The Painful Parts of Parenting

I know many of you have seen my recent facebook instability. Yep, I suffer from parenting issues too. I have been thinking about my thoughts and my heart and my kids. It greatly hurts me to think that any of my children think that I may love them less than I love the others. With that being said, there are definately seasons where I do not like them. Is that harsh? Probably. But I know that I am not always a likable person myself and I can almost guarantee you that there have been times when my children haven't liked me.

 

I am angry with Nathan right now. He is forcing me to face the end of one parenting season and requiring me to face the next. I have been comfortable in my bubble of denial. Rod said something to me last night that got me thinking. He was listening to Joseph Prince and he said that Joseph was talking about a friend dealing with a willful teenage daughter. He said at some point you have to let them go and give it to God. I asked Rod, "But what about discipline?" Believe me, I am absolutely willing to hand Nathan over right now and say, "Your will be done, God." But, I still have a job to do.

 

You may ask why I am struggling so much with Nathan. Well here is the sad, pathetic truth. We all have flaws. We all have issues that we have struggled with all our lives. When we see those issues, those struggles, those flaws come out in our children, it is a brutal slap in the face. I feel like a complete failure for not protecting him from my faults. And then to see such potential and to consistantly see him make the wrong choice, well, that's hard.

 

A man I greatly respect once said that he hopes he was a bad enough parent that his children HAD to reach out to Jesus.

 

I hope Nathan reaches out to Jesus. And I hope that my anger and hurt and frustration doesn't drive a divide between us. Because I love that boy like crazy. And I so do not want him to live a life full of the hurts that I have lived.

 

Nathan let his girlfriend spend the night at our house while we were camping this weekend. There were others here and there was supervision. But we laid the ground rules when we left and he completely chose to disobey them. Parenting is hard. When I posted that parenting sucks, man was I serious. But it is one of the most rewarding walks of your life. This will all pass and I will hope and believe and pray for the best for Nathan, because that is my job. I think sometimes I may be too real. Please know, I am so completely thankful for each one of these pieces of my heart walking around outside my body (my kids) that God has given me and I wouldn't trade them for the world. Not Mia, Not Scott, Not Nathan, and Not Jonah. But it hurts sometimes. Horrible awful hurt.

Family Prayer Journal - Wednesday's

Wednesday's

Honestly, I put this off. Oh, sure I had valid excuses as to why I didn't post last week. Unfortunately, the sad truth was I.Just.Didn't.Want.To.Do.It.

Are you a huge fan of stepping out into something you feel that you are being called to do, then going through the testing and attacks because the enemy is not happy that you did it? Yeah. Me either.

Wednesday is Nathan's day: and mercy does that boy need a day all his own. Knowing that I would have to put into words the pain that was pressing in on me was daunting.

To add another layer of 'I don't want to do it' it is also the day I pray for the kids friendships/relationships/future spouses. With all the drama going on with Nathan deciding that he was going to get married I felt defeated before I even started.

The quote from Mother Teresa above really resonated with me. God entrusted me with Nathan. He knew that I was the Momma that Nathan needed and that Nathan was one of the sons I needed. He entrusted me with this man-child that has passion like crazy, doesn't take showers, would give you the shirt off his back, and cusses like a sailor. He entrusted me.

You may all be those 'good' Mommas that love their children equally. I am not one of those. I have seasons where I like some more than others. Like the year they are 7 years old. I didn't like any of them that year. I am sure if I got all spiritual and tried to figure out the significance, there would be a reason. I didn't do that though. I thought I was losing my mind when Mia turned 7. Then Scotty turned 7 and I was like, "Wait a second. I have been here before." Same thing with Nathan and with Jonah.

I have recently figured out that I don't much like them the year before they graduate as well. I totally think that it is a God thing. I am so ready for them to leave and go live their lives. Their independence and strong wills clash greatly with my need to have everything planned and controlled. Several months after they leave, wherever that may be, I suddenly am full of love and excitement every time I see them. Parenting is weird. Or I am weird. It's really a toss up.

