A new school year brings new beginnings, new opportunities, and often a few unknowns. We naturally want to protect the children we love, help them succeed, and prepare them for whatever the year may bring. But we can't know every challenge they will face or walk every step of the journey with them. We can, however, entrust them to the God who knows every day ahead of them and remind our children of His presence, His promises, and His love. To speak a blessing over someone is more than simply wishing them well. It is an intentional way of speaking God’s truth and promises over their lives. Blessings can certainly be prayed between you and God, but they can also be spoken aloud, allowing the one you are blessing to hear God’s Word and His truth spoken directly to their heart, mind, and spirit.
PrayerPrayer in and of itself is powerful. When you combine it with Scripture, well, let's just say you should be prepared to see some mighty things happen. God gave us His word and He wants us to pray. When you combine the two spiritual disciplines of reading the Word and prayer by praying Scripture, it will help you apply God's word to your life while growing deeper in your prayer life.,Praying Scripture honors God by using His own words to praise Him and pray to Him.,We tend to pray for things WE want, but praying Scripture will help align your desires with what HE wants. And when our desires are aligned, that's when we're most likely to see God move powerfully in our prayers. If you'd like to learn more about praying Scripture with lists of verses to pray on a variety of topics (such as praying for your family, marriage, children, purpose, health, church, and so much more) check out my book On the Same Page with God: Embracing the Power of Praying Scripture.
PrayerI have two sons, ages 12 and 14, both in middle school. Between the two of them, we’re at 14 diagnoses and counting. They are my greatest pride and joy, and to be honest, my greatest source of stress and worry. I’ve never prayed for anything in my life as much as I’ve prayed for these two. Maybe you can relate, and that’s why you’ve found yourself here. There are many things we can be praying for our child with special needs, but here is a prayer to cover them from head to toe. I love incorporating God’s Word in my prayers , so you’ll find God’s Word and the Scripture references throughout. Make it personal to your child and their needs. May this prayer encourage your prayers for your child(ren). Heavenly Father, I thank you for ___ (child’s name). I know that ___ is a gift from you, fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 149:13). I thank you for gifting ___ with a unique personality, gifts, strengths, and talents, especially for ___ (share with God the things you love about your child).
Special needsMy heart lately has been burdened by events and attitudes I see unfolding around me in the United States. We aren't united. We are divided by political parties and beliefs. It breaks my heart. And I know it does God's too. Jesus prayed before His death for all of us: "I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me." John 17:21 Not only did Jesus pray and die for us to be united, but His prayer was that by us being united, other people, those who are not believers, would be drawn toward God. Our country is in the middle of a great battle, and we know that the best way for us to battle is on our knees. And the best source to turn to is not the news or social media, but the very Word of God. Despite our different denominations and political parties and opinions, we are all united by the power of prayer and the blood of Jesus.
PrayerIf you want to grow your prayer life, I can't think of a better companion than On the Same Page with God . What a beautiful and important book! —Joanna Weaver, best-selling author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World Do you feel discouraged by unanswered prayer? Maybe you feel like your prayer life has become routine and uninspired? Or maybe you’re searching for how to pray according to God’s will for a specific person or situation? On the Same Page with God will help you view the Bible as a treasure trove of prayer possibilities, providing you with the words that can align your heart and your will with God. Within these pages, you will uncover the benefits of praying Scripture and experience the transformative power of getting on the same page with God, both literally and figuratively.
BooksI used to think writer’s block was a sign that something was broken. That I was procrastinating. That I wasn’t “called enough.” That maybe God had stopped speaking. I remember one particularly heavy season, sitting at my desk, hands over the keyboard, tears blurring the blinking cursor. The deadlines were looming, the journal pages were empty, and my once-vibrant creativity felt like ash in my mouth. I begged God for words, but only silence echoed back. What I’ve since come to learn is that silence isn’t absence—it’s often invitation. An invitation not to strive harder, but to sit longer. Not to fill the page with noise, but to allow the quiet to recalibrate my soul. In that slow, quiet season, God began gently whispering, “ You don’t write for Me—you write with Me .” As Christian writers, we often feel pressure to be endlessly inspired. After all, we’re writing for the Kingdom. Shouldn’t the words just flow? But even Jesus withdrew from the crowds to lonely places (Luke 5:16).
