Not the destiny of my future

Lately I've been reading Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely. That book title could be the title of my current season because that is how I feel. Every. Single. Day. Rejected. Alone. Unloved. And yet. God has chosen me. He promised to never leave me alone. He loves me with a love that I can't even begin to comprehend. And I came across a quote and then prayer toward the end of the book that could've been ripped from the pages of my journal because it just so clearly expresses the cry of my heart these days. I hope you read it, take a deep breath and say "Amen!" along with me.

"If I really believed that God's healing is more powerful than any hurt the world could ever hand me, I could trust God. I could trust His plans. I could move forward by saying, 'Yet not what I will, but what You will'....

....Yet not what I will, but what you will.

I trust that in all these things, Your will is good. I can trust You even when I don't understand. I cannot fully trust You while still holding on to things that made me question You. I have to let those things go.

You so clearly promise when I am blinded by the dark realities, You will guide me. You will guide me to the spiritual help I need. But You will also guide me to the emotional and physical help I need. Help me see Your provisions and be humble enough to receive them. You will make the rough places smooth. You will do these things and will never forsake me.

You have said, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them" (Isaiah 42:16).

You say Your Word is sharper than a double-edged sword. So I cut these ties from my soul with the precise edge of Your truth.

I was abandoned. That is a fact from my past, but it is not the destiny of my future.

I was rejected. That is a fact from my past, but it is not the destiny of my future.

I was hurt. That is a fact from my past, but it is not the destiny of my future.

I was left out. That is a fact from my past, but it is not the destiny of my future.

I was brokenhearted. That is a fact from my past, but it is not the destiny of my future.

Heartbreaking seasons can certainly grow me but were never meant to define me. I let go of the hurt and embrace the growth the minute I'm able to say, 'Yet not what I will, but what You will.'"

In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray these words. Amen and amen!!

Excerpt from Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst

Offering to God

God, today I dedicate my mind to you. I want to think on things that are good, right, pure, and excellent. I want to take captive any thoughts that aren’t from you. I want to remember your past faithfulness when I am tempted to doubt.

Today, I dedicate my eyes to you. I want to see others the way you see them. I want to view my circumstances through the lens of hope and faith. I want to look at life as one who is confident that you are with me. 

Today, I dedicate my ears to you. I want to hear your voice above all the others clamoring for my attention. I want to listen to you and to honor others by listening well to them.  

Today, I dedicate my mouth to you. I want my words to be life-giving. I want to speak honestly and sincerely. I want to think before I speak. I want to let others have the last word.

Today, I dedicate my heart to you. I want my heart to be pure and undivided. I want to master my emotions, not serve them. I want my dreams and desires to please you.

Today, I dedicate my hands to you. I want to work hard at whatever I put my hands to. I want to touch others in love and goodwill. I want my hands to be open for whatever you want to give me and willing to release anything you want me to surrender.

Today, I dedicate my feet to you. I want to go wherever you send me. I want to walk toward the messes, not run from them. I want to stand firmly upon the truth and not stumble.

The most important relationship I have deserves my greatest expression of worship: a dedicated life.

Elaine Scott
Browns Bridge Church

Bedtime blessings

I don't know where I came across these bedtime blessings for kids but I love them. You can just fill in the blank with your child's name or even your own name and pray Scripture blessings on them/you. 

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Thank you, God, that You are our refuge and our strength a very present help in any type of trouble. May _______ be still and know that You are God, may _______ lie down and sleep in peace for you alone, O Lord, make ___ dwell in safety. (Psalm 46: 1, 10, Psalm 4:8) 

_______, may you go to sleep tonight thinking about things that are true and honorable and lovely and worthy of praise. And as you keep your mind fixed on God and trust Him, may you be kept in perfect peace, knowing the peace that Jesus gives so that your heart will not be troubled and you will not be afraid. (Isaiah 26:3, John 14:27, Philippians 4:8) 

_______, may you rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoice! Because the Lord is near, may you not be worried about anything but in everything, seek God with thanksgiving. As you sleep, may the peace of God, which goes far beyond all understanding, guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7) 

_______, may you seek the Lord who answers you and delivers you from all your fears. May your face be radiant and never ashamed as you look to Jesus and may the Lord hear you and save you from all of your worries. (Psalm 34:4-6) 

