With God's help...

I got this book a while back and have been a total SLACKER about really reading it. I have read through a few prayers, and anyone who is familiar with "The Power of a Praying...." series, knows they are good. 

I found however that there were a few prayers in this book that i felt I needed to pray over my whole family, myself included. One that particularly struck me is one in the Chapter entitled "Having the motivation for Proper Body Care."

I have to admit, i was thinking this would be a prayer about helping my children WANT to take baths, and properly clean themselves...but it wasn't. This was a prayer about FOOD! I have 'revised' this prayer and printed it for my family so that we can pray it daily over each other. I wanted to share that with you.  Please note that this prayer is 99% from the book "The Power of a Praying Parent" by Stormie OMartin and that i cannot really take credit for it in anyway. I just felt like i should share it with you. 

Lord,

I lift up our family, (insert names hers) and myself, to You and ask that You would place in us a desire to eat healthy food. I now that throughout our lives we will be tempted take poor food choices and eat that which brings death instead of life. Help us to understand what’s good for us and what isn’t, and give us a desire for food that is healthful. Let us be repulsed or dissatisfied with food that is harmful.

I pray that we be spared from all eating disorders in any form. By the authority given me in Jesus Christ (Luke 10:19), on my family’s behalf, I say “No” to anorexia, bulimia, food addiction, overeating, starvation diets, and to any kind of unbalanced eating habits.

Lord, Your Word says “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”(John 8:32).  Help us to see the truth about the way we are to live, so that we can be set free from unhealthful habits. I pray that along with the desire to eat properly, You would give us the motivation to exercise regularly, to drink plenty of pure water, and to control and manage stress in our lives by living according to Your Word.  Whenever we struggle in any of these areas may we turn to You and say, “Teach me Your way, O Lord”(Psalm 27:11). Give us a vision of our body as the temple of Your Holy Spirit.

I pray that we will value the body You’ve given us and desire to take proper care of it. May we not be critical of it, nor examine ourselves through the microscope of public opinion and acceptance. I pray that we will not be bound by the lure of fashion magazines, television, or movies which try to influence us with an image of what they say we should look like.  Enable us to say, “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things”(Psalm 119:37). Help us to see that what makes a person truly attractive is YOUR HOLY SPIRIT living in them and radiating outward. May we come to understand that true attractiveness begins in the heart of the one who loves God.

Establish Your vision of health and attractiveness in us this day, and permanently instill in us the desire to take proper care of our body because it is the temple of your Holy Spirit.

In Christ’s Name we pray,

Amen