Prayer Dryer

One day, I walked over to my neighbor's house to borrow some sugar.
Yes, neighbors like us still exist.
She comes and raids my pantry and I beg for half an onion to save me a trip to the store.

It's glorious.

As my friend went inside to get me some sugar, I watched her daughter and her little friend Aurora swing in the front yard.

Their giggles were filled with hope, life, and light.

I had never seen Aurora before, but I was struck by her delight.
I swear she was shining.

I felt like I would never forget her face as I walked away.
Now I know why.

My neighbor called me the next week to tell me beautiful Aurora was diagnosed with leukemia the day after I saw her swinging.

It knocked my breath out of my chest and I wept for this little girl.
The girl with the laugh, love, and life.

I knew the Lord had branded her beautiful face onto my heart so I would pray for her, but I was afraid I would forget.

"Lord, help me be faithful to pray..."

Shortly after, I felt led to grow out my hair in her honor.

I committed to pray for her in those quiet minutes that I spend each day blow-drying or styling my hair. I even wrote her name in sharpie pen on my hair dryer so I wouldn't forget to pray.

My hair dryer became known to me as my "prayer dryer".


It's been over 3 years now.

My hair grew past my waist and I finally donated my first 12" of hair in Aurora's honor. What a joy!

I am happy to share that I recently learned that she was healthy and in remission. Praise the Lord!

A lot changed over the course of the last few years.

Please understand that I am no healer, or magician.

I simply joined the crowd of people interceding for this precious little gift.
There is nothing special about me or my prayers.

But I have witnessed the Lord move mountains through prayer and I allowed him to expand my heart to pray for anyone he "brands on my heart" and added many people to my Prayer Dryer.

I never know who it will be. Honestly, I have never met most of them in person.

It happens the same for me every time.

I will be scrolling through Facebook, or talking with someone and I will see a picture, hear of someone in distress, or read a heart's cry. Then I feel my heart tug.

As I pray, the Lord prompts me to add them to my dryer. So I do. And as I dry my hair I search through the names and pray for all those people represented in the black ink.

Not every day. I am not that faithful. But God is.

When He prompts me to pray, I do and I begin with those who are right there in ink.

I share this with you in hopes you will dig out a black sharpie and write "Prayer Dryer" and Matthew 19:26 "For with God ALL things are possible" on your own hairdryer.

Then patiently wait for the Lord to show you who He wants you to pray for. He will.

As recently as today the Lord has slowly had me add more names to this blower. I find it crazy and wonderful that He uses such an everyday ordinary thing to bring us closer to Him.

What do you think? Will you ask Him to show you how to pray for others? This may be the perfect way to start.

Praising God for Answered Prayer

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15

Reflecting on God's goodness. Yesterday my father had surgery to open a blockage in his heart. With many of my family and friends rallying to lift him up in prayer, we sought God's will and asked for mercy during his procedure.

God heard. We received the answers we were looking for, and dad is home resting.

As I read these verses this morning I am praising our God. He truly walked with us as we prayed, didn't He? I just want to share another thought though.

If dad's surgery had not gone as planned, that would not mean that God did not hear our prayers. God holds everything in the palm of His hand. We need to trust Him when life gets scary and Praise Him when it all works according to our plan. True.

But when things go differently than we hoped, or life throws a huge curve ball we need to remember that God is still there. He sees things we do not see. He know things we do not know. He has a plan that is so perfect, that we will only understand it when we stand in eternity.

Bottom line? We absolutely need to pray. We need to unite our hearts and seek the face of our Lord. We need to never have the circumstances in our life affect our determination to trust our God.

I can hear the enemy whispering in my head, "Now that you shared this, something bad is going to happen." I refuse to listen to the enemy.

Instead, I will join Shadrack, Meshach, and Aded-Nego (Daniel 3:16-18)
Paraphrased, my God is able to do exactly what I am asking Him to do, but if not, let it be known that I will not serve any other god or worship fear.

Prayer request: join me in continuing to pray for my dad's triple bypass surgery scheduled
for May 7, 2014. His arteries are so blocked that his feet are in constant intense pain and stops him from walking.

