she prays on Friday Archives - Cheri Strange, She Yearns, Christian Speaker & Author

Transform Your Prayer Life: 5 Compelling Reasons to Love Echo

28 July 2023

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Prayer

transform prayer live blog cover

Hey there, lovely ladies of faith. Cheri Strange here, and I’m thrilled to talk to you about something that has transformed my prayer life and that of countless Christian women – the Echo Prayer app. If you’re seeking a deeper connection with God, a more focused prayer life, and a way to stay accountable in your spiritual journey, then this app is an absolute game-changer. I use it EVERY DAY, and I am not a paid affiliate. Echo has become a tool in my life to supercharge my own prayer life, and I want to share it with you. Let’s dive into five compelling reasons why this handy tool should become an essential part of your prayer toolbox.

Intuitive and User-Friendly Interface

As Christian women with busy lives, simplicity, and efficiency are key. The Echo Prayer app has nailed it in this department. Its intuitive interface allows you to create personalized prayer lists and set specific prayer times effortlessly. No more fumbling through papers or losing track of your prayer requests. The app will keep you organized and focused, making prayer a delightful experience.

Sync with Community Prayer

Prayer is a powerful, communal act, and the Echo Prayer app understands this deeply. You can join or create prayer groups with like-minded Christian women, lifting each other’s burdens, and witnessing incredible answers to prayer together. The power of unity in prayer cannot be overstated, and this app brings that strength right to your fingertips.

Timely Prayer Reminders

In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to get distracted and forget our commitment to daily prayer or at least who we are praying for. But fear not, the Echo Prayer app is here to rescue your prayer routine. With timely reminders and notifications, you’ll stay on track and keep your prayer life consistent. You can even personalize these reminders, so they come to you at the most convenient times.

We are a family of ten with one son-in-law in the works. Daily, I cycle through pages devoted to needs, desires, people, and causes rotating randomly through the app experience. But there may be days when prayer requests for my family do not appear during the time allotted. As a mom, my longing and responsibility is to pray for those entrusted to me, so I used the reminders feature to make sure I am praying for each one every day of the week.

Journaling for Deeper Reflection

Ever felt like you were talking to God, but the words just wouldn’t come out right? Echo Prayer has a fantastic journaling feature that lets you jot down your thoughts, feelings, and reflections during prayer. This not only helps you articulate your desires and concerns but also creates a beautiful record of your spiritual journey. Looking back on these journal entries will show you how God has been faithful in answering your prayers.

Encouragement Through Prayer Testimonies

We all have times when our faith feels weak, and we wonder if God is listening. The Echo Prayer app tackles this doubt head-on by encouraging users to share prayer testimonies. These powerful stories of answered prayers will uplift your spirit and remind you of God’s faithfulness. As you read how He’s moving in the lives of other Christian women, your faith will be strengthened, and you’ll approach your prayer time with even greater expectancy.

Transform your prayer life pin There you have it, my friend – five compelling reasons why the Echo Prayer app is a must-have in your spiritual toolbox. Embrace its simplicity, join in the power of community prayer, and stay on track with timely reminders. Engage in journaling for deeper reflection and draw inspiration from incredible prayer testimonies.

Transform your prayer life starting today, and watch how God works wonders through your heartfelt prayers. Don’t just take my word for it – download the Echo Prayer app HERE and experience the joy of effective and purposeful praying.

Let’s draw nearer to God together and discover the beautiful blessings He has in store for each one of us.

Happy and effective praying.

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You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

6 Powerful Prayers for Moms

12 May 2023

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Prayer

6 Powerful Prayers for Moms

One of the greatest gifts you can give a mom, is prayer. Can I get an AMEN?!? Whether it’s you or a woman you know, all of us in the mom category could benefit from the prayers of others. Although the Bible doesn’t label or identify any particular prayers exclusive for moms, it swells with truths designed to meet a mother’s needs. Here are six powerful prayers to prayer over the moms in your life today.

