Growing in Prayer

Last Monday afternoon Kristin brought our favorite Greek salads to Mom’s house and we sat around her kitchen table for the afternoon—you guessed it—talking. At our request (or more accurately, our pathetic pleading) Mom agreed to give us girls one day each year to help us evaluate our lives and get that "older woman” wisdom we so desperately need.

Don’t misunderstand--we call Mom for advice almost every day. But this day is special. It’s when we take time to evaluate our priorities and consider how we can grow in biblical womanhood over the coming year. We always begin with our relationship with God, for nothing serves our husbands and children more than a wife and mom who is consistently seeking God through His Word and prayer.

It is prayer that has always been a weakness for me. I suspect I’m not alone in this. But I’ve been inspired by the example of my husband and my mom as I’ve watched them grow in prayer; and I’ve been aided by the verses and prayers that others use.

My collection swelled this January as I added many verses to my prayer list. I have three people to thank for that.

1.    Our pastor, Mark Mullery, who preached a sermon from Ephesians 3:14-21 where he showed us two prayers we can pray for “any Christian at any time in any situation.”
2.    John Piper, who posted 9 Ways to Pray for Your Soul and linked to a past post by…
3.    John Bloom who presented a list of prayers for our children.

Add these verses to your collection and may many prayers for us and our loved ones reach our Heavenly Father’s throne this year.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.” Ephesians 3:20-21