I still need to do a post about all God has shown me about prayer, especially during my Daniel Fast!
But I thought for today I would share a few resources that have blessed me incredibly in the area of prayer. I have been a Christian for almost 31 years, and of course I’ve prayed, but I feel that since mid-February the Lord has really opened the "windows of Heaven", as it were, and is teaching me an advanced course!!! Not that I mind!
I pray using this booklet every day–I divide up the portions for my husband, and I divide up the portions for the wife, praying them for myself (thanks to my pastor’s wife for sharing that with me!). I also divide up the portions of praying for your children. I pray the Bondage Breaking Prayer for situations and people in rebellion, and have seen answers!
This would be a good one for you busy mamas of littles! You could even just pray one small section of a portion a day. There’s no glory in praying the whole portion in one day! I’ve been using mine for 9 years and it’s underlined, has dates in the margins, is finger stained…even has one slightly wrinkly area that got wet 5 years ago while we were camping! 
A lady in our church used the Prayer Portions (which is where many of the prayers in this booklet came from) and really likes it. I am planning to purchase one for myself, soon! There are also some wonderful books about Blessing–one is You Are Blessed in the Names of God. I love anything that uses the names of God! All of her resources look wonderful! Here is the website if you just want to browse around: The Father’s Business
Another wonderful book is Destined for the Throne by Paul Billheimer.
I actually bought my copy in Strasbourg, France in 1982!!! I’ve read it four times now, and decided this should be a yearly read! Mr. Billheimer really drives home our purpose as the Bride of Christ, and how prayer in this life is preparing us to be Christ’s Bride for Eternity. I love how Mike Bickle says it in The Seven Longings of the Human Heart (another great book by the way–and available for free as a download! It’s the fourth book down on the page I linked.):
"Think of this life as a seventy year internship for the next."
Every thought, every word, every action, every motive has an effect on our eternal future. How many regrets will we have for not having prayed more, praised more, trusted more?!
I am determined, by His grace, to not to waste any more of my life by focusing solely on the things of this world. Oh, I’m not talking about great sins, obvious ones….I’m talking about……things like….worry.
"What will we do if our insurance runs out?"
"What if my husband loses his job?"
"What if ______ happens?"
We can’t play the what if game–we don’t need to! I’m not saying that life is easy and comfortable—sometimes the Lord "stirs up the nest" so we will seek Him. But that’s just the point–prayer should not be my "last resort" nor should praise be only when things are going well for me!
I feel like a babbling toddler, just learning in my praying–but I know my Father is pleased!
I’ll have more resources to share, as well as quotes and thoughts, but I wanted to share these wonderful resources with you, in case you struggle like I have for so long to know how/what to pray beyond, "God bless so-and-so. Please work in this-and-that." !
May you be energized and revitalized as you seek Him and seek to commune with Him, bringing those you love before His Throne!
