New Year's Prayer Requests

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

James 5:16

That's right friends, this isn't a blog post about my New Year's resolutions, instead its about my prayer requests. I've been thinking about a different approach to the resolutions that get made, and then get broken, and thought "why am I not approaching a New Year with prayer requests instead?" I covet your prayers as I enter 2013 - for my spiritual growth and for relationships in my life.

-For protection upon my marriage. This request isn't made out of desperation just in hope that we will be protected from the devil as he attacks and tries to weaken us. I think marriages are always under attack especially when God's direction is sought. Please pray that we would work on communication between us, that we would be proactive instead of retroactive in talking. Please pray that we would be able to make a daily time of prayer between us a priority and that we would also make time for regular dates so we can continue to invest in our relationship with each other and not just make it through the day as we take care of our growing family and our small sheep business.

-An unspoken prayer request for two important relationships. 

-For my stepdaughter and our relationship. I need guidance balancing the differing needs of an infant and a teenager and tend to be more focused on my infant. I pray that I am more mindful of her needs and desires, and am more purposeful in investing time in our conversations beyond what is happening academically. I also pray for guidance in talking to her about growing the attributes of a godly young woman and guarding her heart as she goes through the awkward stage that the teenage years can be. Also, pray for her to have a healthy attitude about her body (What young girl/woman doesn't struggle with this?)

-For my husband and his relationship with his mother. They have had a falling out this year and have not yet reconciled. Through the recent miscommunications and disagreements, some past hurts have been brought up again making their reconciliation all the more difficult. Pray for humble, soft hearts and that I can encourage and honor my husband as we go through this together.

-And for me, as a wife and mom, not to mention friend and sister to you all. Pray that I may endure the growing pains as our family dynamics change this next year (praise God for a healthy pregnancy and baby #2). Pray for my endurance as I work to get HB to sleep through the night. Please pray that my pregnancy would continue to progress healthily and that the third trimester would be free of the terrible hip-back pain I had in my first pregnancy. Please pray that I would be gracious in expectations towards myself as I continue to grow and adapt to being a momma. Pray I would thirst for quiet time with God and work to protect the little time I have each day to have this. Pray that I would learn to love my husband and children in way's that help them know they are loved.

I hopefully approach this New Year, praying that I would humbly yield to the direction, guidance and shaping of God's hand, the Holy Spirit, in my life. Thank you in advance for coming alongside me in prayer, whether you are near or far geographically, and encouraging me in my walk.