Candace Crabtree

Praying the Scriptures for Your Family

by Candace Crabtree

www.MercyIsNew.com

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover and Interior Design by Jen StultsBeing Confident of This

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Praying the Scriptures is taking the very words of God and praying them right back to Him. But before I get into the practical, I want you to lean in close and let me tell you something very important. I do not have special knowledge about praying the Scriptures that no one else can gain. I am not an expert on praying the Scriptures.

I am a broken, messed up mama who, out of desperation, began reading and praying and crying out to God using the very words I was reading from the Bible. During a dark period in my life, I was given the idea to read one Psalm each day. So, I began. Each day, I would get up and read one Psalm. The next day, I would read the next one. I got to the end of the book of Psalms and started over.

I will be honest, some days, I read the Psalm and felt absolutely nothing in my heart. Some days I read the Psalm for that day, closed my Bible and continued walking in darkness. But, I kept reading. I kept opening God’s Word and asking God to change my heart. I kept opening myself up to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Slowly but surely, as I read the words of the Psalmist, those words became the words to my prayers and the cries of my heart. The despair that David wrote about, I felt too. The words David used to cry out to God, I began using to cry out to God as well.

Without even realizing it, I was praying the Word of God.

And friends, the word of God became such a beautiful treasure in my life. God comforted me, encour-aged me, uplifted me, helped me to praise Him in the storm and radically changed my prayer life through this period in my life.

Even in the midst of the darkness of my soul, God awakened in me a love for Him and His Word and my life has never been the same.

I don’t say this to say that I will never struggle again, there will always be trials while we are still here on this earth. But, what I do mean to tell you is that God can transform your heart through the pow-er of His Word and His Holy Spirit. He can and He will. I pray that you will open your heart up to His Work in your life through the beautiful gift of His Word.

What is Praying the Scriptures?

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Who Can Pray the Scriptures?

I love answering this question. You see, it’s not the super spiritual who have some higher access to God that can pray His Word. It’s not the ones who have it all together either.

Praying the Scriptures is for the desperate, like me, who need a word from the Lord. Praying the Scrip-tures is for the weak, like me, who are dependent on the strength of the Lord to fill them. Praying the Scriptures is for the broken, like me, who need a healing touch from God.

Praying the Scriptures is for all of us.

Praying the Scriptures is for those of us who sometimes, in the midst of our heartache, find ourselves with no words. Did you know that in Romans chapter 8, we are told that when we don’t have the words the Holy Spirit intercedes for us? One way He does this is when we come before Him with His Word and speak those words to Him.

So, you see my friends, praying the Scriptures really is for all of us. The broken, the weak, the sick, the hurting, the grieving, the desperate…all of us. I hope you’ll join me and know that I’m already praying for each of you that reads this little ebook!

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How Do I Pray the Scriptures?

Here is another place that I just want to start off by saying that there is no right or wrong way to pray God’s Word. His Word is alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. His Word does not return void. (Isaiah 55:11)

Here are some practical ways that I pray the Scriptures:

1. My Index Card Spiral – I use my index card spiral to write verses down that I want to carry with me, place on the kitchen counter, memorize and just focus on in general.

2. Open your Bible and pray a Psalm out loud to God. Read it with a heart that is wanting to con-verse with the Lord. Speak the words to God like you’re actually talking to Him. Don’t make it hard, just read it with a pure heart before Him!

3. Use the audio version of the YouVersion app! It’s free. :) I’m loving this new-to-me option. Some-times I will go on a walk (or on the treadmill) and listen to the Word of God. As I’m listening, I may hear a phrase that really speaks to where I’m at in life and I repeat it back to God. This app is really neat, you can find any Scripture, read it in any translation and also LISTEN to it!! As I continue walk-ing, if I hear something that is very applicable to me or one of my kids or a loved one, I may just say to God, “yes, Lord, may it be so…”

4. Journaling the Scriptures. Journaling is not something that everyone loves. But I have found that I really enjoy looking back over years of prayers and Scriptures that the Lord has used in my life. What a beautiful treasure this will also be for our children one day! It will bless you to go back and see how God has answered your prayers, too!! Writing out the Scriptures just helps to get it deeper into our hearts, we read it, memorize it, write it, say it to God, meditate on it…find as many ways as you can to get these words into your heart!

