My sweet friend Julie Gillies is here to share with us the story behind her new and beautiful devotional book “Prayers for a Woman’s Soul.” It’s resting on my bedside table and God’s using Julie to remind me how important it is to pamper my soul with prayers. Julie and our wonderful friends at Harvest House Publishers are giving away two copies of her book here today.
I didn’t start praying for myself because I was holy or wise. I started because I was desperate.
My marriage often felt like an emotional torture chamber. Negative and critical thoughts consistently bombarded my mind. And my emotions felt as shattered as a water goblet dropped on a cement driveway.
The hardest part was I felt stuck. It seemed like nothing was ever going to change, and I felt myself longing to give up on the inside. And that is when I sensed God nudging me to start praying for myself—regularly. Daily. I sensed that if I didn’t heed that holy nudge, I wasn’t going to make it.
So I began to pray for myself.
Initially the only uninterrupted time I could find to pray for myself was in the shower, so I prayed while I scrubbed, emerging to face each day with clean skin and an equipped heart.
That was the beginning of my soul-transforming prayer journey.
The truth is there are a lot of women facing incredibly hard circumstances right now. There are women enduring miserable marriages, women whose hearts still reverberate with pain from the past, and women who are in stressful situations that make them want to give up. Maybe you’re one of them.
Or maybe you simply have a sagging plate and a really long prayer list. Perhaps life is good for you, but both your to-do list and your prayer list are as long as your arm.
Or maybe, like most women I know, you’re a nurturer and a caretaker, a front-burner prayer woman who prays for whatever is boiling over at the moment—and there is always something boiling over—but you neglect to pray for yourself.
It’s counter-intuitive, praying for ourselves. I mean, we’re hard wired to help others—and that’s good. But God never intended for us to help others to our own detriment. He never intended for us to pray for our spouses, our kids, sick pets, our friends, and world events but not to take time to pray for ourselves.
Amazing things happen when we pray. I started praying out of sheer desperation, and God moved. He not only transformed my mind and healed my emotions, He transformed my marriage. I truly believe in the message of Prayers For a Woman’s Soul: that praying—for ourselves—is absolutely essential. Without it, we will languish. Equipped through prayer, we can soar through our days. As we take time to pray for ourselves, we partner with God and can watch in amazement as He moves and brings hope, healing, and transformation to our lives.
Enter to Win: Click on the words “Share Your Thoughts” below this post – to enter. All you need to do is practice what Julie’s preaching and leave a little prayer for yourself. I know that won’t be easy or natural for us girls, but we need this :). I’ll go first. You can find my prayer below when you leave yours. {If you’re reading this via email, click on the post title and hop over to my blog to leave a comment.}
Prayers For a Woman’s Soul is a holy invitation for busy, overwhelmed women with long prayer lists to take time to pray—for themselves. It’s a 52-week devotional that gives you one week to pray about a specific topic—like your emotions, your mind, or the guilt you’re hauling around. These short devotions contain personal stories, powerful biblical teaching, and specific prayer. And bonus: there are 365 topic-relevant, personalized scripture verses. One for every day of the year. So you can infuse your heart with God’s word while you pray.
Julie Gillies is the author of Prayers for a Woman’s Soul (Harvest House Publishers/January 2013). Healed from a traumatic childhood and awed that God saved her seriously troubled marriage, her message helps women pray with boldness, confidence, and the certainty that God hears. Julie is the Critique Groups Director for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and serves on the editorial team of P31 Woman magazine. She’s the wife of Keith, mom of two soldiers and one civilian, and grammy of four. Connect with Julie at: www.JulieGillies.com
Last week’s winners are: For the Husband Project – Jill, Patrice and Erin. For the Purpose Driven Mom Gift pan – Lana. Congratulations friends!
Discover more from Renee Swope
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Dear Lord – I pray that I am filled with your love so that I am a light for you. May my words and my actions reflect you Jesus in my life. I pray for your peace to fill me. In Jesus Name Amen
Heavenly Father, how these words ring true that I do not stop and sit in your presence enough to refresh, refill and restore my own soul in order to fulfill that which you would have me serve out for you. Help me to be more disciplined with my time in prayer, in your word, and practice listening more in your presence. All in Jesus precious name, Amen.
Father God, I thank you that you have a perfect plan for my life and that it is way better than anything I could ever dream up. Please help me to trust you and your perfect plan COMPLETELY. Help me to know which way I should turn. Lord, I want to be so lost in you that you are the only thing people see when they see me. Thank you that you hear me and you know every worry and every doubt. Help me to know your truth.
