Y’all. To say that I am excited about today’s post would be an understatement. All of the excitement you’ve noticed around here has been all about this post.
I’ve been working with a handful of amazing, godly, praying women, and together we are excited to announce the launch of a brand new, year-long community initiative: #PrayerDare
What is #PrayerDare?
#PrayerDare is: an online community initiative with the goal of equipping, encouraging, and holding women accountable to practice the daily discipline of prayer. Each month, the #PrayerDare community will dedicate the entire month to praying for a specific topic. #PrayerDare will launch on February 1, and we’ll be spending the “month of love” praying for our husbands*.
*For those of you who are not married, PLEASE don’t feel excluded. In fact, we want to extend a special invitation for you to join us one of two ways:
1. Join us by spending 28 days praying for a man in your life who holds special importance, but is married to someone else. We’re talking about guys like your dad, brother, pastor, or maybe even your best friend’s husband. The point is, they need to be prayed for, and there’s nothing that says it can’t be you praying for them.
2. If you do not feel called to singleness, why don’t you consider joining us by spending 28 days praying for your future husband? We know that God’s not bound by time or circumstances, and spending a month praying for your future husband is probably one of the best things you can be doing for your future relationship.
All the Single Ladies….
…please join us!
The first goal of #PrayerDare is to equip women to practice the daily discipline of prayer. On February 1 we will be providing free downloadable prayer cards on aroyaldaughter.com. The prayer cards are intended to serve two purposes:
1. A daily reminder – After downloading the prayer cards (they will be available in black & white and in color), print them, cut them out, and place them somewhere in your home where they will serve as a daily reminder to spend some intentional, quality time in prayer. Maybe you can put them on your refrigerator, or bathroom mirror. Or you can put them in your Bible or quiet time journal. Just don’t put them in file 13. They’re no help in file 13.
2. A daily guide – The Lord told us that His Word will not return unto Him void (Isaiah 55:11). Each prayer card will offer a concise and specific prayer that is based on the Word of God. The prayers that we’ve written are meant to guide you as you begin (or continue!) to practice the daily discipline of prayer. We’d recommend writing your own prayerw, or prayer requests, on the back of each card. They will serve as a sort of testimony to your prayer life, and will allow you to go back and see how God has answered your prayers.
Our second goal is to encourage women to practice the daily discipline of prayer. We’ll be building our community of praying women primarily on Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtag #PrayerDare. Following the #PrayerDare hashtag is an easy way to connect online without having to get involved in another website or follow another blog. We know you’re busy, so are we! But we’re not too busy to spend a few minutes each day praying, and then connecting online and encouraging others to join us.
Our third goal is to hold women accountable to practice the daily discipline of prayer. This is the doozie, right? We think that having someone (or a few hundred someones) holding us accountable is exactly what a lot of us need. So how are we going to do that?
Using the hashtag #PrayerDare, we want you to check in with the community every day. You can tweet, “Hey #PrayerDare sisters! I’m just checking in – have a great day!” or you can be more specific: “I love teaching my kiddos how to pray for their daddy. #PrayerDare” <— It doesn’t matter how you check in, just that you do. And here’s where it gets real good, friends. Our idea is that if you miss a day or two or three, someone is going to notice. And it’s their responsibility to reach out to you and make sure you’re okay.
Did you see that? In order for #PrayerDare to work, each and everyone of us has to take responsibility. We have to be responsible for ourselves: that we check in each day. But we also have to be responsible for others. We need to be actively encouraging other women to pray, and reaching out to them if they slack off. And we need to do it with loads and loads and loads of grace.
FAQ:
I’m not on Twitter or Instagram, how can I connect?
We’ve created a Facebook page for #Prayer Dare. However, please keep in mind that the primary location of the community will be happening on Twitter and Instagram. So if find yourself on the Facebook page, you might find yourself in a leadership role right away! Feel free to take the reigns and get that community growing!
How do I follow a hashtag?
You can’t actually follow a hashtag, so we’d recommend a two-fold system to stay in touch with each other:
1. Search for the hashtag #PrayerDare.
2. Create a list on Twitter for #PrayerDare. As you see new people in the community, add them to your #PrayerDare list.
How will I find people in the community?
