7 Mountain Moving Prayers to Pray for Your Kids

My daily prayers for my kids have become rote.

My consistent plea is, "Lord draw each one of my kids to yourself. Give them a hunger for your Word, a thirst for worship, and a desire to make you smile." 

Not a bad prayer. I just pray it a lot. I'm bored. I wonder if God is a little weary too. My prayer life sounds like blah, blah, blah. Clang, clang, clang.  It's time to change it up. Refresh my requests.

I want to pray bold and effective prayers.

I want to pray war room prayers.

I want to pray mountain moving prayers.

This week my petitions to my great big God will focus on the heart; on character traits to be developed or deepened in my loved ones and in myself. I'm committed to no more clanging.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love,
I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love,
I  am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Without love for others or for God, we are only an annoying gong. Clang, Clang, Clang. We are nothing and we gain nothing. No matter our intelligence, natural talents or spiritual gifts, and even self-sacrifice. 

Here are my short yet big supernatural love prayers for this week inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.

Monday

Sovereign Lord, Give _____opportunities to develop patience. Let my child (or me) wrestle with tenacity through life's challenges in order to learn how to lean on, trust, and hope in you.

Tuesday

Father, Teach _____ how to love and respond in kindness even in the face of disagreement or adversity. Train him or her (or me) how to listen, discuss, and maintain convictions while demonstrating gentleness and respect.

Wednesday 

Provider God, Allow ________ to discover a grateful heart leads to contentment in all circumstances. When life isn't going well, I ask that you show ______ that satisfaction rests not in the external but in the eternal. When life is going well I pray that, with a heart of thankfulness,  _______ gives you all honor and praise.

Thursday

Lord Jesus, Give_____ an a ability to accurately assess his or her strengths and weaknesses.Create a generous spirit in _______ that will encourage and raise another up. Move _______to share credit with others and give you glory.

Friday

Heavenly Father, Un-clench my (or fill in the blank) fists of selfishness. Open my (or her or his) hand and heart to those who may need or benefit from ________ time, treasure, or talents.

Saturday

My King, Forgiveness is not beneath you. It is you. Release ______ from any bonds of pride or bitterness so _____ can be fee to love and worship. Replace the unforgiving prideful heart with one that is graced with humility, repentance, and reconciliation.

Sunday

Lord, I pray_______ loves the things you love and hates the things you hate. Open ______ ears to hear that still small voice.Give him or her  wisdom to understand truth. Give _______ (or me) the will to live by your words and follow your way. Give _____ the discernment to identify true truth from emotion driven belief.

Love never fails. 

Amen and Amen.

with faith, hope, and love,
Lori Wildenberg

If you would like ideas on how to parent with love, the 1 Corinthians 13 type of love, you will want to head over to Amazon and get Raising Little Kids with Big Love ( toddler-eight)  or Raising Big Kids with Supernatural Love. (tween- young adult)

http://www.1Corinthians13Parenting.com

Lori will be speaking at the HeartCORe Family Conference in Minneapolis, November 14, 2015. Join her, Becky Danielson, and four members of the 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting team.
Click here for more information.

A Hurting Parent's Prayer

Exhaustion. 

It's part of the parenting experience. Little ones challenge us physically and emotionally.

And... older kids stretch us  physiologically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

Neither stage is perfectly smooth or easy. 

 But... God is faithful in the strife and struggle. 

Even though there are times it doesn't feel like it, he has perfectly chosen and equipped you and me to be our child's parent.

Many parents of tweens, teens, and young adults are perplexed by the issues their kids are facing or by things in which they  choose to participate. ( I have had my share of surprises. ) 

It is puzzling, when your formerly obedient child begins to change the rules and do the unexpected. 

It is during the challenges, the unexpected situations, and in the pain that I have prayed a prayer I crafted from Psalm 118.

I have shared this with many hurting moms and dads in my parenting courses. 

For me, God has used this psalm to bring  me out of the pit and back to the battle; a battle fought on my knees spurred on by hope.

If you are in the muck of disappointment, the mire of despair, or the pit of depression due to your young person's choices, I know this prayer will encourage and empower you to move forward and trust God.  

At first, just to get out of bed, I would repeat, "This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."  That worked for a bit. Then honestly, I felt— annoyed. 

Until... God moved me to read Psalm 118 in its entirety. 

