How to Pray for your Children

In October 1985, I found myself at Cypress Christian School* in Cypress, Texas where my daughter attended a once-a-week Mother’s Day Out program. It was there I picked up a sheet of paper that changed my life and more importantly the life of my children. At the time, I had a 3 year old daughter, a 1 year old son, and I was pregnant with my third child. This mimeographed page became my guide for how to pray for my children. These guidelines have been written in my Bibles, copied for friends, stored in my computer, and more importantly prayed over.


My Bible

 

This week I just feel led to share these with you. While I don’t know what your particular situation is or how old your children are, these guidelines may be the one thing that steers you to focus on praying for your newborn, preschooler, elementary age child, pre-teen, teenager and even older. When addressing the Lord over the years, some of the prayers below have been more important than others. For example, when my children were young, I would pray #1 mightily. When they were teenagers, I would pray #12 continually; and all through their life I would pray #9. Praying #3 is a little scary now that they are all adults, but hopefully by praying this when they were little, there is little chance of being in a precarious situation.

But, here is the deal. Praying God’s Word and protection for your children is essential in training them and fostering a healthy and God-centered life. When we become parents, we are in it for the long haul, so no matter what the age of your children, never stop praying for those whom God has given you care over whether they are your own children, your step-children, your God-children, or any child God has entrusted into your care. And remember, praying for your children does not stop once your children become adults. Parenting and praying is a lifetime commitment. 

And, if you haven’t been praying for your children, it is not too late. I implore you to start now cultivating a Godly character in your children and their children through your prayers.

1. That they will know Christ as Savior early in life. Psalm 63:1; 2 Timothy 3:15.

2. That they will have a hatred for sin. Psalm 97:10.

3. That they will be caught when guilty. Psalm 119:71.

4. That they will be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives: spiritual, emotional, and physical. John 17:15.

5. That they will have a responsible attitude in all their interpersonal relationships. Daniel 6:3.

6. That they will respect those in authority over them. Romans 13:1.

7. That they will desire the right kinds of friends and be protected from the wrong friends. Proverbs 1:10, 11.

8. That they will be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one. 2 Corinthians 6:14-17.

9. That they, as well as those they marry; will be kept pure until marriage. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20.

10.That they will learn to totally submit to God and actively resist Satan in all circumstances. James 4:7.

11.That they will be single-hearted – willing to be sold out to Jesus. Romans 12:12.

12.That they will be hedged in so they cannot find their way to wrong people or wrong places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them. Hosea 2:6

 

All Grown Up!
Photo by Lindsay Elizabeth Photography

 

Bible Verses:

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:18 ESV [Praying always]

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Colossians 4:2 ESV [Continue in prayer]

Pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV [Pray without ceasing]

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12 ESV [Continue steadfastly in prayer]

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, let me always remember to pray for my children and those under my care. Give them protection, security, and love as they mature and grow into the person You want them to be. Nurture their character so they will be honest, good, and sensitive to your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To receive notification when new blogs are posted on this site, please fill in your email address in the “Follow by Email” block on the upper left portion of this blog. And don’t forget COMMENTS on the blog or on Facebook are always welcome. Also, you can share this blog by clicking on the links below, i.e. Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, and more.

*Source: Unknown

Books by Patti Londa Greene

Awaken Me: a devotional prayer journal

God, It’s Me: 181 Days for Young Adults to Become Passionate about Prayer and Bible Study

Friends and Friendship

My friends remind me of flowers. They come with different names, different looks, different colors, and different occupations. They come with different parts, different fruits, different talents, and different purposes. Some flowers bloom at night and some flowers bloom during the day.

Our friends may be like us or they may be totally different than us. When I look at my close friends today, none of our relationships are the same. Some need nurturing; some need to nurture me. Some give me advice; some I give advice to them. Some like to eat at Mexican restaurants; some like to chat in their homes. Some like to talk politics; some do not know a thing about politics. Some friends are around for a season; some are around for a lifetime. Diversity reigns in friendships – and it’s so much fun.

Over the years, I have had many different kinds of friends. Some have been there to laugh with me; others have been there to encourage me; and others have been there to pull me out of a pit! My friends are valued treasures. They each have had a purpose in my life even if only for a season. Each friendship has been distinctive and productive.

My daughter is VERY social. I think she has around 1,800+ Facebook friends. When she had her third baby, I looked at her Facebook page and she had over 500 congratulations within 12 hours after the birth. That is incredible to me. I can tell you that she did NOT get her social energy from me. I am one of those people who usually have only a handful or two of good, solid friends at a time. I really can’t handle much more than that and be the type of friend I want to be (or should I say the type of friend God made me to be.)

