As we honor the National Day of Prayer, I have a burden to pray for the women. Change always begins with us; it always begins in the quiet places no one sees, where we take an honest look at ourselves, and do the hard work of vulnerability, transparency, and repentance.

Today, let’s pray first for ourselves and our relationships, and then let’s pray for the women in our community and nation.

Lord, our name means LIFE; our name means BREATH OF FIRE—and we can either be fire-breathing dragons who destroy and tear one another down with our words; or we can lift one another up with our voices as You do for us. The first woman’s name was Mother of All Living—and we want to carry that name forward by bringing life to those around us.

Help us to rise up with kindness on our tongues.

Help us to put a stop to the strife that we have caused. In Your kindness help us repent from division, accusation, blame, and judgment.

May we humble ourselves, see and meditate on what is good in another, and think on these things.  When we open our mouths, remind us to encourage one another daily. Help our words and actions bring LIFE, UNITY, and RECONCILIATION — as Your Word does for us.

May we lift up those who are hurting.

May we honor and cherish one another’s gifts without fear.

May jealousy and fits of rage among us cease; instead, replace our anger and divisiveness with unity and peace.

Help us be peacemakers, who refuse to judge one another without sitting face-to-face, as you clearly tell us to do in Your Word. And in those moments when we go face-to-face, may grace and gratitude be our guide.

Help us to trust each other; and where there has been a breach of trust, help us to rebuild it.

Help us embrace the beauty of the women you have placed in our lives. And when we hurt each other, help us see it. Help us own it. Help us not just say we love God and love people, but to truly LOVE people—not from a stage. Not on social media. Not in the public—for that is easy to do—but to love people in our thoughts, our words, and our actions. To love when no one is looking or “liking” or applauding—for in those moments when we go face-to-face, Lord, you see us. You know us, and You are a God who sees what is done in secret.

Only You see the motives and intentions of our hearts—those are not for us to judge in each other. You are a God who is changing us to be more like You. When we are hurting, You go face-to-face with us and hear our hearts. You do not count our sins against us; and in turn, you have committed to us a ministry of forgiveness.

Help us be the women you want us to be—life-givers, not barrier-builders. Not rock-throwers. Not opponents. Help us to be true sisters, friends, mothers, daughters, grandmothers: women who appreciate and honor one another. And where we have done wrong, help us make it right.

How about you fill in the blank with the attributes that you want to reflect in your relationships with people:

Help me to be __________________, __________________, _________________.

Help me to be __________________, __________________, _________________.

Help me to be __________________, __________________, _________________.

Because this is who Jesus is, and we have an incredible opportunity to bring life to those around us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.

Challenge for the day: reach out to a woman who you have hurt. Admit your fault, ask forgiveness, and resolve to let her know what a beautiful gift she is to you.

To send a friend a gift of poetry or encourage a woman in prison for Mother’s Day, click here.