Check it out! David isn't  having a worship and praise fest. He is smack dab in the middle of a battle. A fight that looks mighty bleak! 

Yet he  preemptively praises. 

No matter the bleak circumstances, he expects deliverance.

Against all odds he counts on a victory.

He prays this while he is surrounded  by his enemies.  

Okay, now this is a psalm that speaks to  my heart.  This is a psalm I can relate to. This is a psalm I can pray. 

David, the psalmist, speaks my struggle and...knows my God! 

Psalm 118 

Lord God, I give you thanks God, you are good and your loves endures forever for me and (insert your child's name). Let my whole family say , your love endures forever. You know I am in anguish, I am crying out to you, Lord. Answer me, set me free, set my child free. I know you are with me. I know you are with my child. I will not be afraid! You are my helper. I will look in triumph at (insert the issue here). I take refuge in you. I trust you. I am surrounded on every side. My child is surrounded on every side. But you will cut  (the concern) off. I have been pushed back, about to fall but you Lord are my strength, my song, my salvation. You have done and will do mighty things! I will NOT die, my child will not die. I will proclaim what you have done!  I will give you thanks. This is the day you have made and I will give thanks and be glad in it. Save my child. Shine your light upon this family. I give you thanks. Your love endures forever.  Amen

Rather than wringing our hands, let's fold them. And.. let's not forget, we (and our young person) are loved by our good and great God. We can't make him love us (or our kiddo) any less or any more by the things we do or don't do. 

I  pray this helps you, if you are in a difficult spot with your child or young adult. Hang in there. God is with you. He tells us he is! 

I'd love to hear a prayer you pray when you are in a hard parenting place.  

Lori Wildenberg

Co-founder of 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting, co-author of three parenting books.  Contact Lori for your next speaking engagement.

By,

Join Lori, Becky, and the the 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting team in Mpls, Nov. 14 for the HeartCORe Conference. Click here for more information.   

If you are the parent of a tween to young adult and found this post helpful, head over to Amazon and get Raising Big Kids with Supernatural Love. 

http://www.1Corinthisan13Parenting.com

Praying Upside Down

Confession: I'm not creative.

This is no secret.
 I can't sew, crochet, or knit.

If one of our kids wants something patched up,Tom is their go to person.

When I was job sharing a third grade classroom,  my teaching partner, Beret, was the perfect counterpart.

She was all right-brain.
Me all left brain.
We decided that together we made for one really great teacher.

Becky's (my ministry partner) home could be on the front cover of Better Homes and Gardens. Her backyard could be in the center spread.

My garden... Tom replaced with sod. It just wasn't my bag!

I can't draw or paint.
But... I do like the cocktails and canvas painting classes. And...I actually leave with a real piece of artwork!

I felt intimated and yet intrigued by the book, Praying Upside Down: A Creative Prayer Experience to Transform Your Time with God by Kelly O'Dell Stanley.

"I like to pray upside down" are Kelly's first six words.

Not intimidating, inviting. She drew me in.  I wanted to know more.

She's creative in her approach but logical in her presentation, just like the cocktails and canvas instructors. I began to feel like I could pray outside of the box, upside down.

 I was challenged to redirect my repetitive prayers. Kelly gives the example of praying for her home to sell. She prayed it over and over. God seemed unmoved. But then she heard, "Pray for her." Kelly knew she was to pray for the buyer of the home.

She prayed upside down.

If you are a creative soul, you will love this book. If you are more concrete, you will see prayer in a whole new light.

Click here to link to Amazon. 
Also...if you leave a comment your name will be entered into a drawing for a free Praying Upside Down book from Kelly!  

With faith, hope, and love,
Lori

A Mom on a Mission (Plus Give-Away)

A Mom on a Mission 

from  Matthew 15:21-28 (Plus Give-Away)

The anonymous Canaanite woman knew what she wanted. She knew only he could answer her prayer. She was determined to have her request granted. She was persistent.

She was a mom on a mission.

Her name isn’t given, but it doesn’t need to be because…she is every mother. She is you. She is me.

“Lord, son of David, have mercy on me!” She cried out.

She was in agony. Like any mama, she was physically experiencing her child’s misery. “My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” Or… “My child is suffering terribly from a broken relationship, an illness, an injury….”

