National Day of Prayer ~ Day 2

This one is often easy ... praying for people includes US & our LOVED ONES! Our favorites to pray for, we never seem to run out of thoughts for ourselves. :) Today, savor the joy of bringing your own needs and those of loved ones to your loving Father's hearing, but also ask Him to help you expand your heart. Consider these other needs, and then spend some time focusing on the One He chose for His Son, His Bride the Church. There are ten ways to pray for each.

Prayer for our People

FAMILIES
God has designed the family to be a place of love and nurturing, but so many families are battling confusion and chaos in our world today. Christian families are not exempt from the trouble. Let’s uplift the family, so foundational for God’s plan for mankind.
- Pray that Christian families will reflect the love of God to the watching world
- Ask God to heal broken marriages and abusive relationships
- Ask God to protect vulnerable children who suffer neglect, misuse, or injury and long to be loved
- Ask God to make marriage partners faithful
- Pray for God to defend His plan for marriage to be between one man and one woman who are committed to one another and to being Christ-like adults toward each other and to children
- Pray for God to strengthen our laws that promote marriage and the family
- Pray for God’s protection of the unborn and ask Him to turn the tide of acceptance of death in our nation
- Pray that men would be strong and godly leaders who seek God first
- Pray for single adults to be pure in the face of the onslaught of temptations in our world
- Ask God to bless teenagers who pledge to be pure and devoted to God’s best for their lives

CHURCHES
We are the Bride of Christ and His representatives on earth. Never have there been so many resources to reach people with the truth, and never has there been so much opposition. More than ever, the Church is needed to be the hands and feet of Christ and to be pure in a lost world.
- Pray that the people of God would have a fresh desire to know His Word
- Ask God to bring a spiritual renewal in our country, guard the testimony of believers, and make His people influential around the world, for His name
- Pray for the shepherds of the churches of Knoxville and of our nation to be men of godliness and purity, to resist the pressures of the world around them
- Ask God to meet the needs of pastoral families, to strengthen them and use them as a light in their congregations and world
- Pray for believers in our nation to be faithful to be obedient to God’s Word and to be pure
- Pray that Christians will have a passion and concern for the lost
- Ask God to help His followers notice the needs of the ill and vulnerable and praying for opportunity to help them
- Pray that we would worship Him in spirit and in truth
- Pray that believers would be known for being generous and not self-centered
- Pray that the financial needs of missionaries will be met as countries around the world face financial strains

Isn't it amazing to know that the same God who made the world and everything in it, keeps the starts in place and stirs the wind just heard the thoughts and prayers of our hearts?