i pray

short podcasts to bring the sacred into your everyday

Do you only have a few minutes for prayer today? You’re in the right place! Try one of our new i pray podcasts. A few minutes is all you need to pray God’s word into any situation by interceding for friends, family, and yourself. 

Today we’re praying about broken hearts. While our emotions may betray us, we can’t always see the state of a person’s heart. Many of us, however, are walking around with broken hearts due to divorce, estrangement, a tragedy, the death of a loved one, or failed relationships. Whether you’re suffering or someone you love is, join Only By Prayer today in praying for the brokenhearted. God can bring about healing. We will be using Psalm 34:18 and Psalm 147:3 to pray.

i pray

short podcasts to bring the sacred into your everyday

Do you only have a few minutes for prayer today? You’re in the right place! Try one of our new i pray podcasts. A few minutes is all you need to pray God’s word into any situation by interceding for friends, family, and yourself. 

Today we’re praying about believing God. Sometimes I have a hard time knowing what to believe God for in my life. But I’ve found when I spend time praying and listening for His will and priorities for this season of my life, I better understand how to stand on His promises. Join Only By Prayer below for a short prayer.

June bursts with the fresh air and sunshine that marks the beginning of summer. Students take a break from school, graduates throw their caps into the air, and many brides and grooms say “I do!” As we welcome the arrival of summer, here’s a few ways you can pray with Only By Prayer through June.

1. National Cancer Survivor’s Day, June 7 — I included this event because of the sheer number of people who are battling/have fought cancer. I can’t imagine that there is a person who exists that doesn’t have someone in his or her life who is fighting this disease. I’ve lost dearly loved ones to cancer and know people in the throes of chemo right now, as I am sure you do too. Here is what the National Cancer Survivor’s Day website says about this day: “National Cancer Survivors Day® is a CELEBRATION for those who have survived, an INSPIRATION for those recently diagnosed, a gathering of SUPPORT for families, and an OUTREACH to the community.” Be sure to check out their suggestions; if you are putting together an event for this day, register it on their website.

Resources:

National Cancer Survivor’s Day website

American Cancer Society

Ways to Prevent Cancer

Verse: “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” James 5:14

Prayer: Lord, we ask for your healing touch upon those battling the scourge of cancer. We pray that in Jesus’ name the cancer cells would be decimated and that their bodies would be free of this disease. Please comfort and strengthen the sick and their families and friends. We ask for wisdom for doctors who are treating patients and for researchers trying to find a cure. Amen.

2. Summer Vacation  — Unless schools are on a year-round calendar, they will be taking a break starting in June. Let’s pray that kids will be healthily occupied this summer with jobs, enriching activities, and times for rest and play. Intercede against unhealthy associations, gang activities, violence, and criminal activity. We also need to remember the teachers who give so much of themselves and their personal resources throughout the year, while having to deal with ever-evolving rules and regulations in the schools.

Resources:

Avoiding Power Struggles with Defiant Children

Summer Break Is Here: Now What?

Keeping Your Teen From Getting Bored (and in trouble) this summer

Verse: “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.” Proverbs 3:1

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the break from a rushed schedule that summer gives us. May parents and kids find a healthy balance in the schedule where there is time for rest but also times of active engagement and work. We pray that there will not be an increase in violence. We pray for our teachers to receive rest, wisdom, and recharging for the next year’s work. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

3. Graduates — This is the time of year to celebrate high school and college graduations. For the graduates, it’s an exciting and stressful time. Most graduates are pursuing higher education and/or entering the job market and taking bigger steps toward independence. Some may also be getting married. Either way, it’s a transitional time of life filled with decisions.

Resources:

College Planning with Rachel Cruze

Real Life on A Budget with Rachel Cruze

Verse: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3

Prayer: Lord, we pray for our graduates. We ask for those a little further along the road of life to speak into their lives. We pray for wisdom. We ask that they will work hard, plan well, and manage their money wisely. Keep them from paths that would derail them in life, and help them to make decisions that bring life and health. May they know you as Lord and Savior of their lives. Amen.

4. Father’s Day, June 21 — While the modern world seems to minimize the importance of fathers in the lives of families, that is simply a lie the enemy perpetuates. A father’s presence in a family is critical to the development of children. Let’s pray for dads today that they will not be minimized or devalued, and that they will be active and involved in the lives of their kids.

Resources:

My View: How Badly Do We Really Need Dad by James McQuivey

Why Do People Continue to Believe Children Don’t Need Fathers?

Verse: “Listen to your father who gave you life.” Proverbs 23:22

Prayer: Lord, we pray that fathers would be a strong, loving presence in the lives of their children. Restore the dignity to manhood and a man’s proper place in the family, which is being denigrated in the mainstream media. We pray that our families will remain healthy and intact. We ask for wisdom for dads to be the godly leaders that you meant for them to be in a family. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

5. Prayer for Storm Victims in Texas — As you probably know, a huge storm dumped 10 inches of rain in one hour at the end of May, causing terrible flooding, damage, and the loss of several lives. Let’s be in prayer for all those affected by the recent storms moving through the country.

Resources:

Texas Flooding

Verse: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15

Prayer: Lord, our hearts ache for those suffering losses because of this storm: loss of homes, properties, and lives. We pray for healing, comfort, and peace for those grieving. We pray for needs to be met and help to arrive. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thanks for praying with us through this month. Please add any other requests below.

Pray on!

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.

1. National Day of Prayer, May 7 — This year is the 64^th 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.

2. 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:

• Mother’s Day Ideas
• Mom’s Fill in the Blank Questionnaire

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.

3. 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:

• Take 5, By My Spirit by Mary Kane
• Pentecost

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:

• 10 Memorial Day Celebrations That Are More Important …

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:

• The Supreme Court Justices
• Gay Marriage Debate

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.

Once again today we hear of Christians being slaughtered for their faith.  The TV replays their deaths over and over; we can’t get used to wholesale murder, lives snuffed out before our very eyes. We must keep the persecuted ever before us in our prayers.

Please join with Only By Prayer in praying for those in so many countries around the world who suffer at the hands of evil. Let’s lift up our prayers for the persecuted and their persecutors. If you feel so led, please add your prayer in the comment section below and share this post so we can keep their plight fresh in our minds and hearts. 

Pray on!

Please Excuse our Mess! 

We are in the midst of redesigning our site, so things are in a bit of a mess! We should be much better in just a day or two!

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, get comfortable, and explore what God has for you today. At Only By Prayer, we’re all about helping you to bring the sacred into the everyday. Perhaps you’d like to read a relevant blog post, listen to a short Reflections podcast, or learn something new about prayer. If you’d like you can also participate in our Prayer Across America Journey.  These and many other discoveries await you. Be sure to let us (Mary and Jane) know what you think by leaving a comment, and thanks for the visit!