ARE YOU BURDENED FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL TO YOU AND DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO?....

This question has been on my heart lately. I have come in contact with so many people burdened for their love ones. Their heart hurts as they see them hurting and they can’t do anything about it. Families with children in prison, with drug addictions, just making decisions that will govern the direction of their future, to name a few.

Last week, we were involved with several families sharing the details of the events I have

mentioned. You just want to pull a switch and make it go away and making everything all right. It’s not that easy people have a free will making their own choices. That makes you feel helpless but that’s a lie. There is one thing you can do and that is to pray for them. God has a reason for having this surrounding you and it’s too big for you to carry. As you pray, it is good to have some kind of pattern to take action. Actually everyone dear to you needs this prayer and it wouldn’t hurt to pray it before it gets critical.

This pattern was brought to my attention several years ago. I ran across it a few days ago and was reminded to begin again this 9 Fold Prayer for My Family. We should pray this for each family member and ourselves.

9 FOLD PRAYER FOR MY FAMILY
(Paul's Pattern for Prayer in Col. 1:9-14 demonstrates how to pray for our leaders and those close to us)

MY PRAYER IS THAT THEY WILL:
1. Understand God's will. v.9
2. Gain spiritual wisdom. v. 9
3. Live their lives pleasing and honoring
to God. v.10
4. Do kind things for others. v. 10
5. Know God better and better. v.10
6. Be filled with God's strength. v.11
7. Endure in Faith- in duty and in trials v12
8. Always be thankful. v 12
9. Stay full of Christ's joy. v13-14

All believers have these same basic needs. When you don't know how to pray for someone, remember Paul's prayer pattern for the Colossians. He prayed this although he had never met them.