Prayers for a Woman’s Soul by Julie Gillies

Today I have asked my friend Julie Gillies, author of the new Prayer’s for a Woman’s Soul  to share a guest post today. One person who comments will win a copy of her book. :)

Julie  is the author of Prayers for a Woman’s Soul (Harvest House Publishers). Healed from a traumatic childhood and awed that God saved her seriously troubled marriage, her message helps women pray with boldness, confidence, and the certainty that God hears.

Julie is the Critique Groups Director for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and serves on the editorial team of P31 Woman magazine. She’s the joyful wife of Keith, mom of two soldiers and one civilian, and Grammy of four.

She loves hanging out with the entire gang at home, especially on days when her house is clean. Sign up for 5 Days of Extravagant prayer, find other FREE resources and connect with Julie at: www.JulieGillies.com

Praying your Priorities

It was one of those days, which arrived on the hind end of one of those weeks, which in reality was two of those weeks. My full schedule left little wiggle room, and when a forgotten obligation appeared, I followed through. But it cost me. By the time evening arrived I was on the brink.

The brink of tears.

The brink of sanity.

The brink of collapse.

What made that particular day worse for me was that I’d barely had time to breathe a single prayer.  And it showed.

It’s so easy to slip into front-burner prayer mode—praying for whatever is boiling over at the moment. And if your life is anything like mine, there is always something boiling over!

But as women of faith, our prayer lives should reflect our priorities, not just our latest crisis. In other words, we should consistently pray about the things that matter most to us. And yes, that includes our husbands, our kids, our finances, politics, world events and much more.

Yet as contrary as it probably feels, one of our priorities should also include praying for ourselves.

Praying for ourselves isn’t selfish—it’s vital. It’s the humble acknowledgement that we can’t do this crazy life apart from God’s help. It’s the recognition that if King David prayed for himself (read the Psalms!) and Jesus took time to pray for Himself, then we should, too.

Praying for ourselves infuses us with inner strength and equips us to be the wives and mothers we yearn to be. It enables us to soar through our days. No, our days won’t be perfect. But as we prioritize praying for ourselves, we will walk in greater wisdom and in the power of the Holy Spirit, and ultimately, in deeper intimacy with Jesus.

And isn’t that what we’re all aiming for?

When we make praying for ourselves a priority, you’d better believe those boiling-over days will still make an appearance. The good news is they won’t drive us to the brink.

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To be entered to win a copy of Julie’s book, tell us, when was the last time you had one of “those days”? Or, leave a comment on any aspect of prayer. Why do you find it hard to carve out time to pray? Any other obstacles? What do you love most about prayer? Any favorite verses on it to share?

Winner announced Monday.

82 Comments

  1. THIS totally hits home! I love to wake up at 5 a.m.(before boys,, husband, work at 8) and start the coffee, get out my bible & 2 devotionals. I pray and talk to the Lord and start my devos, going to the Word in between and after….BUT WHEN I WAKE UP LATE…I feel like my entire being is on overdrive all day-and not in a good way. By the tome I leave work I’m tired, crabby, angry and wondering about what king of person I am. I understand the need to pray 1st thing and all day. Where I work they ask me to turn down my computer(I stream KLOVE radio on low) and breaks & lunch are ,well, it’s too busy.. but God will put people in my path to remind me to stop. Go into the bathroom if need be and have a few minutes with the Lord. I cannot get through a single day without Him. God bless each & every one of you who help by sharing yourselves. Love & blessings,Karen

  2. It seems as women we are taught that doing for ourselves is selfish because there are so many others that depend on us. Our earthly parents want us to ask when we need help; our Heavenly Father even more so wants to hear from us. He desires our praise, thanksgiving and supplication. He wants to hear us ask Him for help, even though He already knows what we need. This book looks like something all women need to read! Thank you!

  3. The best thing about prayer is that you can do it anytime and anyplace. We are never alone. I thank God for that blessing. Peace be with you all.

  4. I had one of “those” days this past Tuesday. The last four months have been very busy, giving me many opportunities to “pray and trust God” for what’s to come. My mom (80 yrs) was diagnosed with bladder cancer, my dad had several “episodes” of heart trouble which resulted in open heart surgery Jan 2 (he is 84 and diabetic), my father in law ( 84 yrs) was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, and my mother-in-law (92 yrs old)was admitted into the hospital for emergency gallbladder surgery, which led to 10 days in the hospital, then home one week, then hospitalized for flu and pneumonia for a week, then in rehab for another 5 weeks. This all involving my husband and myself doing alot of care for them as our sibllngs are all living out of town. On that Tuesday, I got news that I have osteoporosis, and I’m not even 55 yet. I found myself looking at my circumstances and feeling so overwhelmed and not looking to Jesus….but praise God, I am doing the LET.IT.GO. online bible study and found so much encouragement from so many sisters….God’s grace is sufficient for today and His mercies are new every morning. “Trust in Him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before Him; God is a Refuge for us. ” Ps. 62:8. I am thankful that I can take all this to my heavenly Father in prayer….He hears me, knows my needs, sees my tears, and upholds me when I am weak and worn out.

  5. One of “those days”? I’ve had a few of them the past few months, responsibilities at work increasing, busier personal schedule…..

  6. It’s been a string of “those days” … a year+ of ups and downs. Some days pushed to that brink – but praise God, many others when I do remember to put myself in the arms of my Savior and rest there. Anxious to read this book!