She would not be discouraged or dissuaded, even though the disciples urged The Lord to send her away. At the very least, this Gentile woman was distracting, annoying. The men whined, “She keeps crying after us.” That motley crew of twelve was not going to get in her way.  (Never mess with a determined mother.) She knew who and what she needed. This mom persisted in her humble and honest cries that come from a broken heart.

But Jesus…he was quiet.

Isn’t that the hardest part? We cry out, beg, chase after him on behalf of our children…and he is quiet. She needed what only Jesus could provide. She was not about to leave his presence empty-handed.

Even when Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” she didn’t give up. Instead of tossing her arms in the air and stomping off, she came closer and knelt before him.

“Lord, help me!”  She knew with him, nothing was impossible.

“It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” He continued to test her faith.

“Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” She continued to respond with tenacity and in spite of the circumstances…even a little spunk!

“Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” The Lord healed her daughter that very hour.

I believe the unnamed Canaanite woman’s faith and the disciples’ faith strengthened at that time as well.

Having faith when things are difficult is …well…difficult. I’ve been there. I suspect I’ll be there again. When my children hurt, I hurt.  Like the Canaanite mother, I want to pursue Jesus and to be near him when I persistently petition on my kids’ behalf. And like the Canaanite mom— I know I will be heard, I may need to wait and I will definitely need to trust. 

And while I wrestle in prayer my faith will deepen in the waiting and persevering space.

by,
Lori Wildenberg 

About the 1 Corinthians 13 Parent Series:

In 1 Corinthians 13, there are 15 different attributes of love. My co-author, Becky Danielson and I have written two books focused on living and raising kids with these attributes; one book for parents of toddlers to nine-years-old (Raising Little Kids with Big Love) and one for parents of tweens-young adults (Raising Big Kids with Supernatural Love)  . These books were recently published and can be found on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble.

This month we are launching our book series and Sharing the LOVE by offering over $400 worth of prizes. To be eligible for the free gifts: books, jewelry, or parent coaching just leave a comment on this blog or on any 1Corinthians13Parenting.com post during the month of February. 

Walking and Talking Legacy

Hear , O Israel: 

The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when  you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands ad bind them in your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and your gates. 

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NIV)

What would you say to the most important people in your life if you knew this would be the last time they heard from you? Would you talk about the weather, sports, or work? Most likely not. You would talk about the most important things in life like family traditions you want them to carry on, words of wisdom you want them to recall, and you would provide direction for the future. You would want them to be prepared going forward.  Impactful messages that had lasting and eternal value would be the ones you would want to communicate.  

Just like Moses did with the Israelites before they were going to cross over the Jordan into Canaan... without him. 

 Deuteronomy is Moses’ farewell speech. He had been on a journey of forty years with the Israelites, a journey from Egypt to Canaan that could have taken eleven days if one was to calculate the distance.  But due to the condition of the Israelites’ hearts, preparation was needed to live in the land of milk and honey. 

Moses’ final words remind the people of their history and what God had done for them. Moses reviews the principles for godly living; he calls the people to commitment and to obedience to the LORD, and prepares them  for a change in leadership.

  

Just like Moses, leaving a legacy of faith is important to most Christian parents. We want our kids to be spiritually strong. 

Last words carry weight but the real faith strengthening comes in the daily repeated messages that dads and moms send their children.

“I was born out of a sexually immoral relationship, but worse than that I never received the instruction and guidance that I would need later in life to protect myself. Instead my dad would crack casual remarks about an attractive woman who might be nearby instead of teaching me respect for her. He would tell me inappropriate jokes and was rarely serious about any sort of life issue. Now that I look back at my childhood I see that my dad was more of a “buddy” or a “hangout friend” than a father. I was completely unprepared for my adolescent and young adult years and I fell hard.”  (Used by permission. A Father’s Walk, Matt Haviland, 2012, Grand Rapids, Michigan. All rights reserved.)

  

Moses exhorts the Israelite parents to take his last words and live them out daily, informally, and intentionally. "Talk about them when you sit at home and when  you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." 

He tells parents to talk, discuss, exchange thoughts, have conversations about faith in the context of relationship. Hang out and talk about God. No matter the time of day or place have these important faith building conversations with your children. Talk with them about what you believe. 

 How do you meld your faith-talk and faith-walk into your family’s daily life?

