It’s only practical to know that a lot can happen in a year, but what about in just a few weeks?
Four weeks ago, I was on a hike with a fellow photog to practice with a new lens and take in nature. Three weeks ago I was gearing up for wedding season and promoting my first mini session of the year. Two weeks ago those plans started to change. A week ago we started our social distancing journey. Now here we are in week two.
We’ve been doing great – Chris is still employed, the three of us are healthy, and we’ve even had a bit extra family time. I am so thankful! The only downside is that I wasn’t created for social distancing and I only made it to Day 4 before going stir crazy. Oops.
If you’ve been part of the Gram fam for a while, you may remember back in January me doing a 21 Days of Prayer on my stories. It was inspiring and a challenge, if I’m honest, but I ended up saving my prayers with the intention of sharing them with you again in the future. This week seemed like a perfect time to do so! You can take these day by day and do your own 21 days of prayer, or you can find one or two that help guide you through a prayer you need right now.
Day 1: Me
Thank You, Father, for making me a piece of your handiwork. Thank You for creating me so fearfully and wonderfully. Every talent and gifting I have is a blessing from You! You know every single hair on my head and You knew my name before my parents did! Thank You for knowing me and loving me the way that You do. I cannot thank You enough for sending Your Son to take my place on the cross. Forgive me for the times that I have not acted out of His selflessness, love, and grace; instead letting my own insecurities control me. I receive Your Spirit and pray that it overwhelms my heart and mind completely, continuously growing me and pulling me closer to You. Amen.
Day 2: My Husband
Thank You, Father, for blessing me with a husband in Chris. Thank You for calling me and equipping me to be his wife. I love him so much and I find comfort in knowing that You love infinitely more. I surrender him to You completely and pray that You continue to guide him, giving him a mind of Christ and prompting him to be obedient to Your Word. I pray a hedge of protection around him so that the enemy is not able to deceive or distract him from You. When he feels overwhelmed or discouraged, please remind him that he is YOUR son with whom You are well pleased. I’m so excited to watch him grow more closely with You! Amen.
Day 3: OUr jobs
Father, thank You for providing Chris and I with two great jobs. It’s through these jobs that we are able to put food on the table, maintain our finances, and afford luxuries that we don’t even need. You have truly opened up a floodgate of blessings for us and I know there’s more to come! Forgive us for the times that we grumble and complain about our jobs. When we are tempted to do so, turn our complaints into praise! I pray for opportunities to continue to be opened for the both of us. Please continue to bless and establish the work of our hands. Amen.
Day 4: Our Neighborhood
Father, thank You for placing us in this little neighborhood. Thank You for all of the people that are doing life around us. I am so thankful this is where our first home together has been! I pray for everyone here, that they invite you into their day to day and receive Your perfect love to the fullest. Amen.
Day 5: Our Family
Father, Thank You for the family You have surrounded us with! By blood and in Spirit, You have placed so many wonderful people in our lives. I lift each and every one of them up to You in thanksgiving. For the ones that know You, I pray that they continue to grow more closely with You all while sharing Your love with others. For the ones that have yet to know You, I pray for their eyes, ears, and heart to be opened to receive You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Day 6: Our Church
Father, Thank You so much for placing us in NewSpring! You have blessed us with an extraordinary church family that we are so grateful for. We are surrounded by leaders who have pastored and shepherded us and many others. We lift them up to You and simply pray that you continue to do good work in them and through them. We pray for continued peace and joy in each of their lives. Amen.
Day 7: Our City
Father, thank You for this city You’ve placed us in. I lift my city up to You, on this wonderfully rainy day, and pray that You continue to do good work here, leading our city to prosperity. I also lift up all of the people who live here as well and pray that they each receive Your unwavering love, sharing it with others inside and outside of this city. You are so good! Amen.
Day 8: our State
Thank You so much, Father, for handpicking me to be born in the state of South Carolina! Forgive me for the times I’ve complained about living here. I know it was by no accident or random choice that You placed me here and it will always be my home. Thank You for the good work You have been doing in our state! I pray that Your good work multiplies and surpasses the boarders of our state into others. I pray that people continue to be brought together in Your name; Northern and Southern alike, iced tea and sweet tea drinkers, cream of wheat and grits eaters too! Amen.
Day 9: Our Country
Father, thank You for this country we live in. Last year there seemed to be an ever growing divide within this country so I pray that this year is a year of renewal. I pray that we are ALL brought together in Your name, loving one another as You love us. I have hope for us and I have strong faith in You always. Nothing is impossible because nothing is too big or too small for You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Day 10: Our World
Abba, thank You so so much for this beautiful earth that You created for us. Thank You for all the vast oceans and and rich forests. Our world is Your masterpiece! Guide us, teach us how to care for it and for each other who inhabit this planet. I lift up the places that are filled with those who know You and I lift up the places that are broken and need You desperately. I pray Your love and Your light into them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Day 11: Our Finances
Thank You, Father, for all that You have given us financially. Thank You most of all for showing us that no matter what our bank account says, we are rich in You! Forgive us for the times that we have let greed enter our hearts by wanting more. You have shown us time and time again that You always provide the perfect amount – of everything! I invite Your Spirit into our hearts and into our home to continue to guide us to be cheerful givers, giving back what was already Yours. Amen.
