My Prayer List

I'm doing this particular post more for myself than anyone else. One of my "resolutions" this year (and every year, for that matter) is to be more consistent and fervent in my daily devotions/quiet times/Bible studies and prayer times with God. As far as my prayers go, I've felt pretty convicted lately that I've done a lot of selfish praying over the years. It's so easy to pray for my own needs and wants, but it's just as important (if not even MORE important) to pray for the needs of others. Prayer is POWERFUL, and there are so many people who desperately need to be lifted up daily in prayer by their brothers and sisters in Christ. So often, I will hear of a prayer request, and I'll always say, "Oh yeah, I'll definitely keep you/him/her/them/that/etc. in my prayers!" But in all honestly, I rarely actually do. I feel so terrible admitting that, but it's the truth. Thankfully, God started bringing this to my attention, and for the past several months, I've been doing my best to make a conscious effort to pray selflessly for the needs of others. It's amazing how God will reveal Himself to you when you actually quit thinking about yourself for a few minutes. Anyway, I wanted to list some of the people and things I'm currently praying for/about right now, first and foremost so I have another reminder for myself, but also in case anyone who might be reading this wants to join me in praying for any/all of them. I can tell you now that there will probably be at least a few things that I forget to mention, so I may very well come back to this blog later to add to the list.
(Note: When praying, it's also VERY important to thank God for all the blessings He's given us. This was another area of my "praying practices" that I was convicted about, so I'm trying to make a more conscious effort to praise God for all He's done before I ever start asking Him to do more.)


My Prayer List:

* my husband (I'm currently reading the book The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian, and quickly learning just how important it really is to pray for Jordan EVERY DAY. After all, he is the spiritual leader of our home. I pray for his health and safety, and I pray that he continues to grow in his walk with Christ so he can be the very best husband and father he is called to be. I pray that, in the Lord's time, He will provide one full-time job for Jordan so he no longer has to work the two part-time jobs he's currently working. I pray that I can be a more loving, respectful, submissive wife to him, and honor him in all my thoughts and actions.)
* Rylee (I pray for her continued health. I pray that God will continue to guide me as a first-time mom to raise her as best as I possibly can so she will grow to love and know Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior some day. As it says in Proverbs 22:6, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.")
* my family (my mom, dad, daddy, brother, and sister)
* Findley (the precious little Haitian boy we sponsor through Compassion International) and his family
* my extended family (my in-laws, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)
* my brothers and sisters in Christ (The specifications of these prayers differ from day to day depending on what requests I hear about, but for the last couple of months I've been keeping a particular baby boy and his family in my prayers. Hollis Yaun was born with CDH on November 28, 2010. He also has three heart defects. His family (particularly his mommy) is very dear to me, and I know they covet all the prayers they can get for their beyond-adorable "Captain Awesomepants". You can learn more about him and his family and follow his journey by checking out his Caring Bridge site.
* our country and our nation's leaders
* all of our armed forces (particularly those who are actively serving overseas)
* my dad's church (Tunnell Chapel Baptist Church) and his calling as their pastor