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 feels like my world is crashing down around me – my own health issues, my overwhelming bills, the heartbreaking end of a 7 year relationship with my boyfriend telling me he doesn’t love me, my parents health declining, the fall out of a recent accident, and my son’s estrangement from his father are taking over my every waking thought. Please give me your peace, your clarity, and wisdom to believe that things will get better. They just have to. Thank you.
Father some days are so hard. I feel myself pulling away from the people I love and my life. Please help me turn to you instead. I know that with your help and protection, I can face any situation. But, I can,t do it without you. Help me to turn over everything to you and to wait expectantly for your guidance. Thank you for forgiving me all my transgressions. And, in spite of them, I know I am loved.
Lord, I thank you for this post today. I often feel guilty for praying for myself , like I’m being selfish. I pray that you will help me overcome this and take time for myself. I pray that you will help me in my marriage and the decisions that need to be made. It is going to be a time of change, for the good, but change nonetheless. I pray that you will teach my husband and I to work as a team during this time. Guide me in my words and actions today and every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Lord God, Please bless me and give me wisdom and courage as I meet with my church council this weekend. My only desire is to help them in the budgeting process, to see Your will done, Father, that the decisions made will build Your kingdom. Lord please help me to love one another, please open me up to be more outgoing, to approach others to love them. Please help me to show mercy and not judgement. Please take judgement out of me, Lord. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Father, I love you Amen
Dear Lord,
I come to you with a heavy heart. You know the struggles I’m facing in my marriage and in my faith. Lord, I pray that I can develope a stronger more intimate relationship with you and strengthen my faith to completely trust you. I pray that the things I know in my head to be true would sink deep into my heart. I pray that no matter what trials I go through in my marriage or in my life that I can know in my heart that you are with me, you love me and have a plan for me. Help me focus solely on you and not on my circumstances and my feelings. Thank you Lord. In Jesus’ name Amen.
Lord,
ThankYou for not letting up on me. Te past few days/weeks, I’ve been struggling with trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I have all these dreams inside, but I don’t know where to begin. Waiting was so uncomfortable, so decided to try to take matters into my own hands and help You along. Needless to say, that only made things worse…way worse. This morning, I was reminded that You are the one who orders my steps. I don’t want my life to be average, Lord. I don’t know all the details, but I surrender everything to You…my dreams, the process, everything. Being out of control is scary, but doing things on my own wihout You, is even more scary. Forgive me for not trusting Your timing. Forgive me for not taking better care of myself so that I could be equipped to take better care of others. Thank You for never leaving me and for not treating me the way that I treat You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Father God, I thank you for loving me and carrying me through these days when I can barely keep moving forward. Help me to put aside the seemingly impossible situations and the time I dwell on them. Replace those thoughts with your joy, confidence and peace as I move through the day. I want desperately to be where you want me to be and doing what you have called me to do. Help me to be confident that that is where I am.
Dear Jesus,
I so needed to read this today. I feel so tired I am crabby. Please revive me today.
Lord Jesus, you know that my marriage is in ruins right now, and I am tired. But I know you are holding me in Your hands. You are revealing to my heart, not just my mind, that you love ME, personally. I thank you so much for that. I don’t have a good daddy image to take guidance from. Please help me to see you as daddy. Please help me to release my marriage and husband and children and job to You, God, knowing that you have a better plan for me than what I thought life had to be. I was stuck in numbness for so long God. Awaken my soul. Be the fire in me. Make me the worshipping warrior princess that I feel you anointed me to be. Make me a warrior for you. I leave my life in Your hands. I trust you God. Please renew me daily.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the wisdom of the ladies that have posted. It makes me realize that I am not alone in my struggles and fears. I pray that you guide me in difficult times to wait for your guidance. I love you Lord and thank You for peace and grace in every action and word I speak. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Thank you, Lord, that you created me for a purpose. I
Realize that sometimes I get so focused on others
That I forget to take care of myself like I should.
Please encourage all of us to do what your word says,
To seek your kingdom and your righteousness first.
We praise you for all you are doing & all we have
Been created to do THROUGH you. We love you!!
Dear Father:
I ask for patience and grace as I live out this single season in my life. I pray for my future husband and that you work to prepare both of us for a relationship with each other. Help us forgive and heal from hurts from past partners and families. Help me be wise, strong, and gracious as I finish out the week at work. Help me work to keep watch over my mouth and speak gracious, uplifting words to friends, families and coworkers. Help me walk closer with you. In your precious name, Lord, Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father, Please help me see Your plan for my life. I have a bad attitude because I feel my life and job have no purpose. I have a bad attitude because I feel my gifts and talents aren’t being used. I have a bad attitude because I feel my husband is pursuing his dream while I’m stuck paying the bills. I forget to see that Your Hand is in everything. I forget that You put me here. I forget that You are molding me into the person that You want me to be. Lord, help me see You in all things. Help me to serve You and others in my path – today!
I am learning what a difference it can make in my marriage to pray over my husband. Thank you for also
showing me how important it is to pray over myself. I look forward to getting your book.
Thank you father for this message today. It spoke to me as you do when I really need it. Father, today I ask for your wisdon, Your guidance and Your continued strength as I feel I have so little left. Father, please be with me today as I have so many things on my mind and my heart literally hurts and needs your healing. Please be with every woman here and father, I thank you for places like this where we can share and see we aren’t alone. In Jesus name, Amen.
Lord, I thank you for this ministry through Proverbs 31 and how it has blessed and encouraged me. So many times I feel that no one has the hardship and the heartache that I go through and yet every day there is some verse or some devotion that shows me “Look, Janet…you’re not alone on this journey.” Forgive me for the times that I doubt your presence in my life. Renew your spirit in me and direct my path. You know my heart and my struggle, Lord. I pray for your guidance in finding my “place” in your ministry. Thank you for loving me when I am so unworthy. Amen.
Dear Lord,
You are my help, my fortress, and my refuge. Help me to overcome my sins of laziness. Lord, I want to be intentional with my time and not waste anymore of it on unimportant things. Help me to spend my time in ways that are pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lord, I love you and I thank you for loving me. Continue to hold me and hold me into the woman You will me to be. Help me see the things in my life that are a hinderance to Your guidance. Let the Holy Spirit pour into all those dark recesses and fill them with Your light. I love You. I need You. Help remove me in order to improve me. In Jesus’s Holy name, Amen.
Heavenly father,
Thank you for this amazing privilege to have your ear and your heart’s attention. I need you today. My soul is weary, my heart is anxious, my body is worn out. I need to hear you and see you today. I need to know that you really do know what is going on with my baby boy and that you will provide everything I need to be the mama he needs right now. God I need your strength and encouragement. I need your power to well up on the inside and wash over me and my circumstance. God even in the midst of all of this, I trust you and know that at just the right time you will move, you will answer my call, you will come to my rescue!!
Father God, I thank you for always, always providing me with what I need exactly when I need it. Father I ask that you teach me to be a woman of prayer; to not just pray for others but to learn how to pray for myself. I pray that you will continue to give me a confident heart in You and that with Your guidance I will continue to look thru my eyes of faith and speak those things that be not as though they were. Lord I thank You and I declare victory over every area of my life. Thank you God for never giving up on me and for continuing to mold me and shape me into the woman of God You created me to be. Continue to keep me in your ever lovin care in Jesus Mighty name, Amen.