  7. I had one of “those” days on Wednesday of this week. I know everyday is a God given day but Wednesday tested me. I try to always turn things over to God because I know He is in charge of my life and loves me. I have no problem praying for other people. that comes easy to me. But…praying for myself….well that is not easy for me. I am learning but it is coming slow.
    By the way, I love your picture, Julie. Looks so peaceful. Have a wonderful day.
    Candy

  8. Be still and know that I am God has become more and more what I am holding on to this past year! We have been under attack by the enemy and it seems sometimes all we can do is cry out to God in prayer! We have lost our 28 year old sister/daughter/wife/Mom/ also my Mom quite suddenly and my Dad was diagnosed with dementia and needed to be placed in a nursing home. All we can hang on to is God and prayer.

  9. A few weeks ago I was asked to lead a Lenten talk on prayer. I was flattered & a bit afraid. I confessed to my Pastor that, while I would love to do this & feel it on my heart, I’d be giving the talk from the perspective that this is something I’m still learning to do. He thought that would be great. Hearing that other Sisters know prayer is vital but still struggle to keep it in their daily routines is comforting. Having a book to help me in my journey would be wonderful!!! I know daily prayer, for myself, my day, my loved ones, & the world is vital. But, with so many things ving for my immediate attention I often find myself praying for (people, situations, ect) rather than taking the time to listen to what God has to say. In my research on prayer I have found many wonderful passages that talk about prayer, but the one that hits it’s mark with me most (because I am a worrier) is Phillipians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do, you will experience God’s peace which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.”

  10. Praying for all of the lovely ladies who shared their hearts in the messages above, and thankful for their encouragement, too. I have been attempting to pray without ceasing, for friends, family, and now, even a little bit for myself. I’m trying, Julie. You are such an encouragement. I would love to read your book.

  11. One of “those days” arose again last week. I have so much on my plate…and I get soooo overwhelmed sometimes. I actually debated (which is silly) about commenting. What if I win? That’s just ANOTHER book to add to the stack of “to-reads.” Another reminder of how behind I am, how out-of-whack my priorities are, how I’m missing the mark most days.

    :(

  12. Today IS one of those days.. I’m just coming back from lunch and I feel near tears here at work, things with a personal relationship are sour and it hurts…

  13. This past Monday was one of those days. The day I had been expecting, which was a rare relaxing evening after work of “me” time, evaporated with one phone call for help from my elderly mother whose health is poor and lives alone. Her cold that had seemed to be getting better rebounded with a vengeance and was taking its toll leaving her drained of energy to do even simple tasks. “Me” time became “Mom” time as I went to her home to help her through the evening and arrange for additional help to be with her until she feels better. Prayers came upon my pillow at the end of a very busy day.

    My intentions are to give God the first/best of my time, but too often lately He gets the last few minutes before I drift off to sleep after a day with too few hours in it.

    I do love prayer and relish the time when I can slip away and talk to my heavenly Father. It soothes my soul and releases the burdens for myself and others that can weigh me down.

  14. I too struggle with finding quiet time with God. (and it shows) When I do pray, I am praying for everyone BUT me! I would guess a lot of moms do that. We are always looking out for our family and friends, but we often forget to take care of ourselves (spiritually and physically) Father, God, I need you too! I just need to ask!

  15. Thanks Julie for your blog today. Interested in your book & wondering if its a devotional? Will look into it.
    I’m facing a crutch in a relationship with a long standing friend & have found it difficult to know how to pray. When I talk to God I seem to hit a dead end alley of not knowing how to respond to this friend. Trying to be guided or to find some peace in it is not happening at this time. I know God knows my heart & my longing but I just seem speechless in my prayers to Him over this relationship. (And believe me, that doesn’t happen normally with God & I) So, I’m trying to WAIT, but I don’t want that to be seen as stalling. I would like to gracefully bow out & not put myself out there anymore but I think God wants me still in it, just not sure at what capacity. She is a delightful woman. Strong, opinionated, non emotional, smart, creative, speaks her mind, …..really everything I am not. I suppose looking on the outside in she very much has the upper hand in our relationship. Maybe God does want me out!!?? I’ll Stay praying!!

  16. As I was going thru my prayer list this morning, God nudged me that I should also include myself in my prayers. Then I read this posting – another nudging from God! I always thought it seemed selfish to pray for myself, but after reading Julie’s post I see how vital it is. Thank you Julie!

  17. I have a difficult time with prayer. I have fibromyalgia and am constantly in pain and fatigued. Also as a result my husband is pulling away and I feel alone. He has no problem making time fir church and bible study but not for his family. Sometimes I’m so tempted to walk away from my faith and my marriage

  18. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I often do forget or skim over praying for myself. It is just so much easier to pray for others it seems. This message made me realize i really do need to take the time to sit with God and pray for things in my own life.

  19. I have one of “those days” weekly when I go visit my mom and aunt. They live about 45 minutes away. None of my family has come to Christ yet so they are very negative and critical all the time about everyone and everything. All my mom and aunt do when I visit is complain about how my husband and I fail to meet their expectations in this area or that area and how we need much improvement in every area. I know that they are critical because they don’t know Christ and are not free and they don’t realize that but it’s extremely hard to love them when all they do is complain but God is helping me and I’m extremely grateful.

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