Sunday Morning Prayers

Sunday Morning Prayers 2023

September 10

Hey friend, I’m praying for you today as you may take way too much responsibility for the outcome of God’s work.

It’s so easy to feel like everything God is doing is dependent ON ME – especially in our church/community. Things like:

• I have to encourage my husband before he goes on stage because he felt a little iffy about his sermon today.
• I have to be over-nice to this critical person who is spreading negativity about the lack of friendliness of our church.
• I have to make sure my kids are happy and enjoy going to church so they won’t rebel against it when they are 19.
• I have to teach a bible class (or lead worship or…) and shake people out of their apathetic Christianity.
• I have to project a faith-filled ministry wife that validates all that my husband preaches regardless of how I feel on the inside.

Ya’ll as ministry wives, its so easy to feel the pressure to make it all work. It’s easy to feel like it’s all up to us. I know. I’ve felt that way over and over again. It’s easy to lose sight of who God is and make my role in his story bigger than it is. We just weren’t made to carry that burden (His yoke is easy and his burden is light. Matt 11:30).

So if your shoulders are tight and you feel a weight of responsibility heavy on your chest this morning, remember with me:

God is The King.

This is HIS STORY of redemption for broken people.

He is working.

He is powerful.

He is right and timely in all that he does.

He sees you and all the things you do for him.

He knows criticism and ridicule and people misunderstanding him.

He knows the apathy of people and their lack of faith.

He wants your heart more than your works.

Just as John the Baptist said to the people, “I am not the Christ (John 1:20),” let’s remember who we are in light of who God is. Let’s walk in obedience day-by-day, in his strength not our own, and leave the results and outcomes up to him.

Everything is not all up to us. He is the one who changes lives and brings healing and rescue. Even though it may seem slow, he works at the perfect pace.

Rest in that, my friend.

September 3

Ministry wife, I’m praying for you this morning.

Where do your first thoughts go? Before the children, breakfast, outfits, ironing, showers, or hair struggles? Do they land in your insufficiency or Jesus’ sufficiency?

It’s crazy how within the first few minutes of waking up I’m saying to myself:

I should have done the laundry.

I should have called my friend.

I should have studied the Bible.

I should not have eaten that cookie.

Right off the bat, I’m naming all the ways that I was not enough, how I didn’t measure up, how I should have done it differently. My friends, this is where shame can sneak in and set up house!

What are your first thoughts? Take inventory of those tomorrow morning.

Instead of waking up and thinking of all the things that you didn’t do, should have done, and need to do, direct your energy into thinking about what Jesus did yet didn’t have to do but gave to you freely and with more love than you can handle. How differently would you enter your day if your thoughts landed there first?

The truth is: we are not enough on our own. We don’t do things that we should do and do things that we shouldn’t do. But by the blood of Jesus, we are covered and redeemed. We take on his sufficiency as our own. Let’s live in that freedom!

So today on this Sunday-morning-holiday-weekend, your thoughts may already be filled with your insufficiency. Take 1 minute. Remember all of who Jesus is, put down the burdens of your “not enoughs,” and walk boldly into the freedom of grace.

Come on, sister. Let’s do this.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Romans 7:15

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

August 27

Good morning! I’m praying for you this morning. It’s easy to lose sight on why we do all this. It’s easy to get caught up in the work of ministry and lose sight of the heart, lose focus on the Person who changed us, saved us, restored us, and walks with us- Jesus.

This morning as you walk into your church, fix your eyes on one thing: the majesty of Jesus.

Don’t get distracted by how you couldn’t find anything to wear and that you don’t like how your body feels in it.

Don’t get distracted by the group of critical people that seem to steal away your joy.

Don’t get distracted by the many things that you feel you are failing at as a ministry wife.

Don’t get distracted by the battle of wills you had with your kids to get up or get dressed or eat breakfast or buckle their own seatbelt.

Girl, there are so many distractions and honestly things we do have to deal with. But in the midst of all the real stuff, ask yourself “where am I fixing my eyes?”

Fixate on Jesus. Tell Jesus who he is. Proclaim and remember who he has been to you. Fix your eyes. Then as you enter into the broken reality of yourself and others, you will have your feet set securely on the rock. He is our firm foundation, sister.

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith. Hebrews 12:2

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

August 20

Good morning, ministry wife. Here’s the thing. It’s easy to get lost in our ministry work: to allow what you do for the Lord to define who you are to the Lord.

