Author Archives: Karla Jo Wasion

I love Jesus and His Church. His Word is Truth, His heart is good, and His return is sure.

Forty Days of Praying the Word of God: Day 32

“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience…”

Colossians 3:12

Father, You have chosen me, made me holy, and loved me, and I’m forever grateful. I pray for myself now, as well as for all of Your children, and I ask that You would teach us to put on compassion. I pray that we would turn from our outrage, from our suspicions, and from our side-taking ways, and begin to let compassion flow from us. Compassion for victims and families and all who are touched by the violence that is raging right now. When we could choose blame, let us choose compassion. Rather than assumptions, may we give compassion. Lord, make us the voice of compassion in the crowds of hate filled rhetoric, blame, and accusation.

As easy as it is to join the fray and raise our fists and exercise our outrage, I pray we will choose instead to look for Your footprints. I pray we will do the harder task of dying to our own opinions and choose to be like You, to have Your mind and Your heart.

Bring me, bring us, to a place repentance, so that we can rise up to kindness and humility. Gentle us Lord, gentle our attitudes and our voices. And may we wait, with patience, for You to cause everything to conform to Your purposes. I pray we will speak to injustice and give the voiceless a voice, but with compassion, with kindness, and with our ear leaned toward You, listening for Your heart, not to the many voices calling for our agreement down here.

Father, the worst of our culture has brought out the worst in us, and I pray it will stop. I pray that we will come to our senses as the people of God, and begin to walk in Your Spirit, against our own flesh. I pray for a holy restraint to come upon the Church – not a restraint of truth, but a restraint of our harsh words, our opinions stated as facts, and a restraint of our unkindness toward one another.

Jesus, call us again to ‘come, follow’ You, as You act with compassion for the world You died to save.

In Your name I pray. Amen.

Forty Days of Praying the Word of God: Day 31

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

Father, I pray for the parents, and I pray they would know You, and Your presence with them. I pray that You will give them wisdom at every stage. Give rest to the weary ones today, Lord, and strengthen those who are worn down. Come, Jesus, like a breath of fresh air in their lungs, and help them stay strong again today.

I pray for those parenting littles, that they would catch a glimpse today of the delight of a child, the joy they find in the smallest of things, and the peace that rests on them in the simple moments. I pray for divine strength of both body and mind for the parents who are missing sleep, and I pray You will give them unexpected rest. Hold on to them in this hard place, Jesus, and be their place of rest.

I pray for those who have children in school, and I ask for an outpouring of wisdom for them. Give them vigilance to know what their children are being taught, and the wisdom to counter whatever is not Your truth. For those who are homeschooling, I pray for patience, grace, and wisdom. I pray that You will help the parents in this season be present for their children, to engage with them with undivided attention. I pray for time and space to enjoy this stage of life, as busy as it is. Give them glimpses Lord, of the wonder that is held in the mind of a child who is learning the world around them. Hold onto them in this hard place, Jesus, and be their place of strength and wisdom.

For those raising teenagers, I pray for the strength and the fortitude to stand strong, and the ability to flex. I pray for wisdom to guide their teens in the confusion of this current culture. I ask that Your Holy Spirit would continually lead these parents on when to stand firm and when to stand down. Allow them to glimpse the man or woman who is slowly coming forth in their child, and to see them as You see them. I pray for the grace to begin to let go, and the grace to hold on. Grace to give freedom, and grace to maintain the boundaries. Hold onto them in this hard place, Jesus, and be their firm foundation and their place of grace.

I pray for parents in every stage, Lord, that You will teach them to be kind and forgiving, not just to their children, but to themselves. I pray You will pour out grace upon grace to them for the formidable task of raising the next generation, and that You will assure and reassure them that You are with them in it, and You will provide for every step. Help them Father, to train up their children in the way they should go. Help them to demonstrate faith, love, and obedience to You, Lord. Help them display both Your goodness and Your holiness. Teach them to pray, and to believe You for their children. Remind them that You love their children, have a plan for their children, and that You are after the hearts of their children. Remind them that You are a good, good Father, to them and to their children. Hold onto the parents Lord, and be their place of peace.

And for those who are grieving over children, come Lord Jesus, and comfort them as only You can. For those who are struggling as they watch their children struggle, I pray for Your tangible nearness to them. For the ones who are hurting, who are regretting, who feel helpless, I pray for Your healing and Your hope to come swiftly, Lord.

