A Birthday Prayer

This is a prayer of mine that I felt led to actually write down. My heart was and is so full of gratefulness to God--I had to get it out on paper! I pray that you would make this prayer your own today... Much Love, Missi


Dear Lord,

My heart is overwhelmed with gratefulness to You today on May, 3rd--my birthday. You formed me and made me in my mother's womb. You gave me life and meant for me to live it abundantly. You loved me and knew me from all eternity, and You set aside this particular time for me to be in the world and now know and love You. I exist because of You. I have purpose because I am made in Your image. I have worth, not because of anything I've ever accomplished, but because of who You are and what You did for me. Lord, I know that apart from you I can do nothing. Without Your love in me and then to others, I AM nothing. Father, I thank You and praise You for my life. Please, Lord, let my life be a reflection of Your love. Empty me of myself. Fill me with You. I want to be a living sacrifice. Let the attitude of my heart and the words from my mouth be an outpouring of your grace and mercy onto others. Lord, the longer I live, the more I realize just how much everyone needs love and grace. Please, Lord, use me to be a vessel for those things into the lives of my friends. family, and acquaintances. Please fill me to the measure of the fullness of your grace so that I will not seek from others what only You can give, and so that what You give me will then spill over onto others. God, help me to not let emotions and feelings rule my decision-making. Help me father to cling to what is real and true: Your Holy Word, for my heart is deceptive. Lord, let Your Word be a lamp unto my feet and and light unto my path...that it would guide my footsteps when I can't seem to see clearly, or when my judgment is clouded by my feelings. Lord, please forgive me for ever doubting the truth of your Word--for wrong thinking, and even for my own unbelief. Help me to be a student of your Word. Forgive me for ever choosing my own way instead of Yours. I realize, Lord, that sin doesn't have to be big and ugly to be sin. Lord, I proclaim to you today: I DO believe. I don't just believe in You, I believe YOU.

Father, the blessings you have bestowed upon me are innumerable. God, I realize that people were made for relationship with You, but also with others. For the relationships I have here on earth, I thank You. You have put people in my life, both now and always, that helped shape me according to your Word and standards. Though I have made many mistakes, you supplied me with brothers and sisters who helped me and loved me back onto the path of righteousness. Oh, thank you for them, Lord Jesus! Lord, you have allowed me to be raised in a home by two parents who loved me and taught me your ways. Thank you for a sweet mom and dad whose love I have never doubted or questioned. The older I get, the more they both mean to me. Help me to honor them...even my dad's memory. Father, I praise you for a brother who serves You through music, and who helps reach souls for your kingdom. Thank you for the love and devotion to one another that we share no matter what circumstances we encounter. Use me to bless him, Lord. Thank you especially for my precious family--for a husband who is in love with You and always has been. Thank You for his spiritual leadership in our home, and for his provision over me and our children. Thank You for his zeal to be who You want him to be, and for his unwavering love and faithfulness to me. Lord, it is such a gift to have married a man with such integrity. Thank You, Lord, for enabling Him to love me so unconditionally. It is only because of You that he can do that! Help me to love him better and more...continue to show me what it means to be an excellent wife. Insist on my very best, Lord. Father, thank you for my wonderful, beautiful, precious children. I am overwhelmed at times knowing that you have entrusted their lives to me. Father, I know they are Yours on loan to me, so please equip me to nurture them and train them up in the way they should go, so that when they are old they will not depart from You. Oh, Lord, I love them so much. Protect them, shield them from harm, sickness, danger, and the enemy. Help them each to grow into Your faithful servants. Let my life be an example of that to them, Father.

I thank you for the wonderful friends I have made over my lifetime, and I ask that you would please bless them and draw near to them today and every day. I know that I don't love them as much as You do, but Lord, I do love them dearly. God, allow them to baske in Your love for them today. I pray that they each would come to know in their hearts how immeasurably wide, long, high and deep Your love is for them! Father, please bless them through me however you see fit. I pray that if anyone reading this is dealing with a particular stronghold, whether it be unforgiveness, unbelief, idolatry, guilt, depression, or any other, that You would free them from the enemy's grasp. Your Word is clear: our struggles are with the spiritual forces of evil, not with flesh and blood. Lord, help each of us to be aware of Satan's deceitful schemes, and give us all wisdom so that we will not be outwitted by them.

Jesus, thank you for blessing me so richly. Above all, thank you for the sacrifice You made so that I could know you personally. I love You, Lord. Thank you for the 35 years you have given me on this earth, and if it is your will, I pray that you would give me 35+ more. I pray that with each birthday, you would renew my refresh my desire to be the woman, wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend you have called me to be. My life is Yours. My body is Your temple. Let my hands be used to serve You and lifted to praise You. Let my feet be used to walk in the path of righteousness and to follow Your ways. Let my very existence be a testimony of your unfailing love, mercy, forgiveness, and undeserved grace today and all the days of my life. I pray all these things in Your Holy Name.

Amen.