Ever so slightly (and sometimes unknowingly) the focus in your heart can shift to only seeing yourself as an instrument of God and not first a loved child of God- thinking things like:

I am what my ministry is.

I am what people think of me.

I am how many come to the event that I plan or speak at.

I am what my husband’s ministry is.

Or that I am only the wife of my husband.

Can you relate?

Sister, hear me with all the love I have for you: you are a

beautiful,

loved,

precious,

capable,

dearly loved,

enjoyed,

valued

child of the King.

FIRST AND FOREMOST.

As you walk into your church this morning, ask God to show you what’s at your center. Be intentional about spending time with him face-to-face in his word and prayer to rediscover your true identity.

Seriously, how much time have you spent with Jesus this week- in his word, pouring out your heart, having a conversation with him? This is the secret sauce to living from the truth of who you are. It’s takes priority, time, humility, vulnerability, honesty, surrender. It is so worth it.

As we do life in ministry with the center of our true gospel identity – loved and saved by Jesus – we can then move into all the things that we are called to do with healthiness and joy.

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you” Isaiah 43:4

August 13

I’m praying for you today. You pour out to so many. You are not unseen.

Sometimes I can get so focused on others and the immediate needs at hand that I miss the intimate, personal, face-to-face relationship that God longs to have with us- and that we desperately need.

Even while the most perfect Jesus walked on this earth, he was intentional about connecting with his Father alone and in prayer. If Jesus prioritized that, shouldn’t we?

I love how Jesus asked the straight-up, cut-the-chatter, bottomline questions. In Mark 10:31, we see him ask the blind man this question, what do you want me to do for you?

It’s a good question for us to ponder. Friend, what do you want Jesus to do for you?

You don’t always need to be the fixer or the one who has all the answers. Sit in the humility for a minute of needing and asking for something. It may feel awkward and vulnerable, but it’s a wonderful practice to sit in the ask for a bit while trusting God to respond and answer as is right and best.

August 6

Good morning! I’m praying for you as you may (like me) have totally missed it: a deadline, an appointment, a birthday, a task, a phone call, a follow-up, or a 7:30 Sunday Morning Prayer post-  Especially in ministry, we have a lot going on!

Here’s the deal: we can’t do it all, we can’t handle it all, and we will miss things. It’s ok. Most people are extremely gracious about it because goodness they get it. While others may hold it against you. Let it go.

The person that you most have to be aware of is you. How gracious are you with you?

My friend, let it go. Give yourself grace. Stop rehearsing it or worry about what other people think of you.

Make some adjustments. Set that alarm the night before. Put a post-it note on your mirror. Write it on your hand. Do what you can and give yourself grace. You aren’t perfect. You won’t do things perfectly.

Thank goodness God doesn’t expect us to be. If he in his complete perfection can give grace to us in our imperfections, how much more do we have freedom to give grace to ourselves and each other?

July 30

I’m praying for you today, ministry wife. Have you ever felt like you are just keeping up with life? Like you are always running late, forgetting things, and rushing thru one thing to the next? It may be a pattern you are caught in or maybe it’s just this season of life.

I am there. We just moved (like 2 weeks ago). I’m in a mountain of junk and shoes and hair products that I haven’t used and actually I don’t like. But, I keep ‘em for what…..someday? Tasks and projects aren’t being fully completed because my people need things and there are places to go. I can’t think straight, and I’m forgetting things.

Can you relate? How do we live peacefully in chaos? How did Jesus sleep in the storm? Here are a few truths I want to hear in the soundtrack of my mind:

1. I am not what I do. So, my value is not reflected in my calendar or the boxes checked.
2. I don’t have to get everything done today. I can leave things undone until tomorrow (this is hard for some personalities and easy for others).
3. God has ordered my steps for this day. As I follow him and release control, I can take what comes and not be bothered by interruptions or emergent needs of others.
4. I can be patient, waiting day by day for things to unfold, and trust God’s purpose for me even if it’s difficult to see it.

Whew well… I needed to hear that myself.  I pray that you can pursue Jesus more than an ordered and controlled life.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

July 23

I’m praying for you this morning, my friend, as you may be pushing through the day.

So many of us just keep on pushing. We grin and bear through the crunch time that seems to never cease. We hold it together for our family, our husband, our ministry, our church people, our work, our community, and God. We strive really hard to muster up the gumption.

It’s true. We DO have things that need to get done, people who depend on us, tasks to be accomplished that cannot be push until tomorrow. Things have to be done, so “let’s get her done.” That’s all fine. We are responsible for a lot, and I know you want to serve God and others well.