  

As your children grow, how do you encourage the transition from dependence on you, the parent, to personal responsibility and dependence on God?

 Prayer: 

Lord your word says, “Fathers do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” I pray that I do not embitter my children with unreasonable expectations. Help me to remember that children will behave in child-like ways. I pray that I am able to see where my children need to be built up and encouraged. I ask that the correction I deliver comes from a place of love and hope rather than condemnation and rejection.  Amen

(Friends, You may want to checkout my friend and 1C13P team member, Matt Haviland's book, 

A Father's Walk . Go to www.afatherswalk.org )

Pass along your faith stories this Thanksgiving while passing the gravy! Have a wonderful and meaningful Thanksgiving. 

~Lori

How to Pray the Scriptures

Did you know the only training type request the disciples had for Jesus was, "Teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1)? Even the disciples struggled with prayer. Jesus then taught his followers the prayer we have come to know as the Lord's prayer.

Scripture is filled with prayers of the faithful, in both the Old and New Testaments. Prayers of petition, confession, thanksgiving, and worship.

One of the best ways to pray is to take a passage from Scripture and turn it into a prayer.

Here are a few typical parent prayers for your kids:

A Prayer for Salvation based on 2 Peter 3:9

Lord,
I know that You are a promise keeper. You fulfill your promises in in Your perfect time. You are patient with (child's name) , and you do not want him or her to perish. You desire to have my child come to repentance. Please draw (name) to yourself. Amen

A Prayer for Spiritual Passion and Protection based on Psalm 119:10-11, 89, 97,99, 103, 105,106 

Father,
Give my child a desire to seek You with all his/her heart. Place your word in (name) heart and mind. Your word is eternal, Lord. Draw (name) to Your word and stir a passion in him/her to mediate on your statutes. I ask that Your words become sweeter than honey to my child's mouth. Let Your word be a lamp unto (name) feet and a light onto his/her path. Amen

A Prayer for Character Development based on Philippians 1:9-11

God,
I pray that (name) love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that he/ she is able to discern what is best, pure, and blameless. Fill (name) with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ. Amen

Pray God's word back to him. His word is powerful. His promises are true.

What are your favorite prayers that you have crafted from the Bible for your kids? 

With faith, hope, and love,
Lori Wildenberg
co-founder of 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting 
author, speaker, licensed parent and family educator
Contact Lori for your next event, parent workshop, or parent consulting.
LIKE 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting on Facebook

Holy Week Prayer

Holy week is here. In keeping with the tradition of my blog, 

here is a poem and prayer from my dad.  

Have a beautiful and blessed Easter.
~Lori

Dear Jesus,

That day is fast approaching

There is no place to hide.

That day filled with your suffering

My tears well up inside.

It happened on a Friday

How can we call it good?

When you obeyed our Father’s way

Upon the cross of unyielding wood.

Now your cross is my cross

I feel your awful agony.

The thorns, the nails, the total loss

Upon that bitter tree.

But Jesus I must now recall

That you really died for me.

You  gave your very life your all

To bring our Easter victory.

******

……Rockman, Lent 1994

Miss you Pops.

~Lori

Eternal Moments The Power of Prayer

For the last two months my Eternal Moments blog has been focused on the power of prayer : What it is, why we pray, how do we pray, what do we pray for, how does God answer, and finally how does the enemy prevent prayer.

Here are the links in case you missed any of the posts in the Power of Prayer series: 

1. What is the deal with prayer?
2. Why pray?
3. What is the perfect prayer posture?
4. What's the best say to pray?
5. 7 Different Types of Prayers
6. What should I pray for?
7. God's 3 Answers to Prayer.
8. How does the enemy prevent prayer?

For the upcoming weeks we will be looking at the power of love. We will take a close look at relationships.
The series will begin April 21st with a special Holy Week prayer from my dad on April 14th.

With faith, hope,and love,
Lori

How does the enemy prevent prayer?

How does the enemy prevent prayer?

Well...mostly he doesn't. He lets us think we are going to pray. Then he brings in the 5 Big "Ds".

We talk about it. "I will pray for you." "I'm going to pray about that." 

We think about it. We have good intentions. But...good intentions are nothing if they don't manifest into an action.

But...do we do it?

"Oh, yes, I need to remember to pray about that."  Delay.

"I meant to pray about that, but somehow it slipped my mind." Distraction.