WritingThe tabernacle was the earthly dwelling the Israelites made for God as they wandered the wilderness. The word tabernacle means “tent” or “dwelling.” The tabernacle was a sacred place God instructed the Israelites to build so He could dwell among them and draw them into deeper relationship, worship, and reverence for His holiness. God told Moses: “Have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” (Exodus 25:8-9) The tabernacle was portable and set up in the in the middle of their camp each time the Israelites moved throughout the wilderness. In Exodus chapters 25-27 you can read the directions God gave for the creation of the tabernacle, its size, dimensions, materials, and so much more. God was very specific! And then in chapters 35-40 you can read about how the Israelites carried out the creation of the tabernacle.
PrayerI have two sons who both have several diagnoses between them. Parenting them has been the most challenging, stressful journey I've ever been on. But it has also what has led me to grow so much closer to God. To grow deeper in my faith. I don't think I could have made it in this special needs parenting journey without God. Praying Scripture has really helped me learn to align my will for my life and my children with God's will. And so, below you'll find a Scripture-filled prayer to pray. You, your child(ren), and your heart matter so much to God, and so with that in mind, please join me in praying this prayer: Heavenly Father, Today we come before You to lift up this weary and overwhelmed special needs parent before Your throne (Hebrews 4:16). I pray that You would bring peace to their weary bodies and worried minds (John 14:27). I pray that they would rest in Your loving hands and feel Your perfect peace and love flow over them. I pray that You would guide their steps.
Special needsIEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings are something many parents approach with a mix of anxiety and dread. Sitting down with teachers, specialists, and school staff to discuss your child's progress and needs can feel overwhelming. The responsibility of advocating for your child—making sure they receive the right support, services, and accommodations—can feel daunting and stressful. Seeing the results of testing done on your child, or the amount of progress your child has made on previous goals, can stir up grief. As both a former middle school English teacher and a mom of two sons in public school with special needs, I’ve been on both sides of the IEP table. Over the years, I’ve come to genuinely appreciate these meetings. I look forward to connecting with the team supporting my children, hearing the strengths they see, and working together to address the areas where my kids are struggling.
Special needsNear the end of the school year I asked each of my sons what they wanted to learn over their summer vacation. I usually had a list of skills I hoped we’d work on over the summer, but this time, I wanted to hear from them. What did they want to learn? Without missing a beat, one of my sons said, “I want to learn to pray like you talk about in your book.” His response stunned me—in the best way. I love praying Scripture. In fact, I wrote a whole book about it because I’ve experienced how deeply it has transformed my own prayer life and spiritual growth. But in that moment, I realized I hadn’t been as intentional as I could have been in teaching my own children how to pray this way. My son's request reminded me of the disciples. Out of all the things the disciples could have asked Jesus to teach them, their only recorded request is that He teach them how to pray (see Luke 11:1).
PrayerThis is an edited excerpt from the book On the Same Page with God: Embracing the Power of Praying Scripture . George Mueller was a Christian evangelist and director of several orphanages in England in the 1800s. He cared for thousands of orphans in his lifetime, never asking the community to meet the needs of his orphanages or his ministry, but instead taking all of his needs to God. He would spend hours in prayer and often felt like he hadn’t connected with God during that time. Then Mueller discovered the life-changing practice of praying Scripture. He wrote, “For my heart being nourished by the truth, being brought into experiential fellowship with God, I speak to my Father and my Friend (vile though I am, and unworthy of it) about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word. It often now astonishes me that I did not sooner see this point.” "George Mueller never prayed for a thing just because he wanted it, or even just because he felt it was greatly needed for God's work.