But there’s a healthy and unhealthy way to exist within these demands and expectations:

1. To allow your accomplishment of the tasks to define your success and ability of your calling and leading.
2. To live in the security of your gospel identity not depend on your work to determine your value but the blood of Jesus.

Do you allow your accomplishments or approval (or lack of) to tell you who you are? Things like:

• All my kids are dressed for church this morning with clean faces and brushed hair.
• good mom
• My house is picked up this morning.
• good home manager
• I didn’t eat junk food yesterday or order that delicious ice cream at Chick-fil-a.
• disciplined woman
• I taught, sang, interacted, planned, encouraged, said yes when there was a need, smiled at others today.
• good ministry wife

…and the list can go on. Where do you settle? What points do you struggle with the most?

How do you live free when life doesn’t slow down? How do you shift your identity from your accomplishments onto Jesus over and over again throughout the day?

1. Acknowledge it. Speak it out.
2. Bring it to God and ask him to help you and work in your life.
3. Anytime today when you get over-anxious, over-worried, over-controlling, over-annoyed, over-insecure, over-approval dependent, over-sensitive, pause for a moment to see if you are drawing your value and worth from what you do or how others see you. Lift it to Jesus and claim this truth:

Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Psalm 46:11 NAS

Pray something like this: Lord, I am not what I do. You love me even when I don’t get things done or do them well. Help me to detangle this belief in my heart. Establish my value and identity in you, the good news of hope. Help me cease striving so hard to be admired from others, but to fix my eyes on you and seek to love you with all my heart. Thank you for the blood of Jesus who died so that I could live free.

Your value is not based on what you do or how well you perform or how much people like you. Your identity is firmly rooted in the blood of Jesus and solely rests on who he says you are: loved and valued.

July 16

I’m praying for you today as you may be waiting on something:

A wound to heal

A relationship to mend

For God to move

Clarity in next steps

A job offer

The chaos to slow

A positive pregnancy test

Peace

Joy to be restored

For your purpose to be clear

We are probably all waiting on something. What are you waiting for? How is your faith, trust, peace, patience in the waiting?

Patience in the waiting grows from a deep, quiet confidence rooted in who God is.

When I am confident that God is working out a beautiful story in my life, I can be patient.

When I am confident that God has not forgotten me, I can be patient.

When I am confident that God loves me, I can be patient.

When I am confident in my gospel identity, I can be patient.

It may be a long tenuous wait. It was be years in the making. But my sister, hold tight to the truth of who God is and who you are in him.

He is God.

You are loved.

July 9

Good morning, friend. I’m praying for you today as you KEEP ON serving the Lord in your families, in your church, at your job, in your community. You get up each day and keep on going.

How are you doing in that?

• You may have just come off an awesome week at Falls Creek and you are FIRED UP.
• Or you may have just come off a week at Falls Creek and are plum exhausted.
• Or you are weary at caring for your little kiddos and/or your older parents.
• Or you may feel overwhelmed with all that things to be done.
• Or you may feel very insecure because people have been critical and mean.
• Or you may be abiding with Jesus in the quiet spaces of your heart like never before.

We all have our stuff. And, we all manage so much. God sees you and loves you right there.

It’s easy to mistake what we do for God as who we are to God. Let that sink it.

But remember (as I know you know), His first priority is YOU, to have a relationship with you, no string attached. And out of our relationship with him, we reside in our true identity and from that we serve and follow him. That’s our GOSPEL IDENTITY.

Be careful not to get things out of whack by drawing your identity (the value of who you are) from your kids, your ministry, your reputation, your marriage, your abilities, your role, your house, your husband. Those are all gifts from God.

Instead, be grateful for the great gifts he has given you (even those that don’t feel like gifts right now ;)). Thank him for those things, stop trying to do it all on your own, and invite him.

Admit that you can’t do it on your own today. Admit that you need him desperately. Let go of striving so hard to make it happen and rest in knowing that your value isn’t dependent on your production and isn’t dependent on you.

Invite God in:

Lord, I can’t do this on my own. I need you. I’m sorry I’ve put my identity in things that I do or how people think of me. Help me put it back into who I am because of Jesus. Help me see myself as you see me and live within that. May I do all the things that are ahead of me today with a tender heart and desperate need for you. You are trustworthy. Thank you for all that you have given me. I invite you in.

