Hit the Floor....

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Late Tuesday night my oldest child, Joseph, left on a field trip to Disney. Yes, DISNEY. I don't remember having those kinds of trips when I was his age. Do you??

It's a little hard letting my children go for a few days. It's never been an easy thing for me.

Fear has been a big part of those reasons. Yes, I love my kids.  However, fear is what made my heart tremble when they would be out of my sight. I felt like as long as they were with me, they would be fine. Control issues, I know.

Early in my parenting years, fear haunted me day in and day out. I could not eat some days. I could not sleep. Fear tormented my mind. Every possible worse scenario I could imagine, is what my mind stayed focused on. It was terrible.

My husband thought I was going crazy. In fact, I probably was. The enemy was whispering lies into my ears and I was listening to them and believing them.

There were many days when I would drop my kids off at school and go home and cry. All day long.

Fear was my enemy.

One day, a wise friend told me to pray scripture over them each day. She told me that not only would it help me, but it would help them.

I thought it was a little crazy at first, because I wasn't really believing what I was praying. It felt kind of not natural. My mind and my flesh were very opposed to praying like this. If I was praying, who was going to worry for me?? Crazy, I know.

Soon after, I began to hang scripture all around my house. At the coffee pot, in my bathroom, in the kids rooms...all over the house. Lem thought I had officially lost my mind. When, in fact, I was beginning to get my mind back from the enemy.

Those horrible thoughts were now being pounded with Truth. Day in. Day out.

Those fearful thoughts had no choice but to leave. They could not dwell where Truth was beginning to dwell. They didn't even stand a chance.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.ā€ Ephesians 6:12

Praying scripture over my children changed my life. Dramatically. It brought peace to  heart racked with fear. It brought joy to a heart in despair.

My old prayers sounded something like this, "God bless my children. Keep them safe, please!!!"

God taught me through His Word to change my prayers to this: "Keep my children from all harm. Watch over their life, watch over their coming and going. Both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:7-8

When we pray God's word back to Him something amazing happens. His Will opens up. The Heavens open up at the sound of His Word being spoken back to Him! You can even feel it in your spirit as you pray! When His Words become our words, POWER comes!

If you are new at this, or if you have been doing this all along, I want to share some of my favorite scripture prayers with you. You will adapt to your favorites along the way, but this will get you started.

"Lord lead my children away from temptation, and deliver them from the evil one." Matthew 6:13

"Put a hedge of protection around my children and everything they have" Job 1:10

"Remind my children that they belong to you and not the world" John 17:15

"Lord, cause my children to love their enemies, to do good to those who hate them, to bless those who curse them, to pray for those that mistreat them. Help them do to others as they would have done to them." Luke 6:27-31

"I pray that my children's identity will be firmly rooted and established in Christ's love, and that they may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide, and how long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge...that they may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

"Let my children know that they belong to you" Romans 14:7-9

"Let the light of your face shine upon my children. Fill their heart with joy, and let them lie down and sleep in peace." Psalm 4:6-8 [a really good nighttime prayer]

"Show my children that they are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that your works are wonderful. Teach them that they are precious in your sight, and that you love them." Psalm 139:14, Isaiah 43:4

"Like Timothy, may my children be an example to believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity" 1 Timothy 4:12

"Please let my children have the ability to rise above the traps of people pleasing so they can be kept safe by trusting You, Lord" Proverbs 29:25

"May my children think on whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, may he think about these things" Philippians 4:8


The best way we can win the battle for the hearts of our children is on our knees. So, let's start praying now. Shall we?


on my knees,


jill

(original post 4/30/15)
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