May brings blooming flowers and warmer temperatures as we shake off the remnants of winter’s cold and embrace new life. As you’re busy with spring cleaning, wrapping up the school year, and landscaping chores, remember to spend a few minutes each day with Only By Prayer praying for some of the following concerns.
- National Day of Prayer, May 7 — This year is the 64th annual National Day of Prayer. The theme for 2015 is Lord, Hear Our Cry. The emphasis is that people place their faith in the unfailing character of our Creator, who is sovereign over all. The scripture for this year is “Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day,” from 1 Kings 8:28. Let’s pray for our nation, our leaders, and our people that we will depend upon the Lord. We are facing challenges on every front: politically, morally, spiritually, and economically. We also see looming threats to our national security. With so much to pray about, we need to remember to intercede for our nation as often as possible. I’ve included resources below so that you can check to see what community events may be scheduled in your area.
Resources:
- Prayer Guides and curriculum
- Post or Find an event
- National Prayer
Verse: “Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.” 1 Kings 8:28 NIV
Prayer: Lord, we intercede for our nation. We confess our sins of idolatry, abortion, pride, greed, perversions, jealousy, and hatred. We ask for your forgiveness. We pray that our nation will turn to you. We pray for your intervention in our lives. Please work as only You can to restore the moral fabric of our families,communities, states, and country. We ask for your hedge of protection around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
- Mother’s Day, May 10 — Some of us have mothers who are still with us and others of us do not. Perhaps we had/have a wonderful relationship with them, and maybe we didn’t/don’t. Whether your mother is currently living or has passed away, you can probably think of a woman who has been a stand-in mom to you and has encouraged you in your life in some way. Today is the day set aside to honor her. Let’s think of a way to connect with our moms today. For those who live far away, perhaps it’s a long phone call to chat and catch up. A handwritten card detailing what you love about her will touch any mother’s heart. When my children were little and we lived in the area, we arranged a Mother’s Day picnic at the local park for all the moms in our family. Need some more ideas? Here’s some resources for you.
Resources:
Verse: “Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12 NIV
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for our mothers. Even if the relationship is contentious, we acknowledge that they have given us the gift of life. We ask Your blessing upon our mothers. We pray for health and spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical healing where needed. May our relationships with them be strong and loving. As mothers, help us to be an example of Your love to our children. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
- Pentecost, May 24 — Pentecost means “fiftieth day” (after Passover), and it is the day that the Holy Spirit came in tongues of fire and filled the believers. Acts chapter 2 tells of this powerful story. It is pivotal to our faith, because from that point on and to this day, the Holy Spirit is the one who equips us, teaches us, and transforms us into Christ’s likeness. Jesus could not be everywhere at the same time while He was on earth, but after The Resurrection, He sent the Holy Spirit who lives in each believer. What an amazing reality this is! We can ask ourselves if we are creating a welcoming home for the Spirit to reside in, or if we might be grieving Him through our behavior. Check out the resources below to delve further into this topic.
Resources:
Verse: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Prayer: Lord, we thank you that you have thought of everything to help your children to lead victorious lives. Help us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and equipped to live each day, not in our own power, but in yours. Help us to listen to His conviction and leading, confessing sin when we are at fault and following his prompting in other areas of our lives. Amen.
4. Memorial Day, May 25 — Memorial Day is the day set aside to honor those who died while in active military service. When I was a child, every year we celebrated Memorial Day two ways. First of all, we walked to our local cemetery where a service was held to honor the people from our city who died while in the military. It was a dignified ceremony, and even as a child, I felt the importance of remembering those who were no longer with us. Following that, we then attended the Memorial Day parade that went through the center of our little town. My sisters and I loved this parade and even participated in it as we got older through the Girl Scouts or as members of the marching band. Perhaps you do something similar. Here’s a few other ideas to celebrate this day:
Resources:
Verse: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
Prayer: Lord, help us to never take for granted those who have given their lives while serving our country, and therefore us. May we live our lives with intention, honor, and purpose in memory of those who sacrificed everything so that we can have such a precious freedom. May we teach these truths to our children and instill in them a spirit of gratitude for this country you have blessed us with. Amen.
5. Supreme Court Justices — Not nearly often enough do I stop to pray for these nine men and women who make such critical decisions concerning our nation. They decide cases they affect the very fabric of our lives and set the tone for the direction of our country. As you are reading this, one of the main issues that is being decided is the issue of gay marriage. A ruling is expected sometime during June of 2015.
Resources:
Verse: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 NIV
Prayer: Lord, we pray for wisdom for these men and women whose decisions reach far into our lives and set the tone of our nation. We ask that they would each have a heart for you and your concerns. We pray for discernment and clear thinking as they puzzle through issues and ask questions. Please guard their hearts and minds. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thank you for praying with us today. Please feel free to share any of your prayers below in the comment section.
Pray on!
A special thank you to Amber Miller from Live and Laugh Loud for the use of her tulip photo.
