Day 16 - Prayer for Morality and Purity

Today is the 16th day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.

When you hear words like "morality" and "purity" you may think, at first, that these are very old-fashioned words that aren't heard in 2011.  That is what makes it especially important for us to pray that we can hang on to these character qualities in our lives. As children of God, we need to be especially mindful to live a life for Him, avoiding all immoral actions. We also need to work very hard to avoid the pitfalls of the world we live in and live a pure life for Him. 

Day 15- Prayer for our Integrity

Today is the 15th day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.

“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.” - Oprah Winfrey

 

Today, we are praying for our integrity. Over the course of life, we run into many different unplanned, unexpected situations. We need to be able to make the right choices! Do you know anyone who is in a tough place right now? Say a prayer that they will be able to understand what is right and act on that, no matter what the problem is. Let's all be wise in our decision-making, even if no one else ever knows what we decide.

Day 14 - Prayer for Abuse Victims

Today is the 14th day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.

Today, we are taking a moment to pray for those who have been victims of any type of abuse. Abuse victims come in all shapes and sizes, from little children to elderly adults. We pray that the Lord will watch over them and keep them safe. We want Him to help them find a way out of the terrible situation they are living in and their accusers to face punishment for their evil actions.


In addition, I would ask for Christ to enter the lives of the abusers and help them overcome their own demons that lead to their actions. Please help them see what they are doing and guide them to a peaceful place where they can ask forgiveness for their sins and receive any treatment necessary to keep them from offending again.


If you have a moment, please also read this post and take a moment to vote for Melinda, a fellow blogger whose ministry is devoted to helping victims of abuse and other unfortunate circumstances.

Day 13 - Prayer for the Underemployed

Today is the 13th day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.


 Today, we are praying for those who are blessed to have a job while experiencing the pain of not having enough to sustain their families. Many families have reached a point where they have to choose between food and a roof over their heads because there simply isn't enough money left to pay for everything. We hear stories of families who have had to move into cramped motel rooms because it's cheaper than all of the expenses of having a home.

Day 12 - Prayer for Students to Remain Diligent and Respect Their Teachers

Today is the 12th day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.





 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. - Proverbs 13:4
Today, we are praying for students to be diligent in their schoolwork and to respect their teachers. In our busy world, it is easy for children to get off track and lose the initiative they once had in doing schoolwork. Also, many students see teachers simply as people to make their life miserable, and they don't show much respect or thankfulness for them.


Even though most students don't really like school, they still need to show respect for their teachers and peers. Teachers are there to help students learn and homework is there to help better prepare students for the real world. Students are being provided with wonderful resources through schooling, and we don't want them to miss out. Be praying the students can stay on track, focus on what's important, and realize what a blessing their education really is!

Day 11 - Prayer for Those Battling Addictions

Thank you to Sydney for jumping in to help out this week!  


Today is the 11th day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.



Today, we are praying for people to be set free from their addictions. Understand that whatever someone's addiction may be, they are not a bad person. They have just made some wrong choices, that, with prayer, we can help them overcome.

Deep down, those with addictions are no different than any of us. We all make wrong choices sometimes, and we eventually pick ourselves back up again. If you know someone battling an addiction, don't be a stranger! Reach out to them in their time of need. Sometimes all a person needs to get their life back on track is a little encouragement and the comfort of knowing they are not alone in this world.

Day Ten - Prayer for the Homeless

Today is the 10th day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.





They will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' ~Matthew 25:44-45

Today, we pray for those who are homeless. Whether it is by poor choices made in life or a failing economy, they are all deserving of our prayers. We pray for their safety and health and someone to help give them the tools to regain the life they want to live.

I will also be praying for every one of us to find it in ourselves to help the homeless in some way. Just as with my post on paying it forward, there are many different ways you can help the homeless. Perhaps you can find time to take your family to a soup kitchen to volunteer or you can stock up on toiletries when you find them on sale and donate them to a shelter. The homeless shelters in our area also accept donations of old blankets and coats.






