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10 Spiritual Warfare Prayers for Such a Time as This
The spiritual climate surrounding us is becoming increasingly evil. As we aim to shine God’s light into this darkness, let’s not forget that spiritual forces move in response to our prayers. Today, we’ll join together in praying 10 spiritual warfare prayers for our personal lives and for the world around us. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free eBook to help you live in victory. 10 Spiritual Warfare Prayers At times, we might feel tempted to assume that our prayers don’t make an impact on the world around us, but this is not true. A friend recently reminded me that some parts of God’s…
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10 Prayers for Teachers This School Year
Over the years, the end of August has always marked the beginning of the new school year, a time filled with expectant prayers for teachers and students. Twenty years ago, this time of year meant something very different to me than it does now. As a high school teacher, this season was filled with anticipation as I prepared my classroom for a new year. Now that I’m no longer working in a classroom, the anticipation is different. As a mom, I scramble to make sure everyone in the house has what they need for the new year. The boys need at least a handful of unstained, untorn T-shirts, and we’ll…
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Persevere in Prayer: A Simple Tip for a More Consistent Prayer Life
I was 22 years old, full of dreamy ideals, and fresh out of college when I became the Life Skills Support Special Education teacher in a small-town public high school. I had visions for planning engaging lesson plans and teaching my students to thrive in the world. A month into my new career, I vividly remember sitting in the classroom at the end of a grueling day, wiping the tears from my eyes, and wondering how in the world I was going to force myself to return to the classroom the next day. Nothing about my job was going according to my plans. I spent most of my time trying…
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What Happens When We Pray: 8 Benefits of Heartfelt Prayer
Twilight finds me in a stand of hardwoods, and I watch the canopy flourish in the evening’s marigold glow. I’ve come to the woods to talk to God. As I sit beneath a towering oak, I remind myself of what happens when we pray. What Happens When We Pray I spent the first part of my life believing that prayer was a way of getting God to do things for me. As I grew in my spiritual life, I learned that prayer is about cultivating a relationship more than making requests. Perhaps you need this reminder today as well. Let’s take a closer look at what actually happens when we…
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7 Kingdom Prayers for Our Nation and the World
A few years ago, a friend challenged me to change how I prayed. She shared her journey of learning to pray kingdom prayers in addition to praying for her personal needs. This way of praying has radically shifted my focus. The need for God’s people to rise in a global prayer movement has seldom been more apparent. Today, I’m sharing seven kingdom prayers to pray over our nation and our spheres of influence. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free eBook to guide you in seven days of praying for our world. 7 Kingdom Prayers for the World Matthew 6:10 reads: “Thy kingdom come…
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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. I invite you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God and experience his love. 8 Scriptures to Speak Over Your Child Speaking God’s Word as declarations over our…
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17 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 four 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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7 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. Back-to-School Prayers 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 their fears. Later in the day, I put together…