1. Power Prayers for Wisdom

I don’t know another mother alive who doesn’t feel the need for wisdom, even beyond the grown and flown years. There are many days on this journey called motherhood that exceed our abilities and know-how. If we are honest, there are times when we really don’t know the best decision to make or which approach to take. Oh, there’s a plethora of books filling Amazon pages oozing with ideas, theories, and hacks for how to rock mom life, but nothing leads a searching soul the right way like Scripture. When we don’t know which road to take, or how to handle a situation, all we need to do is ask God for wisdom. And He will give it.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5

Powerful Prayer for Wisdom

Dear God,

I ask that you give my mother wisdom. When she doesn’t know what decision to make, which way to turn, or the correct procedure to take, please show her. Give her insights into what she needs to know, and the discernment for navigating every sticky situation. Help her trust in You for every decision whether great or small. Grant us the ability to support and encourage her as she seeks You in all things. Amen.

2. Powerful Prayers Asking for Protection

Jesus taught that he came to bring light and to bring it abundantly, but that the enemy, Satan, came only to steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). Because this is the reality in which we live, it is right and good to ask the Lord for His protection over our moms. Not only do we seek His protection against sickness, natural disasters, accidents, and sundry other tragedies that could occur, we need the protection only He can give against evil.

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Powerful Prayer for Protection

Dear God,

I ask for protection over my mother. Thank you for your faithfulness. Keep her safe wherever she travels, and secure as she goes about her days. You have plans for her life that are good. Establish her and guard her against the evil one. Let him not have victory over her in any significant way. Be the wall around her as she trust in you. Amen.

3. Powerful Prayers of Gratitude

Mothers are not appreciated nearly enough. Instead, they routinely get the life sucked out of them for doing thankless work. For years. Maybe a lifetime. The Bible is replete with verses calling us to be a thankful people. In fact, Paul does not lightly suggest being thankful. He commands it. For one of the most overlooked and forgotten people on the planet—mom—let us thank God for her. Even if she didn’t do such a bang-up job during your childhood, the calling remains.

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Powerful Prayer for Gratitude

Dear God,

For the woman who spent her life for my benefit time and time again, thank you. Thank you for providing me with someone to care for me in her own particular way – by Your design. Bless her for the gift of time, nurture, and sacrifice. Help me to be ever increasingly grateful for all You have provided through my mom. Amen.

4. Powerful Prayers for Growth

The pursuit in the Christian life is not for approval, financial success, or to make a name for ourselves. It’s about becoming more like Jesus, every day of our lives. Your mom needs to continue growing in this direction until her dying breath. For this, we can pray.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18

Powerful Prayer for Growth

Dear God,

Tender my mother’s heart toward Your voice and Your instruction. Draw her to Yourself. Give her the resources to continue to know You better and the grace to pursue You with more vigor and tenacity. Reveal Yourself to her as she pursues You, for her good and Your glory. Amen.

5. Powerful Prayers for Provision

What an incredible God we serve. He takes notice of the needs in our lives. From the greatest to the smallest, He truly cares about you and me, and the moms in our lives. He is able to supply what we lack, and He is willing to give it. Much like wisdom, all we need to do is ask.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Powerful Prayer for Provision

Dear Lord,

Thank you for Your care of my mother. Thank you for being a God who provides. Give her a confidence and boldness to come to You for whatever she needs. You hold all the riches. We live in Your assurance and promises. For whatever she needs, I ask that You provide as only You can. Amen.

6. Powerful Prayers for Grace

Not only is the calling to motherhood wrought challenges of all sorts, most take the failings and faltering personally. Moms tend to be harder on themselves than the rest of us. Plus, we do mess up a lot. God is familiar with the humanity of being a mom. There is grace enough. We can stop kicking ourselves for all our missteps, wrong turns, and regrets. He gives more grace.

