Today, I had the pleasure of meeting up with one of our sweet
former youth girls who is now a college freshman home for the holidays. We met at our special little coffee shop that
held memories of many heart to hearts and a laugh or two or three. Today was no different.
We discussed the woes of growing up and yet the excitement of planning your future and seeing where God takes you.
And then the topic of New Year’s Resolutions came up. Yeah, neither one of us have really ever made
any. Except for the usual “read your
Bible every day” every good Christian makes, right?
We decided that resolutions are a good idea but what happens
when, say you make the resolution to read your Bible every day, and January 1st
flies by and you didn’t read your Bible?
Cue dramatic wailing of the body over a chair, your hand slung across your forehead in an epic pose as you cry “I’M A FAILURE. THE YEAR MIGHT AS WELL BE OVER. I CAN’T EVEN KEEP A RESOLUTION FOR A DAY!!!!”
Cue dramatic wailing of the body over a chair, your hand slung across your forehead in an epic pose as you cry “I’M A FAILURE. THE YEAR MIGHT AS WELL BE OVER. I CAN’T EVEN KEEP A RESOLUTION FOR A DAY!!!!”
Sound familiar? Not from you of course, but someone you
know. A “friend”.
But isn’t that the truth?
We set ourselves up for failure literally when we choose to hold these
goals that can actually be very challenging and beneficial to our lives to such
a standard of perfection. Uh, pass. I
choose not that.
Instead, this year I am going to embrace grace for
myself. Most of you have probably seen
the popular pin on Pinterest rolling around through your newsfeed that states “I
will hold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection.” Yes, please. I want that. I choose grace.
You see I had put a Facebook poll out a few days ago asking
what types of resources people were seeking for in their current season of
life. Whether it be prayer guides, Bible
study guides, parenting helps. Whatever. Several responded with a desire for prayer
guides for their husbands, wives, children, and teens to name a few. As I was already putting together my personal
Prayer notebook and searching for a few of those myself, I thought “why not
compile them for my friends and family”?
So I began to work with the deadline of January 1st
(yesterday I might add) in my visions.
So…that didn’t happen. And you
know what? Skippadeedoo! I’m ok with that. You know why? You know what
I was doing? I was enjoying my little family and in laws who had come up for
the day. I was embracing life that was happening and I’m not sad I choose it.
And today I got up with the agenda of working on the prayer guides and if they
got done, awesome! If not, there’s always tomorrow. (But you’re in luck! I
finished them!)
Obviously there are certain things we can not take for
granted. We simply cannot wait another day.
We cannot wait until tomorrow to say “I love you” to those we hold
dear. We cannot wait until a “better”
opportunity comes to share Christ when He clearly provides a chance for you to
share the gospel. No, there are a few
things we have no excuse saying “later” to.
But for some things, we can take a deep breath and a chill pill. So I
pray the same prayer for you that I am praying for myself as this new year
begins.
{Lord, allow me to humble myself and give grace as freely as
you do. Allow me to prioritize my life
according to your Word and your will.
May this be a wonderful year if only because I can grasp this one concept
of what grace means and experience it to the fullest. Thank you Gracious One for your abundant love
and desire for me, your creation.}
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians
5:16-18
So without further ado, here are the Prayer Guides!
Feel free to copy, paste, and print them off and use them to your heart’s desire. (Sorry there is no link to download! If you wish to have a copy you can download, please email me at fenslerfreebies@gmail.com) I have great expectations that if we truly become people of prayer, the God we are praying to will have the chance to become so much more powerful in our lives and in those around us.
Feel free to copy, paste, and print them off and use them to your heart’s desire. (Sorry there is no link to download! If you wish to have a copy you can download, please email me at fenslerfreebies@gmail.com) I have great expectations that if we truly become people of prayer, the God we are praying to will have the chance to become so much more powerful in our lives and in those around us.
