Day 27 of 40 Days of Prayer

Scripture: Psalm 128

Meditation: Some of us come from big families, some of us from small families, some may even be an only child. Whatever the make-up of our family, large or small, God intends us to be blessed in our families. We all know that sometimes our physical families haven't lived up to God's intentions, and that is why he has become our Father and has given us a spiritual family in which we find the true spiritual blessings God want to give us.

Prayer: Thank you for blessing us with our families. Father, help us to become in our families what you intended when you brought us together. Thank you for our spiritual family. Being a part of your family has enriched our lives more than we ever thought possible, thank you.

Day 26 of 40 Days of Prayer

Scripture: Romans 16

Meditation: Ever been to Moe's Southwest Grill? If you haven't you should go, and not just for the food. When you walk in the door, the entire staff, yells out, "Welcome to Moe's!" It's a great experience being greeting like that. That should be the same feeling we each get when we come together as a family. To be welcomed with an enthusiastic greeting that communicates love and acceptance is so important in a world that is too self-absorbed and competitive to even notice you most of the time. We need to learn to give that kind of greeting to each other, all the time.

Prayer: Father, thank you for noticing me, accepting me, and loving me. Help me to communicate that same attention and love when I see my family. Help me to greet them with genuine enthusiasm and love.

Day 25 of 40 Days of Prayer

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-6

Meditation: How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. (Eph. 1:3-6 The Message)

Twenty-one years ago on Oct 3rd at 5:15pm we received a phone call that would forever change our lives. A call that let us know that our baby girl was ready for us. We were about to adopt a stranger into our family. She was never a stranger though. The love for her began years before when we turned our thoughts to having children. We just didn't know the time or path to that phone call. We've had a few foster babies in our care over the past several years and while we cared for and loved them like our own, they were not ours; they hadn't been adopted by us. We have been adopted by God in accordance with His pleasure and will. WE are His children, we ARE His children, we are His CHILDREN!!

-Randy Russell

Prayer: Thank you God love loving us. Thank you for adopting us as your Children. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Day 24 of 40 Days of Prayer

Scripture: Matthew 10:34-39

Meditation: Priorities can get so skewed in life that we end up wasting our energies on things that seem so important to us, and in fact, in many ways are important, yet they are not of ultimate importance. There is only one thing of ultimate importance: following God. Don't get confused about your priorities.

Prayer: God, you are a God of order. We see that in creation, we see it in your plan to redeem us in your Son's sacrifice, and we see it in your church. Help us to order our lives around your order. Protect us from the confusion that Satan would inject into our lives that would cause us to drift away from your power.

Day 23 of 40 Days of Prayer

Scripture: Matthew 20:20-23

Meditation: As parents we all want good things for our children. But too often we define "good" in terms of affluence, prestige, and comfort. God defines "good" differently.

Prayer: Father, help us to seek the good as you define them. Help us to lead our children to love and serve you. Help us Father, to then get out of the way and let them serve you in the ways that You have set for them.

Day 22 of 40 Days of Prayer

Scripture: Ephesians 5:21-33

Meditation: Being married is hard. It requires adjustments, submission, and sacrifice. Marriage is filled with stress, problems, and trouble. The failure rate of marriages is very high; too high. But marriage is the most amazing relationship that God has given us. Where else has God invited us to be most like Him? It is in marriage, in the union of two lives, where we get to share the same kind of intimacy that God shares in the God-head. It is in marriage that we get to share the creative power of God in bringing life into this world.

Regardless of how many times, or how many different ways Satan attacks marriages, it is worth it, it is worth fighting for.

Live the love that God gives you to the fullest, in submissive sacrifice.

Prayer: God, you are the author of Love. You have given us marriage. Help us to honor you in it. Help us to support and defend every marriage against whatever or whoever would oppose and attack it.

Day 21 of 40 Days of Prayer

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47 & 4:32-35

Meditation: At the earliest, when we were small children, our parents tried to teach us to share. It wasn't just so that we wouldn't fight or argue (although I'm sure our parents appreciated the peace). Sharing is more than just making sure everyone had some, enough... sharing expresses our connection to each other; the fact that we belong, not just to God, but to each other.

Prayer: Thank you Father, for adding me to your family. Help me to live as if I really belong here.