotta love your kids! 

God's miracles and blessings!

Happy Birthday's Are Overdue!!

It has been over a month since my last post?!
It really feels like three!

So much has gone on in our lives since January 30th I'm not sure if I can even remember it all...

Let's summarize and say we have added 2 members to our household for a short while until my sister can get situated in her life. Divorces are hard on everyone!

Wesley has had three ear infections in the past three months and is going this Thursday to have tubes put in at Children's. We have to be there really early, like 6:15am. That's hard on a 16 month old and two parents who have barely slept a wink in the past three months. Especially the past month!!!

Charlie has also had an ear infection and runny nose. But Wesley was worst. We joke that he has had a runny nose since birth, but truthfully, it started at 2 months old. We had two months of no drool or mucous. So much for not needing bibs.

Wesley doesn't talk. It would help if he could actually hear us. So we are so excited to see him grow and change and learn and achieve many things in life, starting with being able to speak properly.

So, then after the multiple Dr's visits we got to celebrate Jeff's birthday!! And my brother and his wife welcomed their baby boy Elijah Lee into the world the same day!!

I made a chocolate cake and it was delish! I love my husband and I'm so happy we got to spend another year together. However hard our last eighteen months have been (and they have been torturous) I'm so glad I have a friend to lay in bed next to and say, "I love you. Now keep me warm!" And to discuss the days events and upcoming things to do.

Here's Jeff's cake and Elijah!

                                                                 What a sweetheart!

Ask. Seek. Knock.

As most of you know, things have been very trying here at the Moore house for the past year and a half. When you begin to go through a fiery furnace, you never know how long it's going to take. You just want it to be over. You don't care why it's happening, you just want to go back to peace. But that's not how God works.

He wants to mold you. To reshape you. To refine you. To teach you. To strengthen you.

And it hurts.

But, that is not to say that you can't go to him and ask Him for strength. To seek His face for comfort and peace. To knock so that He can open the door and rest awhile with you.

I have done this many times. The answers may not have been what I wanted but they were always what was best. As I pleaded with God, it reminded me of my little kids and how they want to go in Dada's Car about 25 times a day. Or when Wesley wants a drink and he whines until I notice he's empty and go and fill his cup again. Or when they reach up to me and say, "I wanna hold you yike a baby!" I know that is how I am to God.

Sometimes I cry until He answers, whatever the answer will be. Sometimes I repeat the prayer several times a day just to make sure God knows it's on my mind and heart. Pouring my burdens on Him. And sometimes I just say, "God! Can you hold me please!? I don't know what to do or how to act and the right path is so foggy I can't decide which way to go..." And He does. Happily. He's there before I have even asked.

 A s k.          S e e k.         K n o c k.

Matthew 7:7-11 tells us that we have the ability to go before God Almighty and ask something of Him. To ask and we shall receive. To seek and we shall find. To knock and it shall be opened unto us. And better yet, when Wesley asks me for more milk I don't give him a stone...so me, being unholy, unrighteous, evil can give a good gift to my son, how much more can God who is holy, righteous and sinless, give to us?! And we act like we need to tell God what we really need!

Everything He allows to happen to us is for our own good. The sooner we learn that lesson the happier we will be, the more free we will be, and the less stress we will endure and inflict on others.

Oftentimes, we don't ask, seek, or knock. We tell everybody and their brother about it and go to God last. Now, during my trials I told anyone who listen and PRAY for me- but I also prayed on my own. But there have been times that, at the end of the day, I think to myself, "Did I even ask God for help in this matter? Why did I tell everyone else or ask them to pray and I haven't even done that yet?!" It's convicting. Humbling. But it's also human nature. We just have to keep that in mind and make sure our prayers and supplications go to God before they go to anyone else. No one else can fix it for us. It's OK to share our concerns and burdens and gives others a chance to pray for us just as long as God is first. 

