by Lois Breneman, © 2006, Heart to Heart
On the way home from visiting family over Christmas, as my husband and I stopped at a super service station for gas, a friendly young man who worked behind the counter was enjoying talking to John as he got his coffee ready for the road. The young man was so friendly and even offered John a big thick peanut butter cookie -"on the house." In the conversation John mentioned that his wife was with him too, and he was generous in offering an extra cookie for me.
When I came up to the counter, the man jokingly said to me, "Oh, don't tell me you're with this guy?" I laughed and patted my husband on the arm as I said, "Yes, I am - I've been married to him for more than 37 years now." He said, "Wow! You know, I've been thinking how I'd love to sit down and talk to people who've been married for a long time and ask them what their secret is."
So I just had to give the Lord credit and share with him how we pray together every evening. He seemed grateful that I had shared that and hopefully it made him think about the best Source of couples staying together - a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and communication with Him.
When I came up to the counter, the man jokingly said to me, "Oh, don't tell me you're with this guy?" I laughed and patted my husband on the arm as I said, "Yes, I am - I've been married to him for more than 37 years now." He said, "Wow! You know, I've been thinking how I'd love to sit down and talk to people who've been married for a long time and ask them what their secret is."
So I just had to give the Lord credit and share with him how we pray together every evening. He seemed grateful that I had shared that and hopefully it made him think about the best Source of couples staying together - a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and communication with Him.
I receive many requests to pray for others, and try my best not to let any slip away without praying. I never want to be someone who says, "I will pray," then forget all about it. What I try to do is pray right away for each request as I receive it. Then I write down as many as I can on a pad by our computer and pray later too. The Lord brings many people to mind throughout the day and night, and I pray again.
Some of you may wonder how to get started in praying together with your husband. When John and I started a regular, consistent time of praying together each evening, we began praying for just a few minutes, in bed, for the details of our children's lives and ours. That's not the best way, but it did get us started! Soon we had a large index card of written prayer requests and prayed together in the family room. In time that card grew to three, as we saw so many prayer needs. Now it has grown to five cards, which we alternate, so every request is covered at least once every five days. Now I type the lists on the computer to make it easier to revise the prayer requests without starting all over again.
We pray together for these prayer concerns every day:
Our children (protection, good health, close walk with You, wisdom, guidance, to be led to a godly mate - the one the Lord has chosen for them, a good marriage, their job, etc.)
Other family members' needs
Our pastor (plus each associate pastor and his family also covered twice every 5 days)
Our president, vice president, and their families - by name
The House and Senate, Supreme Court, Cabinet Secretaries, FBI, CIA, other agencies
Military Leaders and Troops (by name) - and their families
We spread these topics out among the 5 lists and list specific people's names under each topic:
Missionaries (divided into 5 regions of the world - separate list each day)
Those who need salvation
Those who need healing
Those whose marriages need mending
Wayward children and young adults
Single moms
For the Heart to Heart Newsletter:
For my wisdom and guidance in putting it together
Encouragement and blessing for the ladies who receive it
For each Heart to Heart lady and her family to love, serve and glorify the Lord in their lives
In order to keep us accountable, after we pray I write the date and initial of the one who prayed, as we take turns praying, on a separate index card.
In order to keep us accountable, after we pray I write the date and initial of the one who prayed, as we take turns praying, on a separate index card.
The prayer lists get updated at least once a year. By keeping the five different lists in Word, that helps the updating to go pretty quickly.
There have been so many blessings and answers to prayer (ATP's, as I like to call them) through the years! Praying together has made us so much more aware of the needs of others and seeing God's hand in their lives has been amazing to experience. I wonder what ATP's the Lord has in store for us all this year! Let's continue to pray and wait, expecting great things from His loving hand!
No comments:
Post a Comment