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March 7, 2005
And When You Pray
by Marianne Carpenter
Now He (Jesus) was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart (Luke 18:1 NASB*).
When I prayed for my family members, it seemed that I was always dwelling on negative thoughts. ÒHelp them not to. . .Ó, Òmake them a better. . .,Ó etc. I found a clipping about using Scripture to pray for your children and decided to use that idea for my big kids. Now when I read my Bible, I notice Scripture that I could turn into prayers.
For the men I pray Col. 1:9-12 and:
á Give them wise and discerning hearts (like Solomon) (I Kings 3:12).
á They would be men who had holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God (II Peter 3:11b-12a).
á They (like David) would do what was right in the sight of the Lord and [not turn] aside from anything that He commanded [them] all the days of [their] lives (I Kings 15:5).
á Their lives would be free from the love of money, being content with what [they] have (Heb.13:5).
For my daughters-in-law:
á They would make it [their] ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to [their] own business and work with [their] hands (I Thes. 4:11).
á They would love their husbands, love their children, be sensible and chaste, home-lovers, kindhearted and willing to adapt to their husbands. (Titus 2:4,5 Amplified)
For myself:
á Make me know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me (Ps.25:4-5a).
á That I may serve the Lord with gladness (Ps. 100:2), that I might have the attitude of Christ (Phil.2:5), and that I might make the best use of my time (Eph.5:16).
á That I would give no cause for offense in anything, in order that the ministry be not discredited (II Cor. 6:3).
á Help me to be strong in the Lord in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10) and in His boundless strength (Ps.71).
á Make me kind to others, tenderhearted, forgiving others as You have forgiven me for ChristÕs sake (Eph. 4:32).
á That I should know how to sustain the weary one with a word (Is.50:4), that my words might be gracious (Ecc.10:12), that I would learn how to respond to each person (Col.4:6). Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips (Ps.141:3,4.).
Sometimes, through illness or other causes, we find it hard to put our prayers into words. If prayer of the sort we long for is impossible, try giving up trying, and instead just let the Psalms or other great passages of Scripture turn themselves into prayers.
Amy Carmichael
*All Scripture quotations are taken from the NASB.
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