Friends can be the biggest blessing ever. They are treasures to be valued. But, they can also be a huge disappointment if they stab you in the back or if they don’t fulfill their promises to you. But today, I want to talk about the kind of friends that love, nourish, and influence us for the better. Those are the friends I am most grateful for and those friends are whom I want to honor today in this blog.

A question I hear expressed over and over again is, “How should friends treat each other?” I want my friends to be gut-wrenching honest and respectful with me. I want my close circle of friends to cheer me up, to minister to me, to build me up, and to accept me for who I am – the good, bad, and the ugly. I, in turn, hope I can be that same kind of friend to them. The most hurtful thing I have experienced with friends, or should I say ‘so-called-friends’ is when I have found out they have betrayed a confidence and/or gossiped about me. Some of you know how painful that can be. It’s not nice.

On Pinterest, I found this quote by Ed Cunningham. On the post he says, “Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer.”  How true is that? With casual acquaintances we expect to say, “Hi, how are you?” anticipating the common answer as "I'm fine.” But, with our friends, we want more than the “I’m fine” response. We enjoy listening to them, learning about their life, and loving them.

Our friends shape our lives. They help us make the right choices. They will pray for us. They will support us in our anguish. And they know when to give us breathing room. Social media friends are nice for a little chat every once in a while, but face-to-face communication is best for deep friendships. I love my ‘SHOW AND TELL’ friends. Those are my friends I can stuff my purse with grandchildren pictures, my newest lipstick, my ‘not so good’ sewing attempt, and just share them. It is through this sharing that they will learn what made me who I am today. And, I love it when my friends turn around and share their “deep moments” with me, like perusing their wedding album, showing me their garden, or taking me to their favorite hangout.

The Bible talks of many friendships. God and Abraham were friends. Abraham trusted God to lead him in the right direction. Jonathan and David had a deep friendship that started in their youth. Even though they had parted due to necessity, their love for each other and their immediate family remained strong until death and even after. Ruth and Naomi were brought together through Naomi’s marriage to Ruth’s son. When Naomi’s husband died, their friendship continued and their friendship brought peace, joy, and contentment to each other. Then, there is Peter and Jesus. Peter stood by Jesus until his death. Even though Peter had denied Jesus, their relationship reconciled and continued. You might find yourself in the midst of one of these kinds of friendships right now. If so, be grateful - they are God's gift to you.

Unfortunately, some people do not have many or any friends. This type of loneliness is tragic. Many times loneliness engulfs someone while they are living or working around multitudes of people. When I first moved from St. Louis to Houston, I struggled with loneliness. Sure, I met people at work, but they were casual acquaintances. I remember for years not having even one person that I knew well enough to call up on the phone to talk to. Even being a church member was not meeting my “friendship quota.”  Friends take time and between working a full time job and having a body that tired that I required a daily nap, I could not make friends. I just was doing all I could to get through the day juggling my job, the kid’s school activities, and my much needed daily siestas. Occasionally, a nice long phone call or a random chat would meet my need, but it was not too long until, I was feeling lonely again craving what I could not give, but still I longed to have.

In 2012, I retired from my job. I suddenly found myself with time to make some friends. I knew that close friendships take time to cultivate. I started praying for the Lord to show me who would meet my “friend need.” I realized I had to create time and be the initiator of “friend time” – sort of like how young moms plan play dates for their children. I needed to make adult play dates. I decided to invite people out to lunch just so we could chat and get to know each other. Unbelievably, I now have the reputation of having a "LUNCH MINISTRY" meaning I go out to lunch and get to know people. While I can’t say that everyone I reached out to reached back, but those who did usually became my good friends. I have not obtained thousands of friends, but I do have some very close friends that are there for me no matter what. But, it took time and effort on my part.

As I have mentioned, my relationships with my friends are all different. Most of these friends and I have a spiritual connection; we talk about God and spiritual matters also.

Below is the first word that came to mind when I was thinking of my friends. Their names have been changed, but just look for their diversity.

Gail – What fun we have laughing!

Penelope – A good political discussion gets our minds moving.
Sheila – Oh boy, we share pictures of our kids and grandchildren when we are together.
Kris – In the old days, ice-skating together was cool.
Betty – When I need encouragement, Betty is always there.
Bobbie – I listen. Bobbie listens. We learn from each other.
Debra – A deep chat on books, publishers, and business can nourish us both.
Jolie – Crazy. Oh crazy Jolie. We are so different but we can act crazy together.