But now, O God, strengthen my hands. Nehemiah 6:9

Praying for you today, sister.

July 2

Good morning, ministry wife. I’m praying that you will feel seen by God this morning. He is powerful, personal, and pursuant of YOU not just for the ways you serve him but simply because you are his child.

God is a BIG God. Yes, he parts the Red Sea, rains fire from heaven, feeds 5000, and creates the world and everything in it. He is a big powerful God.

But, he also shows up in a quiet voice to Elijah on the side of a mountain, appears to Paul on the road, calls out to Moses in a burning bush, meets the Samaritan woman at the well, and calls Lazarus out of the grave!!! He is a personal God.

So don’t miss it this morning. Don’t miss HIM this morning.

You may be sitting in a crowd of people watching him move …or you may have just sustained a terrible blow of church hurt …or based on unfulfilled dreams, you may feel unseen, overlooked, or dismissed by him. I’ve been there. Me, too.

Let’s refocus our hearts this morning on God’s personal and intimate love.

You are loved. You are seen. You are valued. You are precious.

God created you, and Jesus saved you. You are his.

But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Isaiah 43:1, 4 NIV

Live in that truth, in that reality today.

This is your GOSPEL IDENTITY.

June 25

Today, I’m praying for you especially if you feel like a fraud.

Do you feel smack dab in the middle of a MESS- your own mess or someone else’s?

Maybe, it’s the mess of

a relationship or your emotions or grief

or weight gain or health issues

or the unknown or distrust of God or loneliness

or busyness or raising littles or a complicated marriage

or an addiction or anger or insecurity

or lack of purpose or a transition

or your laundry room, your closet, or the kitchen sink?

Life is messy, and you may be a mess. I get it. I’m a mess too.

As you sit in your mess this morning, please know you are not the only one. You are not a fraud. You have not been disqualified from serving the Lord.

Instead, invite Jesus in. Shine the light on those hidden, secret messes in your life.

Pour it out at the feet of Jesus. He can take it. He is not shocked. His response to you is abundant love. You can trust him.

He is the best at cleaning up messes. Goodness, he saved the world.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:8

June 18

Good morning, ministry wife. I’m praying for you today. I wonder how Father’s Day lands on you…

You may feel all the love from your own dad. You are a well-loved daughter. I had the best dad.

You may be celebrating with gratefulness the gift of a husband who is a great dad to your kids. I celebrate with you!!!

Father’s are a gift and such an integral part of the healthiness of our families.

or…

You may be estranged from your dad.

You may be grieveing today because your dad is no longer here.

You may be (right now) in an argument with your husband over a parenting issue.

You may look at your parenting with regret because your husband has given so much to the church that he hasn’t be the most present father and a lot of the parenting heavy lifting has been on you.

I’m sorry. That’s so hard.

For all those things that are heavy, let’s lift our gaze to the most loving, right, strong, powerful, kind, intimate, Father-God who created you and knows you by name.

You are a well-loved daughter and child of the king.

So whatever your life looks or feels like today, live from that truth. You are deeply loved by God, the most perfect father of all time.

But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! Isaiah 43:1, NASB

June 11

I’m praying for you today and your ability (or inability) to say “no.”

In ministry life, we are asked to do A LOT of things. There are so many hurting people and so many things that need to be done.

But what happens when we always say “yes” to things like this:

Sure, I can make a casserole for Monday.

I’ll keep the nursery next week.

Yes, I’ll pick your child up from school tomorrow.

I would love to teach that Bible study.

I’m happy to lead the prayer team, worship team, women’s ministry, or youth group.

When I have given an overload of “yeses’,” I start to get cranky and feel overwhelmed, pulled in a million places, weary, and stressed out.

How hard is it for you to say no?

Listen, God says no to us all the time. Why do we feel unloving when we have to? He is not unloving when he does. His “no” doesn’t come from being overwhelmed or stressed out. God says “no” to protect and provide for us. And, we can say “no” with full assurance that it can be loving too.

I have gained such FREEDOM over the last 15 years by learning HOW to say “no”. Here are a few examples:

• Thanks for asking, but I’m not able to commit to that right now.
• I really appreciate you asking me, but I can’t do that.
• I’m going to say no for now. I’ll let you know if something changes.
• I’m honored you would ask me, but my answer is no.
• Under different circumstances, I’d love to but right now I can’
• That really sounds amazing and I know you are working hard to find someone. I can’t commit to that responsibility right now with all the other things I’ve got going on.