5. Praying the Scriptures for others. Intercessory prayer. Since learning to pray the Scriptures, praying the verses for others has been a HUGE blessing and has really grown my intercessory prayer life. Take these verses you pray for yourself or your family, pray them for your pastor, for the sick, for your friends…your prayers take on new meaning when you can pray confidently knowing that His Word does not return void!

6. Placing Scripture around my home — I have included 2 lovely Scripture printables that I person-ally have prayed many times over the years! Print these, gift them or hang them in your own kitchen. Glance at them through your day and whisper up a prayer to God with those very words.

7. What other creative ideas do you have for praying God’s Word?

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10 Benefits of Praying the Scriptures

1. The Word of God becomes a treasure. Those precious words, they become so much more dear to you when you read them, pray them, meditate on them and carry them with you through your day.

2. You begin to learn more and more of the Word of God. The more you read it, the more you pray it, the easier it is to memorize and hide His word in your heart!

3. Your anxiety is eased. Philippians 4:6-7 actually tells us to go to Him in prayer when we are anx-ious! And then it says, when you pray, His peace will guard your heart and mind!! More prayer = more peace!

4. Your moments of wordlessness become filled with hope. Often, especially in times of distress, we don’t have words to even speak. Yet, God in His goodness knew those days would come and He provided the Holy Spirit who intercedes on our behalf! {Romans 8.}

5. You can be certain you are praying God’s will. In the past I have often felt conflicted, wondering if what I was praying was even what God wanted for a situation. Well, when I pray the Scriptures over a family member or for a situation, I can know that His Word is His will…and I can pray with certainty.

6. Your intercessory prayer life grows. Praying for others has now changed for me. I can pray with certainty, I can insert the names of others just like I do for family members. I love praying for others in this way!!

7. God’s Word becomes very personal for you. When you take a verse from God’s Word and you place a name inside it or pray it for yourself, when you repeat those words back to God…the whole passage takes on new meaning and becomes much more personal to you. That is what it’s done for me.

8. You can relate to the people of the Bible more readily. I love taking the words of David and praying them. I feel like I know David in a whole new way after reading through the Psalms, looking at where he was at in his life at the time he wrote it, and then praying those words over my own life. Powerful stuff.

9. Peace and comfort are yours for the taking. There isn’t anything in this world that will fill us with peace like God and His Word. I’m a words kind of girl…words encourage and uplift my soul like not a lot of other things can. But, the words of God? Well they are even more special to me. And when I sit for a few minutes at the start of my day with the Psalms, I am immediately filled with peace. God is so good like that.

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10. Jesus will draw you close. I promise. In your darkest moments, grab your Bible, open to Psalm 34 and Jesus will meet you there. I have found that to be so true in my own life, time and time again. I come to Him desperate and He draws me in, whispers these words of comfort through His Word and I feel like I’m receiving a hug from my Lord. He just draws us closer to Himself when we spend that time in His Word.

There is a place of quiet rest,near to the heart of God,

A place where sin cannot molest,near to the heart of God.

O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God,Hold us who wait before Thee near to the heart of God.

hymn lyrics by Cleland McAfee“If we want to read and to pray the prayers of the Bible and especially the Psalms, therefore, we must not ask first what they have to do with us, but what they have to do with Jesus Christ. We must ask how we can understand the Psalms as God’s Word, and then we shall be able to pray them. It does not depend, therefore, on whether the Psalms express adequately that which we feel at a given mo-ment in our heart. If we are to pray aright, perhaps it is quite necessary that we pray contrary to our own heart. Not what we want to pray is important, but what God wants us to pray. If we were de-pendent entirely on ourselves, we would probably pray only the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer. But God wants it otherwise. The richness of the Word of God ought to determine our prayer, not the poverty of our heart.” Bonhoeffer from Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible.

Sweet friends, I do pray this resource is helpful for you. Learning to pray the Psalms has transformed my prayer life. Praying the Words of God back to our Father is sweet fellowship with Him as He transforms us into His image. As we reach up to our heavenly Father, like little children full of faith, we are reciting His promises, trusting Him to fulfill each and every one, knowing how He loves His children so.

Much love,Candace Crabtree

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Day 1Deuteronomy 6:4-9“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I give you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of theme when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Prayer: Oh Lord, grant me the grace to love you more and more each day. May my family learn what it means to love you with all our hearts, souls and strength. Help my husband and I to be diligent teachers and doers of the Word in our home, when we sit at home, when we are driving around town and when we go to sleep at night. May your Word and Your love and Your sacrifice ever be on the forefront of our minds and hearts. Only by Your grace and for Your glory!