Before I break this all down I want you to know something. If all you do is focus on ONE thing from this whole prayer journal series, that is awesome! I pray long prayers. I love to pray. Actually, what I really love is to talk to Jesus. Sometimes I go off course and get all wind-baggie. He will stop me and get me back on track. It doesn't matter if I say, this, thou, thither, thus...my words don't really matter. It is the heart behind my words that makes my time talking with Jesus important. Please don't feel like you are not praying enough. I am opening a window into my heart to share with you, hoping that it may help you, even a tiny bit. Even if you just cry out, "Help me, Jesus." When before you weren't praying at all, my efforts are worth it. Let Jesus love on the Momma's heart beating within you!!

• Wednesday
• The Kids
• Their relationships, with both friends and family (The 10 Ways to Love always comes to mind for me here)
  
  
   
  
  
• Pray for God to prepare a Christian mate for the kids
• 2 Corinthians 6:14
• That they will love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and will build their home and relationship according to God's plan for marriage.
• Mark 12:29-30
• Ephesians 5:20-25
• That God would protect their purity; keep them from the wrong mate and save them for the right one, bringing them together in His perfect timing.
• That they will both grow to spiritual maturity and will develop wisdom needed to raise godly, wise children
• Luke 2:51-52
• That they will live together in Christ, their love will grow more perfect and complete
• 1 John 4:17
• Nathan's Day - My prayer for Nathan is that he would develop God given gifts and talents and to develop a sense of satisfaction and joy in using his skills so that he comes to understand that he can do amazing, special, and important things and that he contributes. Father, I pray that you would sensitize Nathan’s conscience. Lord, I pray that Nathan would be able to hear that still small voice at all times, and that you would nurture within him a desire to listen to all that you would say to him. I pray that anything that would try to separate him from you would be thwarted.
• Father, I pray that you hear my prayers and give me wisdom daily on how to pray more effectively. Please help me to give the requests to You, Father, to work out in Your timing, without my manipulations or strivings.
• For Nathan: I desire for Nathan to put all his gifts and talents to God’s use. To resist the temptations of the enemy. I pray that God would put a hedge of thorns around Nathan at all times so that the things not ordained by You cannot get to him. I desire for him to find the true joy of the Lord within himself. Please begin to steer Nathan in the direction you would have him go and help Rod and I to be prepared for the plans you have for him. Help us to help him in the destiny you have called him to. Lord, I pray for a supernatural sensitivity to those around him. That he would not trample on ones in his haste, put pull them up along the way. I believe that Nathan has a great destiny and will be a young man of great influence. Thank you for my beautiful, funny, charming, warm, sometimes annoying son!
• Psalm 119:11 - I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
• Psalm 91:11 - For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
• Psalm 84:11 - For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
• Psalm 139:1-5 - You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.

Click here to see my complete prayers for Wednesday's.

Tomorrow I will finish out Wednesday's, then hit Thursday's at the end of the week.

Thank you for reading. Please, always feel free to respond, ask questions, or ask for prayer. You are special and I am thankful for you!

Father, being a Momma is hard. It breaks our hearts when we realize that we are in a battle for our children. It also hurts when we struggle with seasons of dryness with our children. Help all of us to love our children consistently and Father, wherever we fail, please fill in the gaps. Please surround our children with love and acceptance. And Father, if our tanks are empty, please fill us back up, so that we can be all that we need to be for each one of our children when they need us.

Family Prayer Journal - Finishing off Tuesday's

I'm not sure if you know this, but we Bowdle's love to party. And by party, of course, I mean start a project that will drain the life from us. I am so thankful to say that the floors are done, but now Rod wants me to paint all the walls. I might have my dining room back by June. Poor Thor has been so distraught over this project. I am thankful that Rod & Scotty worked so hard!! Often the projects we take on end up having drama involved. This time Thor jumped on the final coat and scratched up a huge section that had to be redone. Projects always make me think of this movie scene:

I have tears...so hilarious!!!

