As I pondered this post and what I wanted to share about my journey into discovering what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person or HSP, I began feeling a bit self-centered. Fortunately, I had the greatest encouragement to shift my focus as our women’s Bible study decided to bring scriptures to pray over the men in our church and in our lives.

This is a great challenge for me. HSPs, although great at picking up on other people’s emotions, can get stuck inside their own thoughts. I sometimes feel like a black hole, sucking everything in. Or like a high-maintenance wife, wanting all my husband’s attention on me.

One of the scriptures God gave me to pray is this one:

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT

That last line sank in as God directed it toward me. It was easier to imagine that as a benchmark for others than to adopt it for myself.

As I listened to the radio this morning, preparing my thoughts to write, this song came on: Perfectly Loved by Rachael Lampa featuring TOBYMAC. This fit seamlessly with the message God was teaching me from my post last week – He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not – and it reminded me that in praying, it is not about me trying to direct change according to my ideas of how they should change, but in support of God working in them and for their heart to welcome Him.

My temptation is to find a fault that needs fixing. But isn’t that just what I am learning not to do with myself? If I can accept God’s unconditional love for me, then that should be the backdrop for any prayers over my husband, sons, pastors, and brothers in Christ. With that in mind, I’m ready to pray.

Will you join me, with this mindset, in praying for the men (and/or women) in our lives?

Here is a great scripture to pray:

I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation to know him through your deepening intimacy with him. I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling —that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones!

Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭TPT

Here are additional scriptures the ladies from our Bible study brought to pray: Psalm 119:11, Isaiah 55:6-7, Numbers 6:24-26, Proverbs 4:20-22, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Ephesians 5:15-21, and Psalm 133.

Grace & Peace,

Sandy

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