Well, you can start tweeting and using the #PrayerDare hashtag! Get the word out there, we don’t mind! And on February 1 we’ll be hosting a link-up so all those who want to be a part of the #PrayerDare community can link up their Twitter or Instagram accounts. That will be a quick and easy way to make connections!
I’m not really active online, how can I participate?
While the original idea of #PrayerDare was to be an online-community, we DO NOT want to exclude those of you who aren’t very active in the virtual world. You are more than welcome to print off the prayer cards. In fact, print as many as you want as often as you want. You can even use them to start your own #PrayerDare community in your local church, MOPS group, gym…you get the idea. The point is: if you do not want to be a part of the online community, make it happen in your own personal sphere of influence.
Can we share prayer requests?
Yes! In fact, if you’re comfortable sharing prayer requests, please do. You’ll have at your fingertips a whole community of women who will be able to pray for you at a moment’s notice. You might want to take advantage of that!
How can I get the word out?
We’re glad you asked! Start tweeting using our official hashtag, and it would be super helpful to point your followers to this post. Feel free to share in any way your heart desires. If you plan to join us, you can also put our badge on your website or blog.
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.aroyaldaughter.com/prayerdare/" title="A Royal Daughter"><img src="http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee423/RoyalDaughterDesigns/200X200Button-5.png" alt="A Royal Daughter" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
If you have any questions that haven’t already been answered, please contact us!
We can’t wait to see you on February 1!
_____
Blogging Q & A with Mercy Ink
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ARD: Is your family supportive of your blog/business? How do you use your blog/business to bless your family and strengthen the family relationship?
MI: I’m married to a pastor and we have three young kids, so I absolutely could not run a blog or shop without his support. Ultimately, I think my family is blessed most through the blog in that my kids see me pursuing my passions and being faithful to do what God has called me to do and go where He has called me to go, even outside the home. I want them to know they are my priority, but I also want them to see me living brave for God and not holding back.
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Amazing idea Amanda! Excited to participate and see what God has in store this year.
I’m SO glad you’ll be joining us, Kelli! I know that when you commit to something you don’t take it lightly – I’m SO glad to have women like you on board!
Hi Amanda, what a great initiative, I look forward to becoming more faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12), I have just started a prayer diary this year, which has really given me direction. Some people wish their life was a musical, like I do
maybe I wish my life was a prayertomime (pantomime) he he he. Have a great day. Tara (The Proverbs 31 Sanctuary)
Hi Tara! I used to keep a prayer diary, and I wish I had stuck with it! I’m planning to write my prayer requests on the back of the prayer cards so I can track my own prayers, and see what the Lord does with them!
Also – I like your play on words!
This is great! I’m so excited to join in!
I’m so excited you’ll be joining us, Sarah! Praise to the Lord!
Great idea! Love this. I will definitely be participating.
That’s great, Lindsay! I can’t wait to see what the Lord does with this!
I love this idea! So excited to participate.
I’m so excited you’ll be joining us, Laura! I can’t wait for Feb 1!
I *love* this idea Amanda – and it dovetails perfectly with my blog’s new weekly “Focus on Intercession.” I’d love to have you (and your readers) join with me in praying for others, and maybe I can share about the Prayer Dare as part of that! Check it out here: http://ow.ly/gN4Dw .
Elizabeth I just LOVE that the Lord is putting similar passions in our hearts! He is up to something, isn’t He?
This is so awesome!! absolutely love this, and I’ve been working on being more diligent about praying for my husband.. this is the perfect nudge to keep that up
Looking forward to it!!
Yay Kristin! I’m so excited that you’ll be joining us! The Lord really gave me this idea because I was trying to come up with a way to hold myself accountable to pray!
He’s so gracious to answer above and beyond our prayers, isn’t He?
Thank you for the reply! Yes, He is very gracious, and creative! I am so excited to begin~ I’ll be adding your button on February 1st and told my bible study girls about it tonight
Praying for your new ministry Amanda xo
Hi Amanda, I just ‘found’ you this weekend and I’m excited to read all the wonderful posts you have. As a lead in to my question, in order to ‘share my though’, there’s a place for one’s website. My question is, how do you have yourself identified along with your blog? In other words, I have a google account and use Reader A LOT. However, my blog (which just went public this weekend!!!) is in WordPress. How can I link me with my blog? Does that make sense? Again, I’m so glad to get acquainted with another woman who has so many interests like I have, but loves God first. Have a great day!