PrayerIn times of stress, uncertainty, or heartbreak, many of us long for peace—the perfect peace God promises in His Word (see Isaiah 26:3). One of the most enduring prayers that captures this longing is The Serenity Prayer . You’ve probably heard the first few lines quoted before, but the prayer is actually longer than four lines and the entire prayer holds deep wisdom for everyday life. The Serenity Prayer God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen. The Serenity Prayer was written by Reinhold Niebuhr, an American theologian, ethicist, and pastor.
PrayerIf we want to be writing words that will impact lives for God's Kingdom, we need God to be co-writing with us. And that requires time in prayer, surrendering our writing to God, seeking Him for clarity and for His Words. It requires surrendering our books to Him when we launch them, and praying that they impact the hearts that need our God-given message, for open doors (through new opportunities or colloborations) for your book and it's message, and for all all other writerly things on your heart or mind. We know prayer is powerful and it's important, but maybe you're not sure how to pray, or maybe you want to fire up and refresh your prayer life for your writing. I'll share with you my favorite ways to prayer for my writing. Disclaimer: Some of these links are affiliate links, so if you click on the link and purchase the item, you are blessing my writing ministry at no cost to you. Thank you for your support! "Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.
WritingA few years ago, I had a beautiful encounter in which my church community prayed Scripture over me. It was powerful to hear the women in my Bible study claiming God's Word over me and I realized it was something I was missing from my own prayer practice. I wanted to learn to pray Scripture, and so I decided to learn about it. And I haven't stopped reading and learning about it since. Below are some of my favorite books to help you grow in the practice of praying Scripture: This is a short but sweet little hardcover book about praying Scripture. It may be a little repetitive, but it is full of encouragement and practical tips for praying Scripture. It offers strategies about how to incorporate God's Word into your prayers during your daily Bible reading time. This book specifically focuses on how to pray the psalms, which I found very helpful, especially if you're new to the practice of praying Scripture.
PrayerMy younger son has a speech delay, my older son has apraxia —a neurological speech disorder that requires frequent and intensive speech therapy to learn to speak. He didn't say his first words until he was almost four. Devastated by the lack of conversations I got to have with my children, one day I turned to Scripture. Surely there was a passage or verse about speech that would encourage me, right? Yes there was. I was astounded by the hundreds of Scriptures that referenced words and speech and speaking and declaring. Some of them I found especially encouraging as I worked with my sons and their speech difficulties, and I will share my favorites with you below. But what also encouraged me is how many times in Scripture we see a story of a Bible character with a disability of some kind, and we see that they were not overlooked, but lavished with love and compassion and care by God and by Jesus. Each story was a beautiful reminder that God loves and pursues us and our children too.
Special needsI knew God had called me to write a book about praying Scripture , and I needed Him to help me do so. Every time I came across a Bible verse that inspired my writing, I recorded it on a list I kept in my prayer journal. I'd read through and pray the writing-related scriptures before I started writing. Or when I felt led to pray for specific things for my writing, I'd look up the related scriptures. My guess is you know you need to be praying for your writing too. Maybe you're not sure how to get started praying for your writing. Or you're looking for fresh words and verses to pray. You've come to the right place my friend. Below are some of my favorite prayer prompts and scriptures I like to pray for my writing and ministry. There's plenty of other relevant Bible verses, but this list should help you get started in praying over your writing.