Prayer Against Stupidity

Praying God's Word...
Fill in the blank with whoever God puts on your heart.

"Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1

Lord, give ________ the humility he/she needs to receive knowledge and instruction.

Your word says _____ is stupid if he/she hates correction.
May he/she chose to be wise by bending and yielding toward wise instruction.

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise." Proverbs12:15

Sometimes it can be so hard to see what is right. _______ is sure they are correct in doing what is right in his/her eyes. _____ is blinded by pride.

Please give ______ a humble and teachable heart and a willingness to receive wise counsel.

"The truthful lip will be established forever, but the lying tongue is but for a moment." Proverbs 12:19

Let not ______ be deceived.

You desire truth in and through his/her life. Whether it is an unspoken lie, a selfish cover-up, or a flat out deception, help him/her see that a lie is a lie.
Only truth is established forever.

Help _____ resolve to be a truth-teller.

Praying to Live in Peaceand Humility

Praying God's Word...

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech _________ to walk worthy of the calling with which he/she was called, with lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, enduring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:1-3

Peace.
Lord, we all desire to live peace filled lives. I pray that ______ would endure as he/she keeps the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

If he/she strives for anything, let it be to be unified with You.

Give him/her patience and humility and a willingness to stick together because of You love which binds us. ____ knows You.

Teach them to walk with you in a way that is worthy of Your goodness and glory.

May the world know that _______ is your child because of the marks of lowliness, gentleness, patience, and love covering his/her life. Cover _______ in a garment of grace today.

And all God's Children said, "Amen!"

Saying No to Alluring Sin

Praying God's Word...
________, if sinners entice you, do not consent." Proverbs 1:10

When my children were very little I was Christmas shopping at the mall. I saw a sparkly light display on a store-front and found myself drawn into the store to look around. I made it to the back of the store quickly before I realized that I had walked to the back of an "adult store" with 3 of my children.
Horrified, I told the boys to look at the floor and I ran out of the store.

The sparkly lights had distracted me so that I did not see the filth. Sin is like that. It can easily draw us in if we are not watchful.

Lord, protect _______ from the allure of sinful things. He/she is surrounded by the bright lights and the rich smells of this world and is being drawn in. The world says, "Come with us ______" and he/she is intrigued. This world promises riches and pleasure as a swimming worm on a hook. Help _______ hear You say, ' _______, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path'

This world has only temporary pleasure for ______. Help him/her know the truth spoken in Your word, "whoever listens to Me will dwell in safety, and be secure, without fear of evil." Proverbs 1:10, 11,  15, 33

Praying Words that Build up and Encourage

Praying God's Word: Guarding Our Mouths

"Keep ______'s tongue from evil and his/her lips from speaking deceit. ________, depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 34:13-14

Lord, it is so easy to slander and speak evil and deceitful words. Integrity and peace are not sought after in our culture.

Overwhelm _______ with Your goodness and grace today.

I pray he/she would look for and seek peace.



I pray peace would be the thing that _______ pursues. Protect him/her from speaking evil and deceitful words, but more than that Lord, purify his/her heart so that their thoughts and words are filled with You.

Thank You for the truth of Your word. "I sought The Lord and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

Praying for Our Children

Praying God's word...

"Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right." Proverbs 20:11

Lord, I pray for _________. Help him/her to love you with all their heart and follow Your ways. Help them live out their faith in a way that causes them to do pure and right deeds.

3 John 1:4 is true... "I have not greater joy than to hear that my child, __________, walks in truth!"

There is nothing sweeter than to see your children grow in the love of the Lord. 

For me, this is especially sweet because my husband and I did not

 meet Jesus until we were 24. 

What a delight to watch our children grow up in the faith!

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Praying God's Word: Resources

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and 

intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

In my opinion, there is nothing more powerful and effective than praying God's Word. 

As a new Christian, I was introduced to praying God's Word while participating in a small Bible study. 


A group of about six of us wives were reading and praying through The Power of a Praying Wife, by Stormie O'Martin.