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 2Joshua 1:9

“Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Prayer: May our children be strong and courageous for You, God. Lord God, You are with us, You are with me. You are in the midst of our home and we can’t thank You enough for Your presence. God, on our own, we fail at this being strong and unafraid thing. By your might and grace alone, help us to trust You more with each passing day. I ask you to help us, as parents, to live lives of absolute trust and surrender that all they know to do is trust You. When our children are afraid – when we are afraid – remind us of Joshua’s story. Remind us of your presence. Remind us of your goodness. You are Emmanuel…God with us.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Ruth 1:16-17“Ruth said, ‘Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”

Prayer: Father God, the words of Ruth are the cry of my heart for our family, for my marriage. You have brought us together, may nothing tear us apart. May my husband and children know that where they go – both physically, emotionally or spiritually, I am right there with them. Nothing they can do will stop me from loving them. Help me to love more like You love, Father. Help us to love each other with an unconditional love. May my children be secure in my love for my husband, his love for me, and our love for them. Strengthen the love you have given my husband and me. Help us to be proactive and intention-al about spending time together and putting our marriage first. Teach us to love like You do.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 3

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1 Samuel 1:27-28“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.’ So they worshiped the Lord there.”

Prayer: Prayer: Lord God, You have blessed me with each of these children. They are gifts from You, yet I gift them to You in return. They are yours. Just like Hannah gave Samuel over to you, I give my chil-dren back to You. I want You to use them for Your glory. Take their hearts and mold them into the beauti-ful people you created them to be. May they be surrendered to Your love, Jesus. May they know your love and your presence in a tangible way. Like Hannah, we pray for our children, then and now. God grant us, by your grace, as mothers, to release our children to You. You are the perfect, loving Father and there is no one more trustworthy than You. We trust You with our families.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 4

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1 Samuel 3:10“Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.”

Prayer: Lord, we want to recognize Your voice. Teach us,through Your Word, what Your voice sounds like so that we can know truth from lie. Help us to know You more, to recognize Your voice, and in turn, to hear You. We don’t want to mistake the voice of the world with the voice of our Savior. We will learn your voice the more time we spend with You and in Your Word. So, we are asking for your grace and your mercy to cover our home, grant us time and discipline to spend that time in ways that allow us to know You more. As parents, may we show our children a love for You and Your Word that draws them to Your-self. Holy Spirit, have Your way in our home. Speak, Lord, we are listening.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 5

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2 Chronicles 7:14-15“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.”

Prayer: Lord God, we are Your people, yet we have been unfaithful to You in word and in deed. We repent before You and ask you to create in us clean hearts that desire Your glory above all else in this life. As a family we have chosen to follow You, Lord we beg your mercy on behalf of our nation. None of us deserves it, but you have poured your grace out over our lives and we ask that you allow our family to be a light to this dark world. Thank You for the promise in Your word that when we turn to You, humbly and confess our sins, You hear us. Thank You for hearing our prayers.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 6

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Esther 4:14“Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Prayer: Lord, sometimes I wonder what in the world I am doing, what my purpose is, and if there isn’t some big huge thing you are calling me to do. But, the story of Esther helps us all know that You have placed us on this earth for such a time as this. Right now. Right here. I am here for a purpose. My children are here for a purpose. Help us to point others to You, Jesus, every single day. Help us to look around us and see that You have given us relationships, circumstances and places to share You with oth-ers. Help us to not always be looking for the big, huge, radical thing you call OTHERS to do, but to live the life You’ve given US with joy and contentment.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 7

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Job 1:21“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Prayer: In all things I desire to praise You. Lord, may I be like Job and praise You in the storms of life. In the desperate times, I’m desperate for You, nothing else will satisfy. Jesus, You alone are worthy of my praise. And You are good no matter what is happening around me. You deserve my praise even when I don’t understand what is happening around me. May I be an example to my children of praising You no matter what. You are worthy. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 8

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Psalm 1:1-2“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the unscornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

Prayer: Lord God, we desire to be Your blessed people. Grant us the wisdom and discernment to not seek counsel among the ungodly. May we show them Jesus, without seeking or listening to their coun-sel. Lord, the ungodly are all around us. We desire to please You, to show the world who You are, but we desperately need to stay close to You to do so. Our delight is You and Your Word. Thank You that when we focus on you, meditate on Your Word and fix our eyes on Jesus, you enable us to be who You created us to be. Your Word is powerful. Oh Lord, may our children to delight in You and Your Word, that is the cry of our hearts as parents. May they not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. As they grow, bring Godly and wise and loving friends and leaders into their lives. May You and Your Word forever be the delight of our souls. We love You.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 9

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Psalm 23Read all of Psalm 23.

