How I’m praying for those affected by the flood.

Whether you were directly affected or you have friends or family who flooded (or you have house guests who don’t seem in a hurry to leave!) you may be struggling with how to pray for such a big situation.

Here are some things I’ve been praying for myself and for my friends and family during this trying time.

Pray for their hope to be in the right things.

Our hope is not in FEMA or flood insurance. Our hope has Never been in our government. Our hope is in God and he has the cattle on a thousand hills.

Pray for peace over anxiety.

Peace in the onslaught of decisions that need to be made. Peace as the repair process gets underway. May the peace of God rule in our hearts richly.

Lately I’ve been praying that everyone who is returning to their homes will feel very safe (from water, from the unknown, from people looking to get something for nothing, for critters who are confused about where the bayou stops and subdivisions start).

Pray for joy over despair.

At this point after a crisis, a lot of the energy has burned out and despair can start to creep in. Pray for people to find things to look forward to and find joy in the every day moments.

Pray that people wouldn’t feel “greatly shaken.”

Resiliency is everything. All of us are being provided with an opportunity to test our resiliency and strengthen our ability to bounce back and stand firm. This comes more easily to some than others.

Pray for marriages. Survive vs Thrive.

Pray for couples to unite in the midst this stressful crisis. Pray for understanding and patience with one another in decisions. Pray for grace to abound, as everything takes longer than expected and is much less convenient than in “normal life.”

Pray for couples to lean on each other as new strengths and weaknesses emerge in this unique season.

Pray for kids. Express vs Suppress 

Pray that kids will have the support and opportunity to creatively express their frustrations and sadness rather than go inward with their emotions or try to numb the discomfort by distracting or over indulging.

Pray for parents to take care of themselves first so that they have the emotional space and energy to take care of their kids. Pray for sustaining grace to deal with kids who are having difficult times. Pray for patience and understanding.