Praying for 30 days- day 7

In my book (Today I Pray by Stonecroft ministries), they continued on with the parable of the sower focusing on the seeds that fall on the thorny ground that gets choked up because of the cares of this world (Matthew 13:7,22). I also have decided to add Jeremiah 4:1-4 using the New Living Translation instead.
" And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them...Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful."

"O Israel,” says the Lord,
    “if you wanted to return to me, you could.
You could throw away your detestable idols
    and stray away no more.
² Then when you swear by my name, saying,
    ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’
you could do so
    with truth, justice, and righteousness.
Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,
    and all people would come and praise my name!

³ This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:

“Plow up the hard ground of your hearts!
    Do not waste your good seed among thorns.
⁴ O people of Judah and Jerusalem,
    surrender your pride and power.
Change your hearts before the Lord,^[a]
    or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire
    because of all your sins"

 Father, I ask that the pleasures of this world and the pressures of life will not choke the Word of God that has been sown into ______'s life.


In our world today there are people who have heard the word of God, who can even quote it, but the pleasures and pressures of this world has prevented God's word to bear fruit in their lives. It is actually very common in the church today.

I grew up in a home where everyone was a new believer and was growing spiritually together. My mom would say that she wishes to do things differently if she could do it over again. I was the "good" child, doing everything "right" except only right in my own eyes. I grew up memorizing God's word in Awana and doing my quiet times every morning but I did it all in my own strength. The pleasures of this world was my motivation, wanting boys to like me, wanting people to tell me that I was so good at the things I did. The word of God was there but I don't think it took deep roots at all. I had not concept of grace but only what the world thought of me. I was an example of the thorny soil. But thankfully God kept using circumstances and people in my life to show me grace and that it only came from trusting in Him and His word. I am thankful that He did not give up on me.

Just like In verse three and four in chapter four of Jeremiah, God calls out to those who have heard His word but chooses the the things of this world. You can hear Him pleading, "Plow the hard ground of your hearts! Surrender your pride and power! Change your heart towards Me!".

I challenge you to find a person who you know has heard God's word but you just dont know if they truly know God. Pray the prayer above for them today. I too have someone that God has brought to my attention just yesterday. What am I going to do with this? Am I going to ignore it or pray about how God wants me to use His word to water the seeds that just continue to be choked up by this world and its demands?

Praying for 30 days- day 6

Today's scripture from my book Today I Pray by Stonecroft ministries is Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
"On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”...“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;  yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Lord, I ask You, through Your power and _______'s circumstances, to prepare ________ to hear and receive the Word of God.

The parable of the Sower shows me that God is all knowing and all powerful when it comes to our salvation but that He still gives us the free will to reject His words in the Bible.  Let's first review the four soils that the seeds land in
1. The seed thrown to the wayside- hears the word, don't understands it so doesn't receive it
2. The seed thrown on stony ground- receives word  with joy but then life happens and only endures for awhile
3. The seed thrown among the thorns- hears the word but the cares of the word snatch him up
4. The seed thrown on good ground- hears and understands the word and bears fruit

There are many people out there in the world every day that hears the word of God. What they do with it is their choice. God promises anyone who reads His word their lives will be changed. I believe that the desire to read God's word comes from God preparing one's heart but they still need to keep reading it. Once someone takes the time to read God's word continuously they can become the good soil. The word of God and the supremacy of God dictates what soil our hearts are to be. I thankful that He has given us His word and free will and uses our circumstances to bring us to Him.

Praying for 30 days- day 5

Today's scripture from my book Today I Pray by Stonecroft ministries is Acts 16:14 and I also included verses 11-15

"Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and
from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatir, who worshipped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us saying, "if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us."

Father, I pray that You will open ________'s heart so that __________ will pay attention to, receive, and believe the Gospel.

God is the God of Psalm 139! On this particular day outside the town of Phillipi, Paul and Silas decided to go to a prayer meeting instead of a synagogue. They began to talk to the women there about Jesus. Lydia from Thyratira was also there that day selling her fine cloths. She overheard what Paul was saying and God opened up her heart and heeded the words he said. Her and her family accepted Jesus and was baptized. God knew and prepared for that day when Paul and Lydia would meet where He opened her heart to Him. It cannot happen any other way. Yes Paul spoke the truth and yes Lydia made the move but God prepared for everything to happen. I am just so thankful that I serve a God who knows our hearts and prepares us at just the right time for us to accept who He is.

Praying for 30 days- day 4

Today's verse from my book Today I pray by Stonecroft ministries is Proverbs 14:12. I also will include Proverbs 12:15, Luke 18:11, and Romans 8:13.

"There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death"

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds counsel is wise."

" The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector."