31 Days of Prayer
for Your Husband
1
Spiritual growth and accountability to
You. Guard his heart by developing spiritual disciplines such as Bible
reading, prayer, meditation, and scripture memory (2 Pet 3:18; Prov 4:23)
|
2
May the Word bear fruit in his life and
bring wisdom and understanding that he may fear You (Prov 3:7, 9:10; Ps
112:1)
|
3
Give him a humble spirit and quickness to agree with You about his sin. Let his heart be tender toward Your voice. (Ps 51:2-4; Micah 6:8) |
4
Help him grow in leadership skills for our relationship that he will lead us wisely and love me sacrificially so that God may be glorified in our marriage (Eph 5:25-29) |
5
Give him strength to be faithful to his wedding vows. Initiate the desire to cultivate a stronger relationship with me as a sign of his commitment (Prov 20:6; Gen 2:24) |
6
Let him love righteousness and hate evil.
Allow him to recognize wickedness in his own life and take a strong stand
against it (Prov 27:12; John 17:15; 1 Cor 10:12-13)
|
7
Safeguard his heart against
inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex. Let his heart be pure and
undivided to me. (Prov 6:23-24, 26; Rom 13:14)
|
8
Give him a good work ethic to provide
for our family to the best of his ability. Grow in him persistence,
decisiveness, determination , etc (Rom 12:11; 1 Cor 15:58)
|
9
Give him wisdom to handle finances and discernment concerning budgets and investments so he will be a good steward of his money (Prov 23:4-5; Rom 12:13) |
10
Cultivate strong integrity and the ability to not compromise in his convictions. May his testimony be genuine and honest (Prov 20:7; 1 Tim 1:5, 3:7; Eph 6:10-12) |
11
Create a humble and teachable spirit in
him to carry a servant’s heart before You. May he listen to You and desire to
do Your will (Prov 15:33, Eph 6:6)
|
12
Help my husband yield his sexual drive to You and practice self-control. Allow our sexual intimacy together to be fresh, positive, and a reflection of selfless love (Prov 5:15,18; 1 Cor 7:3; SoS 7:10) |
13
Show him how to use practical skills to build our family and make wise decisions for our welfare with a heart that serves unselfishly. (Gal 5:13; Phil 2:3-4) |
14
Help my husband speak words that build up our family and reflect a heart of love (Prov 18:21; Eph 4:29) |
15
May he choose his friends wisely. Bring
men who will encourage his accountability to You and not lead him into sin.
(Prov 13:20; Prov 27:17)
|
16
Help him choose healthy God-honoring
activities and not give in to any questionable habits (1 Cor 6:12, 10:31; 2
Tim 2:4)
|
17
Help him enjoy his manliness as he
patterns his life after You and strong men in the faith. Grow his physical,
emotional, mental, social, and spiritual strength (Eph 3:16; 1 Pet 2:21)
|
18
Show him how to have an eternal perspective. May he reject materialism and temporal values and put You first (Matt 6:33; Deut 6:5, Eph 5:16; Ps 90:12) |
19
Give him patience and allow him to be a man of peace, to not give in to anger but instead allow the Holy Spirit to control his responses (Rom 14:19; Ps 34:14) |
20
Help him to yield his mind and thoughts to the Lord so that he will not entertain immoral or impure thoughts and resist the temptation to indulge in pornography (Prov 27:12; 2 Cor 10:5) |
21
Teach him to relax in You and in his
greatest times of stress how to find joy and peace in his relationship with
You. (Neh 8:10; Prov 17:22; Ps 16:11)
|
22
Teach him to practice forgiveness in
our relationship and with others. Help him recognize any roots of bitterness
and yield resentment to You (Eph 4:32)
|
23
Show him how to be a good father –
disciplining his children wisely and loving them unconditionally (Eph 6:4;
Col 3:21; 2 Tim 2:1-2)
|
24
Help him have a balanced life in both work and play. May he learn to fear You but also gain favor with people he knows at work and church (Luke 2:52; Prov 13:15) |
25
Bring him courage to stand against evil and injustice and instead stand in truth. Protect him and our family from Satan’s attacks (Ps 31:2; Eph 6:13; Ps 17:14) |
26
Help him discover and live his God-given purpose. May he offer all his dreams to You and pursue only those goals that will bring You glory and count for eternity (Jer 29:11; 1 Cor 10:13) |
27
Help him understand the importance of taking care of his body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, by practicing self-control and getting sufficient exercise to stay healthy (Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 6:19-20, 9:27) |