Friends, Family, Church, & Work

We are finishing up with our Tuesday prayers today. I saw this quote this week and I thought of you all:

Let this be an encouragement to you. You don't have to have everything written down in a pretty binder with stickers and gel pens for Jesus to hear you. All you have to do is talk to Him. Just open your mouth and spit out the words that are weighing you down. He loves it when you open your heart to Him and share what's on your mind. Yes, He already knows. Just like your kids already know that you love them or that you are happy when they do a good job. But how much more do they know when you take the time to verbalize those feelings? It's significant.

Friends

Who is on your heart to pray for today? This is your prayer journal. You can pray for a different friend each day or you can pray for different needs/attributes/fruits for the same friend each day. Make it your own.

On Tuesday's I pray for The Heng's.

Family

Same as above: who is on your heart to pray for in your family? It can be someone who is saved, someone who isn't, someone battling a health issue, or a group of family members. You can also pray for the same family member everyday. It's up to you.

Make it your own.

On Tuesday's I pray for Rod's family.

Church

We should pray for our church. We need prayer to get through life's challenges. So does our church. So do our pastor's and other church leadership. That's what I pray for today: church leadership and for the Toney's.

Work

This may seem silly to some, maybe since I have spent time working for a church and non-profits, I think it is important to pray for your jobs finances. You want to pray for accountability, good stewardship, responsible accountants, and responsible leadership. My current job is funded by grants. I love what I do. If we don't have the grants the program doesn't run and I don't have a job. On Tuesday's I pray for the finances of my job & Rod's job.

You have an amazing gift. When Jesus rose up to heaven He sent His Holy Spirit to be here with us. All we have to do is open our mouths and let His Spirit flow in and through us. And there is your gift. The gift of prayer. There is tremendous power in prayer. And then add on faith that Jesus is hearing you and you can move a mountain.

Father thank you for these amazing, gifted women! Please help them to see all that is wonderful and good within them. Help them to know that their prayers matter; that the words that come from their mouths make a difference. Thank you for our friends, families, churches, and our jobs. Help us to lift these precious gifts up to You knowing that You will do a good work in them. Please help us to release our doubts and fears to You and find peace in our time before You. Lord, whether our prayers are on pretty paper with stickers and washi tape or uttered quickly in the shower, help us to know that You hear them in all forms; in desperation and weariness or in joy and laughter, You hear them. You are - yesterday, today, and always - an awesome God. Thank You Lord!! Amen!!

 

Family Prayer Journal: Tuesday's - Husbands & Finances

To the Men We Love

 

To the men we love and see each day

May we always smile brightly and send blessings their way

 

No matter our frustrations or irritated sighs

May we see them with compassion and through Your eyes

 

May our husbands find comfort in our warm embrace

And may our homes be a place where grace is in place

 

May laughter abound in these walls where we live

And may our families be blessed by all that we give

 

Thankful we are for these men we've been given

Blessed are lives that today we live in

 

Our Husbands Relationship with Jesus 

 

Today we get to pray for our men. Some of you may not know that Rod and I have walked a very difficult road. We are still walking it, actually. To be quite honest, I was ready to be done. I had every intention of walking away. Then, about two years ago, we had a speaker at FLC. She talked about marriage, but what spoke to me was when she talked about struggles and deciding whether or not your issues were a 'deal breaker'. That was a defining moment for me in our marriage. You see, according to the world, Rod and I have had legitimate reasons to end our marriage. Actually, we have biblical reasons as well.

 

My Mom has been married 5 times. I am not judging, just giving the facts. By the time I was 18 years old, we had moved 14 times and my Mom had had over 9 different relationships that I can remember (this did not include weekend flings). Men and marriage held no value to me. I had made a plan to have a baby alone and never get married. I had my sperm donor picked out and everything. I had no desire to marry. To make a long story short, Jesus started reeling me in. I started going to MCC, got my job at GTE, and met Rod, all in the same week. When Rod proposed I told him, this is it for me. I would not live the life I had lived up to that point.