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus, I pray that You will destroy any false ideas that _______ has about Jesus Christ and salvation from Him

All four of these verses show how easy it is for the natural man to go his own way. The natural man's ways are prideful and the complete opposite of who God is. According to the Romans 8:13 passage, those who follow the ways of the flesh will die. Living your life based off of anything else other than the Gospel are false ideas. Those who gain life are those who humble themselves or as Romans 8:13 states allowing the Spirit to work in your life. It is quite humbling for me to think of all those times that I put my own ways before God's that He still accepts me because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Praying for 30 days- day 3

Today's scripture from my book Today I pray by Stonecroft ministries is John 6:44 but I am going to add verses 35-45.

"And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.'

The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, ' I am the bread which came down from heaven.' And they said, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?'

Jesus therefore answered and said to them, 'Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.'."

Father, I pray that You will draw _________ to Jesus Christ in true faith and repentance. 

Jesus is the bread of life! Jesus was sent by the Father from heaven. He was making Himself available through Jesus. When we believe in Him, we will be completely satisfied by Him. We will always be full. But it only comes from the Father. Through God's word and the learning of who Jesus is, is the only way to the Father. He draws us to Himself and we have the choice to to believe in Him or to reject Him. It is His desire for everyone to believe.

The past few weeks has been very emotional for my husband's family. His grandfather is 92 years old and is very frail physically and mentally. My mother in law is constantly over there helping him to get to place to place. He has made the choice to no longer walk to the bathroom because he is that weak. My husband has a very close relationship with his grandfather and it tears him up to see his grandfather this way. I know that his grandfather is still here on this earth for a reason. Sometimes my limited human mind honestly do not know why he is still here. But instead of having those feelings I need to be praying this prayer for him, that the Father will draw him near to Him for true faith and repentance so my husband's grandfather can have peace in the last days he has on this earth. It is only through Him.

Praying for 30 days- day 2

Today's scripture from my book Today I pray by Stonecroft ministries is found in Luke 22:42 but I included verses 39-46

 ^"Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, 'Pray that you may not enter into temptation.'
And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, 'Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.' Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, 'Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.' ”

Father, I pray not my will, but your will be done in ______'s life.

Jesus is our perfect example of following God's will. It was His obsession. He was driven by it. God's great love for us was what drove Him to send Jesus to die for us even if it meant separation from His Son. The verse that came to mind was Ephesians 2:4-5, 

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)"

As a kid, I always thought that Jesus was in agony because of the pain He was going to experience. The nails being driven in His hands. The suffocation. But I learned it was that He was going to be separated from God that brought such intense agony. But it was about doing God's will. 

Another point I thought about was what Jesus told His disciples before and after He prayed. Pray so that you will not fall into temptation. That is the same for us as Christians and as the church. Our nation has fallen apart because we as the church do not pray often and we have fallen into temptation. We no longer seek God's will. It is not what drives us. As for me, I am driven sometimes by people's opinions of me and not the opinion of God's will for my life. Imagine if we can pray that prayer above, "Not my will but yours God", what would our lives look like? How would that change our nation? Jesus is our example. He gave His life up for it and it changed the world.

Praying for 30 days- day 1

Last month I went to a lady's retreat with my church. It was such a blessing to be around the women who were so real about their faith and who really want to glorify God. One of the women led prayer by always using scripture as she prayed. On the last day she handed out these books called Today I Pray by Stonecroft ministries. I believe God has been showing me that I need to show truth to others by loving them especially when it comes to our country and my love ones who don't have a relationship with God. I believe that going before God in prayer and releasing it to Him is a step I need to proceed on. So here is the first day of praying for 30 days.

The scripture that the book gives first is Psalm 139:13-16.

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;^[a]
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

Here is the prayer that they gave:
God, thank You for _____, who was fearfully and wonderfully made by You. Thank you, Father, that you knit _____ together in his/her mother's womb and his/her frame was not hidden from You. Thank You, Lord, that all the days ordained for _____ have been written in Your book before one of them had come to be.

I find it amazing that the book started out with this verse. This is always a constant reminder for me as I pray that God is the God of Psalm 139. That He is the God is ultimately in control of my life and the lives of others. Every single one of my days are written down and He knows every single one. My heart is still beating because He is in control. My lungs keep taking in oxygen and letting out carbon dioxide because He is in control. Knowing this and trusting in this and praying this helps me to acknowledge that He is in control of the person that I am praying for. That I don't have to fret or worry but realize they are still alive breathing because God has allowed it. I am so encouraged by this verse and it is my prayer this month to hold onto this verse as I continue to pray for other people with other scripture. This verse will be a foundation for all the others. If I can simply let go because of what this verse says, I can trust God with the people in my life.