"I'm so frustrated ..what good will prayer do?" Discouragement.

"What can I do for you besides just praying?" Deception.

"I'm so depressed I can't pray." Despair.

Delay, distraction, discouragement, deception, despair. 

I fall into every one of those categories. The enemy hardly has to work at all. I  just may be easy prey.

I don't want to be prey...I want to pray. 

So here a few ways I have found to avoid being easy  prayer prey.

1. Delay: Do it now. Rather than say, "I will pray for you." Say, "May I pray for you now?"

2. Distraction: Write down your ideas for prayer. Then pray off your list. Or if you hear a voice saying, "You are too busy right now. Do it later." Agree and say, "Yes I am too busy. That's why I will do it right now."

3. Discouragement: Make a pact with yourself to pray through the frustration. Honestly express your discouragement to the Lord. And pray for someone else. This will help get your mind off your current problem. Remember, our help comes from the Lord.

4. Deception: Prayer is the most important thing we can do. That it why it is so hard to do! Prayer is the greater work as Oswald Chambers has said.

5. Despair: First thing, before getting out of bed, pray. Start by praying God's attributes so you remember who God is in the midst of your storm. He is WAY bigger than anything you or I may be facing. Trust. If you are in a really bad, depressed place, be confident- the spirit is praying on your behalf.

No matter what Big D is getting in your way, don't fall prey. Pray.

God heard them for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place. 

2 Chronicles 30:27 

When do you struggle with prayer? What do you do about it? 


With faith, hope, and love,
Lori


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God's 3 Answers to Prayer

Today I had to say, no. I don't like saying no to my kids. I want to be a part of giving them their hearts desires.

God feels the same way.

And like us, He answers His children in three ways:

• Yes.
• Not yet. 
• I've got something better. (In other words, no)

We like yes. 
Hannah got a yes when she prayed to have a child.(1 Samuel 1:26-28)

We don't like to wait.
Waiting can look like a no.(Sometimes I think waiting is worse than, the no) So why might we get a NOT yet? Well maybe we have some work to do. We might not be ready in terms of our attitude, associations, assets ( our financial situation), location, or emotional state, etc. We may have some work to do before that request is granted Or it may be that what we have prayed for isn't  ready...yet.( 2 Chronicles 7:14)

And we really don't like getting a no. 
So when I pray for my hearts desires, pray in God's will and I don't get my fast food yes I can become frustrated with God. He seems to be holding back. I want to ask ,WHY? I know I most likely will not get an answer so I need to rely on what I do know. Jesus even got a no, Matthew 26:39.

• I have a GREAT God.
• I have a Good God. 
• And my GREAT and Good God loves me. 

Trust. I must trust in the wisdom of his no because he loves me even more that I can imagine.
And at the end of the day what I really want is God's best for me ...because it is God's best. 

My Heavenly Father knows best. 

Though it linger, wait for it; it will surely come and will not delay. 

Habakkuk 2:3b

How do you deal with the not yets and something better answers to prayer? 

With faith, hope, and love,
Lori

What should I pray for?

Patience. Isn't that the common theme of prayers prayed by moms and dads?

"Lord give me patience as I raise my children." 

Or the more frustrated Adamish version: "Lord provide patience as I raise these kids You gave me" (see Genesis 3:12).

Maybe there is another way to go when praying for and about our families.

If we really want to know what to pray for and how to pray effectively for those things, a connection between our prayers and our reading of the Bible is critical. 

Prayer inspiration is directly related to reading God's inspired word. 

Mediating on scripture is the best pre-prayer exercise. Pondering and thinking about God's word stretches our understanding of who God is and strengthens our resolve to pray boldly and specifically.

So...let's start with what we shouldn't pray for:

1. Praying for anything outside of God's will and word, will get you a no for sure and it may not even get you an audience with the King of Kings.

2. Praying with wrong motives, the selfish all about me types of prayers. 

Demanding things from God as if  He is a spiritual vending machine.

3. Praying for personal pleasure or happiness that is derived from something other than God (positions, possessions, power, prestige, pleasure) with the goal of glorifying ones self rather than the Lord.  

And even when you do ask you don't get it

because your whole aim is wrong- you want only what will give you pleasure.
James 4:3 TLB  
 

When we pray, God cares about our motives. Are we moved to pray due to our love for the Lord and our love for others?