 

Here I am, 21 years later, still married, often hurting, but more committed than ever. I would say a huge source of my heartache came from misunderstood expectations. But, really, what did I know. I had no value or respect for men or marriage. Men left and if you weren't happy, you got a divorce. The fun and awesome news is that this was just my side of life. Take one broken person, add another, and what do you have? Yep. Two broken people.

 

Nothing that had/has happened in our stressful, rejection filled marriage was a deal breaker for me. NOTHING. I absolutely love this man. Oh sure...he drives me nuts, but I will let you in on a little secret: I ain't no basket of sunshine myself, girls. Just like parenting, marriage can be hard. Damn hard. But I hold on tightly to the hope that someday Rod and I will find a rhythm, a joy, and a passion that will be a beautiful thing. That day could be when we both have no teeth and we poop our pants, but hey, we all have dreams.

 

So let us pray for these blessings called men. :o)

Tuesday

 Rod

• Father, today I lift up Rod's relationship with you.




• That he would constantly strive to know and understand You.


• That he would pray and seek You in all things.


• That he would have a thankful heart for all that you have given him.


• That he would know that You love him and that You created him to be who he is.


• Father, I love to listen to Rod read Your word. It is one of my favorite things. I love when he shares from his heart and imparts the wisdom he has gained through his walk with you. Father, my prayer is that Rod would see his value; that he would know that he really does have something significant to offer. Father, please help Rod to find his place with You. He is so good at his job. If that is his field of influence, then please help him flourish. You have called him many times to minister to men. Please help him to find his groove, his value, and his peace with you Lord. I am truly, so thankful for this man. No matter our issues, I know that you put us together for a plan and a purpose. Help me to be a help to Rod and an encouragement to him in the pursuits you give him. Help him to walk with you all the days of his life. Thank you Lord!

We need to laugh.
Here is a random bit of happiness to loosen us up a bit.

 

 

OK, back to work people! :o)

 

Finances

Tuesday

• Finances
• Help Rod & I to see the needs of your people and to give with joy and wisdom. Please help us to overcome whatever may be holding us back in our giving Lord. (I am not praying about tithe - that's Thursday's financial prayer.)
• Things I would like to give to: St. Jude's, World Child (goats, chickens, cows, soccer balls), VOH. Father, please help me to be a giver. Please help Rod & I to be good stewards of the finances You give us and help us to know where we need to help. Thank you Lord!

 This praying gig is so serious. I hope that you are finding joy in this process. My life and the lives of my kids sometimes gets deep, but our house is always full of laughter. We find funny in the mundane and we love to laugh together.

 

I always go back over and read what I wrote. Sorry if I missed a typo or messed up then/than or there/their. I get so excited, I can't type fast enough. I am pointing this out because I had no plans to talk about our marriage today. It's not even the marriage prayer day, but for some reason, out it came. I actually deleted my prayer and rewrote it too. I guess I want you to understand: I don't take my prayers for Rod lightly. We have struggled and we have hurt each other and there have been some bitter years, but part of the reason I am doing this blog/healthy lifestyle change is because I want to be all that I can for Rod. Stripping myself of me and allowing God to use me for His glory can be painful, but if it is what helps Rod and I get to that place of beauty...whatever that is, then I am all for it. Strip away.

 

Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for the ladies reading this post today. Lord, if they are at a place where they are struggling, please Lord, be with them. Help them to see You in their lives. Help them to hold on to that thread of hope that seems bare. Father, help them to pray for the richness of You for their husbands. Help them to give their finances over to You and find peace in the process. Actually Lord, I could still use some help there as well. You are so beautiful in Your wisdom and Your glory. Shine on us Lord and help us to let Your light shine through us, so that we may bless our husbands, our children, and all that we come into contact with. In Your Holy Name!! Amen!!  