Prayer: Father, You are my shepherd, I shall not want. You make me lie down in green pastures, You lead me beside quiet waters. You restore my soul; You lead me in paths of righteousness for Your name sake! Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my ene-mies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in Your house forever.

Prayer for specific family members, replace with names of loved ones:

Father, You are my child’s shepherd, may they not want…continue on with rest of passage.

Lord, may my children, our family be content in You and You alone. You are our shepherd, we have all we need. You lead us, you restore us. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives…because of You, Lord, we are grateful. For your glory.

My Prayer: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 10

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Psalm 139Read all of Psalm 139.

Prayer: {If you have longer to pray, pray through this entire Psalm! I love praying this one for my kids! But this is also a great one to take phrases from and cling to them, meditate on them, through your day!}

Lord, You have searched me and You know me and my children. You know when we sit and when we rise. You understand our thoughts. Behold, You know us all together. And that You love us still? Your love amazes us and we can’t ever tell You how grateful we are for Your love.

God, You have hedged me behind and before, You have laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.

Where can we go from Your Spirit, Lord? May my children never doubt that truth, Oh Lord! They cannot flee from Your presence. That gives me comfort as a mom as well! Lord, write these truths on our heart.

The darkness will not hide You, Lord. {This is a phrase i like to repeat when really having a period of depression and darkness in my own life.}

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

My Prayer: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 11

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Proverbs 1:7“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Prayer: Oh Lord, may it never be said of our family that we despise wisdom and knowledge. Teach us to fear You. Teach us to love you more and more with each passing day so that we will never be foolish according to this description. Teach my children to fear Your Name, Lord. Teach my children the begin-ning of knowledge is love and fear for You and You alone. May my children grow to love Your wisdom and Your instruction, Lord.

My Prayer: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 12

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Proverbs 18:10“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Prayer: Lord, we run to You. Your name is a strong tower. You have called us righteous by the blood of Jesus and we proclaim this truth over our family’s life that when we run to You we are safe. God, we know that You do not call us to live safe lives, but IN YOU we are eternally safe. Remind us of this truth day in and day out. When my children fear, help them to run to You, our strong tower.

My Prayer: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 13

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Isaiah 61:1-3The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the open-ing of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that He may be glorified.”

Prayer: Almighty God, this passage tells us why You sent Jesus. As a follower of Christ, I want to be more like Him, I want to follow Him and join Him as He preaches good news to the poor, heals the bro-kenhearted, proclaims liberty to the captives, comforts those who mourn, gives them beauty for ashes, joy for mourning and praise for a spirit of heaviness. Please help me to remember this is why You came. Please give me the discernment to know when a neighbor is in need of comfort and healing and good news. May I be a light in the darkness, Father! May our family shine You to all we encounter!

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 14

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Jeremiah 17:7-8“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

Prayer: Oh Lord, this is what I want for my family! We proclaim our trust in You and trust You to fulfill the promise in this passage. We trust You completely, our hope is IN YOU! You have told us if we trust You and place our hope in You that we will be like trees planted by the water, our roots will spread by the river, we will not fear the drought or when bad things come our way, our leaves will still be green. We will still bear fruit in the midst of hardship! We will not be anxious, but proclaim our trust in You. We will not cease to bear fruit because of Your love and Your grace that You have poured out over our lives. We praise You!

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 15

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Lamentations 3:22-24“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’”

Prayer: Because of your mercy, we are not consumed. We praise You, Father!

Today as a family we want to NAME Your acts of faithfulness in our lives…Thank You, Lord, for Your provision, Your love for us, the family You’ve blessed us with, the roof over our heads…{I encourage you to name and count your blessings with your family today!}

You are our portion, Lord! Even without all of these things in our lives, we would still have You and You are enough!! Our hope is in You!

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 16

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Hosea 6:1-3“Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn but He will heal us; He has stricken but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.”