Pick one and practice. Then, have it ready when someone asks you for something. It won’t be long.

What are your best ways to say “no?”

June 4

Good morning, ministry wife. I’m praying for YOU today. I wonder if you are feeling fully rested and refreshed OR overwhelmed, exhausted, and tired. It could be a mixture of both/and.

Can you put your finger on WHAT is wearing you out? Maybe…

• summer busyiness with VBS and Falls Creek and…
• your job that doesn’t stop just because it’s summer
• your home-for-the-summer children
• the incessant press to make summer insta-perfect for your kids
• internal worry of safety and how your exhaustion is impacting your kids
• the work pace of your husband
• the work pace of yourself
• the extra pounds you’ve added over the winter hibernating months
• the sibling fighting that never stops
• caring for a sick parent
• mom-shame
• loneliness for a friend who knows and understands all the things you manage

It’s easy to get lost in it all, just trying to keep up. I have been there. I get it.

God has called us to ministry, but he never called us to be so busy that we live exhausted. We don’t have to do it all. We aren’t called to do it on our own. We need rest, both physically and emotionally.

And, we most definitely need Jesus.

So what do we do with that? What do we do when we are weary but we see no space on our calendar to rest?

– Start small. For me, rest involves unplugging from all the activities (external and internal) and spending time with Jesus. Rest can also look like blocking off 2-3 hours in the afternoon and reading a book or going for a walk or taking a nap.

– Schedule rest next week. Like…30 minutes when the kids are napping or are preoccupied. Get up 1 hour earlier in the morning (go to bed earlier the night before). Or at night when you slip into bed. Be intentional. You have permission to do nothing productve.

– You may think that you don’t have time for that. I say you can’t afford not to. What are you teaching your children about being healthy with the work/rest rhythm?

Jesus showed us how. He set the best example when he was doing ministry to save the whole whole! He went away to be alone and spent time with his Father.

So, we can too. It’s a necessity in this ministry life.

It was very early in the morning and still dark. Jesus got up and left the house. He went to a place where he could be alone. There he prayed. Mark 1:35

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28

May 28

I’m praying for you today, sweet ministry wife, as you may be trying so hard to hold it all together with:

– your own emotions

– your family environment at home

– the laundry

– serving the Lord

– keeping up with all the needs of church members

– your marriage

– healthy eating and exercise

– dishes in the sink

It can all feel so overwhelming and intimidating.

But as daughters of the King, how are we called to live in priority?

1. Love God with ALL your heart, soul, mind, and strength
2. Love others as yourself

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. Matthew 12:30-31 NIV

Friends, you can’t get these out of order and live healthy ministry lives.

Above all else,

are you spending daily time with Jesus?

are you opening up His powerful word in intimate conversation between just you and him?

You need to, sister. He is our first love pursuit.

So today as you are sitting in that pew, ask God to teach you something just for you today – that’s not a selfish request, it’s absolute priority.

As we spend daily time with him, we become more secure in ourselves, our role, and our to-do list.

You are seen and loved, my friend.

May 21

I’m praying for you today as you may be consumed with image management.

Being in ministry seems to welcome others to freely give their opinions about all sorts of things:

• your husbands preaching
• the way you dress
• how your kids behave
• your involvement (or lack of) in the church
• dot. dot.

You may be struggling with trying to make people like you, your family, and your husband. You may feel burdened, consumed, and trapped with the image you have to keep up so that your husband’s ministry will grow. Man, that can be exhausting. And, it cuts deep.

Here’s some truths:

• you can’t make everyone happy
• making people like you is not the goal of a successful ministry (goodness, remember Jesus’ ministry?)
• some people are just gonna be grumpy and always feel like they should point out things to “help you”

So today, sweet ministry, as you walk into your church… if you are consumed with managing your image and trying to make people like you, lay that down. It’ll suck the joy out of God’s calling for your life.

Look eyes with Jesus. He asks us simply to do 2 things:

1. love him with all of everything (Matthew 12:30)
2. and love others (Matthew 12:31)

Be sensitive to his leading. He may ask you to address difficult people and situations, lovingly yet firmly. Or maybe not.

Either way, know that you are loved and trust God to go before you and behind you and hold your image in the palm of his hand.

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Psalm 139:3-6

May 14

I’m praying for you today with however Mother’s Day lands on you.

You may feel overlooked, overjoyed, overwhelmed, or over it!

Motherhood is life-long, forever and always journey. It just doesn’t end when our babe walks across a stage, gets their first job, or has their first child.