Not only does He give more grace, but he gives it in the measure we need to be successful in whatever He has purposed for our lives. Just because we mess up doesn’t mean we’re screw-ups. Grace extended to us means that we can get back in there. Knowing that He has provided all that we need to do what He’s called us to do, we can start again. We can take that next step. God is in our corner, encouraging and equipping us to “overflow with abundance in every good thing we do,” (TPT). Because He is willing and able to do this work, we should ask for it.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Powerful Prayer for Grace

Dear God,

I thank you for your provision of grace—grace that exceeds our understanding. Thank you for the gift of grace to cover every failing and mistake. Please enable my mother to receive this grace You so lavishly want to shower on her. In this, I ask that You be true to Your word, making every grace abound in my mom, so that she will have all she needs, at all times, to abound in the good works You have prepared for her to do. For this miraculous work, we trust You to fulfill. So be it. Amen.

XOXOXO

Before you Go

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

Have you received Cheri’s FREE gift to you? For a limited time, get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical help for living out what really matters. (Hurry because this gift is going away soon.)

DOWNLOAD NOW

For the one who feels invisible, largely passed over, and insignificant – Cheri has created a resource for you. Grab your copy of Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than today.

Buy the Book

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

Praying for the Wayward Child

21 April 2023

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Prayer

It has been my joy across the last several weeks to spend time with women in different states as I speak in different locations. Between sessions or over meals we talk about life. More often than not, I hear a familiar tale of a child who has rejected their faith completely or is not engaging in Christianity right now. The details display differently, but the heartache felt by these moms was similar. Would you join me today for these precious moms in praying over the wayward child?

Before we do, let’s think about the issue for a moment. Why has this tale become so common, even in Christian homes and schools?

Why are young people leaving their childhood faith?

Young people abandoning their roots of faith is not new. It’s an increasing phenomenon that has been tracked for decades. And the trend is not hopeful. The Southern Baptist Convention’s Family Life Council, LifeWay Students and LifeWay, along with the Barna Group all found a majority of students who were active in church during their high school years, leaving the church in the years that follow, with numbers ranging from sixty percent to eighty-eight percent.

What can we do when our child is wayward?

Honestly, I’m not walking this particular path. Half of mine (4 kids still in the home) are yet to launch. I carry no judgment. The only wisdom I can offer springs from what I have gleaned from others, which is great first step. Strategist and scholars suggest seeking out people who hold a biblical worldview and have experienced what you are going through.

Most people well-versed on what to do when you have a wayward child quickly warned against blaming yourself. Our tendency is to look at ourselves and the situation as our fault. We perseverate on how our actions could have changed the current outcome. Maybe things would be different if they had not missed those nights of AWANA or if the time had been spent filling in every blank for Bible study. The point is that we can beat ourselves up all night long for all our lack, but it won’t change the situation. Only God can woo the wayward soul back to himself.

Great advice from those who know is to let past go and, instead, position yourself for battle. Pray for all that needs to be prayed over. The Bible is replete with examples for how to respond to a wayward child and what to pray. Turns out, we are all prone to wonder.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love:
Take my heart, oh, take and seal it
With Thy Spirit from above. (Come Thou Fount)

What does the Bible say about the wayward?

The prophet, Jeremiah, is a prime example. Jeremiah was sent to God’s people—the collective poster child for the rebellious, the backsliders, and those that refused to listen. He was sent to speak Truth to them anyway. To warn them, teach them, care for them, and to pray for them. Jeremiah was to declare and demonstrate God’s love them in spite of their waywardness.

“Return home, you wayward children,” says the LORD, “for I am your master. I will bring you back to the land of Israel — one from this town and two from that family— from wherever you are scattered.

And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.

“And when your land is once more filled with people,” says the LORD, “you will no longer wish for ‘the good old days’ when you possessed the Ark of the LORD ’s Covenant. You will not miss those days or even remember them, and there will be no need to rebuild the Ark.

In that day Jerusalem will be known as ‘The Throne of the LORD .’ All nations will come there to honor the LORD . They will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil desires.

In those days the people of Judah and Israel will return together from exile in the north. They will return to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance forever. Jeremiah 3:14-18

And he did because these actions and attitudes reflect the very heart of God.

