Writing a Prayer

I've been inspired and challenged by Brooke to pray a prayer each day for my children and my husband.   I've always had a verse chosen that represented my prayer for them as they grow. But, I've never considered writing a prayer I would pray for them, each day, that would include a biblical direction, washing them over in the word, and sending them along life's path covered by God's grace.  To pray a prayer for their hearts would be my greatest pleasure.  For this year I've chosen to borrow Brooke's prayers and cover my home with God's perfect word.

For my Children:

“Lord, You alone change hearts of stone, to hearts of flesh.  Place Your  Spirit within my children and cause them to walk in Your statutes and  to be careful to obey Your rules.  For You know the plans You have for  them; plans to prosper them and not to harm them, to give them a future  and a hope.  Let them fear You Lord, and thus have a foundation for  wisdom and a heart for instruction. Let them receive wisdom and incline  their hearts to understanding.  Help them not to lean on their own  limited understanding, but in all their ways to acknowledge You so that  their paths will be straight.  Protect them from walking in the counsel  of the wicked and standing in the way of sinners, but lead them to  delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night. May  they abide in the shadow of the Almighty and not fear the terror by  night.  May they walk by the Spirit and not gratify the desires of the  flesh.  Instead, may they be filled with love, joy, peace, patience,  kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  May  their minds and thoughts be fixed on whatever is true, honorable, just,  pure, lovely, commendable, anything worthy of praise.  May they not be  conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewal of their minds.   May they discern the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.  May  their love be genuine.  May they abhor what is evil; hold fast to what  is good.  May they love one another with brotherly affection, outdoing  one another in honor.  May they do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but  in humility count others more significant than themselves.  May they lie  down and sleep in peace; for You alone, O Lord, make them to dwell in  safety.  Bless them Lord, and keep them, and make Your face shine upon  them…and be gracious to them.”

(Scripture references: Ezekiel 36:26-27, Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 2,   Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 1:3, Psalm 91, Galatians 5:16&22, Philippians   4:8, Romans 12:2, Romans 12:9-10, Psalm 4:8, Numbers 6:24).

For my Husband: 

“Lord, create in my husband a clean heart and renew a right  spirit within him. Help him to abide in You and You in him.  Turn his  heart toward his children and the hearts of his children to him.  Thank  you for Him Lord. For allowing me to rest in Your provision of him as my  husband.  May he desire to be like You; merciful and gracious, slow to  anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.  As he believes  in You, may he be established.  Continue to empower him to do justice,  to love kindness and to walk humbly with his God.  I give thanks for him  lord, and pray that You would give him a spirit of wisdom and of  revelation, that he may always know what is the hope to which he has  been called, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the  saints and what is the immeasurable greatness of Your power toward your  believers.  Let him deny himself and take up his cross daily to follow  You.  May Christ dwell richly in his heart through faith.  May he, being  rooted and grounded in love, have strength with all the saints to  comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to  know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.  May Your grace be  sufficient for him and Your power made perfect in his weakness.  May he  walk not in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners,  but rather delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and  night.  Answer him when he calls, O God, be gracious and hear his  prayers.  Let him take refuge in You and give thanks to You with his  whole heart.  May he recount all of Your wonderful deeds, be glad and  exult in You…sing praise to Your Name.  May he fear You Lord, and thus  find wisdom.  Let him walk in the way of insight.  May he love the Lord  his God with all of his heart and all his soul and all his might.  May  You bless him and keep him and make Your face shine upon him, and be  gracious to him, O Lord my God.”

(Scripture references: Psalm 51:10, John 15:4, Malachi 4:5-6, Psalm  86:15, 2 Chronicles 20:20, Micah 6:8, Ephesians 1:17-19, Luke 9:23,  Ephesians 3:17, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Psalm 1:1, Psalm 4:1, Psalm 7:1,  Psalm 9:1-2, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:6, Deuteronomy 6:5, Numbers 6:24)