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, thank you for these encouraging words from Julie and Renee today. You know that I needed to hear them this morning. Last night the only words that came to me were: ‘Jesus, please help me.’ I repeated this over and over until I fell back to sleep. I pray for you direction and your peace as I face a marriage that is at a difficult point. Please lead me and I will follow. I ask this in Jesus’ name – Amen.
Father God, please give me the strength and courage to be a godly friend and mother to those around me who are hurting. Please fill me so I can pour out your love and mercy to them. Amen.
I rambled while in the shower this morning (what a great idea, btw). I think I said something along these lines:
God, please help me. I’m really struggling right now and just don’t feel “right” in my own skin. Help me see your blessings and embrace the love of others instead of pushing it away. Why am I doing that, God? Help me.
Dear Lord,
I feel so empty. I want to fill my heart with you and your words, but feel lost and confused. My husband and I have been working on our marriage and relationship – diligently at first, when we faced a huge mountain in our marriage – but lately our efforts have not been intentional. Please help me to be intentional about working on my marriage. Help me to be a better mother. My teenage daughter is struggling with life, school, self-esteem. I want to help her, but she will not open up to me. Please help me to love her, guide her and be a good example for her. Lord, please heal my wounded heart. Help me to know your love, so I can share it with others.
Lord, I want to thank you for your son Jesus.
Thank you for hearing my cry, and responding quickly. Thank you for nudging me to read my e-mail today. You know my behind st the beginning.I thank you for loving me to tell me that “Now” is the time for me to pamper my soul, take a little time to pray for me. Wow! I can admit what you already knew, how I thought selfish to think of me when talking to you. I felt you know the desires of my heart,and desired me to pray for others instead. Thank you for this immediately revelation,I must be included. Amen..#tears of joy. 😉
Correction:He knew my ending at the beginning. 🙂
Thank you! I feel like the same things happen to me over and over again. I know I should know God is always with me, but I give him my problems and then take them back. He is the King!!
Lord – help me as I struggle to believe in myself and my abilities. This struggle prevents me from being the person you intend me to be, as well as the wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend I want to be. I want to have joy In life and share that with others, not the clouds and darkness that surround me now. Please Lord be with me, fill me love and peace and guide me to the right path.
Dear Father, I come to you this morning asking for a humble heart and boldness in doing your will in my life. Point me in the direction I need to go, uplift me and forgive me for my frailties. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I know I’m exactly where you want me to be, and give me the strength to do Your will, not mine. I only want what you want for me. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
Lord, I come to you this morning broken in what feels like every way. When I am weak I ask that you fulfill me with your strength, when I am anxious and worried I ask that you fulfill me with your peace, when I am alone and feeling worthless I ask that you fulfill me with your love, when I am uncertain and afraid I ask that you would fulfill me with your hope and courage, when I am lost please be my light, when I am sick please be my healing. Thank you Lord for being all the things I am not, Thank you Lord for loving me as only you can and will through everything, Thank you Lord for forgiving me and saving me each new day. In your sweet and precious name Lord Jesus, Amen
Dear Lord, as I move into the busy part of my day, help me to stay focused. Give me the discipline I need in order to do all that you give me to do today. Give me the patience to teach my children well, the strength to care for our home, the attentiveness to love my husband fully. I know I can’t do it without you. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
Dear Jesus, Thank you for never leaving me for always being with me in everything that happens in each day. Lord, I am so grateful for your love and compassion. I pray now for the wisdom I need in the things that are going on in my life and in the lives of the people I love. Father, I know — more each day — that only You can restore and heal the brokenness. I pray for the strength to continue to seek you in every piece of these things, at every turn, in all times of the day and in the throes of every emotion that rolls through me. I pray, Lord God, that you will keep your thoughts in my mind, that you will empower me to fight from a position of victory, not defeat. Remind me that you have already won every victory over trauma, lack, hurt and all of the other feelings that come along with those things. I pray for continued peace as I walk through these things and I ask that my joy in you may be full. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.
Dear Father,
I don’t really know where to begin so I will start with I need you to be the center of my life. Lord I trust and believe in you. I know through your grace you have carried me through so many things. (loss, grief, pain in by body from illness the list goes on) Please help me not to try to control the things around me. I know you are in control and know the final outcome. I need you Lord to show me what you want me to do instead of me going and doing things because I feel they are broken. Help me Lord. I feel like I am suffocating with no air to breathe. I don’t want to live like this please cleanse my heart and my mind see my illness affexts my brain. I love you Lord thank you for all you done for me. Use me for your glory my Lord. In Jesus precious name……AMEN
Love,
Your Daughter
Lord, You are my ever present help in time of trouble.
Lord, I pray that you will be with my husband and I as we make a major move in our life and our careers. This is a decision that I believe through prayer that you have led us to do. Let me never forget “more of you and less of me”. Amen
Lord please spark the fire in my soul. I pray your Holy Spirit fills me with greater desire. Please give me a willing spirit that draws me closer to you, to your footstool so that I hear the words that give life to my soul & move me to live out your plans for me. I love you. In Jesus’ name I prau, Amen
Today I really needed to read this, after a horrible beginning to the week it just seemed to get worse. I was at the point of just throwing in the towel, but after reading this I realize that while I pray faithfully for others I never pray for myself. I guess I just trust others who say they are praying for are doing just that. Thaks for reminding me that i need to pray for me since I know all that is going on with me. Thank you so much for this encouragment and reminder. God Bless you in all that you do in Women’s ministry. Thank you
Lord, Your Word says that You told Moses Your countenance would be with him and the Isrealites and lead them, and that Moses requested that you not send them out in any direction that You have not led. I pray today asking that you keep me in the path that You are leading me, in my actions, words and even thoughts. If there is someone with whom I need to deal today, please put them right in the middle of Your path for me, and if someone is there whom I do not need to interact, please move them away. Lord, I know You do not have to let me see you working in my life, and I am especially blessed when You do. Thank You for the resources, messages and buddy straps that you have put into my life and for opening my eyes to see them. Lord, your Word says that You are strength in my weakness and all I have to do is rest in your strength. Please give me the resolve to do just that, and not try to run things myself. Thankfully and humbly, in Jesus’ name, Amen
Lord you know my heart, you know what I feel, and what’s on my mind, all before I do. You know where I’ve been, and can see where I’m going before I get there. So, I ask that you would guild my heart, my mind, and my actions. Lord when I begin to go in a direction you know isn’t good for me please gently lead me into the direction you know is bet for me to go. Open doors you want opened, fling them open loud and clear. Close doors where you don’t want me, slam them shut. I see where I’ve been, I see where I am, I don’t know where you’ll lead me. But, please help me to trust you. To know you love me and won’t hurt, abandon or let me down. Help me to see your heart for me. Help me to know I’m loved and believe it in my heart, and that I don’t have to jump through special hoops or change to be accepted and loved by you. Help me to love myself. I thank you that you can transform me, and that you can renew me. Take me from where I am to where you want me in every part of my life. Touch my heart, and my mind, bring healing, peace and strength in Jesus name amen.
Dear Lord,
Help me today to deal with the feelings of inadequacy and despair that are never far away. Help me to remember You are there to help me when I feel the weakest and will never leave me. You have made me and know me and know what I need to get through this day. I play Lord that you will fill me with your peace and your strength. I can’t do it on my own.
Thank you Lord!
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for this new day. Guide my thoughts as I focus on you
This day. Thank you for wisdom in every area of my life. Thank you
For helping me to be a blessing to everyone I come in contact with.
In your name
Amen