Archive for the Category »praying for your kids «

24
Nov
What’s in Your Spiritual Scrapbook?
Three generations of women view photos

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com

Stirred from my sleep by a brightly colored dream, I managed to focus on the pictures running through my head. I knew the Lord was trying to answer my quiet prayer before bed, “How do you want me to pray for my child? What promise from Scripture do you want me to hold onto and pray during this time?”

I saw the wind of the Spirit blowing the pages of a photo album, turning each page slowly enough for me to grasp that they contained photos of all the answered prayers I had prayed in the past for this particular son. The colors in each photo were alive and radiant and I knew, as only you can in a dream, that I was to review and re-pray each promise for the current situation.

In the midst of this prayer adventure, the last part of Hebrews 10:23 jumped off the Scripture page at me. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (italics added).

I felt such relief. My faith wasn’t what was going to see these promises fulfilled—God’s faith would. He is full of faith (faithful), while I am often half empty in the faith department. My responsibility is simply to pray the promise of Scripture, and in the praying my faith increases. I’m not responsible to keep the promise—that’s the Lord’s job, not mine.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for a God who is full of faith and keeps his promises. I have a spiritual scrapbook to prove it.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with little opportunities to build a spiritual legacy with your family and friends.

To mimic a popular commercial, “What’s in your spiritual scrapbook?” (Really, I’d like to know. Share your remarks by clicking on the green “Comment” below.)

Susan Gaddis

Helping you build your spiritual legacy.

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10
Jun
My Prayer For You

June is a time of good-byes and launching our kids into their future, often in graduation or wedding ceremonies.  This prayer from the Northumbria Community is one of my favorites. It appears in their book Celtic Daily Prayer. I hope it touches your heart as it has mine.

My Prayer For You

May the Father of Life pour out His grace on you; may you feel His hand in everything you do and be strengthened by the things He brings you through: this is my prayer for you.

May the Son of God be Lord in all your ways; may He shepherd you the length of all your days, and in your heart may He receive the praise: this is my prayer for you.

And despite how simple it may sound, I pray that His grace will abound and motivate everything you do; and may the fullness of His love be shared through you.

May His Spirit comfort you, and make you strong, may He discipline you gently when you’re wrong, and in your heart may He give you a song: this is my prayer for you.

May Jesus be Lord in all your ways, may He shepherd you the length of all your days, and in your heart may He receive the praise: this is my prayer for you, my prayer for you.

Do you have a prayer that fits the launching of a graduate or wedding couple? I’d love to have you share it in the comment section below.

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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Category: Celtic Christianity, praying for your kids, raising kids  Tags: , , , , , , ,
01
Jun
Celtic Prayer of Safety

Life can be scary. Earthquakes, uprisings, war, famine, economic uncertainty, and just living with people who are as dysfunctional as I am, causes me to realize that our world is unsafe and unsure. I remind myself each morning and before bed of God’s protection. St. Brigid’s prayer is one of my favorites. It is also an easy prayer for your children to memorize.

Each day and each night that I place myself under his keeping,

I shall not be forgotten.

I shall not be destroyed.

I shall not be imprisoned.

I shall not be harassed by evil powers.

Do you have a simple prayer that comes easily to mind as you begin or end your day? Please share it with us in the comment section below.

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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Category: Celtic Christianity, Prayer, praying for your kids  Tags: , , , , , , ,
06
May
A Different Mother’s Day Post

This is a different Mother’s Day post. I wanted to honor those mothers who have lost children. This short video esteems life and the parents who make hard choices to love their children even if they know they will only have them for a short time. These mothers don’t have little hands to give them cards on Mother’s Day, but they have little hearts awaiting them in Heaven. I know–I’m one of them.

I hope this video puts this special day into perspective for you, and gives you a greater appreciation for the blessings God has given you.

(If you received this post via RSS or email and cannot view the clip, please visit my Holy in the Daily blog to view it–but grab the Kleenex first.)

Thoughts, comments, remarks? How did this clip impact you?

God bless you, and call your mother. She’d love to hear from you.

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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Category: Eternity Future, grief, Holidays, praying for your kids, raising kids  Tags: , , , , , ,
04
Feb
Praying Your Child Through a Difficult Time

Parents hurt when their child goes through a difficult time. No matter what the age of the child—be it six, sixteen, or forty-six—a parent still connects on some unknown level with the hurt or stress the child is experiencing.

Temptations abound in our culture. Dysfunctional people, difficult work environments, and unexpected negative circumstances often invade our children’s lives. Often their own immaturity only makes things worse. A skinned knee is easily remedied—cancer or divorce is not.

The Scripture

One Scripture I often pray for my kids is Psalm 35:103: “Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, ‘I am your salvation’” (NIV).

The Prayer

Personalizing this verse in prayer looks something like this:

Lord, you know the enemy pursuing my son, Sam. You know those who are contending for his soul. I remind you, Lord—you have promised to contend with those who fight against the plans and purposes you have for Sam.

In the spirit realm, I ask that you take up your shield and armor and come to his aid. Wield your spear and javelin against those who pursue him. War against the spirits of: (insert the name of what you are fighting here—fear, sickness, deception, sexual temptation, alcohol, drugs, poverty, cancer, divorce, depression, etc.). Take them out!

Say to Sam, “I am your salvation, Sam.” Open his ears to hear you remind him that you truly are his Deliverer. May Sam see you working on his behalf, and may he respond to your voice. Thank you, Lord, that you love Sam more than I do, and you know exactly how to fight for him. In Jesus name, Amen.

