His Wife / WPB "How To" :)

This quote really encouraged me & I hope you are blessed by it, but more than that, I hope it serves as a catalyst for a more meaningful and dynamic prayer life. May our longings bring us to our knees before His throne of grace!

"You don’t need to deny your longings, your aches, your confusion or your hopes. Rather, let those realities become the powerful fuel for your prayers—for our prayers—for new and robust life."

* For my single readers, please say "my future husband" when applicable. My married or engaged readers will say their husband's name.

Lord ~

help me to be a good wife. I fully realize that I don't have what it takes to be one without your help. Give me a new heart and work in me Your love, peace and joy (Galatians 5:22-23). Only You can transform me.

I pray that the commitment my husband and I have to You and to one another will grow stronger and more passionate every day! Enable him to be the head of the home as You made him to be, and shoe me how to support and respect him as he rises to that place of leadership. Reveal to me what he wants and needs and show me potential problems before they arise. Breathe Your life into this marriage. Make me a new person, Lord. Give me a fresh perspective, a positive outlook, and a renewed relationship with the man You've given me. Help me to see him with new eyes, new appreciation, new love, new compassion and new acceptance. Give my husband a new wife, and let it be me.

I lay all my expectations at Your cross. I release my husband from the burden of fulfilling me in areas where I should be looking to You. Help me to accept him the way he is and not try to change him.

"Ask, and it will be given unto you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened unto you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

"Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Mark 11:24

Wives in Prayer: A "How To" :)

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Oh, Friends! I'm so encouraged by all the texts, phone calls and emails already about this Wives in Prayer Venture - I'm excited to see so many who are equally passionate about praying for their marriages (current or future!).

There really is no "right" way to be involved, but for those who would like more guidelines, here's my personal plan:

Each Monday night, I'm setting aside time to pray for my single friends who desire the ministry of marriage as well as those married friends God lays on my heart. You can pray by yourself, with another friend or group of friends - in person, on the phone, skype - whatever you want! You can also fast - from food, a liquid fast, a fast from T.V. or anything He leads you to set aside.

I took some time to pray for all the single friends on my prayer list and the prayer I pray goes like this:

"Lord, you created (friend's name here). And I believe You created marriage for her good and Your glory. I don't know Your timeline, but I'm asking You to fulfill her desire to be married. Thank You, Lord, for this strong desire You've placed in her heart. Thank You that You've already been where she's headed and that You already know what her future holds. Thank You for marriage and for her future husband. Please be with him and prepare his heart to do Your will."

Then I prayed (see post on blog titled "His Wife") with my mom for her marriage & she prayed for my future one.

My plan works for me, but feel free to pray as you feel led.

Much love,
Jen

Wives Praying Boldly! :)

Hello, Dear Reader,

I'm so happy you stopped by! Though some of us might never meet in person, I hope that we can encourage each other in our marriages (whether present or those the Lord has for us in the future).

Since a couple of readers have already asked me this one, I'll answer it here:

Q. Why are you including both married & single women on this site? Wouldn't it make more sense for you to pray just for single women since that's where you're at right now?

A. I just remember a conversation with a sweet single girl over the summer & how she was so discouraged at being left out of circles at church once the other women found out she was single. They were still polite, but the barrier between the married & single was distinctly felt. I really wanted to create a place where women could be drawn together despite our different seasons. My personal main focus is still to pray for other singles, but I'd love to include married women as marriage is under such attack these days. I so appreciate the married women who have not forgotten me in their prayers & I'd like to do the same for them. Our seasons ARE different, but our hearts for having a marriage (though theirs is current & mine is to come) that brings God glory is the same! I love that!

Let me introduce myself:

My name is Jen and my goal in life is loving God and others. I adore musicals, laughing with my gregarious Irish-Italian family, twinkle lights, hosting theme parties, intriguing conversations, sneaking swipes of frosting off of cupcakes, fancy glasses with little umbrellas, wearing cute & sassy aprons while pretending to cook, the old school Hollywood era, vanilla lattes from Coffee Bean, fro yo, hiking, making kids laugh, photography, mangoes, Jane Austen novels, mint sprig garnishes, Treat Tuesday Surprises, stories ~ true or fictitious, and am forever on a quest to find new ways to celebrate life and cherish people.

My friend Melissa, introduced me to an inspiring article on singleness and it encouraged me to pray with greater faith and not get weary in this season of waiting. We decided to make Monday night our time to set aside to pray for each other & our other single sisters who desire to serve in the ministry of a godly marriage. The idea is for any single woman who wants to consistently petition for the desires of her heart as well as prayerfully support her future husband to join us - whether in person, on the phone or just the comfort of knowing where ever you are that other singles are praying with and for you!

I'd like to also include married women & those who feel permanently called to singleness. I had this desire about 7 months to create a community that would draw women together & transcend whatever season we're at in life as we pray for & support each other's marriages.

My life verse is Ephesians 3:20-21. I hope it encourages & blesses you, too!

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."