A Collection of Prayers...

...on becoming a Proverbs 31 woman, a wife of noble character.

Nov 18th, 2009

Isaiah 54:5-6
"For your maker is your husband. The Lord Almighty is His name- the Holy one of Israel is your redeemer; He is called the God of all the Earth. The Lord will call you back, as if you were a wife deserted in spirit- only to be rejected," says God.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for choosing me to be your bride. To be a noble means to be dignified and gracious. Please help me become a wife of noble character. Help me to bring glory and honor to You in all that I do.
Your undeserving Bride,
-C

November 19th, 2009

Henri Nouwen said: "Discipline is the human effort to create space in which God can be generous and give us what we need."

Dear Lord,
I hereby commit myself to give you all the days of my life. I believe that you are a rewarder of those who diligently seek you. I have my heart set on seeking you, and you alone. I believe, by faith, that one of rewards you will grant me is wisdom and the ability to conduct the affairs of my day with great efficiency so that my time alone with you will in no way diminish my effectiveness, but will in fact increase it.
The Proverbs 31 husband could have full confidence in his wife because she had full confidence in You. Confidence in a relationship come from investing time in that relationship. Help me to have full confidence in you. I place so many things before you, Lord. I delude myself into thinking that I am too busy or that I can skip time with you and still keep "on track." Oh, how wrong I am! Even the devine Son of Go took time to pray to You. Help me to do the same.
-C

November 20th, 2009

Psalm 119:9-11, 15-16
"How can a young woman keep her way pure?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you...
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word."

Dear Heavenly Father,
If I am serious about becoming a capable, dignified, virtuous woman of noble character, then I need to do more than casually read Your word. I need to meditate on it so that it seeps deep into every fiber of my being. Teach me the art of meditation. Too often I looked at my time with you as another box to check on the never ending 'to-do' list. But You are the ultimate teacher! Help me learn from you!
Lord, it is not easy to stay pure in this dark world, You and I both know that. I live in a world where modesty is a foreign idea and staying pure in looked down upon. Please, give me the strength to endure it. Help me to protect myself and my brothers. Even if it is the path less taken, please give me the strength to take it.
-C

November 23rd, 2009

Philippians 4:4-7
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Dear Lord,
There is nothing noble or dignified about a complaining women. The best gift that I can give myself and others around me is an optimistic attitude. There is truly good in everything and everyone, if I choose to see it. I need to be "transformed by the renewal of [my] mind." (Romans 12:1) My mind is a primary battlefield of Satan's attacks. I need to renew my mind with a postive attitude in ALL that I do. From now on, I choose to focus on the positive, especially the truth of Your Word; therefore my life is filled with positive outcomes.
Help me to rejoice in all things! Let me find joy and peace in you and you alone,
-C

Giving Thanks Set #3

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God Will for you in Jesus Christ" 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Set #3:

25. Brett and Alex Harris
For being bold enough to start the Rebelution (www.therebelution.com) and equipping the modern day teen with resources to help them do hard things.

26. Jane Austen
When the whole world seems like it is falling apart, Austen helps make things better.

27. Martin Luther
For placing the 95 thesis on the churches door and for standing up in what he thought was right.

28. Paul (from the Bible)
For being such an amazing Christian and writing some of my favorite books of the bible.

29. Chocolate Fondue
Kind of random, I know. But I am thankful to whomever invented this deliciousness!

30. the Phillips Family
For employing me.

31. Pastor Terry McIntosh
For studying God's word and preaching from it week after week.

32. A piece of Paper and a Pen
I dont know what I would do if I couldnt express my feelings in my journals, or write a letter to a dear friend.

33. The story of Ruth
A perfect example of mature biblical womanhood.

34. The ability to learn
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "What is the hardest task in the world? To think."

35. Latin
It helps me understand God's work and the English language.

36. Sunshine and warmth
It makes me feel so much happier.

List four will be here tomorrow.
-C

Giving Thanks Set #2

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ" 1 Thessalonians 5:18

With Thanksgiving a little over a week away, I am writing down 100 things that I am grateful for. Everyday until Thanksgiving I will write down around 12 things that I am thankful for. I encourage you to do the same, it is really though provoking. Even though we have over 10% national unemployment right now, American's are doing better than other countries. We have so many things that we can be grateful for.

Set #2

13. The freedom to read and study God' word.

14. The ability to memorize scripture.

15. The freedom to be in constant communcation with my Heavenly Father through prayer.

16. God's mercy.

17. God's love.

18. God's anger.

19. God's will.

20. God's strength.

21. God's protection.

22. God's curse on mankind.

23. Being rebuked.

24.Authors such as Elisabeth Elliot, John Piper, CJ Mahaney, Joshua Harris and Wayne Grudem.

Until tomorrow,
-C

Giving Thanks Set #1

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ" 1 Thessalonians 5:18

With Thanksgiving only a week away, I thought that I would write down 100 things that I am grateful for. Every day I will write down around 12 things, and by Thanksgiving day I will 100 things that I am grateful for.

Set #1:

1. My Heavenly Father. There is no explanation needed. Jesus Christ is Lord. Only His perfect and unblemished blood can redeem me from my sins. For that, I am eternal grateful.

2. My dear mother. She is my closest friend and who is always there for me- no matter what! She cleans and cooks for me, she does my laundry. She has a strong desire to serve the Lord. She has blessed me with a wonderful mother-daughter relationship. She has taught me valuable lessons. She is irreplaceable. She is there to catch my tears.

3. My supportive dad. He is always there pushing me to do my best. He wakes up early and comes home late to support us and make sure that we have food on the table. He is there to listen to my problems and tries to help me fix them. He makes me laugh just when I need it. He fills up my gas tank when my money is tight. He has a strong passion for the Lord.

4. My caring brother. He wakes up early on his 'sleep-in-day' to make me breakfast before I have to go to work, because he knows that I am running behind and that I would otherwise skip it! He is going to make a girl a wonderful, valiant husband one day!

5. My little sister. I used to pray and ask God to bless me with a little sister, and He did! She makes us all laugh- even when we are upset.

6. Taylor Knopf. She is my closest friend. She understands me, and knows me too well. She is that BFF who is there no matter what- even if it is just to listen to you cry on the phone. She is supportive, but also rebukes me when necessary.

7. Natalie Hindt. Another really close friend, that came out of a mentoring relationship. She is such a sweet girl, who has a real zeal for the Lord. WHIPPERSNAPPERS! (haha)

8. Teren Sechrist. A dear friend, teacher and mentor. She taught me how to successfully write an essay (that makes sense!) She pushed me to my wits end and then continued to push because she saw the potential in me. She's cried with me, and rejoiced with me. She shared her passion for classical literature and poetry and got me hooked! I owe all my success in school to her. She pushed me to study God's word and desire to be more like Him. She cares. She shares so much wisdom- I am truly blessed to have known her.

9. Christy Brose. A dear friend and mentor. Another person in my life who listens to all my problems and lets me cry them all out. :-) She pushes me towards Godliness. Makes me laugh and shares her wisdom.

10. The Girls in the I Kissed Dating Goodbye Book Study from this summer. I so enjoyed studying God's word with you this summer! We all grew from that study, learned valuable lessons, and gained irreplaceable friendships.

11. A certain young man (who I am not going to specifically name.) You taught me that even friends can give their hearts away (even on accident). I so appreciated the friendship that grew over this past summer- and all the lessons learned.

12. Gary Papp. For teaching me history and building a friendship with me. You are so full of wisdom- I love talking with you

I will post set #2 tomorrow.

-C