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!
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Lord, it is so timely that this word came the morning that I was feeling guilty for my prayers being so me-centered this morning. I thank you for any opportunity to come to you in prayer. Help me to not forget that You are the Lover of My Soul.
Dear God, thank you for this glorious day. Today I ask for your grace. I know I haven’t been the mom and wife I am meant to be, but I know that through you, I can be. I want nothing more than to put you first at the beginning of each day and walk with you throughout my days, weeks, months, and years. Please Father, just show me your grace. In your name I pray, Amen.
Father God, you always surprise me (I think because you know I like surprises). Here I was this morning deciding to start fresh a new prayer journal, asking others what I could pray about for them. Thinking of all my children’s needs, extended family and friends. Thinking of even the washer that is leaking and the wood supply to get us through this next cold snap. You reminded me, working a great work through this ministry Father, that I need to include a need or two of my own and not out of selfishness, but so that I will be better equipped for you to work in and through me. I love you Father – there truly is no one like you. Thank you for loving us enough to send your precious son to pay for our wrongs. It is in His name Father I am able to come to you. Amen.
Lord, Thank you for Julie and Renee’s ministries and Preoverbs 31 Ministries and the blessing they have been to me. I am one of those women who prays for everyone else, but forgets to pray for my own needs and it shows. I feel empty and alone much of the time and illequipped to meet the needs of my husband and family. Thank you for this reminder. I love you.
Lord, thank you that you know my heart when I don’t even know what to pray or how to pray. Thank you that what you have begun in me you will complete. I love you my precious Lord!
God help me to show unconditional love and ulitimate compassion to everyone. To see things through your eyes, and not be stuck in my own perspective.
Dear God, Thank you for all the blessings you have given me. I need you every hour. Help me to feel your loving presence. Help me to love you with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. Help me to get my health issues under control. I am so lonely here on this earth. Lord, please bless me with a loving, Christian husband. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Dear Lord Jesus,
I’ve been praying to you my entire life and now I need you more than ever. Please help me now as I attempt to care for my precious mama (without the support of family or a loving husband) as she is going through many trials with her health and the aging process. Strengthen me in all ways and give me wisdom to do my best for her each day. I know that you are with me, Lord, and that I can do all things through your supernatural power! Finally, I know it is your grace that sustains me now and forever…. although I still seek your face in that one day You will bless me with a wonderful husband and soulmate. Thank you for loving me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!
Oh Lord, you know what I need. Father I thank you so much for listening my prayers and answering them. You know how much I have been struggling with my negative attitude and you move me to cry out to you for help because you know that I needed you and your help, you are the one who is drawing me towards you, and you are putting this person with her new devotional for me to pray with and come to you every day. Lord, I can only thank you.
Lord, thank You that I can always turn to You as my comfort. Right now I’m in a season of waiting, Lord, and I need Your help to keep my eyes fixed on You. You are my Hope, and I place my trust in You knowing You have a plan for my life that is better than one I can imagine. Thank You for allowing me to see Your hand working in me as You draw me closer to You.
Dear precious Lord, I need the not every hour but every 2 minutes–help me have hope too for the future you have promised. Please give me wisdom to make these decisions and grace to live with YOUR answers. Help me trust You & not be frightened. I need You so very close to me
Lord, one of the hardest things for us to do is pray for ourselves. But, then sometimes it is just hard to pray. Please help me in my prayer life. This is an area I know You are working with me on, I pray for grace when it comes to my prayers. Lord please help me to grow in this area, not only praying for wisdom, understanding and guidance, but praying for so many others that need prayers.
Amen
Oh Heavenly Father. Thank you for all the blessings in my life. My career, family, brothers/sisters in Christ, and ministry. I pray that you will continue to be with me to do all these according to Your will. Life can be such a struggle sometimes, but with you by myself anything is possible. You are my confidence and comfort. I give you all my glory. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you guide me through this season of healing. I pray for your will to be done, not mine. I praise you and give all to the glory to you, Father. In Jesus name. Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father, Help me to keep my focus on you while juggling the kids, house and hospital visits. Please give me your wisdom to know how to be a comfort and blessing during the visits. Please help me not to take the negative personally. Thank you for those you have surrounded my family with who are so willing to help. Please help the medicine keep my shingles under control with no blisters. I ask this in the name on Jesus. Amen.
Lord God, you know my needs, long before I even do. I pray you will help my husband and myself with our marriage, our kids, our health, our finances and most of all with our relationship with you. We need you Lord and we need to keep our eyes focused on your – please lead us the way you want us. I have for so long not taken care of myself, physically, emotionally or spirtually. I am trying to get on track – please show me the way. Amen…
Lord please give me strength that I can only get from You. I pray that I will be the Godly wife, mother and woman that you created me to be. Thank you for all You have blessed me with and for You love and mercy. In Jesus name amen
Lord I need you now! I have fallen away and need to come back to you. Your are the almighty one who needs to be the number one thing in my life next to my awesome husband and my wonderful kids. Give me the words of wisdom, and the strength to be a godly mother to my kids and a godly wife to my husband. After all Faith without works is dead. Thats how I feel right now. I need to follow you and be an obeying servant to You alone! In your name Amen!
Lord, I am the caregiver for others, but truly need prayer for myself today; knowin who I am in You, to be alble to look over all the shortcomings in my life & feel pleasing to You when I don’t measure up!
I need you Lord!