WritingFear has played a huge role in my life in a few areas of my life. Fear can be paralyzing, or make us do things that make no sense. It gets us nowhere, but we still struggle with it. I've worried about my kids, and avoided quite a few things out of a fear of failure or criticism. Fear has made me at times disobey God. And so, I did what I always do when I'm struggling with something—look up a lot of Scriptures that relate to that topic, and turn them into personalized prayers. I take each verse and add my own personal struggles in that area. Why praying Scripture is so important: -God gave us His word and He wants us to pray. When you combine the two spiritual disciplines of reading the Word and prayer by praying Scripture, it will help you apply God’s word to your life while growing deeper in your prayer life. -Praying Scripture honors God by using His own words to praise Him and pray to Him. -We tend to pray for things WE want, but praying Scripture will help align your desires with what HE wants.
PrayerMemorizing God's Word helps your heart to be molded more like God's . As David said in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you.” David memorized, sang, wrote about, and recited the very Word of God and was known as a man after God’s own heart. The more of God’s Word you have in your heart, the more your heart will be like His. , Memorizing Scripture helps you refute Satan's lies and attacks. When Satan tempted Jesus three times in the desert in both Matthew and Luke 4, Jesus responded not with His own arguments, which Satan could argue, but with the very Word of God. He modeled for us what Paul urges us to do in Ephesians 6-to put on the armor of God and to “take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God .” (Ephesians 6:16, emphasis mine). We use our weapon, the very Word of God, to tell Satan and ourselves God's truth when Satan whispers lies to us.
FaithThe words of a loved one have a lot of weight and power. I’m sure you’ve had a loved one say something to you that hurt. Whether intentionally or intentionally, those words have stuck with you. But also, the words of a loved one can bring healing and purpose and encouragement to us. They can make us stand a little taller, feel like we can climb any mountain. In Genesis 2, God breathed life into Adam, and we can breathe life and encouragement into the hearts of our loved ones. Doubts and insecurities can creep into our minds and hearts, and a person in authority speaking God’s truths to us can do wonders for our hearts, minds, and spirits. The heart is what God cares about above all else, and the heart is where the Spirit of God speaks. We can offer compliments and praise, which can go to the minds and egos of the listener. But a blessing is a truth spoken to the heart and the Spirit of another person, based on the very word of God.
FaithAs Dorothy says "There's no place like home." Home is a place each and every family member should feel safe and secure in. A place each member longs to come to after a tiring day of running errands or going to school or to work. A place of comfort and nurturing and growth. But our homes and the family are under attack. Satan is seeking to destroy the family unit, and we are constantly bombarded with the world's views of what a family can look like, so that we can easily lose sight of how God intended our families to be. God created our families to be a holy unit, one in which He is priority, in which the husband and wife lovingly live out their God-given roles in marriage, and the children are obedient to their parents. Once we get our own families in alignment with God's desired order for families, I think we'll see God do mighty things in our churches, in our nation, and around the world. But it starts with us, in our own homes and within our own families.
PrayerMs. Clara says in the opening scene of the movie War Room , “War. It’s been part of humanity in every age…There always seems to be something to fight for. But one thing that has been true of every war–behind the field of battle, someone has developed a strategy…. I find myself amazed that of the many battles we engage in today… very few of us know how to fight the right way, or understand who we’re really fighting against. To win any battle, you’ve got to have the right strategy and resources because victories don’t come by accident.” Paul wrote about the war we are in and the strategies and weapons we need to fight: "...for we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so that you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.” (Ephesians 6:12-13).
PrayerThe breath is central to life in our bodies and unfortunately fear and anxiety can wreak havoc on our breath. When you’re feeling fearful or worried, your heart begins to pound, you take shallow breaths, or find it hard to take a breath at all. Prayer is central to our spiritual life. If you’ve experienced a season where you didn’t pray for a while, or felt like your whole day was off because you didn’t start your morning off with prayer, you know how centering prayer can be. The practice of breath prayers is the act of combining taking slower, deeper, life-giving breaths while focusing on God’s life-giving words. Breath prayers can be practiced anytime, as you go about your day, but I find them especially helpful when you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed. When you say breath prayers, they are short, one sentence prayers rooted in Scripture that can be repeated several times. The first part of the sentence is prayed on the inhale, and the second half on the exhale.