Here are five ideas on what to pray for when praying for your child: 

1. The 5 Ps: 

A passion for the Lord. God's purpose to be fulfilled in your child's life. For peers and a future partner who know the Lord and will draw your child closer to Him rather than further from him. Purity in thought and action (Or renewed purity. It is never too late!) 

2. A Replacement Prayer: 

We always know what we don't want but can't always identify what we do want. Pray the Lord replaces the thing you would like extinguished with God-honoring behavior or thought: Father, please replace my child's feeling of unworthiness with a knowledge of how much You love and value Him. 

3. The Busted Prayer (Kids hate this one.) 

Lord, I pray You give me eyes to see and ears to hear what is going on in my child's life. When he steps off the path You have for him, I pray this behavior and my child's heart condition come to light. 

4. The Crop Failure Prayer

"God, my child has wandered off from our family and from You. I pray any ungodly activity he is involved in leaves him empty and unsatisfied. I ask that you give him a desire to fill that emptiness with You. I pray the things he has sown he will not reap." 

5. The I Blew It Prayer (Parents love this one!)
"Lord, I confess I have made a mess of this situation. Please forgive me. I ask that you turn my mistakes into a blessing because you are not hindered by my failures as a parent. You can work all things to the good for those who love you."  

Pray earnestly. Pray expectantly. Pray big. 
 

When praying for your kids, what do you pray for?

Faith, hope, and love,

Lori

www.loriwildenberg.com

www.1Corinthians13Parenting.com

7 Different Types of Prayers

Did you know there are a lot more prayers than just the typical the prayers of  request and thanks? Just like a parent, God isn't opposed to hearing prayers of supplication. And just like a parent, he appreciates prayers of thankfulness. Not because he NEEDS thanks but because those prayers demonstrate the beautiful  character quality of gratefulness.

God wants to hear from us. Just as we want to hear from our kids.

He wants to know the desires of our heart. Just like we want to know our children's hearts desires.

But... to have a full and fulfilling relationship with the Creator of the Universe, we need to move beyond the It's all about me prayers. (I guess that is growing up.)

In addition to the common prayers of supplication and the typical dinner time Thank you prayers are at least five other types of petitions and conversations with God. (I'm sure you could find more.)

1. The Prayer of Intercession
This type of prayer is on behalf of another. In John 17: 6-26 Jesus prays for his disciples and for all believers! He asks God for their protection from the evil one and for their sanctification (daily growth in holiness because of knowing truth). He also prays for the believers' unity and eternal life.
We understand the protection piece and even the sanctification part but why unity of the saints?
The purpose of like-mindedness is to let the world know Jesus was sent by God and he has loved them as God has loved him. The Lord desires that all will know him and come to him. The message is much more powerful  if it is done in the spirit of unity. God's heart desire is that no one will perish.
So intercede like Jesus and pray for other believers protection and sanctification and for non-believers to see, hear, and come to Jesus.

2. The Prayer of Contrition
This is a personal prayer demonstrating our human need for forgiveness and mercy. When a prayer of contrition is spoken it contains words that communicate a broken heart due to an understanding of who we are before a holy God.  We all fall short of the glory of God but we don't often see it. We think we are "good" person. This prayer knocks pride right off its throne. A contrite heart shows the humility and wisdom gained by an  understanding of  who we are in relation to God. This prayer is one that moves in the heart of the believer to desire to be more like Jesus. Read Psalm 15 and see who can dwell the Lord's sanctuary. We can only enter due to what Jesus has done for us on the cross.

Blessed is the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3   

3. The Prayer of Worship

Prayer as worship? Yes! This prayer recognizes who God is.  You may even call it a praise prayer or a prayer of adoration.

The shepherds prayed like this after a pretty crazy, terrifying, and amazing night when the angel of the Lord appeared  and spoke to them, they saw and heard a great company of angels bursting onto song, and then they went to see Jesus.  The shepherds glorified and praised God for all the things they had heard and seen (Luke 2:8-20).

  

You can do that too. Praise him for how he has moved in your life, praise him for who he is. Pray his attributes: Almighty, All powerful, All knowing, etc. 

When we pray like this we see how big God is and our troubles shrink in comparison to our big God. 