28
Teach him to be a man of prayer – that he will seek and pursue You in purposeful quiet times (1 Thes 5:17; Luke 22:46; James 5:16) |
29
Help him surrender his time and talents
to You and that his spiritual gifts will be manifest in his career, at
church, and in our home (Eph 5:15-16; 1 Cor 12:4,7)
|
30
Teach him to serve our family and others with pure motives so that he will obey You from his heart and glorify You in everything (1 Cor 10:13; John 7:17-18; Col 3:23-24) |
31
Help him recognize the lies of the enemy and may his attitude and actions be guided by the truth as he brings his thoughts into captivity to Your Word (John 8:44; 2 Cor 10:4-5) |
31 Days of Prayer for Your Wife
1
May my wife see you alone, the source
of all wisdom and knowledge
(Colossians 2:2-3) |
2
Grant that my wife will make it a
priority to grow in being intimately acquainted with You and all Your ways
(Philippians 3:8-10)
|
3
May my wife’s mind be steadfast because she trusts in You and You will always keep her in perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3) |
4
Give my wife contentment and joy, not envying others, but ever thankful to God for his daily provision. (Hebrews 13:5) |
5
May she be a woman of prayer that doesn’t faint, praying always, rejoicing in hope, and an interceder for her family as well as others (Luke 18:1; 1 Thes 5:17; Rom 12:12) |
6
That she would be ever captivated by my
love and to be confident in my love for her
(Ephesians 5:33)
|
7
That she be a woman of faith, giving
glory to God, that her faith not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of
God (Rom 1:17; Rom 4:20; 1 Cor 2:5)
|
8
Guard the words of my wife’s mouth that
she may always speek in meekness, wisdom, and kindness (Prov 31:26, Prov
30:8)
|
9
Abide in my wife’s heart and Your Word dwell richly in her today and always (John 15:4-7, John 8:31, 1 John 2:24-28) |
10
Give my wife strength to stand firm against the wiles and fiery darts of the devil. Help her stand victorious. (Eph 6:10-17) |
11
Help my wife with her image of herself.
Help her believe that she is all you have said she is through Jesus (Psalm
139)
|
12
That my wife look well after her own house, building it in wisdom. Grant her integrity, prudence, meekness, and diligence (Prov 31:27, Prov 14:1) |
13
That my wife would have the wisdom which comes from God in her daily walk. Fill her with your spirit of wisdom. (Ex 31:3, James 3:17, Eph 1:17) |
14
That my wife may be clothed in strength, honor, charity, and righteousness (Prov 31:25, Rom 13:14, Eph 3:14-19) |
15
That the fruit of the Spirit grow ever
more abundant and evident in her life (Galatians 5:22-23, John 15:8)
|
16
Guard my wife’s heart and mind from all
deception and open to truth in all areas of life (1 Tim 2:14, 1 John 1:8)
|
17
That she be a godly mother, teaching
our children in the ways of the Lord-a living example of holiness (Deut
11:19-21)
|
18
That my wife not be overcome by circumstances that arise in her daily life, that her eyes remain on you (Matt 17:8) |
19
That she be wise in scheduling her time throughout the day, prioritized in a way that is pleasing to you (Ephesians 5:15-16) |
20
Bless the work of her hands and let it be a praise and encouragement to her (Prov 31:31, Heb 6:10) |
21
May she be honorable, useful, respected
and a blessing to all who know her (Prov 31:10-31; Prov 12:14; Prov 18:22)
|
22
That my wife know my own love for her,
nothing wavering or doubting (Eph 5:25, 29, 33; Prov 3:15)
|
23
May our children honor, respect and
bless her (Ex 20:12; Eph 6:2)
|
24
Remind her each day that she can come boldly to Your throne of grace (Heb 4:16; Matt 7:7-11) |
25
Prepare my wife for spiritual battle. Be her defender and remind her the battle belongs to you (Ps 24:8, 1 Cor 15:57) |
26
May she have an ever increasing amount of faith to believe You and Your Word in all things (Luke 17:5; Phil 4:13) |
27
That she be submissive to You in all things, a godly helpmate to me and our marriage would reflect the love and submission of Christ and church
(Eph 5:22-33)
|
28
That my wife’s heart will beat with a burden for the souls of the lost, even as Yours does (Mat 28:19-20) |
29
May my wife have a long healthy life
and will prosper in whatever you set her hands to doing (3 John 1:2)
|
30
Protect my wife, guard her paths and be a lamp unto her feet (Prov 2:8, Prov 3:23-24, Ps37:23) |
31