Of course this prayer can also be prayed for others as well as yourself–not just your kids. What Scripture do you consistently use when you sense the need to pray for one of your children or someone else you love?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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Category: praying for your kids, Spiritual Warfare  Tags: , , , , , , , ,
31
Dec
The 10 Most Popular Posts of 2010

Time for our 10 most popular posts of 2010! But first, thank you for stopping by my place this last year. I hope you enjoyed my Holy in the Daily blog posts and found them helpful. The process of writing allows me time to process the things God is doing in me, and you get the overflow.

Sometimes the process is fun. Often it is not as the Spirit Holy seems to continually take me higher up and further in—and blisters accompany the boots. I look forward to 2011 and more blisters. Thanks for walking with me. Here’s a look at the most popular posts of 2010.

  1. Warning! Your Work Can Kill Your Relationships
  2. What Simple Pleasure Marks Your Life as Good?
  3. Celtic Prayer For Your Family
  4. How to Help Someone Through the Process of Grief and Loss
  5. Dancing in the Midst of Difficulty
  6. The Importance of Doing Nothing
  7. Poop, People, and Looking Like Jesus
  8. Let Go of the Rope
  9. How to Pray Your Child “Home”
  10. I’m Not in the Mood to Go to Church

What was your favorite Holy in the Daily post from 2010?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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Category: Celtic Christianity, Daily, praying for your kids, Relationships  Tags: , , , ,
15
Dec
Praying the Prodigal Home

Ruth Bell Graham was married to a famous evangelist. You would think her life held excitement and God experiences, and I’m sure it did. Yet it also held heartbreak. Not all of Ruth’s children walked with God. It took many years to pray her prodigal son, Franklin, into the boots of his father. She wrote this prayer over 20 years ago.

Lord, With My Jacob, I Would Pray

“Lord,
with my Jacob,” I would pray,
“wrestle till the break of Day”;
tell he, knowing who Thou art,
tho’ asked, will not let Thee depart;
saying, “I’ll not let Thee free
saving Thou wilt first bless me.”
O God of Jacob, who knew how
to change supplanters then, so now
deal, I pray, with this my son,
though he may limp when Thou art
done.

Based on Genesis 32:24–31

As a mother of six, I’ve had my Jacobs too. My heart has cried tears of desperation, and a worn notebook of Scripture prayers sits by my bed. God is faithful. Joy does come again to those who storm heaven’s gates on behalf of their children. Do you have a prodigal in your family? In what way are you praying him or her home?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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29
Nov
I Wish You Enough

Well, did you survive Black Friday—the day when Americans get up in the wee hours of the morning to spend money for things that they either think they need or wish to give as Christmas gifts? Looking around my home I decided that there was nothing I needed that would require me to brave such hours with crowds of people cramming through shop doors and standing in long lines. I have enough stuff.

Valuable things rarely are things. Bob Perks shares the touching story of observing an airport parting between an aging father and his daughter. Apparently it was a final goodbye as the father was dying and the daughter lived too far away to visit again. The father’s last teary words for his daughter were, “I wish you enough.” As the daughter boarded the plane, Bob asked the gentleman about the meaning of the words. He responded:

“That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone. When we said ‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.” The older gentleman then shared the following seven wishes from memory:

“I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough ‘Hello’s’ to get you through the final ‘Goodbye.’”

I think I’ve found a new blessing this Christmas: “I wish you enough.” How about you? Do you have just enough good things to sustain you? Do you, like me, have things that crowd out what’s important in life? I’d love to hear your insights on having enough.

P.S. If you enjoyed this story, find more like it in Bob’s new book.

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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14
May
Do You Worry About Your Kids? Grab Onto This Tip.

Sometimes I forget that God is closer to my kids than I am. Usually this lapse of memory occurs when a child, or grandchild, falls into some type of crisis—or my definition of a crisis. When my worry genes kick in, my mind switches gears into anxiety mode and my hand reaches for my Bible. The latter action adjusts the former two.

One tip for dissolving worry is to tweak your mind from thinking worry-talk to thinking promise-talk. Here are two Scripture promises I use for my personal self-talk during times of anxiety. Note how each Scripture ignites a spiritual pep talk in my brain. Just replace my name with yours.

“Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—with the first of them and with the last—I am he” (Isaiah 41:4 NIV).

Susan, God has been calling your generations from the beginning of time. He has called each individual in your family into existence and he is with each one of your kids, just as he has been with you. He is also calling your kids—even those yet unborn—to come into his love and light. God is passionate about your generations and he is passionately in love with your kids. He will always be at their side drawing them close.

“But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations” (Psalm 33:11 NIV).

Susan, God’s plans and purposes for your kids will stand firm. These plans are not dependent on the opinion or actions of your kids, yourself, or others. God is more determined than you are to see your kids come into his kingdom and walk with him. His intimate thoughts are on each person in the generations that follow you—planning how He can influence each life to reflect His love and grace.

God’s promises hold steady when our lives don’t. Self-talking a few Scriptures transforms worry into faith. What Scripture promises do you grab onto when your children hit your worry button?  

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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03
May
Celtic Prayer for Your Family

Those of My Heart, Lord

 
Those of my heart, Lord,
Into your hands and into your keeping, 
This day and this night,
In the name of the Father,
The Son, and the Spirit Holy.
 
I hold them before you, Lord,
In the tasks they have to do;
In the decisions they face;
In their worries and fears—
Be their Companion, Guide, and Best Friend.
 
I hold them before you, Lord,
In their joys and disappointments
In their successes and failures;
In their goings and their restings—
Be their Lord, their King, their God.
 
Those of my heart, Lord
Into your hands and into your keeping,
This day and this night,
In the name of the Father,
The Son, and the Spirit Holy.

Copyright 2009 by Susan Gaddis

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