If you are joining us on this 40 day journey of prayer, please add your link below so we can support one another in love. If you're so inclined, you can also grab the button to the left to let your readers know you are participating and invite them to join the challenge!

Day Nine - Pray for Those Living in War Zones

Today is the 9th day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.




They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. ~1 Peter 3:11

It seems like it is impossible to turn on the news without hearing about wars and violence in other parts of the world. Today, we pray for those who live in these areas. We pray that God will keep them safe from the dangers they face every day and we pray for peace and understanding among the fighting factions.

When two groups are so passionate about their cause, it is easy to attempt to resolve the issue without regard for the innocence that is sure to be lost. It is only once everyone begins to seek peace that true progress can be made.

If you are joining us on this 40 day journey of prayer, please add your link below so we can support one another in love. If you're so inclined, you can also grab the button to the left to let your readers know you are participating and invite them to join the challenge!

Day Eight - Prayer for those you don't like

Today is the 8th day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.






The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." ~Galatians 5:14

Today, we pray for those we don't like. In the world we live in, it's inevitable that not everyone gets along. In some ways, that's what makes the world an interesting place. At the same time, not liking someone doesn't give us free reign to wish ill will on them. Today, pray for someone you don't get along with that God will keep them safe. If there is a specific situation that caused you to not like them, have you forgiven them? Christ tells us to forgive others just as He forgave us. Perhaps today is the day to let that go!



If you are joining us on this 40 day journey of prayer, please add your link below so we can support one another in love. If you're so inclined, you can also grab the button to the left to let your readers know you are participating and invite them to join the challenge!

Day Seven - Prayer for those who go to bed hungry

Today is the seventh day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.






Have you ever gone to bed without eating dinner? The restless sleep that follows going to bed on an empty stomach can leave you feeling even worse the next morning. Now, imagine that you hadn't eaten anything that day. Unfortunately, this is the situation too many people in the world experience on a daily basis. Today, we pray that God will sustain them and provide them the nutrition needed to stay or get healthy!


If you are joining us on this 40 day journey of prayer, please add your link below so we can support one another in love. If you're so inclined, you can also grab the button to the left to let your readers know you are participating and invite them to join the challenge!

Day Six - Prayer for Estranged Friends

Today is the sixth day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.







Everyone has friends they have lost touch with over the years. The more we grow, the more our lives drift from one another until all that is left are memories of the times you shared. Today, we pray for those friends. If there was a rift that caused the estrangement, perhaps this would be a time to pray for the fences to be mended and a friendship once again. If there are reasons why you no longer speak but you feel sadness when you think of the friend, ask for peace.  If you are joining us on this 40 day journey of prayer, please add your link below so we can support one another in love. If you're so inclined, you can also grab the button to the left to let your readers know you are participating and invite them to join the challenge!

Day Five - Prayer for Wisconsin State Leaders

asToday is the fifth day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.






If you are not from Wisconsin, feel free to prayer for your state's leadership in place of Wisconsin today. On the other hand, being a proud Wisconsinite, I can tell you we need all of the prayers we can get. For the past month, our state has been in the middle of a huge debate over collective bargaining rights as well as MANY other items that the governor is looking to cut or limit as a way of repairing the budget. I'm not trying to get political and will not inject my personal views here, but we could really use prayers that both sides can eventually work together to come to an agreement that is good for the budget and good for the state.

Every weekend, the size of the crowds at the Capitol continues to grow. The leadership is convinced that if they ignore the people long enough, it will all go away. Even though the bill was passed this past week, there was a record crowd on hand yesterday including a tractorcade of farmers driving through the streets of downtown Madison to show their support. Maybe on another post I will tell you about my first trip up there, it was pretty amazing and I would have thought so no matter which side I was on!  Below is an image of some of the signs inside the Capitol before they were taken down and cataloged for the WI Historical Museum and the Smithsonian.