Consistent throughout Scripture is the character of God to search for and bring back the lost, the backsliders, and even the one steeped in sin. The very essence of the Gospel is God’s willingness to forgive the unforgivable, love the hateful, and show mercy on the merciless. Personal transformation is His specialty. So, hang onto hope, my friend, and allow me to join you in praying over the wayward child in your life.

A Prayer for the Wayward Child

Dear God,

I come before you today asking for the heart of my friend’s child. No matter how difficult the situation or the magnitude of mess made, I pray for your wooing power to draw them to Yourself. You, along, restore the broken and bring back the lost. Forgive us for having any part of the brokenness and restore us by the righteousness of Christ.

Lead my friend to the Truth she can rely upon. Give her courage to leave her child in your hands. Provide the resources she needs to be ready and able to give a reason for her faith when hard questions are looming, and the grace to love unselfishly the one who has turned away from You.

Guide the wayward away from sin, the desire for it, and the people involved in it. Illuminate the Truth. Bring back the one who has strayed, showering them with love, forgiveness, and mercy as only You can.

Amen.

XOXOXO

Before you Go

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

Have you received Cheri’s FREE gift to you? For a limited time, get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical help for living out what really matters. (Hurry because this gift is going away soon.)

DOWNLOAD NOW

For the one who feels invisible, largely passed over, and insignificant – Cheri has created a resource for you. Grab your copy of Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than today.

Buy the Book

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

Praying for Understanding

27 January 2023

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Prayer

Praying for Understanding

What do you and I do when we come to a spiritual dilemma—when we don’t know what to do or which way to go? If you ask the teenagers in my house, they will suggest we Google it. And that might help enrich our knowledge or provide options. But when we find ourselves needing more understanding of a spiritual nature, Googling our brains out is most likely not going to lead us on the right trajectory. Spiritual matters must be pursued in spiritual manners. And the best place to begin is the Word of God.

The Apostle Paul understood the need for more spiritual understanding which he attested by his own testimony to the Philippian church.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Philippians 3:8-12

Gaining a richer understanding, knowing more of the Savior regardless of the cost, was Paul’s way of life. In fact, this path toward seeking out more understanding was something he taught those who came to believe the Gospel in the early churches. More than a pursuit for those who had a premature urge to Google, a necessity for all of life. What to do, where to go, how to get there, and who God wanted them to become were the unspoken needs of the day.

And they gained more understanding the same way you and I do today.

Through prayer.

An Example from Paul

Paul walks the Believers of Colossi through his own prayer– not only to share a piece of his heart for them but as a model for how they should continue to pray for themselves and each other.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; Colossians 1:9-10

And I am ever so grateful he did because it remains here for us today.

May we use these insightful words on behalf of those in our midst who need direction, answers, and a deeper understanding of Who God is. And may we ask God to lead them recognizing how to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, and bearing fruit in every good work.

A Prayer for More Understanding

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for the Bible. Thank you for caring enough for each one of us to leave us the very words we can utilize when we don’t know what to do or where to go, or when we just want to know you better. Not only do You desire to give us more understanding in all of these areas, you want us to be filled with it. What a generous God you are. So now I ask that you do this very thing for my friend reading. Don’t just help her for the minimum. Let her see what fullness is. And in moments when she isn’t sure which road to take, what answer to give, or how to make sense of the drama in her life – give her understanding. You are so much better than anything we can seek out on our own. Give her words to pray, eyes to see, and a willing heart to walk in the ways You make known. Continue to teach her that You are trustworthy for all of the unknowns. May she desire nothing less than a life that knows and loves You more tomorrow than she did today.

In the Name of Jesus,

Amen

XOXOXO

Before you Go

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

Have you received Cheri’s FREE gift to you? For a limited time, get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical help for living out what really matters. (Hurry because this gift is going away soon.)