 

 

 

Family Prayer Journal: Tuesday's - Kid's and Main Prayer Focus

Welcome to Tuesday

Today we will be covering our daily prayer topic for our kids, and our specific child prayer that will be our main prayer focus for Tuesday.

Tuesday tends to be my longest prayer day of the week. Our focus for Tuesday for our children is their jobs & school. When I write these prayers out, I pray for the now and for the future.

I have been braking this down on a daily basis, but let's take a look at our prayer journal outline as a whole, so that you can have a visual of what we are doing everyday. I am going to use Tuesday (today) as an example.

• Tuesday
• The Kids - Jobs & School (The Kids is always the first topic of the day. Each day has a specific focus: Monday - What would I have Jesus do?, Tuesday - Job's & School, Wednesday - Relationship both family & friends, Thursday - Growth (physical, mental, emotional), Friday - Their spiritual growth. This section includes all children)
• Mia
• Carson & Liam
• Dustin
• Chad & Emily
• Scott
• Nathan
• Bree
• Jonah
• Jonah's Day (Tuesday's on my prayer list is my day to focus on Jonah, Wednesday - Nathan, Thursday - Scott, Friday - Mia, etc. You can make this your own. If you only have one child, then break it down over several topics each day, whatever works for you. This is how I chose to do it.)
• Rod (Again, I break this up over the week. Monday - Protection, Tuesday - his relationship with Jesus, Wednesday - his relationship with his kids & grand kids, Thursday - Job, Friday - Marriage
• His relationship with Jesus
• Finances (I broke down the daily finances in this post.)
• Friends & Family (Your choice. You chose who you're praying for here.)
• Church (Monday - Growth, Tuesday - Leadership, Wednesday - Day to day operations & Worship team, Thursday - Unification, Friday - Children's & Youth)
• Work (Monday - Boss/Director, Tuesday - Finances, Wednesday - Holy Spirit be on premise/go before me, Thursday - Client's & Our protection, Friday - Making a difference/Vision)

This gives you the overall view for daily prayers. If I was to type out my Tuesday prayers you would probably quit reading; it's that long. Please keep in mind; I don't sit here and read this everyday. Once I write out these cries of my heart, I release them to God. I do reference this journal from time to time and restate some prayers. The reason I keep bringing this up is because this can become a religious act, which can stifle the flow of the Holy Spirit. You don't want it to become monotonous: drone like. You want to talk to Jesus about your kids daily, bringing up current issues on each topic. Allow this to guide your discussions.

Now let's move on to another topic that may blow your mind.

I am sure you noticed above, under Mia: Carson & Liam, Dustin, Chad & Emily. So let's just hit this discussion head on. Here is a smidgen of the story: Mia & Chad got pregnant right out of high school. Probably one of the parenting mistakes I regret the most happened next. We forced our belief system onto our, now adult, child. Ugh, just thinking about it makes my shoulders tense. Mia honored our stance and lived with us until they married. Mia, Chad, and Carson became a family, living all together, when Chad and Mia married. Carson was 4 months old. Shortly after marrying, they got pregnant again, with Liam. Shortly after that Chad had an affair with Emily and she became pregnant with their oldest daughter. Mia and Chad divorced. Mia is now with Dustin and Chad is now with Emily. Chad and Emily have two little girls together.

I have every reason to dislike Chad. He hurt my baby girl. Really hurt her. Just typing this out is hard, remembering a very difficult time in all of our lives. I could hate. I could be bitter. I could encourage Mia to hate and be bitter by my attitude. Ultimately though, who would I be hurting by doing this? Yep. My grand babies. It is important to me to pray for the success, salvation, and happiness of Chad and Emily because, first of all, Chad is Carson & Liam's father. And second, Emily is apart of Chad's life which means she is apart of Carson & Liam's life. Same goes with Dustin. Dustin and Mia are not married. They live together. I am not accountable for Mia's choices. But I am accountable for mine. My choice is to pray for the success, salvation, and happiness of Dustin and Mia. Why? Well, first off, she is my daughter. Hello? And second, I want them to succeed. Dustin has influence over my daughter and my grandchildren. Do I cut them out of my life because they are living differently then I would hope. Nope. Not this Momma. I have the most powerful tool at my disposal. Prayer. I will give it all to Jesus to sort out and love my daughter, and her wonderful boyfriend, and my beautiful grand babies. End.Of.Discussion.