In addition to the leadership in general, I am praying for the crowds to remain peaceful in this time of incredible stress. I have a second cousin who is a legislator for the state and worry every day that someone may get stupid and take their anger out on him. There is also a woman who I had the pleasure of meeting during my time working outside of the home that has become a bit of a point person in getting information out to the public. I want both of them, and everyone else, to be safe!



If you are joining us on this 40 day journey of prayer, please add your link below so we can support one another in love. If you're so inclined, you can also grab the button to the left to let your readers know you are participating and invite them to join the challenge!

Day Four - Prayer for Estranged Family Members

Today is the fourth day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.


Today, we send a prayer to Him for family with whom we are estranged. Too many times, personal feelings get in the way of our family bond and we fall away from one another. In some cases, this can last a few weeks but sometimes it can last for decades. Please say a prayer for anyone in your family that you have not spoken to in too long. Pray that He will intervene and help both sides process any hurt and anger they feel and that you may someday reclaim your place in one another's hearts.

If you are joining us on this 40 day journey of prayer, please add your link below so we can support one another in love. If you're so inclined, you can also grab the button to the left to let your readers know you are participating and invite them to join the challenge!

Day Three - Praying for Safe Drivers

I apologize that today's post is so late. My husband had oral surgery yesterday and it was rather draining on both of us. I typically write the post in the evening so I can't forget to post it and last night I fell asleep, savoring a house with no children for a night!

Today is the third day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.




On this day, we are praying for the safety of drivers. In my mind, the biggest thing we can pray for and control is our own actions. It's easy to get frustrated when you are behind the wheel and not consider the safety of others when we swerve from lane to lane. I will be praying for not only the safety of others but for peace and calm within myself when I am behind the wheel.
As a minor off-shoot, I am also praying for parents to seek knowledge regarding the proper harnesses for their children. Too many times, parents are eager to move their children to a larger seat for their own safety. I pray they will consider the safety of their children and place that over their own convenience.
If you are joining us on this 40 day journey of prayer, please add your link below so we can support one another in love. If you're so inclined, you can also grab the button to the left to let your readers know you are participating and invite them to join the challenge!
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Day Two - Pray for those battling mental illness

Today is the second day of the 40 Days of Prayer challenge. If you missed yesterday's prayer and would like to add it to today's prayer, you can find it here.






Today, we are praying for those who are currently battling mental illness. As someone who has dealt with depression and anxiety, I know how hard it can be to admit you have an issue and there are days it feels impossible to deal with life. I also know that I am blessed because my issues are mild compared to so many people in the world.


I am praying for peace and healing for those with mental illness. I am also praying that those who have not been diagnosed will take the first step towards living a fulfilled life without the demons facing them on a daily basis.

If you or someone you know needs prayers for dealing with mental illness, feel free to leave us a comment and we will add you to our prayer list for the day.

If you are joining us on this 40 day journey of prayer, please add your link below so we can support one another in love. If you're so inclined, you can also grab the button to the left to let your readers know you are participating and invite them to join the challenge!

Day One - Pray for those seeking work

Today is the first day in the 40 Days of Prayer challenge put forth by my church. I have been called to pass this challenge on to my readers. Each day of lent, I will post a person or group of people to pray for. If you feel called, feel free to share this with others so we can send as many prayers as possible to Him for the next 40 days!







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Today, we are called to pray for a group that is, unfortunately, close to many of our hearts in the hard economic times we live in. As you sit down for your time of prayer with Jesus today, please remember to pray for those who are currently seeking work.

I will be praying not only that they find work but that their families will remain steadfast and know the Lord will provide for them. I know from our experience that times of financial hardship can easily lead to a crumbling faith when you don't know where the money for bills will come from. If you are currently in this position and would like us to pray for you and your family, please do not hesitate to leave a comment with as much or as little information as you would like to share!

If you are participating, feel free to join the Linky below so we can visit throughout the 40 days to offer encouragement to one another!