Day 12: Our Marriage
Father, thank You so much for bringing Chris and I together in marriage! Thank You for equipping each of us so perfectly to be a spouse for the other. Thank You for the growth You have done in us as husband and wife. We invite You to be in the center of our marriage and we invite Your Spirit into each of us; showing me how to respect Chris in all circumstances and showing him to love me in all circumstances. Amen.
Day 13: Our Daughter:
Abba, thank You thank You thank You for blessing us with a little girl. Her existence is further tangible proof of Your grace and glory. You used our journey for her to bring Chris and I closer to you. Thank You for wanting to be so close with us! We lift Layla up to You and ask that You set her heart on fire for You as soon as she is able to know who You are. We trust You with her future, for You know the plans You have for her! Guide us to raise her in Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Day 14: My Heart
Father, yesterday I prayed for You to set my daughter’s heart on fire for You. Today I realized I needed to pray the same for myself. There are days that I am lazy, I grumble and complain, and days that I believe the lie that I don’t have time for You. Please forgive me for these days and walk through them with me as they come, continuing to grow and strengthen me spiritually so that I may bear the fruit of Your Spirit and have a heart on fire for You, Lord. Amen.
Day 15: My Friends
Abba, today I lift up my friends to You. I’m lifting up the ones that need something only You can provide, who need help, who need prayer, by maybe don’t realize it, don’t know how to put it into words, or are worried to ask. You always know what we need, even better than we do. Thank You for making provisions for us and for always providing what we need; even if it’s something we don’t necessarily want. You are good! I pray for my friends’ hearts and minds to be open to You, and I pray that they receive Your love. I pray that whatever it is that they are seeking, they find it in You. Amen.
Day 16: Overflow
Abba, I invite Your Spirit into my heart and ask that it open my heart so that I receive Your unconditional love to the fullest. Spirit, continue to teach me how to let my love for others overflow from Your love instead of from my flesh alone. Soften my heart to those who are hard to love. Thank you, Father, for always loving me so perfectly and completely. Amen.
Day 17: Mothers
Abba, thank You so much for creating me and equipping me to be a mother. Thank You for the blessing of raising a daughter! It’s these times of thankfulness that I think about all the mothers out there – The ones who aren’t mothers yet but want to be and the ones that were and suffered a loss. I lift them all up all up to You right now and I pray healing and strength over them. Heal whichever part of their body is making carrying a child difficult and give them the mental strength they need to walk this path with You. For the women that don’t know how to ask You, I am asking for them. Bless them with the desires of their hearts! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Day 18: My Needs
Father, I don’t always know what to pray about or what to ask You for. I don’t always have a clear idea of what I need, but You do. You know my every need and You’re able to meet them perfectly. Thank You for making provisions for me. Amen.
Day 19: giving thanks
Abba, THANK YOU. You have showered us in blessing! Thank You for the clean cool water we have to drink and the hot showers we’re able to enjoy. Thank You for the food we have in our kitchen and a nice home with a warm bed to sleep in. Thank You for music. Thank You for our sunshine and breeze. Thank You for our health and our physical strength. Thank You for all the friends and family that surround us. Thank You for giving Your Son to us, to redeem us and make a way for us to come home to You. Thank You for loving us even when we are not lovely. You are so good. Amen.
Day 20: Trials
Father, finding joy in the middle of my trials and tribulations is still a bit of an odd concept to me, but You have opened my mind and my heart to doing so. I see how You use every trial for growth and how You turn the things that were made to harm us into things that help us. You are so so good! Thank You for being concerned with my growth. Thank You for the many trials you have, and will, walk me through. Give me the boldness to testify Your victory in my trials to others. Guide me to use my experiences to serve others. Amen.
Day 21: His Victory
Abba!! Thank You so much for all of Your victories! There have been numerous trials that I couldn’t have overcome without You. There have been numerous times that the enemy has tried to harm me, but You have made them all good. You have given me victory in Your Son. Thank You for sending him to take my place on the cross. It should have been me, but it wasn’t and now I am alive and victorious! Amen.
If you made it through your own 21 days of prayer journey – Congratulations! If you just skimmed through to find prayer inspiration, then I hope you were able to find some here. Pro Tip: When you pray, you’re simply having a conversation with your Father and you don’t have to make it a sophisticated one with long, fancy words.
COVID-19 has been sweeping across the world, devastating families and economies one right after the other. It’s safe to say that the atmosphere has been feeling a little bit dismal lately as a result. This is why it’s so important that we take time to pray throughout this time of uncertainty. To loosely quote one of my pastors, “Some things will never happen until we begin to pray about them.”
These past couple of weeks have been weird at best and we may have a few more weeks to go of being socially distant. Socially distant doesn’t mean disconnected though – Please feel free to contact me if you need someone to pray with or for you. I would love to do so!
Stay home, stay safe.