I have learned from God himself that you don't just have to pray when you go to bed at night. That you can talk to Him when your washing the dishes, in the car going to the grocery store, folding laundry, when the kids are sleeping...and in those few quiet moments before your feet touch the floor in the morning and before you fall asleep at night to whisper thanks for God always being there, for being a holy God who has our concerns in mind, our life in His gentle yet mighty hands and for loving us before we loved Him. He sent His Son to die for you...can't you trust Him with your life?

Next time you are going through a valley and you can't seem to take it any more...just remember what Matthew said and Ask, Seek, Knock. There you will find the Answer!

Thank you God for promising to always hear me and provide for all my needs!


 Kelly Moore

Photo Credit: Picture on Facebook, "Jesus Christ Son of God"

“With our pitchers we attempt sometimes to water a field, not a garden.” 

-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

To do this week: Determine what your garden is, and water it well.

This year I am going to write a family Mission Statement. My family is my primary ministry and I need to spend some time focusing on what that entails and where I need to be spiritually to do all that God asks of me.

Every day I get up early to read my Bible and pray and sometimes play a song on YouTube and sing along with it. It is a most necessary part of my day and I look forward to it every day!

Here are some tips I found on TheBetterMom website:
1.Find some time to be alone and quiet for a few minutes and pray.
2.Get a piece of paper and write VISION at the top.
3. Write down all the things the Lord brings to mind regarding a vision for your life and  home.  Look back on your family mission statement.
4. Take an honest look at your commitments, schedule, and time management.  How do these things line up with your vision board? What changes do you need to make?
5. Take a minute to jot down your priorities in order of importance.  This is how you choose what to say yes to, and what to let go.
 6. Now, you have to actually say NO. Armed with these tools, you can easily see what doesn’t line up.
“A mother’s time is precious. Every new responsibility we take on dilutes our effectiveness in our other roles. We must guard our energy, time and family wisely.” -Kat, Inspired to Action
My motto this year is: Do a few things well. Or, put another way, Do fewer things and do them better.
We can’t do it all ladies, so why not focus on doing our top priorities well? Doing things well takes time.  Again, don’t underestimate how much time it really does take!

I found this from TheBetterMom blog and made them my own as they are exactly 

what I want my priorities to be!

- time alone with the Lord, cultivating my relationship with Him, time to be still in His presence

- a girlfriend and cheerleader to my husband….one that is nice and kind

- a fun, loving mom and teacher who has TIME.

- exercise, getting out in creation

- simple, beautiful housekeeping and homemaking-clean, organized, simple, healthy

- caring friend-available for hospitality, meals, watching kids

- reading and blogging

-reaching out and sharing God’s love with others

 

A quote I want to somehow add to my blog is:

“Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.”Psalm 39:4
 It goes along with my One Moore Day theme- teach me to number my days that I may apply my heart unto wisdom...show me my lifes end O Lord...my life is fleeting by!


Ordering things according to importance is incredibly freeing.  
When I have to choose, the top priorities always come first.
You can easily see what needs to take precedence in your life. To take this a step further, you can create a schedule for your life based around these things.  I have heard about the ebook, Tell Your Time. I haven't read it, but it sounds like a very good book full of tips about spending our time wisely.


So don't go throughout life trying to water a field- water your garden! Whatever it is- water it well!

Broken into Pieces...

It's a difficult thing to be. 

Broken.

You look around and see everyone else happy. And you're just empty inside. 

You begin to dwell on you circumstances as you "see" everyone else going merrily through life.

But the thing is, we all go through trials. I like to call them fiery furnaces. And Job says that God knows the ways, the paths we take, and when He has tried us we will come forth as gold- gold that has been purified through a fiery furnace. That's us.

We are every changing, growing, being molded into something purer, better, more costly. 

And it sometimes really hurts.

It leaves us feeling alone. Helpless. Scared. Deprived. Aggravated. Exhausted. And weary from the trial and tribulation that we don't understand.

God moves in ways we can't comprehend and most often don't want. As soon as turbulence comes our way we want to jump ship- throw our hands in the air and say, "God- why are you doing this?!" We shake our fists in God's Holy, Merciful, Long Suffering, Gentle face...and we demand He fix what He has messed up. We don't deserve this! We have been "good" Christians. Right?! Then we want to take the helm out of His all knowing, infinite hands and trust ourselves. 

