The 12 prayers of Christmas

As my pretend BFF Beth Moore likes to say, “You got to deal with your stuff.”

And, oh, isn’t there something about having children that bubbles up all that stuff that needs to be dealt with? My pBFF pointed this out in Believing God (I think) when she noted that Enoch first begat Methuselah, then he walked with God three hundred years. Coincidence? There’s just something about those little lives nestled up to ours that sends us clinging to our heavenly Father for dear life. I wrote a little bit about my own Enoch moment here.

That season brought out other “stuff” that I needed to confront. The bottom line of which is that only God is capable of unfailing love. We are certain to disappoint our children, and God will certainly send others to minister to them and fill in the gaps we left unfilled with our own imperfect love.

As I was meditating on all this during Advent and considering what gifts I could give to those who mean the most to me, I decided to give my mother the gift of prayer this year. So I’ve chosen 12 verses to pray for her, one for each month of the coming year. I’ve written them on my calendar so that I can see them often and give a quick “shout out” for her. I also intend to write to her in some of those quiet moments of reflection and meditation throughout the year.

Will you join me? Do you have someone in your life that could benefit from your intercession on their behalf? Do you have “stuff” you need to turn over to your heavenly father? Or, do you feel led to join me in praying for my mother?

If you do, here’s what I’m praying (you’ll have to pray retroactively for January, but don’t worry, God’s not bound by space and time. He can redeem our present, our future AND our past; yes, another insight from my pBFF):

January And this is my prayer: that your love may about more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God. ~Phil. 1:9-11

February Ask for the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you might know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for those who believe. ~Eph. 1:17-19

March May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation, for this will bring much glory and praise to God. ~Phil. 1:11 (This one must be important. I’m doin’ it twice)

April Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will. ~Rom. 12:2

May Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. ~Ps. 37:3-4

June May the God of hope fill yu with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~Rom. 15:13

July Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. ~Neh. 8:10

August No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. ~1 Cor. 2:9

September And my God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ~Phil. 4:19

October In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…” ~Is. 30:15

November May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it. ~1 Thess. 5:23-24

December I thought I’d wait til December to pick the last scripture. It will be something special to meditate on next Advent.

If you decide to “play along” let me know so I can add you and yours into my prayer time.

Is. 55:10-12