May she cast her cares on You. That you alone are her source of relief from anxiety, worry, and strife (1 Pet 5:6-7) |
31 Days of Prayer for Your Teenager
1
Salvation
Let my teen know and experience the salvation that comes by grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8) |
2
Self-control
Help my teen to “think clearly and
exercise self-control” in all they do (1 Peter 1:13)
|
3
Peer Pressure
Strengthen my teen against peer
pressure, that they may always stand strong against enticements to do wrong
(Proverbs 1:10)
|
4
Friendships
Lead my teen into constructive
friendships; lead them away from “bad company” (1 Corinthians 15:33)
|
5
Honesty and Integrity Help my teen walk blamelessly, do what is right, and speak truth in their hearts (Psalm 15:2-5) |
6
Irreversible Mistakes
Save them from decisions that cannot be reversed. Let them be among the righteous (Proverbs 24:16) |
7
Study Habits
Teach my teen to study hard and learn well in both their schoolwork and their study of Your Word (2 Timothy 2:15) |
8
Independence
Help my teen grow a healthy independence in preparation for adulthood and never rebellion (Proverbs 17:11) |
9
Standards Protect my teen from unbiblical standards of beauty, conduct, and speech (2 Timothy 2:22) |
10
Identity Help my teen develop a strong sense of identity that is rooted in the knowledge of who they are in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:10) |
11
Belonging
Give my teen a strong sense of belonging to their family, church, and to the kingdom of God (1 Peter 2:9) |
12
Ability Please instill in my teen a strong sense of their own gifts, talents, and abilities, based on the strength You give them in Christ (Philippians 4:13) |
13
Responsibility Make my teen a wise and responsible servant who fulfills their promises and takes care of their responsibilities (Luke 12:42) |
14
Sexual Temptation May my teen “flee youthful lusts” and remain sexually pure in thought, word, and deed (2 Timothy 2:22) |
15
Influences
Let men and women of godly character cross paths with my teen and become their trusted mentors (Proverbs 1:20-33) |
16
Loneliness
Protect my teen from the pain of loneliness and teach them to find comfort in Your companionship (Psalm 23:4) |
17
Popularity
Please protect my teen from the pursuit
of popularity. Let them stay close to the friend who sticks closer than a
brother (Proverbs 18:24)
|
18
One Master
Let my teen make Jesus Christ their
Lord and Master early in life and serve only Him all their days (Luke 16:13)
|
19
Godly mate Lead my teen to the mate of Your choosing (Genesis 2:24) |
20
Life Mission Instill in my teen a strong and clear purpose to fulfill Your plan for their lives (Deuteronomy 13:4) |
21
Depression
Deliver my teen from discouragement and depression during their turbulent teenage years (Psalm 25:16-17) |
22
Commitment
Give my teen a strong and lasting commitment to the body of the Christ, the Church (Psalm 122:1) |
23
Compassion
Give my teen a soft heart and compassionate spirit for those who are in need (Matthew 25:31-46, James 1:27) |
24
Protection Protect my teen from bullies, daredevils, false friends and even from the mistakes of foolish friends (Psalm 59:1-2) |
25
Work Ethic Nuture in my teen a strong, godly work ethic that will serve them well as they enter the workforce (1 Thessalonians 4:11) |
26
Truth Arm my teen with the belt of truth; teach them to know truth from error in all they do (Ephesians 6:14) |
27
Righteousness Arm my teen with the breastplate of righteousness; grant that they may make the right decisions wherever they go (Ephesians 6:14) |
28
Readiness
Let my teen’s feet be fitted with the
readiness that comes from the gospel of peace to share the good news with
those around them (Ephesians 6:15)
|
29
Faith
Arm my teen with the shield of faith, with which they can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16) |
30
Salvation Fit my teen with the helmet of salvation; let the assurance of their salvation accompany them in all they do (Ephesians 6:14) |
31
Spirit Arm my teen with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Let them love Your Word and hide it deep in their hearts (Ephesians 6:16; Psalm 119:111) |
31 Days of Prayer for Your Child
1
Faith
Help my child learn that faith is the reality of what is hoped for and the proof of what is not seen (Hebrews 11:1) |
2
Hope
I pray that You, the God of hope, will
fill my child with all joy and peace as he trusts in You.