Hey Terry!
Are you asking specifically about when you post on Blogger-based blogs? From what I understand you’ll have to edit your information on your google + page. Let me look into it and I’ll try to get a tutorial up for you!
Um… AWESOME!! This is right up my alley!! (You know about Prayer Warriors, right?”
I am in… Perhaps some of the participants will even join in the Prayer Warrior web. Who knows! This is awesome Amanda!
Yes I do know about Prayer Warriors! You and Elizabeth (http://dogfuranddandelions.com/) are totally on the same page about praying for others! I love what God is doing!!
THIS.IS.AWESOME. Oh my gosh i am so excited to see how I am tr
ansformed through prayer!!
Thanks. Can anyone supply me with the Extremely Easy Directions for how to create a list on twitter? I have actually managed to create a list with the title Prayer Dare, but can not figure out how to add people to it. Thanks!
Yes! Okay, go to the little tool icon on the top right hand side of your twitter account. Click on Lists. On the right side, right underneath your profile picture + twitter banner, you’ll see a button that says “create list”
There you go!
This is SUCH a fabulous idea!!
Thank you Stacy! It’s ALL God!!
This is such an amazing and beautiful idea. I can’t wait to be part of it.
I’m so glad you’ll be joining us, Helen! I can’t wait for February 1!
You always have the BEST ideas!!! Already added the button to my sidebar!
Amanda, this is wonderful and exciting news. I am certainly going to participate in your Prayer Dare. I’m currently a planning a book study with friends to read Wonderstruck by Margaret Feinberg. She is an author and dear friend and I can’t wait to share her most recent released title with others. She has such a beautiful way with words — as you certainly do!!! — and her books and studies really challenge me to dig deeper into God’s word, listen more closely to his Sacred Echoes, and to be genuine about my worship every moment of every day. YOU. ARE. A. BLESSING. Have I told you that enough?! I want to shout it from the rooftop. Hey Everybody, Amanda has it going on!!!!!!! Big hugs, Friend.
Nicole @ Three 31
http://nicoleandkevin.wordpress.com/
Oh my gosh!! You are SUCHHHHHHHHH an encouragement! I know I say that every time you comment, but seriously – I really think that!
Woohoo! I’m glad you think I have it going on! Ha! At least someone does! 
Amanda, I love that you are doing this and because I know you you personally, it doesn’t surprise me at all. I have missed so much being able to sit in that little room with you and share prayer concerns at OPBC. There is just one problem … I am not familiar with using Twitter! I have never had any real interest in using Twitter, but this is very intriguing so maybe you can help me figure it out!
Cyndi!!! I miss you!!
Okay I can totally teach you twitter. OR you can like the FB page and be involved there. OR you can print off the cards and use them with H2H. Let me know!
LOVE YOU!
This is wonderful Amanda, I am excited to be apart of this! February 15th marks 16 years of marriage for my and my hubbie! I pray for my family, friends, other each and everyday! I will be adding the button to my blog and getting the word out!
I’m so glad you’ll be joining us, Pamela!
I’m SO excited to see what God does with this!
friend, this is so fantastic. i’m so joining in. Really grateful for your heart and vision. Lord knows that we can all use the help and encouragement to be praying people! I can’t wait for Feb 1!!!
Thank you Lauren! I’m so excited to see what God does with this! I’m so thankful you’ll be joining us – and please help spread the word!
I’M IN! I LOVE #prayerdare!!! “dare” happens to be my word for 2013! I’m WAY excited and can’t wait to share YOU and this great idea with my friends and readers. By the way, I’m Karmen from Alabama. We have LOTS in common! Come on over and visit me at Blessings Beyond the Barnyard. I look forward to getting to know you better :O)
Karmen that’s perfect!! I’m so glad you’ll be joining us! And thank you for getting the word out!
Oh, I love this! I am SO in!!
Nancy I’m SO glad you’ll be joining us!