7 Prayers That Work

Dear Lord, Thank you for the beauty of the four seasons and for the privilege of living in a place that experiences all of them. Today is the first day of spring. Of course, it's raining. But that's okay. Rain is the evidence that you are working in the world, that you are changing, growing, and creating new things, even the predictable flowers like daffodils and crocuses and the less-predictable flowers like tulips (why don't mine come up more than once?). You bring deer into my yard to rest. You paint breath-taking sunsets across the horizon in the evening. The cherry and pear trees are bursting with white and pink, cheerful and radiant. The world smells of earth and grass and mulch. Clean, fresh, and vibrant. Why do you take the trouble with colorful details? Because you long to reveal yourself to us. Your blessings are new every morning. You love to remind us that you are constant and yet inventive. Your creation is not thwarted by our neglec

Get out your tissues. I'm sharing one of the all-time greatest duets, which happens also to be a prayer. It's a prayer about losing your way, finding grace in God's love, and leaning on Him when you don't know what to do. So it applies to pretty much to any situation. Here you go-- " The Prayer " sung by Celine Dion and Josh Groban I pray You'll be our eyes And watch us where we go And help us to be wise In times when we don't know Let this be our prayer When we lose our way Lead us to a place Guide us with Your Grace Give us faith so we'll be safe La luce che to dai I pray we'll find your light Nel cuore restero And hold it in our hearts A ricordarchi che When stars go out each night L'eterna stella sei Oh, ho Nella mia preghiera Let this be our prayer Quanta fede c'e When shadows fill our day Lead us to a place Guide us with Your Grace Give us faith so we'll be safe Sognamo un mondo senza pi

Dear Heavenly Father, Give me opportunities to have meaningful conversations with my children. Help me to pray first, then listen, then encourage and support before I correct or teach. Help me love them how you love them, how you love me. You are always supporting, always encouraging, always careful, always present. You are an amazing Father. I want to support what you are already doing in their hearts and in their lives. Convict them of their sin. Encourage them in their spiritual growth. Answer their prayers. Bless their lives. I don't want to interfere with the Holy Spirit by trying to be another Holy Spirit. That's not my job. It's yours. My job is to point them to you, no matter what age they are. Live in me. I surrender to your will in my life. Live through me. I defer to your plans for my children. Live in my kids. I trust that you will lead them as they follow you, and when they don't follow you, I trust that you will loving

Dear Lord, You are writing a story with my life. I know that, but I often forget that my story is actually a tool to tell your story. You're writing your story on my life so people who don't know you will see what love looks like through me. I'm blowing this. How much am I confusing the telling of your story? Are the pages of my life so focused on me and what will happen to me and what has happened to me that your message is blurred? Lord, show me where I'm interrupting the story you want to write on me. I know you've called me. I've hard the sermons and read the Bible verses about calling and surrender. It's just that sometimes, I don't know what you're calling me to. I see what I can do and what I want to do, but I don't understand what's taking you so long to use me for something significant. This is idolatry, and I confess it to you. This is greed, fear, and selfishness. This is me thinking that your gifts are