PrayerWe take measures to protect our home. We lock windows and doors and install security systems and we buy insurance just in case something should happen. All are smart measures to protect your loved ones, and we can also take steps to protect our family and our home spiritually as well. Years ago, our family felt like it was struggling in many ways. My younger son was having night terrors. My anxiety was keeping me up at night. My husband and I were stressed and arguing more than normal. Something just didn’t feel right and I wasn’t sure what it was. But then I learned about the practice of praying through your home and anointing it with oil at a Bible study session I attended. When I got home I decided to try it. The results were immediate. As I went through the house praying, I felt my anxiety lift and I felt joy in my heart. I felt God’s presence in a way I hadn’t in a while. I found joy in praying over my home, each family member, my marriage, and our sleep.
PrayerAs a special needs parent we learn to advocate for our children—with insurance companies, with doctors and specialists, with schools, within churches, and within the community. But one of the best ways to advocate for your child is on your knees before the throne of God . We know we should pray, and I've experienced how painful it can be to pray for God to move mountains for our children in ways that are not in His will or timing, and then we grow discouraged by prayer, and begin to question God’s love and care for us and our children. I have found the practice of praying Scripture is one of the best ways to combat this discouragement, because we are aligning our prayers and desires with God’s own Word and His desires . There is power in God's Word, and there's also power in our prayers. When you combine those two powers together, wow, get ready to see God move in mighty ways in your children's lives, but also in your heart.
Special needsI don’t know about you, but many times when I sit down to pray, my mind begins to wander to things I need to do or other random thoughts. I love going for prayer walks, connecting with God in His creation, but before long I’m distracted by the sights and sounds around me and forget about praying. Which is why I love having these three tools to help me pray... I learned about prayer cards while reading Paul Miller’s book, A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World . He has a few chapters in the book in which he talks about using index cards to write prayer requests for each family member and other people and topics on your heart. He writes: “The idea of using prayer cards instead of a prayer list came to me one day when I was sitting on our living room sofa, trying to pray… While sitting like this, spiritually numb, a thought suddenly came to me. Put the Word to work.
PrayerBoth of my sons have multiple diagnoses, and I prayed fervently for God to miraculously heal my children. It didn't happen, and I wondered if I didn't have enough faith, or if God was truly a mountain moving God. My new crisis of faith scared me, and I stumbled upon Beth Moore's book Praying God's Word that changed a lot of things for me. Inspired by that book, I determined to pray Scripture for my boys. My younger son has a speech delay, my older son a neurological-based speech disorder called apraxia that requires frequent and intensive speech therapy to learn to speak. He didn’t say his first words until he was almost four. Devastated by the lack of conversations I had with my children, I decided I would first find Scriptures to pray for their speech . Before long, I found two verses relating to words and speech that jumped out at me. “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:10,“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
Special needsWe all know that praying is powerful and that we should be praying for our families. But sometimes, it can feel like we're praying for the same things over and over and we can get discouraged because we don't see God answering our prayers. We know prayer is important and powerful. And so is reading God’s Word. So imagine what would happen if we combine them together as we pray for our families! Ready to pray with power for your family? Sign up in the box below and you'll receive a 31 day prayer calendar in your welcome email to help you pray Scripture over your home, family, marriage, and children/grandchildren. <p style="text-align: center"><iframe src="https://jennembracinglife.substack.
PrayerA few years ago, after reading Beth Moore’s book Praying God’s Word , I discovered the joy of praying Scripture over various topics that were important to me, such as praying scriptures for my marriage or my children or about overcoming fear. Prayer in and of itself is powerful. When you combine it with Scripture, well, let’s just say you should be prepared to see some mighty things happen. God gave us His word and He wants us to pray. When you combine the two spiritual disciplines of reading the Word and praying by praying scripture, it will help you apply God’s word to your life while growing deeper in your prayer life. , Praying scripture honors God by using His own words to praise Him and pray to Him. , We tend to pray for things WE want, but praying scripture will help align your desires with what HE wants. And when our desires are aligned, that’s when we’re most likely to see God move powerfully in our prayers.