In the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Forty Days of Praying the Word of God: Day 30

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…”

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…”

Matthew 5:10; 2 Timothy 3:12; Matthew 5:44

Father, I pray for the persecuted Christians around the world, and I ask that Your presence would be so near to them, so tangible to them. I pray they will be strengthened in mind, body, and spirit by the Holy Spirit as they endure. I pray that You will encourage their hearts and be their continual comfort. I pray they will have the courage to speak truth, to preach the gospel, and to love those who are persecuting them. I pray that they will see the salvation of their persecutors! I pray that in the midst of persecution, Your Church will increase and be strengthened.

I pray for us, those who are not currently enduring serious persecution. Urge our hearts to pray for our brothers and sisters in the persecuted Church, Lord. Open our eyes to see them, and open our mouths to cry out on their behalf.

Father, I pray for an increased desire in Your people to live godly lives, even if it brings persecution. I pray that our souls will not yield to fear, will not yield to culture, will not yield to opinion, but will yield only to You. I pray we will steadfastly walk in Your ways, speak Your truth, and long for Your return. Strengthen us, and give us courage to walk contrary to the world around us, and to endure any persecution that comes from it. I pray that we will take the gospel You have entrusted to us into every place You send us, regardless of where that is. I pray that the gospel will go forth in increasing measure in the earth, especially in the western world. I pray for an increase in our witness here in the United States. May we see an increase in the sharing of the gospel in our neighborhoods, our grocery stores, our schools, and our workplaces. May we be willing to cross man made boundaries with Your life saving truth. I pray You will give us Your eyes to see the lost around us, and Your heart to see them saved. I pray, Father, that Your people will sense the urgency of the hour, and respond to Your Spirit.

I pray that You will teach us to pray for our enemies. May we be found praying for those who hurt us, reject us, and threaten us. Fill our hearts with Your love that we might actually, truly, love those who come against us. And in the days to come, in our hour of persecution, I pray that the Church in the west will rise up to be Your witnesses, not our own.

Prepare us, God, I pray. Prepare us to endure to the end. Prepare us to overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testimony. Prepare us to love not our lives, even unto death.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

Revelation 12:11

Increase our longing for You, Jesus. Increase our desire to walk as You walked, to partake of Your suffering, as well as Your joy. Let the pull of this earth lose its strength over us, as the pull of heaven draws us to fix our eyes on You. May we, for the joy set before us, take up our own cross and follow You.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.

Forty Days of Praying the Word of God: Day 29

“We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, His might, and the wondrous works He has performed.”

Psalm 78:4

Father, I pray that we will not keep Your wonders to ourselves, but that we will share them with our children. I pray that the next generation will know what You have done. I pray they will know Your power and Your great love, because we have told them of all of Your goodness toward us.

“so that a future generation—children yet to be born—might know. They were to rise and tell their children so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God’s works, but keep His commands.”

Psalm 78:6-7

Lord, I pray that our children and our grandchildren, the generations of those faithful to You, will put their confidence in You and walk in Your ways, because they have been told of Your wonders, Your goodness, and Your sovereignty.

Make us Your storytellers, Lord. May we tell Your story more than we tell our own. May it be the wonders, and the exploits of You that we pass on. I pray that we will be a people who proclaim all that You have done, more than we tell of all that we have done.

I pray that our children will know how You saved us and how You have loved us. I pray they will know how You have forgiven our sins, and why. I pray they will hear of how You calmed our storms, delivered us from oppression, and brought us out of slavery. I pray that our children and their children will know of Your great mercies and the power of Your presence.

I pray they will know, because we have told them. And I pray they will then know for themselves, and tell their own children. May we pass on the stories of You from one generation to the next. I pray that we will repeat Your Words to our children, talking about them in our homes, and wherever we go, when we lie down at night, and when we get up in the morning. (Deuteronomy 6:7)

From one generation to the next, Lord, may You be known!

In the Name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Forty Days of Praying the Word of God: Day 28

“Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.”

Proverbs 31:8-9

Father, I pray that You will give the Church her voice in this hour, and teach us to use it in righteousness. I pray that we will speak Your truth over and over again. I pray that we will cry out on behalf of the voiceless among us.