_______, may the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)

Let It Go

Dear God, Please hear my heart. Hear my cry. There is so much going on in life. Sometimes my head is spinning so much and all I want to do is scream. I realize I do not have that much control over things that happen, but I still try to take control, hurting my husband in the process. Please help me let it go. Whatever is harboring frustration in my heart…help me let it go. Help me to trust in You. Holy Spirit, transform my heart so that I do not desire full control, but rather full faith. I believe my marriage depends on my ability to let things go. Please help me today in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Fruits of the Spirit

Dear Lord, Thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit. I pray that I would have more fruit of the Holy Spirit evident in my life. I pray that my husband would not only recognize Your fruit in my life, but that he would be blessed by it. May You prune the parts of me that hold me back from producing more good fruit. I desire to have more patience, more joy, more faithfulness, and more self-control, especially in my marriage. I pray for other wives today as well. Please help them to grow in their character and produce more of Your traits in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Not Worrying About Money

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your provision. Thank You for all the money that supports my family. I pray that I wouldn’t worry about money. Help me to trust You and my husband with our finances. May Your Holy Spirit teach us how to manage our finances appropriately, in a way that would glorify You! Help us not to over spend and transform our hearts so that we are more generous with our funds. I don’t want to be controlled by money or the lack of it. I give You my finances and I ask that You would lead my husband and I in this area of life in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Trusting Your Husband

Dear God, My heart is heavy. I pray for wives. I pray that wives would be able to trust their husbands and I pray that husbands would not take advantage of that trust. May You reconcile relationships to a place where their is mutual respect, submission and loyalty. I pray that love abounds and that peace covers husbands and wives hearts. I pray that wives would receive trust from their husbands and that they also would not do anything against that trust. Please help husbands and wives to trust each other and make better decisions to up hold values that will encourage that trust in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Reconciling With Your Husband

Dear Lord, Thank You for my husband. We do not always agree or get along, but I am confident that You specifically chose him to be my spouse. I am also confident that You will use our marriage to transform us, to be the husband and wife You desire us to be. We are sharpening each other, even through the fights and the hard times. Thank You for allowing us to go through those difficult times, times of pain and heartache. May Your Holy Spirit comfort us and help us to comfort each other. I pray that You would help me to reconcile with my husband and to bring peace back into our relationship. I pray for other wives as well. May You help them to reconcile with their husband no matter who is at fault. Humble us Lord, take away our pride and anything that keeps Your love from being shared in our marriage. Help us to forgive and extend grace abundantly in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Being More Compassionate Towards My Husband

Dear Lord, I am so thankful for my husband. I truly am. I know there are times that I am impatient, irrational, and lack compassion towards him. Please help me change in this area of my heart. I desire to have a character like You Jesus! A character driven by compassion and love for others. I want to be kind, patient and generous in my actions and with my words, in all of my responses in marriage in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Exploring Together

Dear Lord, Thank You for my marriage. I pray that I would never take it for granted. I desire to have a thriving marriage that reflects You! May the love I have for my husband be extraordinary. I pray that we can continue to grow our friendship as we mature in our marriage. Please help us to explore our relationship more as we explore life together. I want to go on adventures and have more fun. I want to enjoy our marriage. Please help me and help my husband to be intentional about laughing and playing more, instead of being so serious all the time. Show me how I can make him smile when he least expects it in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Wives Who Are Hurting

Dear Lord, There are so many women in this world who are hurting deeply. You know them and you know why they are hurting, so we urge you to intercede for them. Wrap your loving arms around them, comfort them, protect them, and give them hope. May your peace fill their minds and help them endure. Please send them encouragements every day through friends, family, or even strangers. We stand in to defend these women against the power of darkness. We claim freedom in Jesus Christ and we claim healing! May you remove any strongholds, addictions, or perspectives that keep them in captivity. Break them free from hurt and heal them completely in Jesus name AMEN!