PrayerSeveral years ago, I joined a group for Christian moms of young children. At the beginning of the first meeting we were to introduce ourselves to the other moms at our round table by saying our name, how many children we have, and three facts about ourselves. When it was my turn I said, “My name is Jenn and I have two boys and I’m a special needs mom and … um …” I froze. My life revolved around both of my young sons’ endless needs and appointments, and I couldn’t think of a single other thing to say about me. The table leader gently added, “And you’re a beloved child of God,” before calling on the next mom to introduce herself. I smiled gratefully at her, but the whole situation and her words left my mind whirling. How easy it is to become consumed by our hard circumstances. To get lost in our labels and end up losing track of our true identity. Or how easy it is to claim our insecurities as part of our identity and forget how God feels about us.
FaithWhen both of my young sons received hard diagnoses, I found myself praying often for their healing, for God to do a miracle in their lives and their bodies. I clung to the Scripture that God was a mountain moving God, and I was ready for that mountain to be moved. It didn't. So I went searching through Scripture for what God was doing even though He wasn't moving the mountain I was praying for. So many of our favorite Bible heroes went through their own heartbreaking circumstances. Life didn’t always meet their expectations. Sometimes they had to wait decades to see God’s promises, plan, and purpose shine through. And yet, you see time and time again that these Bible characters remained steadfast in prayer. Abraham and Sarah waited and prayed (and yes even plotted) for decades for their promised baby. Joseph waited in a well and in Potipher’s house and in prison as he persevered in prayer before God used him to save millions during a famine.
PrayerI am not a stranger to anxiety. I was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and put on medication after my second son was born. Before that anxiety seemed to be fully managed, I found myself struggling with alternating bouts of depression and crippling anxiety after both of my sons began receiving diagnosis after diagnosis and my life became filled with a million appointments (or so it felt), sleepless nights, and a constant worry I wasn’t doing enough for my children. I began a regimen of looking up, writing down, and memorizing scriptures about peace and anxiety. There’s a lot, in case you were wondering. The Scriptures reminded me that God doesn’t want us to be fearful or anxious. And while I clung to those Scriptures, I didn’t feel like they were doing much to fight against my anxiety. I knew according to Ephesians 6 that we are in a war and we must protect ourselves and battle with prayer. And so I started praying fervently for peace, for healing from my anxiety.
PrayerNote: The following is an excerpt from my book On the Same Page with God: Embracing the Power of Praying Scripture . Disclaimer: This article does include Amazon affiliate links. Should you click on the link and make a purchase, we will receive a small commision at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our ministry! The Lord’s Prayer is an incredible model of petitionary prayer. When one of Jesus’ disciples eagerly asked Him to teach them to pray, Jesus taught them the words to what we call the Lord’s Prayer, found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4. I grew up in a denomination where we would pray the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday. We would all reach along the wooden pews and across the aisles, clasping hands with family members and fellow church members, until we were all connected in one united body. Then, we would all recite the familiar words.
PrayerThe recent events unfolding in the world have made it clearer than ever: the world needs our words of hope and truth. There are times to be silent and listen and learn, and there are times to speak the truth with wisdom and love and the Holy Spirit's guidance. It’s a hard balance of speaking with both truth and grace. We tend toward one extreme or the other. We want to share God’s truths with others and sometimes we can do so without speaking love, which only pushes people away from us and from God. Or, we want to be perceived as 'nice' and so we offer words of grace and encouragement, and avoid speaking words of truth that might cause division. I write more about this delicate balance in this post: Seasoning Your Life with Grace and Truth . Scripture offers us hundreds of verses and passages that show the power of our words. I’ve collected a few of my favorites below that you can pray.
