Simple Prayers Podcast Susie Davis

On Saturday, after dinner, Will and I were sitting in the family room. I was watching a movie and he was on his computer. He simply said, “Someone just tried to kill Trump.” What …? “Someone shot and hit Trump at an event.” I rushed to where he was sitting and in less than one minute was able to see Trump, hear the gun shots, see blood on his face, and watch secret service pounce onstage. Instantaneous coverage. On a worldwide stage, a gunman makes news. Rattling us all.
I have a history witnessing gun violence and murder. For me it was in a classroom when a student – a 13 year old neighbor kid – walked in my English class and shot and killed my teacher. I relate the whole story in a book I wrote almost 10 years ago called Unafraid: Trusting God in an Unsafe World.
Incidents like this and more, touch that trauma inside my soul deeply. So I’m sharing the prayer that I needed; rather, the declaration I needed when I completely broke down in a most debilitating post traumatic stress episode. (It’s a section highlighted in Unafraid – a chapter’s worth – so if this doesn’t set with your soul, I encourage you to get the book for a more gentle approach.)
I hope you'll pray with me. 
SHOW NOTES
Check out my shop for some goodies! Sign up for my weekly newsletter.  Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship. Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town Texas! Airbnb link here. Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music.

A couple of weeks back, my son and his two oldest sons (my precious grandsons :), came to visit. We enjoyed a rainy June morning following a small frog hop around our patio. Then we curled up on the couch watching a show the boys love. I loved listening to them gush about their favorite characters, trucks, and other things little boy things.
As I moved at my grandson’s pace, I learned about their lives. Slowly. Joyfully. It made me remember that life doesn’t need to move so quickly. Especially when there is such glorious wonder in moving at the pace of children.

If you have trouble with moving slowly, let's ask God together for something to rattle and wake us to the importance of it all. 
SHOW NOTES

Check out my shop for some goodies! Sign up for my weekly newsletter.  Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship. Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here. Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music

Will and I recently celebrated our 39th anniversary. We met when I was 16 years old, got married when I was 21, and two years into our marriage we started our family. We basically grew up together – and we’re growing still. Marriage is refining work!
The word refine means to free something from impurities or unwanted material- another meaning behind it, is to improve or perfect something by pruning or polishing. These descriptions aren’t the most sunshine-y, but they do give us a great depiction of what refinement can look like in a marriage. Often, the most crucial and delicate of refinement comes through those who knows us best (like our spouses!). They see us in every circumstance, including short comings and suffering—and these times are ones when refinement can show up best.

For these times, I wrote a prayer based on a couple of verses found in Ephesians. I hope it gives your courage to embrace refinement and grow your marriage.

With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. - Ephesians 4:2-3
SHOW NOTES:

Check out my shop for some goodies! Sign up for my weekly newsletter.  Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship. Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here. Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music

We all need strong father figures. Men who are wise and walk in that wisdom. Men who are faithful and show up for their families. Men who honor God and submit to him in all things.
Father’s Day is a great time to pray up your dad or the father figure in your life. They need our constant support and encouragement.
I’m especially grateful for my dad. He’s the one who teaches me about gratitude and God.  The one who appreciates the wonder of birds and trees and bats. He appreciates life’s little joys like a cup of McDonald’s coffee and all things small town Texas.  He never meets a stranger without making a new friend. He loves America and the Church – and he’s endlessly optimistic about both. He is devoted to Mimi and every member of his big ol’ family – and never forgets to tell us all how much he loves us. 
Shower your dad with words of affirmation. And don’t forget to pray for him always.
SHOW NOTES:
Check out my shop for some goodies! Sign up for my weekly newsletter.  Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship. Learn about ACF’s Prayer Barn. Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here. Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music

Family is a lot of things. It's precious, wonderful, and life-giving, but also can be messy and even disappointing or heartbreaking at times. In those times, we need to go to Jesus for healing and ask for just that. Whether it be conflict, sickness, distance, or something in between— the Bible shows us countless times how Jesus can heal anything. That includes you and your family!

If you're looking for a short saying to hold onto in times of worry or pain, let me offer you another simple prayer that I love to pray over my own home in times of need:

"Jesus, be in the house, and heal my family"

SHOW NOTES

Check out my shop for some goodies! Sign up for my weekly newsletter.  Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship. Learn about ACF’s Prayer Barn. Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here. Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music

Do you have a bible verse that you love to pray over your family?
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, and they will return to me with all their heart. – Jeremiah 24:7
This is a verse that Will and I prayed together when we were dating and then continued to pray throughout our young marriage, the birth of our children, and still to this day! We pray that our family would have “one heart, to know and love God.”

SHOW NOTES

Check out my shop for some goodies! Sign up for my weekly newsletter.  Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship. Learn about ACF’s Prayer Barn. Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here. Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music