Parenting is hard. And sometimes, it isn't pretty.

Wow. Fun stuff today, huh?

Now back to prayer. And you wondered why I was all into prayer. Girl, please. Jesus and me are like this...

Tuesday's!

• Kids: Job & School
• Mia
• Carson & Liam
• Dustin
• Chad & Emily
• Scott
• Nathan
• Bree
• Jonah

My prayers here cover all current issues in regards to school and their jobs, plus my hopes for their future and any prophetic prayers I feel led to pray. Scriptures that been included in the past in this section are:

Isaiah 54:13 - All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children's peace.

Luke 2:52 - And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.

Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers.

Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go.

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Next is the main prayer topic for the day. Today's topic for me is Jonah.

• Jonah's Day
• Father, thank you for Jonah! Thank you for his love! He is constantly a joy and a hoot. I am so blessed by his constant desire to know about You and understand the bible.
• Father, I pray that You hear my prayers and give me wisdom daily on how to pray more effectively. Please help me to give the request to You, Father, to work out in Your own timing, without my manipulations or striving. (Note: I pray this prayer each day before I pray for the kid of the day)
• For Jonah: Lord, I pray that Jonah reaches always for his full potential. I pray that he never settles for less than what you would have for him. I pray that Jonah would develop a sensitivity to Your voice. I pray that he would not only hear You, but listen too. Father, please watch over Jonah daily and protect him from physical harm. My desire for Jonah is that he would develop a great relationship with You from early on. That he will know a level of trust and understanding that brings meaning to the purpose that You would have for him. I hope and pray that Jonah would find comfort and joy in the process of learning. I pray for a continued hunger to learn and know about things. But above all learning that he would walk in Your truth! Please give Rod and I strength, wisdom, and discipline to help him find the right answers. Amen!

This prayer is actually a couple of years old. I do need to update it as Jonah is now entering puberty. Yay! (please pay special attention to the tone of sarcasm there)

I have, yet another, wonderfully stretching, totally awesome parenting moment to let you know about. If you noticed above, when praying for the kids. I listed Bree under Nathan. Nathan informed us this weekend that he plans to marry Bree in January. Yes, for those who are doing the math in their head. Nathan will be a senior next year. He turns 18 in September. January is a long way off, and plans and life change. But out of all of my children, Nathan inherited the stubbornness of both his mother and his father. The boy can not be moved when he has made a decision. On Wednesday's we pray for our children's relationships, both with friends and family. This includes their future spouses. But I will also be including Bree in the other sections. Just so you know, and can be praying for my sanity. Because, parenting, as you know, is so easy and fun. All.The.Time.

If you wondered why I didn't post yesterday, you now know what I was working through. Sharing my prayers with you all makes for some pretty significant vulnerability. There are some who would have a field day with some of what I shared today. So, let me finish with this:

Father, I cancel any assignment the enemy may send out in regards to my words and prayers today. I also cancel out any curses spoken by those who do not know, over my self, my children, my marriage, and my family, in Jesus name. Use us Lord to help others who may be struggling. May my life be a testimony to Your goodness and mercy. I love You Lord, and I am so very thankful that I can talk to You and know that You hear my prayers. I look forward to Your wisdom and revelation in all aspects of my life. You are an awesome God.

Father, please bless my fellow sisters reading this post today. Father, I am sure they are sitting there thinking, "Lord, please don't let my babies grow up!" Please give them strength and wisdom and courage to be the parents you have called them to be. Please protect their babies from the harshness of this world and keep them innocent and pure. In Jesus name!! Amen!!