DOWNLOAD NOW

For the one who feels invisible, largely passed over, and insignificant – Cheri has created a resource for you. Grab your copy of Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than today.

Buy the Book

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

A Prayer for Contentment

21 January 2023

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Prayer

A Prayer for Contentment

This past week I read the Biblical account of Jacob returning to Canaan with all the drama that ensured. Jacob is not my favorite patriarch. He’s a pretty lame husband and father. But he does bring some redeeming qualities to the table. Not only does he pray appropriately to God before he crosses back over to meet his brother, but his response to Esau after Esau tried to give back his gifts is spot on. He can teach us a thing or two about contentment in the middle of messy circumstances.

Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it. Genesis 33:8-11

Jacob is deceived about Leah, swindled out of years more of free labor, and cheated by Laban in his compensation time and time again by his father-in-law. I wonder how many years it took him feeling cheated, swindled, and overworked to land in a place where he believed whatever God gave him was enough.

Likely a few.

I ponder the same thing about Paul, who feels so strongly about the importance of personal contentment, he spends several verses urging Timothy to embrace it rather than chase after what will never satisfy.

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:6-12

Paul combines contentment with godliness, marrying the two concepts. Godliness refers to “the genuine fear and love of God, and obedience to his will,” (Benson Commentary), while contentment “refers to a state of mind; a calm and satisfied feeling; or a freedom from murmuring and complaining,” (Barnes Notes).

This marriage seems to communicate the benefit of the intimate relationship found through Jesus. When you and I pursue Him, praying, reading the Bible, and walking in obedience, we are in the right frame of mind for gaining contentment.

Is that enough?

No. That is not enough. Paul spends several verses pointing out the folly and destruction that comes from chasing after what will not matter in a thousand years, and the lure it can have on a person to do just that. Then he impresses on this young minister the need to escape.

Run away, urges Paul, a man of learned experience and considerable wisdom.

Paul points out the human condition to want more, pursue more, and if that doesn’t work, acquire more unethically until the grave. Nothing has changed for over two-thousand years. We remain a people who relentlessly chase after more.

Have you ever finished scrolling on social media with the satisfying sense that you are enough? Ever rest in thoughts that you have enough? Is your reflection conducted without murmuring? What about your closet? Do you have all you need without want? And your car? Your house? Even today, the world in which you and I live beckons us to long for more, to seek it, just like in the days of Paul.

But like Paul, you and I can experience the kind of marriage of godliness with contentment he shares with Timothy. This one, Paul has lived. In the middle of a prison sentence, he professes:

…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. Philippians 4:11 NIV

How does a person become content with what God has given, regardless of circumstance?

The roadmap to true contentment lies in these instructions to Timothy.

Recognize your own human frailty in the desire for and pursuit of more (vs. 9-10).
Run away from it (vs. 11).
Run toward righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness (vs. 11).
Fight for your faith (vs 12).

This list deserves more time, but for now, allow me to encourage you to keep this list handy on your phone for life. But the best place to begin our quest for contentment – believing God is able to give us all that we need (regardless of our circumstances), and place our absolute security in Him, (without murmuring or complaining) is to ask for it.

A Prayer for Contentment

Lord,

You know our desires. You are familiar with even our unspoken longings. Only You hear our silent responses to all we see around us that drives us to discontentment. May You give the grace needed to live today and always satisfied with what you give.

Give my friend the insights needed for recognizing where she is weak. Unreservedly, offer her Your strength to run from it, to turn off the phone, to drive past or scroll past the stores, and reject the temptation to deliberate thoughts about what she does not have. Oh God, will you show her Your goodness to her, and open a clear path forward in what to seek? Give her nothing less than that blessed mix of godliness and contentment of which Paul writes.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

XOXOXO

Before you Go

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

Have you received Cheri’s FREE gift to you? For a limited time, get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical help for living out what really matters. (Hurry because this gift is going away soon.)

DOWNLOAD NOW

For the one who feels invisible, largely passed over, and insignificant – Cheri has created a resource for you. Grab your copy of Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than today.