PrayerI've found turning to scripture and being reminded of God's character (and that even our favorite Bible heroes had their own struggles in their lives) to be very encouraging in all the challenges that come with special needs parenting. The special needs parenting journey can be lonely. It can be overwhelming. It can lead to a deep grief, depression, and/or an overwhelming anxiety you've never experienced before. You may be struggling in your faith and believing that God is good and cares for you and your child(ren). I know the struggles well, because both of my precious sons have multiple diagnoses. Below are 20 of my favorite scriptures that have encouraged me on my special needs parenting journey, and I pray it does for you too. If you subscribe at the bottom of this article, you'll receive a free printable of this list of scriptures, plus verses to pray for your child with special needs. You could print out the list and keep it in your Bible or war room binder for during your prayer time.
Special needsInsecurity: (noun) Uncertainty or anxiety about oneself. Lack of confidence. Insecurity is a feeling I know all too well. It tells me I'm not good enough. That I'm failing. That I'm not worthy. Throughout scripture, we see God calling our Bible heroes into His mighty plan, but their insecurities come to the surface. Moses- I'm not a good speaker. Jeremiah- I'm too young. Gideon- I'm too weak. And every time one of our Bible heroes tells God their insecurity, God's response is the same. It isn't reassuring them that they are good enough or that they're the perfect one for the job. Nope, it's simply Him reminding them that He is God. Knowing who He is should be enough for us. And as if God isn't good enough, He also reminds us throughout scripture of who we are. So if we're rooted in who God, and in the truths about who we are, we should be confident. Fully secure. There are lots of verses to remind us of these truths, but I'll start with these twenty.
PrayerA few years ago, after reading Beth Moore's amazing Praying God's Word , I discovered the joy of praying Scripture over various topics that were important to me, such as praying Scriptures for my marriage or my children or for overcoming fear. Prayer in and of itself is powerful. When you combine it with God's Word, well, let's just say you should be prepared to see some mighty things happen. 🙂 God gave us His word and He wants us to pray. When you combine the two spiritual disciplines of reading the Word and prayer (by praying Scripture), it will help you apply God's word to your life while growing deeper in your prayer life.,Praying Scripture honors God by using His own words to praise Him and pray to Him.,We tend to pray for things WE want, but praying Scripture will help align your desires with what HE wants. And when our desires are aligned, that's when we're most likely to see God move powerfully in our prayers and in our hearts.
PrayerBack in the 6th century, a group of monks began a spiritual practice called lectio divina , a Latin phrase which means ‘divine reading.’ Lectio divina is a prayer practice in which you read a passage of Scripture, reflect on it, and then pray it. You don’t merely read the Bible for intellectual and spiritual gain, but for spiritual connection with God. We can enjoy this spiritual practice as well. Donald J. Whitney writes in his book Pray the Bible : “reading Scripture and praying are often disjointed when they should be united. We read the Bible, close it, and try to shift gears into prayer. But many times it seems as if the gears between the two won’t mesh. In fact, after some forward progress in our time in the Word, shifting to prayer sometimes is like suddenly moving back into neutral or even reverse. Instead, there should be a smooth, almost unnoticeable transition between Scripture input and prayer output so that we move even closer to God in those moments.
PrayerMarriage can have plenty of challenges on its own. When you add in the extra challenges and stress and financial burden of a child or children with special needs, well, things can get even harder. Both of my sons have special needs and when they kept getting diagnosis after diagnosis, our marriage (and our budget) felt the strain. Instead of acting like teammates and working together to best support our family, we sometimes treated each other like opponents that we needed to convince to join our side and our opinion, and other times we lived like mere acquaintances, each going about our own tasks and busy lives with little connection. I expected my husband to do certain things for me and our family and when he didn’t, my frustration or anger grew. One day I stumbled upon a Scripture that changed everything for me and my marriage. It was “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Special needs