House Prayers

I want to jump right into September. It is Moms New Year after all. The kids are back to school, I start settling back into a schedule, soups start simmering on the stove, rainy days of cheering on my kids from the sidelines are on the horizon, it seems we gather more with our friends, and my house will actually stay clean for at least a few days each week. Each year I jump in and it seems I don’t look back until about February. After the celebrations from the holidays and my sons birthday have subsided I am left exhausted, needing a vacation and limping along until summer. I resolve not to do that this year. But how?

I have to give myself the proper jumping off point and the proper place to look each day. What is that? Christ. I must pause here today before life shifts and center my thoughts, my home, my focus on Christ. Christ must be the foundation of my home. From that foundation I am then able to serve my children, husband, friends and others. When I operate out of selfish desires and misdirected goals it is no wonder I burn out so quickly. When I try to take control of being the keeper of the home I do not operate out of a desire to see the needs of those around me. I operate out of a desire to check things off of my list. Resulting in exhaustion. Resulting in a home that is life sucking and not life giving.

I shared a few weeks ago on Instagram that I came across Val Marie Papers House Prayers.(link here) It is a free printable that walks you through praying for each room in your home. There are blank spaces to add your own requests as well. This was my jumping off point. I walked through each room, praying through the list, giving it all over to God. The list prompted new ways to pray for my home and family that I had never thought of. As I saw all that needs to be done in the house; the laundry, dirty floors, goodwill piles, etc.. my attitude shifted from annoyance and overwhelm to gratefulness. The attitude I deeply want for my home began to take root. A new eagerness to care for my home and family surfaced.

I read Colossians 3:23 this morning. “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people.” The title the publishers gave the 3:18-25 paragraph? Christ In Your Home. Shifting my focus from seeking praise from family in all I do to doing it for the Lord is the gentle reminder I needed. The reminder to keep focused on the proper Person. “If Jesus is the center of our homes, and not ourselves, then our hearts will be properly aligned to serve our children (and friends and family) well.” Liz Wann Deeply Rooted.