Andrea – Fashion, purses, shoes, shopping – that is our link.

Wilemenia – It never fails. We go and eat Mexican Food! We love it.

If you find yourself lacking in friendship, you most likely will have to make the first step. Invite someone to breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anywhere that suits your fancy - somewhere where you can converse and get to know one another! Understand that not everyone you desire to be your friend will want to be yours. They may be overloaded with other responsibilities or life issues, so do not allow your feelings to be hurt. Each attempt to cultivate a friendship is one step closer than you were before. I have been in positions where I have inwardly though that I could never be friends with so-and-so. And guess what God did? He made some of them my very best friends. Show yourself friendly, be interested in those you encounter, and keep praying.

My friendship ramblings could go on, but I will stop now so you can spend a little time meditating about friends you have had, friends you have now, and friends you will have in the future. Sometimes you end up with a weed (a bad choice of a friend) and you need to walk away. Other times you may end up with a big ‘ol pink Gerber daisy type friend to laugh and share your life journey with. Best wishes all!

Bible Verses:

And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
Luke 6:31 ESV

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Romans 12:10 ESV

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17

Prayer:

Lord, thank you so much for the friendships you have allowed me to have and those I have right now. Allow me to be the kind of friend that will honor you and your Word. Let me recognize and reach out to people who need a friend. Let me love others as I honor You and Your Word. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

Comments are welcome.

Awaken Me: A Devotional Prayer Journal (ISBN 978-1-4627-2578-6)
God, It's Me: 181 Days for Young Adults to Become Passionate about Prayer and Bible Study (ISBN 978-1-4627-3821-2)

Rescue Me



 

I became aware of a new tool today titled Rescue Me. It is a computer tool that gives “an accurate picture of how you spend your time to help you become more productive every day.”  The program (which you pay for) works “by noting how long you spend on your computer.” It monitors how much time you spend browsing certain websites,” i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Fox News, Pinterest.

I am sure it is a very productive tool and can help us see areas where we need to lessen our online time. This would allow us to get busy and going on things that are more beneficial to our goals – if we have some goals.

The Bible is like that too. When we read the Bible and allow God to search our hearts, He will show us what to do and what not to do. And for all those gray areas in-between, the Holy Spirit will enlighten us to his guidance and direction. Then, we won’t need to spend the valuable time He has given us trying to figure out what path to take. He will have already shown us or given us the peace not to fret over the worries and cares of life.

When our life is too busy, too cluttered, and/or we need rescuing, turn to God. He can “rescue us” and get us on the path He has strewn out for us.

That is absolutely amazing when you think about it.

Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.
Psalm 44:26 NIV

Patti Londa Greene, Author

www.PattiGreene.com

Awaken Me: A Devotional Prayer Journal
(ISBN 978-1-4627-2578-6)

God, It's Me: 181 Days for Young Adults to Become Passionate about Prayer and Bible Study
(ISBN 978-1-4627-3821-2)

 

Sewing and Salvation

A few months ago I blew up my sewing machine. Don’t ask. But, I will say it was my husband’s fault. He didn’t get me the right converter. In fact, he didn’t buy me a converter at all. But, in his defense, he did tell me not to use it until we got the right voltage, but that was 11 months ago! And, I took a chance and after the big BANG, some nice white fluffy smoke shot out of my machine.

Now that I have vented, the end result is that a new sewing machine was birthed out of the blow up! The machine blew up. My husband and I didn’t blow up at each other. He is sweet.

My New Sewing Machine!

 

Moving on . . . Last night and today, I used my new machine for the very first time. It was awesome, sort of. First, a good friend came and showed me the ins and outs of this machine. Piece of cake, I thought. And, it was, until the stitching was pulling from the bobbin color on the other side. So, a call to my friend occurred. Thank goodness for friends. Second, I decided to get fancy and use one of those fancy computerized stitches. Yes, it looked awesome, but do you know how LONG it takes to sew something with those stitches? So, luckily, I was able to just use that stitch on one side and go back to the “fast stich.” But, then, I inadvertently sewed two seams opposite of how they were supposed to be sewn. Oh no, I had to get out that pesky stitch remover (ah, yes, they are called seam rippers) and what a hassle. But, when all was said and done and my project was completed, I was pretty happy. Yes, it didn’t fit quite like I would like it to, but I’m not perfect and I fudged a little on my homemade pattern to avoid more work for myself.

