I pray for me

Today, I humbly approached God's throne and sought his guidance for the day.

Lord, I thank you for this day.  I thank you for allowing me to still be alive up to this day.  I am thankful for the gift of life, the gift of family and the gift of friendship.

I plan each day Lord but most of the time it does not turn out the way I imagined it to be.  You are the all-knowing God and you are the only who knows what is in store for me today.  You alone can see how this day would end.  I sometimes wish I could preview what would happen at lunch time today or would the kids be sleeping by 9pm.

Since you know what's going to happen to me every second of my life, I ask that you prepare my heart and my mind for it.  If you know that I would be impatient with my kids prepare me by calming me and whispering to me that its no big deal.  Drinks will get spilled, Coby will forget how to solve his Math problems, Jianne will not share.  Teach me not to be consumed by all these insignificant events today.  Teach me not to focus on the unplanned and allow these distractions to speak to me and teach me.

Lord, I ask that you shut my mouth so I would talk less and sin less.  Allow me to use my words with care and be careful not to scar anyone with my tongue.  I don't want to be seen as an angry person because you said in your word, "out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks".  I don't have an angry heart Lord.  I don't.  And as i talk less allow this silence to teach me how to listen.  Not hear but listen.

Teach me how to speak gently and listen intently, eye to eye.  And as you are muting me at that moment, allow other people's words sink in and resonate in my heart that I may respond in love.  Teach me to listen to my son when he wants to talk.  You know he LOVES to talk and he talks a LOT.  Let me see this as his way of expressing what is in his heart to his mother whom he knows would care to listen to how tractors move and what dinosaurs eat.  Just let me enjoy those magical moments with him as I get to know him more.

Lastly, let me know you more today.  As I read your word, allow them to penetrate not only my brain but also my heart.  Help me to keep them locked inside and never to be taken away from me.  Let your words be my guide in everything that I do.