I had been talking to the Lord about whatever was going on with me on this Saturday afternoon in 2013.  I was happy because I had survived the day before on only two hours sleep, after finishing the report cards for my students, and I was extremely happy that the report cards were done!  I talked to Him about our son and daughter-in-law being foster parents and some children they were getting soon.   I talked about some other Easter project plans for my students and then the night’s plan for birthday dinner for my daughters and their families.  Finally, I submitted my plans to Him, saying He could interrupt or prevent or whatever He wanted to with my day.

From the journal . . . March 2013

. . . on to verses. Oh Lord, lead me on.

And I Believe God Said:

I am pleased that you get verses for your family.  That is time well spent.  Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.  Get the verses; pray the verses for those I have given you.  Encourage others to do the same.

1 Thess 5:16-18 Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 
Psalm 119: 47-48. How I delight in your commands! How I love them! I honor and love your commands! I meditate on your degrees!
Eph 5:15 ¹⁵ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
1 Thess 5:11 ¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing..

Amen Lord! Message received.  I’ll start encouraging tonight with Nicole and Wendy and the bonus sons.

For the almost forty years I have prayed bible verses for my family, my methods have evolved. I started writing them in my journal, then a prayer journal, then index cards, now a specific family prayer journal with just my immediate family.  I also keep track with a Bible app on my IPAD.  I tried to be systematic so I wouldn’t pray the same verse that I have already prayed for a specific child. At some point I started memorizing the verses so I could pray while driving or running.  That is even more powerful. 

I have simplified it, especially since getting this word.  I keep the same verse for two months and I’m not as concerned about repeating verses.   I often rotate verses throughout the whole family. Very often I tell the kids their verse.  

Today I want to encourage all parents to do the same.  God knows what is best for our children and He loves them more than we do.  The Bible is the most reliable book for knowing what God wants for His children.   So let’s do this!

Here are some of my favorite prayer verses that I pray for many of my peeps!

Matthew 6:9-13 NASB  The Lord’s Prayer

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰ ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ ‘And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil.  For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

I rotate through the Lord’s prayer each day of the week.  My former pastor wrote a book several years ago that is very helpful in learning how to pray verses! *

*Fuqua, Dennis. Living Prayer:  The Lord’s Prayer Alive in You.  Vancouver : Published in association with D.C. Jacobson & Associates LLC, An Author Management Company, 2010

Psalm 75:9-10  NLT

But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done;
    I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
¹⁰ For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked,
    but I will increase the power of the godly.”

Psalm 138:8 NLT

The Lord will work out His plans for my life— for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for You made me.

Obviously, you can do this for any of your loved ones, including yourself! Here’s a final one just for You!!

Numbers 6:24-26

The Lord bless you, and keep you;

²⁵ The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;

²⁶ The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’