Endurance

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray for endurance. I pray husbands and wives are able to endure through these hard times and that our marriages prosper. May we remember to pray earnestly for our marriages. I pray that we are able to persevere even when the enemy attacks us. I pray we will be able to stand side by side with our spouse, no matter what may come. I pray over our marriages asking that You would reconcile us, restore us and rejuvenate us as we live every day to better our relationships and to glorify You in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Grace in Marriage

Dear Lord, Thank You for gifting me amazing grace. Thank You for forgiving me and having mercy on me. Your grace has transformed my life and it has transformed my marriage. I pray I can be like You and extend grace to my husband. Sometimes he does not meet my expectations, sometimes he hurts my feelings, sometimes he sins and it affects me. I don’t want any of that to drive a wedge between us. I desire to have an intimate relationship with him where we can love extravagantly and be transparent with each other. Help me to extend grace and gift my husband extraordinary love in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Taking Every Thought Captive

Dear God, Please help me to take every thought captive into obedience. I do not want my thoughts to lead me to sin. It happens so quickly. A thought pops into my head and influences the way I feel towards someone, especially my husband. Help me not to sin. I submit my thoughts to You and ask that You would help me to have self-control. I also pray that I would be a more thoughtful wife. I desire to be a wife that thinks fondly of her husband and seeks ways to bless him throughout each day. I pray that my thoughts would honor You and my husband in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Communication in Marriage

Dear God, Thank You for my husband. Thank You for the relationship that we have, although I always pray that it continues to grow! Thank You for working in our lives and leading us through transformation! I lift up my marriage to You and ask that You help my husband and I grow in the area of communication. I pray that we can talk to each other kindly and respond in love to each other. Help us not to be selfish or pursue things that will only benefit us, but rather help us to keep each other in mind. I pray that our marriage and other marriages would be blessed by having an awesome communication line! May Your words be on our lips daily. May Your wisdom and your encouragement flow through us affirming our spouses in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Showing more affection

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for my marriage. Thank You for my husband. I pray that our relationship continues to mature and that we would enjoy our life together. I pray specifically over our affection for each other. May we be intentional about showing each other more affection more often. May we use physical touch such as holding hands soft touches to affirm our love and make the statement, “I’m not going anywhere!” Sometimes we get so busy we forget to do this. Please help us to make this a priority. I pray that we both would have a strong desire to show each other affection, genuine affection in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Contributing as a team

Dear Lord, My husband and I usually work very well together, but we could always use a little improvement! Transform us into amazing teammates. Show us the benefits of working together as a team in our marriage and for Your kingdom. I pray that we both would live unselfishly and willing to help as needed. Help us not to complain with our words or our body language. I pray that we would have eyes to see each other needs before anyone has to say anything. I pray that our hearts would be filled with passion to try and meet those needs as best as possible. Remind us daily of our purpose and what we are living for. I pray that it would be a desire of both of ours to contribute as a team in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Admiring my Husband

Dear God, I love my husband. You have fitted us perfectly for each other. My husband is my best friend and I respect him so much. The problem is that sometimes I have a difficult time showing him my admiration. With the business of life, lack of energy, and forgetfulness, I rarely express my admiration for my husband. I desire that to change immediately! Please help me to remember to show my husband just how much I admire him. Help me to be creative and sincere about it! I pray that my husband would feel loved and cherished by me every single day. Thank You Lord for helping me in my marriage. You have transformed the way I love! I love You Lord and I hope that I can love my husband just as much as You do in Jesus’ name I pray AMEN!

Patience in Marriage

Dear Lord, Thank You for my husband. I am so blessed to have him in my life. I am so sorry that sometimes I am not patient with him. I snap at him when I get frustrated or overwhelmed and he doesn’t deserve that. I need to respect him by being patient with him. Please help me to have self-control in this area of my life. I pray for wisdom and I ask that you make me aware of having patience. Transform my heart O God, let me be a person of peace, full of joy and tranquility. I pray that every response towards my husband and others would be motivated by patience in Jesus’ name AMEN!

Getting Good Rest

Dear Lord, Thank You for today. Thank You for my life and for my husband’s life. Thank You also for all that You have given us. I know this is random, but thank You for our bed. Our bed has always been a safe place for me. Whenever I seem to have a rough day, just one glance at my bed reminds me that rest is on the horizon, sweet rest that replenishes my soul. I don’t want to take anything I have for granted, even my bed. I pray that no matter what happens in my marriage, our bed will always remain a safe place. A place of good rest, a place of intimacy, and a place that my husband and I can spend time in together to just relax. I pray for husbands and wives also, may You give them peace and lots of rest in Jesus’ name AMEN!