Prayer: The cry of my heart, Lord, is that we would return to You. We want to fix our eyes on You in all we do, in all we say. We pray the same for our nation — a return to You. Lord, let us pursue YOUR knowledge, not the ways of the world. May it be so.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 17

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Micah 6:8“He has shown You, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Prayer: Yes, Lord, this is the cry of our hearts! You have SHOWN US what You desire from us! You have given us instruction in Your Word. We cannot miss this. Oh God, help us not to miss this in the midst of our crazy days! You have shown us what is good! You want us to live just lives and do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with You! God, all around us we see a desperate need for justice, mercy and humility. May we be those things to a lost and dying world. They cannot see You in us if we do not live and love like You. God, prick our hearts and break our hearts for what breaks Yours.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 18

27

Matthew 9:36-38“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plen-tiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Prayer: Lord, may we be filled with compassion when we see the lost around us. Break our hearts for what breaks Yours. May we remember that the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few. Give us strength to keep up the good work until the day we see Your face. Remind us, when we look into the faces of our neighbors and family members that we want to see them in heaven. Your will is not for any to per-ish without You, break our hearts for the lost as well. We are desperate for You, Jesus!

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 19

28

John 15:1-11Read all of John 15:1-11

Prayer: Lord God, teach us to abide in You. You are the true vine, we are the branches. You cut off every branch in me that does not bear fruit – and we thank You for that, God! Sometimes it hurts to be pruned, but we know it is for our good and for Your glory. Teach us to remain in You. Thank You that you are always faithful to remain in us. We cannot bear fruit by ourselves, we must remain in You! Apart from You we can do nothing!

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 20

29

Romans 8:31-39Read all of Romans 8:31-39

Prayer: God, You are for us, who can be against us? You did not spare Your own son, but gave Him for me. No one can condemn me because I am in Christ and Christ is in me. Thank You Lord for that truth. Help me to remember that truth and speak aloud that truth when I feel like the world is condemning me or even my own heart. Help me to fix my eyes on You so that I know without a doubt Your love…so that it takes over my life in such a way that others see You in every word and every action. Nothing, nothing at all…nothing I’ve done, nothing I will do, can separate me from Your love. God, we are desperate for that love. We are amazed at Your love for us. Trouble nor hardship nor persecution nor famine nor nakedness nor danger nor sword can separate me from You. There is no more powerful truth. And because noth-ing can separate us from You, we are more than conquerors. Thank You, Lord Jesus. You are worthy. You alone.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 21

30

1 Corinthians 13:4-8“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Prayer: Lord, You love us with a love we cannot fathom in our humanness. Yet You also call us, as Your children, to love others in that same way. By Your grace help me to show Your patience and Your kindness to all of those I encounter, but especially in our home. God, cause us not to envy, convict us when our pride begins to show its ugly head, may our response to our own sin against one another be repen-tance and humility. Help me to seek after Your own heart and not my own desires, help me to fix my eyes on You and not the evil around me. May my rejoicing be in You and Your mighty works on this earth, not my own doing or anything that does not point to truth. Give me the grace and strength to show my fam-ily that I believe in them, that I hope good things for them and that my love for them will always endure. May I be Jesus to my family.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 22

31

2 Corinthians 12:8-10“Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Prayer: Lord, we all have things we have pleaded with You to take from us. Yet, in Your goodness and faithfulness to us, You have given us what is best for us. Help us to rest in that truth, Lord. Your grace is sufficient. When I am weak, Your strength can shine through. Lord, if I was strong on my own others would not be able to see You more clearly…so we thank You for what makes us weak and we ask for the grace to endure. Your grace really is enough, Father. Remind us, again and again and again…that all is grace.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 23

32

Galatians 2:20“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Prayer: Lord, in Christ we are made new. Thank You that we can look beyond our past straight into the eyes of our loving Savior. Thank You that You are alive in each of us and for the HOPE that gives us. Increase our faith, Lord, because sometimes, living in this world, it just gets so hard. We see destruction around us, not to mention our own sinfulness and worldliness and we struggle. But, grow our faith and grow our trust in You and remind us that You truly do work all things for Your good. Thank You for lov-ing me and giving Yourself for me.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 24

33

Galatians 5:22“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gen-tleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Prayer: Oh Lord, we just beg you to pour out your Spirit over our family and over our home. We ask You to help us show this fruit to the world so that they may see You. God, we desire our homes to be full of love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. You know, Father, that our flesh and humanness and sinfulness gets in the way every single day. But, by Your grace, today, we can show a little more love to each other. God we can’t do it without you. Help us! We are des-perate for You!