 

Family Prayer Journal - The Fab Five

The Fab Five

 

We are hitting it hard today and finishing up our Monday prayers with the final five prayer entries. Let's recap what we have done so far:

 

• Monday
• The Kids
• What would I most want Jesus to do for my children at this time? What concerns do I have at this time?
• MY Day - The desires of my heart for myself and my family
• Check out this post for the complete entry.
• Rod (Your husband)
• For His Protection
• To and from work
• From temptations
• At work - guide him in his job/make Godly decisions

 

This is where we are so far. We are now going to add our last 5 entries to complete out Monday's prayer list. I want to point out that what/who I pray for may not jive with you. AND THAT'S OKAY! This is YOUR journal, pray for who or what you feel you need to pray for. Now let's do this! Deep breath!! Here we go...

 

FINANCES

If you Google marital conflict statistics you will find massive amounts of articles and studies. In one article, it listed the top 10 causes of relationship strain. The highest number: 64% of couples reported money worries as their number 1 issue.

 

It is imperative that we believe and pray for unity in our finances with our spouses. I am not talking today about tithe. That is a hot button issue that is for you and your spouse to talk about and agree upon. I do not have to stand before Jesus and be accountable for what you do with your finances. I have to stand before Him and be accountable for myself, and that gives me plenty enough to work on/deal with.

 

On Monday's, my prayers for our finances goes like this:

• Finances 
• Father, I ask that you would overhaul our financial minds. Please begin a new work in us. Help us to let go of what we think we know and allow you to create within us a new vision and purpose financially. Help us to break the strongholds and mindsets and to stop walking around the mountain. Please make the path that we are to take clear! Thank you Lord!!

 What breakthroughs do you need in your marriage when it comes to unity in your finances? That is what you are praying for today. It's hard. I get it. But Oh so worth it.

(I am going to give you a peek, in this section only, on what we pray for our finances for the rest of the week. In this instance, you really need to see the whole picture.)

• Monday
• Unity of Vision
• Tuesday
• See the needs of those around us
• Area's where we would like to give more:
• Examples: World Child, VOH, St. Jude's
• Wednesday
• That we would be an example to our kids with our finances
• Please help us to redeem our mistakes
• Help us to be givers and to help our children be givers
• Please help us to be able to sow into our kids in all their various activities, sports, hobbies, needs
• Thursday
• That tithing would be a way of life - a standard we hold ourselves to.
• Friday (I actually wrote out my Friday's prayer - the focus is to get out of debt)
• Father, our ultimate desire is to be debt free. I want to see what Rod is like free of the burdens of debt. Please help us to be diligent about this vision. Help us to walk in a future different from where we have been (note: this prayer has already been answered - we are walking a new path). We do not want to be burdens to our children; we want to bless them with an inheritance...full of love, sweat, rewards, breakthrough, belief, admiration, success, and financial freedom!! Thank you Lord!!!

FAMILY & FRIENDS

Make this your own. Pray for whomever is on your heart. My Monday prayer entry is for The Taylor's. They are a family I love and respect and desire to pray for and believe for success. Who is that for you?

CHURCH

My Monday prayer for the church is that our church would continue to grow: in attendance, wisdom, and finances.

JOB

This is actually a new prayer entry for me. I always pray for my job in the morning with Jonah on the way to school, but I have never added it to my prayer journal. Since my current job is a contracted position, I will pray on Monday's for the continued success of the program: finances, vision, direction.

Wow! That was a HUGE chunk!! But, hey! We are done!! We have successfully prayed for all topics for...MONDAYS!!

We will start all over again next week with our Tuesday prayer entries. Success to you and Happy Mother's Day!! I hope you are blessed with the chance to see, talk to, and/or spend time with your children!!

Father, thank you for our prayer vision for Monday's. For those who are on the Family Prayer Manual adventure, please bless them and bring to them a deeper understanding of their intimate talks with You, lifting up themselves, their children, their husbands, and their lives. Thank you for continued breakthrough and vision!! Amen!!

Here is a link to my personal, updated Monday prayers.