All six of us experienced the moving of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, marriages, and lives. It was an incredible time of spiritual growth for me as a newish believer.

I did not know my Bible inside and out at the time, and I found the book to be an incredible help in my prayer life.

Stormie organized God's word in a way that I could access dozens of Bible verses that covered a particular subject or need; finances, romance, forgiveness, employment, etc.



Over the last 20 years, I have gone back to this book when I know I should pray, but cannot seem to find the right verses to pray. It is one of my spring boards.

Here are some of my favorite resources for praying God's Word:

31 Days of Praying for Your Husband 

Scripture to Pray Over Children

Scripture to Pray over your Family

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Here’s my full disclosure policy.

Praying for Someone Who is Afraid

I have been blessed by praying God's word over my own life and family for years.

There is something especially sweet about praying for someone using God's words and thoughts.


Prayer works. God Hears our hearts and answers us through His word.
He is not a Genie in a bottle, or a magician in a book.

He is the one true Lord and He not only knows you by name, but hears your voice.

Do you want to experience His love in an amazing way?

Commit to praying God's word over your family, your friends and yourself for one month.




Keep a journal of the scriptures you pray and those who you pray for.

Ready? Let's Get started.



Praying God's Word...

For someone in fear, surrounded by trouble, and needing help. Add their name (or yours) in the blank.



"The Lord is the strength of ______'s life, of who, shall he/she/I be afraid?"

"For in this time of trouble HE shall hide _____. In His pavilion: in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide ______; 
He shall set _____ high upon a rock." Psalm 27:1, 5



Need more? Read all Psalm 27!

Just replace the "me, my, and I's" to suit your prayer!

Be of good cheer! Wait upon The Lord!

Yes, that's a lizard.
I am not saying we are scaly and creepy. I love the lighting in this picture.

 I can imaging the warmth of the sun and the songs of the birds. It is quiet here, peaceful, beautiful. When I read, "He shall set me high upon a rock" I picture a safe, quiet, warm place like this...

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Praying For Yourself When Not Feeling Well

Today I awoke with a headache and a sore throat. Blah!

The Lord led me to these verses.

Truth. My body may fail, but my heart can be strengthened by God!

Do you know anyone who is not feeling well today?
Here are a few scriptures you can pray over their lives. Feel free to pray for me!



Praying God's Word...
Psalm 73:26
_______'s flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of ______ 's heart and portion forever.

Psalm 105:4
_______, Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

Psalm 118:14
The LORD is _____'s strength and song; he has become ______'s salvation.

3 John 1:2

Dear_______, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

                                         Be blessed my friends!

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Am I Love?

Am I love?

I heard this question in passing on the radio the other day. Read this part carefully. It was not, "Am I loved" but rather, "Am I Love?"

I have to confess that I knew the answer to the question immediately.

No. In that moment, I was not love.

That morning my husband sent me a quick reminder text. As I was typing my smart aleck response, I could hear the still small voice telling me that a simple "OK" was the appropriate response.

I ignored the voice.

My remark was not taken well and it began our day together with tension rather than peace.
Was my remark worth it? No.
Did my hubby feel loved? No.

Could I say, "yes, I am love?" No.

I have been chewing on this mentally for a day or two now. "Am I love..."

The truth is that only Jesus personifies love.  But if I love Him shouldn't I be a channel for love?

Jesus said, they would know that we are His disciples by our love.

How about you. If you asked everyone in your life, "Am I love?" How would they answer you?

I am challenged by this today!

Blessings to you and yours. Share your thoughts in the comments below!

I’m linked with http://www.HolleyGerth.com for “Coffee for the Heart.” 

3 Questions I Ask Myself a when I feel Like Quitting Homeschooling

Yes, sometimes I feel like quitting.
Sometimes I look around and question my ability to educate my children.
Am I doing enough?
Are they learning anything?

Kristy at Little Cottage did an excellent job describing what I do when I am on the verge of quitting.

3 Questions I ask Myself When I Feel Like Quitting Homeschooling


What do you when those days or weeks cause you to doubt yourself?