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 25

34

Ephesians 1:15-20“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heav-enly places.”

Prayer: Lord, this prayer that Paul prayed for the church of Ephesus is the prayer I pray for my fam-ily and my children. Lord, I do not cease to give thanks for the blessing of family and who You have given me; all gifts. I pray that you will give my children the spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing who You are, that the eyes of their understanding would be opened, that they would know what is the HOPE of their calling, that they would know the riches of our inheritance in You, and what is the exceeding great-ness of Your power toward us.

My Prayer: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 26

35

Philippians 1:3-6, 9“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day unit now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense til the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

Prayer: God, may the prayers and cries of my heart be GRATITUDE every time I think of my family. Every time I remember the blessings You have placed in my life, I thank You. God, I ask you to help me, as a mom, to speak words of truth and hope to my children, that they would know You have started a good work in their lives and that they would trust You to complete it. On the days when I need that reminder myself, I ask you to bring to mind that truth. I ask you to make the love of my family toward each other and toward the world be abounding love, growing daily; that they would grow more and more in knowl-edge and discernment, that they would be drawn to what is excellent and be filled with the fruits of righteousness. All glory and praise to You alone!

My Prayer: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 27

36

Philippians 2:5-1{Read Philippians 2:5-11}

Prayer: Lord, let this mind be in me and in our home, let us have the mind of Christ, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his advantage. God, give us the hearts and love to put each other first, to make ourselves nothing by taking the nature of a servant. Humble us that we may become obedient to die to self in our home. Lord, You exalted Jesus to the high-est place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. To YOUR glory, God the Father. Make us like Jesus. More of You, less of me.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 28

37

Colossians 1:9-12“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long-suffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheri-tance of the saints in the light.”

Prayer: Oh Father, this passage is the cry of my heart. I do not cease praying for my loved ones, ask-ing You to fill them with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that they will walk worthy of You, Lord, fully pleasing You, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of You; strengthened with all might, according to Your glorious power , for all patience and long suffering with joy, that each of us may give thanks to You, Lord, who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 29

38

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13“Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”

Prayer: If there are loved ones that don’t know You, Father, direct our path to them. Lord, I lift up my family before you and ask that you make us increase and abound in love for one another and to all around us, just as our love for you grows, establish our hearts as blameless in holiness. We cannot wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Come quickly Lord Jesus.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 30

39

Hebrews 12:1-2“Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”

Prayer: Oh Lord Jesus, we praise You for the example we have in Jesus Christ, Your Son. Thank You that we are surrounded by this body of believers and this great cloud of witnesses! Help us, Father, to lay aside everything that weighs us down, and the sin that so easily entangles us. Help us to run with perse-verance the race that You’ve marked out for us. Strengthen us to fix our eyes on You and You alone, the author and perfecter of our faith. Thank You for hearing our prayer.

My Prayer: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 31

40

Thank you for joining me in Praying the Scriptures for Your Family!! What a blessing you’ve given your family!

More Praying the Scriptures ResourcesPraying the Scriptures Through Adventhttp://www.mercyisnew.com/product/jesus-light-world-praying-scripture-advent/

How to Pray the Scriptures {5 Practical Tips}http://www.mercyisnew.com/2014/09/04/practical-ways-pray-scriptures-podcast-blog-post/

Free monthly Praying the Scriptures printables:http://mercyisnew.com/praying-scriptures/printables/

Thank You

41

Reading Plan

SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT1

Deut. 6: 4-9

2Joshua

1:9

3Ruth

1:16-17

41 Samuel1:27-28

51 Samuel

3:10

62 Chron.7:14-15

7Esther4:14

8Job

1:21

9Psalm 1:1-2

10Psalm

23

11Psalm

139

12Prov.1:7

13Prov.18:10

14Isaiah 61:1-3

15Jer.

17:7-8

16Lam.

3:22-24

17Hosea6:1-3

18Micah

6:8

19Matt.

9:36-38

20John

15:1-11

21Romans8:31-39

221 Cor.13:4-8

232 Cor.

12:8-10

24Gal.2:20

25Gal.5:22

26Eph.

1:15-20

27Phil.1:3

28Phil.

2:5-11

29Col.

1:9-12

301 Thess.3:11-13

31Heb.

12:1-2