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8 Back to School Prayers for Parents
The wiry branches of our poplar tree nod in the breeze, and I brace myself for the coming change. These leaves will soon begin to wither beneath the late-summer heat. At the same time, our family will shift into new rhythms as another school year greets us. As I watch the poplar prepare for autumn, I pull out my list of back to school prayers for parents. I wrote these prayers a few years ago, and every year, I use these prayers to pray our kids into the new school year. Back to School Prayers for Parents May these prayers richly bless your family today and in the months to…
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5 Hope-Filled Prayers for Grieving Families
A few months ago, a family in our community endured a heart-wrenching loss. Every time I read updates about their painful journey, I felt like my heart was pierced, and tears flooded my eyes. At the culmination of their awful journey, I visited the Facebook page where they had been posting updates. As I read through the kind and encouraging words written by those who were supporting them, the pain of entering into their story was almost more than I could bear. I was about to close the Facebook page and move on to something different—mostly to assuage the torrent of emotions I was feeling—when a quiet voice whispered, “Stay.”…
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Scriptures to Speak Over Your Child: 8 Powerful Verses
Not long ago, one of our children was struggling with a challenging school year. As I aimed to help him navigate the difficult transition, I felt led to begin speaking biblical declarations over his life. Today, we’ll look at 8 powerful Scriptures to speak over your child as declarations. These declarations changed the trajectory of our child’s school year. I pray that they will bless your child as well. 8 Scriptures to Speak Over Your Child Speaking God’s Word as declarations over our children can lead forces in the heavenly realm to move. I encourage you to do more than simply read these verses; instead, speak these Scriptures out loud…
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14 Free Devotional Books to Help You Grow With God
Are you ready to develop a deeper, life-giving relationship with God? My vision is to provide tools to help you encounter him. For this reason, I have compiled a list of free devotional books to help you draw close to God’s heart. The first two books on this list are free as eBooks with the Kindle Unlimited plan (you can sign up for a free three-month trial if you do not have the plan) and also available to purchase in print. The remainder of the list is available to download for free with just one click. No plan is required. I pray these books help you connect with the tender…
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4 Back-to-School Prayers for the New School Year
A band of blue jays awakens the dawn with a cacophony of cackles. It’s early, and I’m not ready to begin the day. Nevertheless, I brew the coffee and gather the kids for devotions. We talk about going back to school and embracing the last days of summer. We offer our back-to-school prayers and pray for God’s peace to go before us into the new school year. As I process a dozen different scenarios for what this year might look like, I thank the Lord for going with us. The kids name their greatest fears, and we pray through an array of prayers that go something like this: Back-to-School Prayers…
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Radically Remake Your Prayer Life With This Simple Tool
It’s a foggy almost-winter morning as I join the other women at the table with my Bible and tall pink mug. We are here to dig into Scripture and talk about how to be consistent when we pray. I know my prayer life desperately needs an overhaul, but I’m too tired to come up with a reasonable plan for the remake. We take turns sipping our respective beverages and talking about what God is doing in our lives, and then the conversation turns to how to be more deliberate in prayer. How to Connect Your Prayer Life With Your Thought-Life And then it happens. The dear older woman sitting next…
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5 Kingdom Advancement Prayers for Our World
God’s kingdom is the realm in which he rules and reigns. His kingdom has come to earth in part, but we are all awaiting the day when Jesus returns and reigns in full. Until that time, we can join together in praying kingdom advancement prayers for the world. 5 Kingdom Advancement Prayers for the World Matthew 6:10 reads: “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus’ words lead us to consider: Just what does it look like to pray for his kingdom to come on earth? Undoubtedly, part of this prayer includes shifting from self-focused prayers to world-focused prayers. Reverend Newman Hall writes: “Man’s worship, apart from…
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How to Pray Powerful Prayers for Your Inner Circle
I watch our baby boy sleep across the room while rain streams down the sliding glass door. His eyelids flutter as he dreams, and I ask God to lead me as I aim to pray powerful prayers for this little one’s life. I’ve been juggling lately. I’ve been juggling this writing career, this calling to invest in younger women, and this calling to invest in my precious family. We each have our own kinds of juggling. We juggle careers, relationships, and self-care. Our quiet and hidden work often feels more humble than our public service. Meanwhile, the hidden service is often the most important work. And a vital part of…
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Start Praying for Your Children With This Life-Changing Prayer
The new school year always prompts me to be more intentional about praying for my kids as I send them into the world. If you can relate—if you want to be more consistent when it comes to praying for your children—this is for you today. I’ve been praying for my little ones for over a decade now. Over the years, I’ve discovered one powerful prayer that has changed the way I parent and the way I encourage my kids. Start Praying for Your Children Like This . . . Before I share the prayer I pray for my kids every single day, let me invite you into the evening God…
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8 Life-Changing Prayers for Your Kids
I recently wrote my kids’ names on the front of my prayer journal as a reminder to pray for them every day. Much to my frustration, I often stare at their names and draw a blank. If you’re like me, you want to pray powerful prayers for your kids, but sometimes you get stuck. How to Pray Life-Changing Prayers for Your Kids When I feel stuck, I pull out this list of eight life-changing prayers and pray from it. I originally wrote these Bible-based prayers at the start of a new school year, but now I pray them all year long. My hope is that these prayers will help you…
