The Cleaning Prayer- how cleaning can help your prayer life

As a mom we are often called upon to put on our housecleaning hat and pick up the trash bags, and bucket of cleaning supplies and go where no man would ever go…………………………..into our kids rooms to clean!!!!

Well you know by now that there are not laundry fairies, or that even our children can not clean, organize and go through their rooms like we can! One way to help prepare our hearts and our families heart for the upcoming Christmas season (while we are preparing our homes for the Christmas season-Of course we are multi-tasking we are moms!) is praying for our family as we clean our house. Praying is such a powerful thing that any mom or wife can do as we go about our housecleaning duties!

As you clean out each child’s room, pray for that child. Pray for God’s protection in their life physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally! Pray that your child will have wisdom in selecting friends. Pray that your child will grow closer to God over the Christmas season. Pray that God will allow your child to experience the awe and wonder of the greatest love story every played out with Christmas being just the beginning of the upcoming Holiday seasons for us to share with our children. Thank God that you have the children he has blessed you with so that you have rooms to clean.

Pray for your spouse and your marriage as you clean your bedroom. Pray for love to continue to grow in your hearts for one another and for God. Pray that God will wake your spouse up in any area in their life that they need awakening in. Pray that God will help your spouse grow closer to God over the Christmas season. Pray that God would help your husband be the spiritual leader of your household, and be present and participating with you and your child. Thank God for your husband! Thank God for the job that your husband has, and that he is our true provider. Pray that your husband would have godly men for friends, and that God would continue to place or would bring into your husband’s life godly men to mentor him.

While cleaning the bathroom, pray for modesty and sexual purity for your children, your husband and yourself. Pray also for your children’s future spouse and their family as you pray about this topic.

While cleaning your dining area, pray for the guest that you will have in your home over the holiday season. Pray that your family would be able to share the love of God with them. Pray that God would bring to mind anyone that needs a place to go over the holidays to your mind.

When cleaning the kitchen thank God for the food he has provided you and your family. Thank him that you have the opportunity to cook and share how well he has blessed your family. Pray that God would be with your neighbors and that they would learn the true meaning of Christmas.

While cleaning the living room, pray that God would be with your parents, and in-laws. Thank him for your spouse and the providing your children with grandparents. Thank him for the legacy your parents have left you in your life.

While cleaning the laundry room, pray for your siblings. Just like a sock needs a pair, our family would not have been complete with out our siblings. While doing laundry pray that God would help you in your walk to grow closer to him.

***I love having quiet time, but I confess it is hard to carve out the time with a full house! However I am always amazed how I have the time to pray when I am cleaning - I think my kids and husband are afraid to approach me, in fear that I might just put them to work cleaning. Hope you like the suggestion!

Where has November gone to?

I look into the stores and all I see is Green and Red. I wonder down the candy aisle (yes, I know my hips wish I would not!) and I see the candy Christmas kisses and candy canes stocked on the the shelves. I watch the evening news and they tell me because of the economy is down, retailers are now stretching the Christmas season to begin the day after Halloween. Well let me tell you (yes, I feel a lot like Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life" when he is telling people that they needed to save the old building and loan.) Well girls we need November and Thanksgiving if for no other reason it allows us to prepare our hearts, our minds, and our homes for the Christmas season!!

The Christmas season is filled with the gimme Me's. Just look at how marketers encourage you to make a "Wish List". Don't believe me take a minute and think about the The Great Big Christmas Book, or Toy land Catalog marketed for our kids to make their "wish list" up or the Lexus commercials geared to us older kids. Marketers have made the Christmas season about "what do I want" to every individual out there. Well Let's start in November remembering what we have been blessed with.

Let's take the next 21 days and prepare our hearts,with an attitude of Thankfulness that helps prepare us for the Christmas season ."In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. "Thessalonians 5:18 Take a look at what you fill your mind, and your time with. Are you starting to be frazzled, looking at the calendar thinking about how the marketers are wanting you to feel about the holidays. Well just stop! This is the beauty of November take a deep breath make a game plan and prepare. Do not let anyone cheat you out of November!!

I always prepare my house for the holidays by first - CLEANING IT OUT!! How do you plan to put anything new into your homes, (AKA your kids bedrooms) without first cleaning out the junk, the things that are broken, things that are no longer used, things that have been out grown. Just making a pile of things to donate or have a garage sale helps make it abundantly clear how really blessed we are!!! I also do not want to struggle with dealing with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome -this is from the fly lady) during the holiday season. I want my house to be a warm inviting home, to my friends and family as well as my children's friends. The only way that will be possible is if I take the time to get things cleaned and organized now!!

So don't overlook November - we need November to help us enjoy the Christmas season and share the joy of Christ with others through out December. Remember you can not share what you do not have - so make sure that you will have joy in your heart during December by taking the steps necessary to enjoy December right now!! Prepare your heart and your families heart to make the trip to the manger this Christmas!

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14

(p.s. for those following my blog I am thankful that I have a husband that works on project for me and I will post pictures of the completed projects when he has completed the kitchen, and yes, I will be thankful for that! and no I have not been holding out on you it is just taking longer than we anticipated!)