National Day of Prayer 1

As I lay in bed this morning - allowing the day to soak into my being, my prayers began with prayer for my family.  I'm going to briefly continue that prayer here in hopes that you will join me in praying for your family.

Papa God, I am lifting you up in your holiness.

Thank you for my wife and for all that she is to me.  Heal her body today.  Guide her into more of your powerful presence, with love, peace, joy and goodness.  Continue to bless her - reveal your will to her and draw her into it completely.  Protect my lovely wife from every kind of evil plot against her and keep her safe emotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally.

Thank you for my wonderful children.  Make me worthy of being their father.  Help me to be the kind of father that draws them ever closer to you and that makes it easy for them to know you as their Holy, Daddy God.  Protect them from every harm.  Make them flourish in your will.  Grow your image in them each moment.  Cause them to choose you always and to never follow the ways of this world.  Give them your spirit to resist the temptations they will face as they grow and mature.  Use them to extend your kingdom to others today and always.  Protect them God and help me to be their earthly defender and guide.

God, be with my dad and bring him spiritual and physical strength today.  Let him experience joy and peace.  Help him not to worry.  Keep him sharp and healthy.  Protect him from accident and incident.

Keep my brothers in your will.  Draw them to your side today to experience your fruit and power.  Keep them and their families healthy and safe.  Make this day a productive day for your kingdom in all of their spheres of influence.  Protect them from every distraction and delusion of the enemy that would draw them away from you and your purpose for them today.

Lord, go to my brother-in-law and change his heart.  Send your spirit to draw him, change him, transform him and redeem him.  Make him a blessing and a godly leader to my sister-in-law and my nieces and nephew.  Give my sister-in-law and her children an abundance in your Spirit to stand up in you this day and always.  Change my heart toward him.

Bless Derek and Stephanie and baby Gray.  Keep them in your will and draw them closer to you in intimacy.  Give them a shared purpose in your kingdom to pursue and in which to delight together.

God, while all of these requests are important to me, I surrender them to your will and ask that you would use each of these people to bring you glory, to expand your power in this world, and to honor yourself in each area they represent.

Amen