(Romans 15:13) |
3
Love of God’s Word
Help my child remember that peace
belongs to those who love Your instruction.
(Psalm 119:165) |
4
Joy
I pray that You
will make my child rejoice because of the
works of Your hands (Psalm 92:4)
|
5
Patience Help my child understand that we have hope for what we do not see and can eagerly wait with patience (Romans 8:25) |
6
Thankfulness
Let my child give thanks to You, Lord, for Your faithful love and wonderful works (Psalm 107:8) |
7
Passion for the Lord
May my child long for You just as a deer longs for streams of water (Psalm 42:1) |
8
Wisdom
When my child lacks wisdom, help her understand that she should ask You. You give to all generously and without criticizing (James 1:5) |
9
Humility May my child learn that the result of humility is fear of You along with wealth, honor, and life (Proverbs 22:4) |
10
Compassion May my child understand that You are good to everyone; Your compassion rests on all You have made (Psalm 145:9) |
11
Generosity
Instruct my child to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, and to be willing to share (1 Timothy 6:18) |
12
Peace Thank You, Lord, that You are able to keep my child in perfect peace as his mind trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3) |
13
God’s Protection I praise You for You are faithful; You will strengthen and guard my child from evil (2 Thessalonians 3:3) |
14
Seeking the Lord May my child understand that You are good to those who wait for and seek You (Lamentations 3:25) |
15
Purity
Create in my child a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within her (Psalm 51:10) |
16
Integrity
Help me, Lord, to teach my child that the one who lives with integrity lives securely (Proverbs 10:9) |
17
Courage
May my child be courageous. It is You
who goes with him. You will not leave him
(Deuteronomy 31:6) |
18
Confidence
May You be my child’s confidence and
keep her foot from a snare (Proverbs 3:26)
|
19
Faithfulness Help my child remember that those who plan good find loyalty and faithfulness (Proverbs 14:22) |
20
Responsibility Help me to teach my child that in this world, each of us is responsible for our own choices (Galatians 6:5) |
21
Salvation
May my child grow to understand that You save us according to Your mercy (Titus 3:5) |
22
Contentment
I pray that my child may accept and live knowing that godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6) |
23
Righteousness
Help me to model for my child that You are righteous and You love righteous deeds. (Psalm 11:7) |
24
God’s Grace Thank You for Your grace so that my child may have everything he needs and may excel in good works for You (2 Corinthians 9:8) |
25
Self Control Do not allow my child to be tempted beyond what he can bear, but provide a way of escape for him (1 Corinthians 10:13) |
26
Mercy Help me teach my child that Your mercy is from generation to generation for those who fear You (Luke 1:50) |
27
Obedience to God Remind my child to obey you rather than men (Acts 5:29) |
28
Steadfastness
May my child be steadfast, immov-
Able, always excelling in Your work.
Her labor will not be in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58)
|
29
Servant’s Heart
May my child not lack diligence and be fervent in spirit as he serves You (Romans 12:11) |
30
Trust Help my child understand that it is better to take refuge in You than to trust in other people (Psalm 118:8) |
31
Reliance on God May my child grow to trust You with all of her heart and not lean on her own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) |