And God let's us. And when it all gets messed up again, or even worse, destroyed by our own selfish, controlling sleves, we blame Him yet again.

And all the while He sits back and waits patiently.

He doesn't yell. Or scream. Or pound His fists. He doesn't bite His fingernails and hope it all works out.

He is still. Waiting for you to be still with Him. And hear His gentle whisper.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

I love this little yet very moving piece of scripture in Philippians Ch 3. It says,

^"8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

 ⁹And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

 ¹⁰That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death"

The italicized portion is my emphasis- the part I repeat over and over. 

I want to win HIM. My Redeemer. To be pleasing to Him.

Can I really say that no matter what I suffer I count it as gain for Christ? Nay, there are certain things I couldn't dare to imagine losing. Perhaps that it my weakness.

But I do want to be found in Him- in His righteousness. Where else can I be comforted in a fiery furnace? Where else is there to go, but to Him?

I want to know the power of His Resurrection...to know Him. 

Then, maybe I will be able to cope with trials and tribulation. Maybe then I can be still and listen for His most excellent voice softly saying, "It's OK...I am that I am is with you always...fear not for I am with thee..."

I have the most power from God when I have the most pressure from men.

Life is valleys and mountain tops. The view may change, but the journey is still the same. The destination is perfection, not in ourselves but in Him. In trusting in the One who spun the planets into orbit. The One who is Just. Loving. The Corner Stone.

When my life gets too emotional, too unbearable, too scary, spinning out of control- as it has very swiftly and destructively lately- I have to cry for my Daddy..."Abba Father"...and I don't shake my fists and I don't accuse and yell and beat my chest to get my way...I have to submit, listen, and then I begin to heal...

I know as I type this I have some friends and family members out there who are going through fiery furnaces of their own. I pray for you- even in the midst of my own conflicts- in hopes that you, too, are praying for me.

I know if I keep pressing on toward the mark that God will move in due time. The due time part is always a struggle because how long is that?! What more is going to come my way in the mean while? But I can't, we can't, let that be our focus. Of course the enemy would love that!

Our focus has to be on God and what we need to learn from this particular situation, whether we want to learn or not, we will eventually learn. It just depends on how long you want to kick and scream. 

I think sometimes we Christians like to use the Bible verse about God coming that we might have life more abundantly. And we use it like it's some ticket we won by choosing to be on God's "side". You know? We made the choice to pick the right team, now where's that life of luxury that I deserve? I'm a child of God now, right?! And we demand something we are not even willing to be thankful for when we get it! And who ever said it was life on this sinful, wicked, and cruel earth? 

Life is one storm after the other. So, if you believe in God, grab your umbrella and sing a few hymns while you're bailing the water out of your boat! Don't make everyone's life around you suffer because you don't get your way. Go God's way! His always leads to something better...

So, that was me preaching to myself and for later reference when I'm kicking and screaming and want to know when this is going to end...

Right now I feel completely broken into pieces. I don't know what it going to happen in the next day, week, month, year...and I'm so scared that it going to get worse and I'm so scared that it's going to stay the same and I'm so scared that it's not going to end...

But I have to get my whits about me again, be a Mother to 2 crazy awesome kids, a wife to a man in his own fiery furnace, and work, do household chores and still put a smile on my very tired face every night for a bunch of crazy girls and put something great in their day and life and make them feel as if I have waited all week just to see them! It's a hard job...but, what else would I do if everything was perfect? I'd get real comfortable and forget who's in charge. I'd forget what matters. I'd be in worse condition than I am now- because at least now I am leaning on the everlasting arms, I am safe and secure from all alarms...Under His wings my soul doth abide, I need Him every hour... it's now that I am at His feet needing Him...

And pretty soon He'll swoop down to pick up the pieces and put them back together in a more beautiful fashion. And after that, I just might be wise enough to go out and glorify Him and come forth as gold...

Photo: mebbonline.com