Along the road,

there are ups and down,

hugs and hurts,

hellos and goodbyes like these:

you may long to be a mom but are faced with “not now.”

you may have had to say goodbye to your mom or your motherhood way too soon.

or you may have been so wounded by your mom that God is still at work healing your heart.

It can be so complicated and messy- beautiful and lovely. We are all broken and need Jesus.

However this Mother’s day lands on your heart, know this:

God loves you as the perfect Father. And he fills in your broken, not-enough, longing, missing places with love, peace, security, joy, contentment, strength.

His love never fails. We can know and rely on that.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. 1 John 4:16

May 7

Morning, sister. I’m praying for the burdens you carry today – especially the burden for your husband.

I know you watch your husband step into his calling every week doing all the things necessary for the Church. But, you also see things that no one else does….those “behind closed doors” things like:

insecurity,

exhaustion,

disappointment,

depression,

secret sin struggles,

doubt,

frustration,

hurt,

self-sufficiency,

pride,

despondency,

loneliness,

and spiritual distance.

You know the brokenness of your human-minister-husband.

You see the weight of leadership in a less-than-perfect vessel that struggles just like everyone else.

What do you do with that?

What do you do when you are the only one who knows?

What do you do when you wonder if this is the day he’s going to breakdown?

What do you do when you can’t reach the depth of his struggle?

What do you do when you can’t fix him, but your entire life weighs in the balance of him holding it all together?

That is a very scary place to reside. I know.

On the flip-side, you may see…

passion,

commitment,

perseverance,

wisdom,

reverence,

humility,

and a deep inspiring love for God.

You may witness all the strength of a healthy man of God stepping week in and week out into the obedience of his calling. It’s a beautiful thing to walk alongside. But, it all can be hard to keep up with and somewhat intimidating.

You may land somewhere in between.

What do you do with the burden of your husband?

Honestly, I don’t know exactly.

I don’t have a template to share, like something that you can log your details into to make it look manageable and pretty.

But. BUT. BUT, I do suggest someone: Jesus. We often overlook the very One we serve to help us with this burden. It takes humility and vulnerability and trust to come to Jesus and just pour it all out, with absolutely no fix-it plan.

Listen, find a quiet place for 15 minutes today. Grab a piece of paper or journal and a pen. And, just start talking to Jesus about it all, writing out word for word.

Be honest, be extensive with no dark corner untouched.

Do a massive emotional clean-out at the feet of Jesus.

Then, leave it FULLY TRUSTING that he is at work, that he loves you and your husband deeply, that he is not shocked, that he already knows, that he has the transformative, miraculous power to rescue and renew!!!

Your husband is not your’s to fix. You can support, speak truth to, listen, encourage. But, only God can go there and do that. Trust and pray, sweet ministry wife.

April 30

Good morning! I’m praying for you today as you may feel the burden of wearing your heart on your sleeve.

• Your eyes may well up with tears when you get a weird look from across the pews
• at the mention of a criticism you deep dive into questoning everything you are doing
• when someone asks nosey questions about why you did what, you also begin to question yourself.

No one has the power to tell you who you are. Only God has that privilige. His worthiness makes you completely worthy. You don’t need to search for glimmers of someone’s admiration, hoping the church people will notice:

your new haircut

or your cute shoes

or how faithful you are to show up week in and week out

or what a great sermon your husband just preached.

Listen, you are not what you do. You are a daughter of the King. His worthiness becomes your worth.

April 23

Today, sweet ministry wife, I’m praying for you about this one thing: YOU. CAN. DO. THIS.

You can get up.

You can go to church.

You can pick out an outfit.

You can get all the kids ready and in the car.

You can walk in those church doors with a smile on your face no matter who you meet.

You don’t have to be anything more that what you are.

You can refuse the urge to hide.

You can, in all your weariness, go worship in your Father’s house.

Even if you think you can’t, sweet sister, you can.

You can do it, whatever it is, because you have the love of your Father and the strength of the Holy Spirit all over you.

So, take a deep breath and just do the next thing. Step by step. I believe in you and affirm what God is doing in and through you as you follow him.

You can do it, because God’s got you!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

April 16

I’m praying for you today.

Simply, I’m praying you will lock eyes with Jesus and know how loved you are. He sees you, enjoys you, and wants your whole heart.

Where is your heart today? Praying you can lean into your Father, stop striving to do-do-do, and rest in his love.