Seam Ripper and Other Sewing Tools

 

Upon completion . . . While it wasn’t my first time to sew, I started to think about how God felt the first time he sewed. In fact, it is the only time we read about God sewing in the entire Bible.

“[Eve] was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So, they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.” Genesis 3:6-7.

Later, after God confronts them and explains what will happen, “the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” Genesis 3:21.

I wondered how God felt sewing these clothes for Adam and Eve. First, I am sure he felt extreme sadness that he was even sewing. They sinned and he was grieving. But, he was taking them at their lowest point and helping them to move on. That is God for you.  How do we feel when we sin? Sometimes we have friends to help us out of our sin, depression, uneasiness, or whatever we want to call it. Sometimes, we remain in our sin for a long time – sort of like spending all that time on that fancy stitch that took so long for me. But, we can get out of it quickly, but we must decide to do something else, or go a different direction. But, what happens when we mess up and go in an opposite direction from the Lord. Just like when I sewed two seams together incorrectly. I had to make a decision to undo the error and change directions. It wasn’t easy, but the end result was a peace and joy about my project. In 1 Peter 5:7, the Bible says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” God’s Holy Spirit is waiting to rescue and care for you today.

Do you feel you are going in the wrong direction like Adam and Eve did? Have you committed a grievous sin like they did? God wants to help. Just because your mother or grandmother was a good cook or a good sewer does not mean that you will be one also. Do not think that just because your father or grandfather was a good man who served God regularly and spoke of the joy he will have in heaven that you will automatically go to heaven also. You must make that decision yourself.

The Bible says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23. But, we can choose to ask God to forgive our sins, accept his offer to “sew” us up and make us whole. Today, seek God yourself and you will be “sew” happy you did. Let Him press out the wrinkles of your life and allow Him to make you the beautiful person that you were made to be.



Ironing Board and Iron

Author Patti Londa Greene

Awaken Me: A Devotional Prayer Journal (ISBN 978-1-4627-2578-6)

God, It's Me: 181 Days for Young Adults to Become Passionate about Prayer and Bible Study (ISBN 978-1-4627-3821-2)

Dealing with a Crisis

 

 

Many country crisis situations occur in Nigeria. One is a crisis going on right now at the Lagos Airport Cargo Terminal. Last week, custom clearing agents, who worked in the cargo section of the Muhammed International Airport, assaulted officials of the Nigeria Customs Service who came for an inspection of their warehouse.

Armored personnel were called in and many were severely injured during this violent clash. The end result was that cargo terminals have been closed while terminal security management figures out how to handle random people entering the cargo area, violence, inadequate national security issues, and how to clear the terminal of “unwanted” elements. The bottom line is that airport security at the terminal needs to be improved, but many are furious that the terminal buildings have been shut affecting  both revenues and companies that have their cargo currently locked up affecting goods purchased for their Christmas sales – including perishable items.  With criminals jumping fences and illegal access to gates that are not policed, this crisis has become a totally chaotic situation.

 

A newspaper article in This Day Live entitled Taming the Crisis at Lagos Airport Cargo Terminal says the main concerns with this crisis are:

-          A Porous Facility

-          An Inadequate Security, and

-          A Lasting Solution

That is exactly what happens in our lives when we are dealing with an unsurmountable crisis that has become chaotic and uncontrollable.  When a crisis reaches that level, we need to check where the holes are, find the full-proof security, and come up with a lasting solution.

 

First, you need to analyze what is coming into your life porously causing the instability and confusion. Are ungodly influences in your life? Have you been involved in any sinful behavior? Are your attitudes towards people or your circumstances entering your mind causing disruption in how you see your crisis? Second, where is your security? Is your solution to the crisis based on Jesus Christ? Have you confessed your sins and placed your security in the arms of your blessed Lord and Savior? Doing this will fill the inadequate security problem in our lives. When Jesus Christ is leading our lives, our security creates stability and assurance that God will take over and handle our problem. Finally, the lasting solution is in trusting God and seeking His will and His way out. It may involve making changes, require apologies, and/or disassociating from undesirable individuals. Reading the Bible and asking God to speak to you about your problem will bring you peace and a lasting solution to your crisis, but you must obey His Word and His leading as it is shown to you.

 

Plugging up the holes that create porosity, finding the appropriate security in Jesus Christ, and trusting that God can provide a long-lasting solution is the means your crisis can be overcome and maintained.