4. A Prayer of Consecration

God is able. He can. With him nothing is impossible . A prayer of  dedication or consecration is like the part in the Lord's prayer where we say, "May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This is the place where a believer's faith and trust in a trustworthy and faithful God for his plans to come to fruition, his way. This prayer is bold and expectant. Jesus prayed like this in the garden. Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done" (Luke 22: 41-42). These words  submit to the Lord's will and way. 

5. The Warfare Prayer or the Authoritative Prayer.

Remember when Jesus said," Get behind me, Satan" (Mark 8:33)?  A battle cry needs to be uttered in and only in the authority of Jesus. This type of prayer only works if it lines up with in God's system, His Word and His laws. We can't pray this type of prayer haphazardly or carelessly. Even the arch-angel Michael didn't accuse the devil when disputing over the body of Moses Instead he said, "The Lord rebuke you"  (Jude 9).  So when you find yourself in the midst of  spiritual warfare always pray in the name of Jesus Christ, making sure your prayer is aligned with God's word and law.

After researching the types of prayer for this blog post, I feel convicted that my prayer life is not nearly as vibrant as it could be.  I feel challenged to pray bigger and pray differently. 

Will you join me?

Prayer is powerful because of the One to whom we pray.

With big faith, hope, and love,

Lori

www.loriwildenberg.com

www.1Corinthians13Parenting.com

What's the Best Way to Pray?

The Bible has  plenty to say about the best way to pray! So there actually are more effective ways to talk to God!

In Jeremiah 15:1,  Moses and Samuel are singled out by the Lord as effective prayer warriors , it appears because of the way they lived their lives. (I'm not a theologian so I would suggest be like the Bereans and check my conclusion out!)

In Proverbs 28: 9, The Lord states,  "if anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable. "  It sounds to me like God definitely has an opinion on prayer.

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16c).

There seems to be a deep correlation between our prayers and the way we live our lives. Maybe it's because if we have a heart for what the Lord loves and hates, it seems likely that we pray more according to his will (not ours). In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus offered up a prayer of reverent submission, "May your will be done." When we pray Your will be done...that is an effective and powerful prayer which lines up with God's purposes and plans.

Heartfelt and authentic prayers and petitions are referenced through out scripture: Abraham praying for his infertile wife (Genesis 15:1-4), the cries of the Israelites in bondage in Egypt ( Exodus 3:7), Moses going back and forth with the Lord about his ability (or lack of) to lead the people ( Exodus 3:1-4:7), and Hannah's prayer for a baby (1 Samuel 1:10). Real life issues, real life concerns.

Bringing our honest, raw emotions to the Lord is, as Amy Grant sings is, "Better than a hallelujah."

We want to train our kids to pray, so let's train them to pray real prayers. Not pious petitions with fancy Christian-ease. But to use normal lingo and pray according to God's will.

The best way to pray is to be REAL. The best way to be heard to is pray according to the Father's will. 

And one little tip for those of you with little ones: Short prayer for short people! 

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans,

 for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

Matthew 6: 7 

Faith, hope, and love,
Lori Wildenberg
www.loriwildenberg.com
www.1Corinthians13Parenting.com

What's the Perfect Prayer Posture?

Kids love choices! When it come to prayer, there are lots of options. There is no set way to pray. Prayer is as unique as the individuals doing the praying.

Scripture shows us many different prayer postures. We don't always have to fold our hands, close our eyes and bow our heads. 

We can: 

Stand, sit, kneel, lay down. 

Fold hands, open palms, or raise arms. 

Sing, cry, shout, or whisper.

Close our eyes or lift our eyes.

Pray in secret, pray with another, pray in community.

Okay so then you ask, "When should we encourage prayer?"

Praying with your  kids before a meal or before bed are great ways to introduce prayer. But prayer isn't only for those times. We can pray in the morning, during the day, before a test, and sometimes God even wakes a person up to pray. 

Prayer is for :

Any time...WAIT! Better yet... all times!

And any place (of course unless a person is showing off! Matthew 6:5-7)

Prayer is between each person and the Father. The most important position to have is one of abiding in the Lord, resting in him. 

When approaching God in prayer,the heart position of humility and trust is the one to have! Otherwise we are free to choose the time, way, and place!

God is near to us whenever we pray to him. 

Deuteronomy 4:7 

Faith, hope, and love, 

Lori Wildenberg

www.loriwildenberg.com

www.1Corinthians13Parenting.com

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