I pray we will see injustice and with one voice we would cry out against it. I pray we will not excuse it, but will speak truth to it. I also pray that we will not call injustice what the world calls injustice, but will seek Your heart and Your Word, so as to judge righteously.

Father, may Your Church lead out in this hour on behalf of the oppressed. May we counter our current culture with wisdom and mercy and compassion. Would we be the ones who rush in to love the victims of injustice and oppression with Your love. Would we see open doors for the gospel and boldly walk through them.

I pray that You will go through our land Lord, and stem the tide of racial divide and hatred. Come and do what we cannot do, Lord – cleanse the hearts and minds of this nation and heal her wounds. I pray for truth to be revealed wherever there has been deception and lies. I pray for humility where pride and all things “self” have led the day. I pray for conviction of our sins on every side.

I pray for courage for Your people. Courage to speak up and to be silent. Courage to act and to wait upon You. Courage to pray that Your perfect will would be done in this nation and in Your Church, no matter what. The courage to pray that You will do whatever it takes to turn our hearts back to You.

In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Forty Days of Praying the Word of God: Day 27

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”

Psalm 127:3

Lord, today I pray for our children, and I hardly know where to begin. My heart is grieving, as must Yours be.

Father, I pray for repentance to sweep this nation for the blood of the innocent we have spilled through abortion. I pray that You will turn the tide that we cannot turn, Lord, and You will put an end to the abomination of killing our unborn. I pray that You would move, by Your Spirit, upon every woman contemplating an abortion right now, changing her heart and her mind. I pray that the demand for abortions would be eliminated, so that the suppliers will fall away. And I lift up to You all who have had abortions, and I pray salvation, mercy and healing over them. Would You pour out Your grace upon the mothers and the fathers, and lead them to their own surrender.

I come against the schemes of the enemy against our children through transgenderism, and I pray for Your truth to reign victorious in this battle. Lord, protect this generation from the mutilation being done to them. I pray again for repentance to come – to parents, to doctors, to all who advocate for evil, thinking it is good. I pray that You would lift the veil of deception and expose the works of the devil.

I pray for our children living in neglect and abuse and I ask that You would cover them. I pray that You will be their great Defender, their Comforter, and their Deliverer.

I pray for the children living with hunger and ask that You would open Your hand to them and satisfy their physical hunger, emotional hunger, and spiritual hunger.

I pray for those who are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, and I ask that You would intervene on their behalf. I pray You will send forth Your light, and lead them out of darkness, and into Your presence. I pray for healing for mental illnesses, for physical disease, and for the emotional trauma that our children are suffering.

Father, would You surround our children, and shield them from what the enemy has planned for them. I declare that You are a God of generations, and that You have a destiny for every child. Would You set a guard over each of those destinies, and would You turn this war for our children back on the enemy.

And I pray that all of this would be accomplished through Your great power, working in and through Your Church. May we continue to step up to the front lines and speak Your truth, and be Your hands and feet, and Your heart of love for these broken ones. Empower Your people to become a force against the darkness that wants to destroy a generation.

In the mighty Name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Forty Days of Praying the Word of God: Day 26

“Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Genesis 3:1

Father, Your word is true and Your heart is good! I pray this will be the foundation for our lives with You. I pray that in every believer’s home where Your Word is being challenged by the lies of the enemy, Your Holy Spirit would fall with power.

I pray for those who are feeling their doubts, who believe but need You to help their unbelief, the ones who want to run their race but cannot seem to untangle themselves from the lies that hold them back. Father, would You show Yourself to them? Would You enable them to put their doubt to rest and separate the lies from Your truth? Help their unbelief, Lord.

I pray for the ones who have wandered from Your truth, who have heard the voice of the enemy with his “did God really say?”, and fallen for his lie. Bring them back, Father. Go after them with Your loving and merciful truth, open their blinded eyes, and turn them back. I pray that You will bring them again to sound doctrine, to the freedom found only in Your truth.

In this way, Father, strengthen Your Church. Surround her with Your Spirit, and bring strength to her weak places, hope to her discouragement, and healing to her wounds. For Your enemy is roaming, Lord, looking for those he can devour. I pray that You will guard Your Bride against his desire to consume her.

Today, Jesus, would we hear Your voice again. Today, would Your truth rise bigger than our doubts. Today, would You come into our wilderness and lead us out.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.