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

Author Patti Londa Greene

Awaken Me: A Devotional Prayer Journal (ISBN 978-1-4627-2578-6)

God, It's Me: 181 Days for Young Adults to Become Passionate about Prayer and Bible Study (ISBN 978-1-4627-3821-2)

Dedicated to my friend Titi!


 

Windows 8 and The Bible

www.PattiGreene.com

I have just spent the last two hours of my valuable life seeking help for my newest problem: That problem is Windows 8. So, how do I handle the frustration and anxiety I am feeling right now? The only way I know how is to be creative by putting my thoughts into words through this post. However, that may be a monumental task as it has taken me four minutes already just to type what I have already typed due to the cursor changing on me, the keyboard keys are not typing, and for some unknown reason things appear that I don’t want to appear. I am so frustrated by even typing this paragraph. Does anyone know why in the middle of typing I can’t type and have to hit the lower left bar to be able to type again? And why when typing does it sometimes not work when I hit the space bar to makeaspace (oops) as it did right here.

Yes, I understand that some of this might be user error because I sit in a chair with my laptop on my lap and type. But, SO DO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. Do you hear me Microsoft? The “soft” of what I just typed ended up in first paragraph. I just repositioned it.

I am learning the new basic navigation. But, what was wrong with the old one? If I wanted pictures, I would have bought a Mac. And, I hate going into corners for everything. It is so annoying guys! I really don’t want to learn how to group apps with pics, I just want to put my apps in plain ‘ol alphabetically order. I want to just scroll through my app titles in alphabetical order and with ABC letters. Okay, that might be because I am a former librarian, but please…I hate pictures being forced n – oops, the o didn’t type – being forced on me.

 

But, I don’t hate pictures. I have over 10,000+/-  of them. But, I can’t figure out how to click on a picture, and open it into Photoshop.* I know, all you pro Window 8 people are thinking what an idiot, but if you know – oops, a screen just popped up saying, “Close programs to prevent loss.” To finish my previous sentence…if you know how to do it, please let me know. And to the “Close programs….” comment, I would be happy to, but, I will have to go to the help screen to figure out how to do that. Oh shoot, I don’t know where the help button is, but I bet if I go through my 65 page print out, I may be able to read something about it.

 

And here is an interesting thing about my informative print out…I went through it, made a few changes on Windows 8, only to get to the end of the instructions and read, “If you can’t figure something out, updates are available.” Come on folks, updates when I can’t even figure out the simple things, and shouldn't the updates be mentioned first?  And why did the right side bar just come out and show its face?

Now, I will say that I did learn some things in my two hour self-training. I learned that…

-        Windows X is my new best friend.

-        I can click the space bar tolog (oops) to log in.

-        I can click the home and end keys to see from one end of the tile apps to the end of the tile apps. (I am sure a teenager on drugs would love this feature…back and forth, back and forth, back and forth – in color no less.) See the picture above. 



-        The minus sign at the lower left makes the screen zoom in and out, but why does it zoom in and out when I least expect it?

-        Windows Q shows all the apps.

-        Windows I will power off the computer.

-        Windows E opens Explorer.

-        Windows C shows the right side bar.

-        Windows F shows the Search screen.

-        Windows D launches the desktop.

Obviously, you can tell I am not really a shortcut person. But, I will be now. I have survived most of my computer life without shortcuts, but I can learn. 

I do apologize to Microsoft for any misjudging of their product…I realize that my new HP might be part of the problem, but the bottom-line is I am still frustrated and anxious!!!

Yes, I did learn a few things today, and I do realize I have to take more hours out of my valuable future Saturday afternoons to do that, but why is it so difficult?

I cringe when I think about my 85 and 87 year old parents. They want a new computer. They need a new computer, but how in the world can I train THEM on Windows 8? Hmmm….Ah, great idea. I will leave that to my brother. Nothing like revenge!

 



But, then that leaves me to something else…

The Bible says not to be frustrated, anxious, or revengeful! If I would have stuck with Windows 7, I wouldn’t be facing these trials – Windows 8 trials.

So the second bottom-line is that I am going to memorize these verses before my next Windows 8 self-training, so maybe it isn’t so bad after all. But, God sure has a funny way to get me to memorize scripture, doesn’t He? So, be prepared for Bible training when you purchase Windows 8! It comes with the territory.

 

Verses to Memorize BEFORE learning Windows 8:

Frustrated with this trial: “Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2

Anxiety: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

 

-a different version! NLT



Revenge: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge…” Leviticus 19:18

* By working on this blog, I learned how to put my pics in Photoshop. Actually, it was the same as before, but I was all confused!!!!

www.PattiGreene.com