I ask this in Jesus name.
Lord, help me know your will for my life. Help me to fulfill you purpose for my life and keep my focus on You. I often feel like I am sinking in quick sand and I don’t even know what to pray for, but in those times remind me all I need is the power of Your name, Jesus. Thank you for your many blessings.
Holy Father, remind me to pray against the deception the enemy uses to block my vision of your will for my life. Don’t let Satan keep me in the dark about my position and authority and protection which is my inheritance in Christ. I pray continually that Satan’s smoke screen of lies will be blown away and that my vision into the spiritual realm will be crystal clear.
Father, I come to you all the time for so many sisters and brothers and family needs. I love to come before you with these requests, becasue i knwo what an awesome God you are and how you love us and hear and honor our prayers for others. I am always telling others of your promises, but I do not pray these as often for myself. You know me so well and knwo that i don’t, but through this devotional today, I am reminded that I must call your promises to mind with my name attached. I read your word and several scriptures pop out for me on a regular basis. I read them and understand them, but do not PRAY them,
Thank you Father, for your wonderful WORDS to pray that you desigend for each of us to personalize drawing us to you.
Father, thank you for filling me up yesterday when my family forgot my birthday! Thank you for the devotional reading that reminded me that you are always there to fill the holes in my heart created by people or circumstances! Thank you that I could wake up this morning feeling you so close and able to go through the day with joy in my heart!
Father, may Your favor go before me where I go today. Keep me always focused on You. May I love You more and more. In Jesus name, Amen
Heavenly Father, I come to you with praise and thanksgiving. I ask for strength, physically and spiritually, to encourage and bless others. I want to be obedient and serve you, Lord. I pray that you will heal my body. Thank you Father for hearing my prayer. In your name I pray, Amen
Father, I am in constant need of you! More of you! Please give me a discerning spirit, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Lord, I need Your blessing of healing for my health so I can continue on with spreading your Word. As the song says: “Empty me and fill me with You!!!
Praying for myself was extremely difficult, but in recent weeks, has become so essential that it is like brushing my teeth 3 times a day. “Dear Father, Please guard and guide my thoughts, my heart, and my tongue; keep me close to You and align my life with Yours; banish the devil from my life; help me to be loving and kind to all I come in contact with today; please bless me with a new heart-felt love and respect for my husband and restore our marriage in Your will and in Your timing. In Jesus most holy, precious name, Amen.”
Lord God, you have been so careful to plan my path. Please strengthen me to have patience to wait to receive your power so that I will have the ability to do what you’ve prepared for me to do. I believe you’re going to do it, Lord so thank you in advance. Amen
Lord, you know what’s been weighing heavily on my heart lately. You know how stressful this situation has been on me for the past few months. Thank you for giving me the wisdom to know what to do, even in the silence, and Lord, thank you for giving me peace. Peace to let it all go and give it to you. In Jesus name, amen.
You know how overwhelmed I am.Help.In Jesus name.Amen
Father, You are the Great Healer and I just ask that you would continue to heal me from the pain that
I have had for these last 7 months. I know that my improvements are because of You and You alone.
I pray that you would work in all these ladies lives along with mine so we can shine as stars in the sky for You.
In Your name I pray.
Oh Lord, thank you so much for Renee and her friend Julie. As always, you know exactly where I am (front burner prayer) and unless I know I am messing up, I never think to pray for myself. Oh Lord, I am so excited about this book. I can think of about 10 women I want to give this to as a gift, for we all need ‘permission’ if it were, to pray for ourselves. Lord, Help me become the woman of God you created me to be. May the Holy Spirit let me know what to pray for . In Jesus name.
Lord God thank you for all your blesings, thank you for this another day. I come O God seeking to be in your holy Presence, I need your guidance and always your strength. Lead me to the place today where my heart is connected with yours, where I can spend time in prayer with you, I need to hear your sweet voice, open my heart to receive. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen
Abba Father, I thank you for Your love and grace. Most days, I feel so broken but I know You love me every day. Bless these ladies for seeking Your face and help us to see the needs around us so we can love more like You!
Lord, Your Word says that if I lack wisdom, all I need to do is ask You and You will give it to me. LORD God, I need wisdom today about some burdens that are weighing me down and big decisions I need to make. Please give Your insight into my situation and help me respond and not react no matter how tired I am or how tender my emotions feel. I want to walk in Your ways, in Your truth, in Your peace and in the center of Your purpose for my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.