Pray for Marriages (A Heartfelt Prayer)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Prayer never has to be long, just from the heart. Take 60 seconds to say a heartfelt prayer for marriages.

I have heard the prayer of petition which you offered in my presence. I have consecrated this house which you have built and I set my name there forever; my eyes and my heart shall be there always. 1 Kings 9:3

Trust in the goodness of the Lord!

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, what God has prepared for those who love him! Pass it on!

Pray for Families (The Light of Truth)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Today is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle.  His conversion is a strong example of God’s omnipotence and enduring love for each and every one of his children.

The world today is filled with “Sauls” whom through God’s gift of grace, will one day become “Pauls”. In his heart, Saul thought he was advocating for God’s laws and His people, but was clueless to how off course he was.  Like Paul, we are all blinded to the truth in some way and need this same gift of “seeing the light”.  For without the Light of Truth, we can easily be led astray, inadvertently taking others with us.

There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who ransomed them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their licentious ways, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled. In their greed they will exploit you with fabrications, but from of old their condemnation has not been idle and their destruction does not sleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3

Have things changed much since the days of Paul? One only has to listen to the news for a few minutes to know that those who follow the Way of Christ are increasingly attacked for their “hate”.  

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31-32

Stay close to the Truth, and he will clothe you with all you need to withstand any attack.  Pray for your children, both young and adult, that they may be given eyes to see, ears to hear, and the confidence to stand with the Truth.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Can you discern truth from lie? Pray for his Light! Pass it on! 

01 21 18 Pray for Marriages (Understanding the Intimate)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

I too have a dream. That one day, all will kneel on bended knee, and pray for the future of marriage and marriages, without having to be reminded to do so. For at that time, all will realize that the marriage covenant prefigures our intimate union with Christ.

I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ. Philippians: 3:8

The two shall become one flesh. Mark 10:8

How can we lose if we gain Christ? Pray, especially when you don’t feel up to doing so. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

We must seek the truth.. Pass it on.

Pray for Families (Appreciating Goodness)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

God is so good, all the time. Yet, do we unconsciously take it for granted? 

I am struck by the following example of his goodness, and the example of what is a typical (albeit unconscious) human response.

A leper came to him [and kneeling down] begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.  

Mark 1: 40-45

Here Jesus cures a a significant illness that has a major stigma attached to it, and the first response of the one that is cured is to sin by disobeying God.  I say that not in judgement, but in self-incrimination.  This is something to ponder.  What is your response to his kindness, love, & patience?

 

Let us pray, for prayer opens our eyes to the Truth, strengthens us, and covers a multitude of sins.  Re-ponder his goodness.  Let us pray for a genuine appreciation that spills over into our families.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

God IS good. Why not pass it on?

Pray for Marriages (Sustained by the Word)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

After a year of being open to life, a neighbor was giving up hope of having a child. Then suddenly she found herself pregnant with a long-awaited child. Four months after giving birth, I remember her exclaiming, “This baby thing is way over-rated!” I laughed empathically because in those early months, I too remember the seismic shift in my life, the sleeplessness, the feelings of inadequacy, and the new conflicts that arose in my marriage.

Like any new parent, one tries to manage through the unexpected “awakenings” in their new way of life. Couples clumsily maneuver through, hoping they can sustain the “love” they knew before.

These transition points in a marriage are one reason why we pray. For when the “fight or flight” instinct kicks in, few couples fight for their marriage but instead choose to take flight!  Yet it is precisely during these times that the Father reminds us we are called to a deeper love, agape, a love that transcends "feelings" and instead imitates Christ's love for us. 

We are offered sustenance and fuel for this journey in his Word.

God […] spoke to us through a son, …who sustains all things by his mighty word. Isaiah 1:3

Need a reboot?  Read his Word!

For over all, his glory will be shelter and protection: shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain. Isaiah: 4:6

Lord, bless all those who read this.  Strengthen and sustain their marriage, and for those who are unmarried, divorced, or widowed, please bless the marriage of a couple they hold dear.  Help all married couples to increase their trust in you, for you are our saving grace.

Keep on praying!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Sustenance is found in the Word. Pass it on.

Pray for Families (The Pain of Loss)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Connecting with a friend recently, I sadly learned of the death her parent just 3 days after her Christmas visit. Later I watched a program profiling those who had lost loved ones and children prematurely and how on every birthday, Christmas, and significant date, they are reminded of their painful loss. This led me to reflect on my own losses and all of yours, and how easily one can fall into despair.

All this may seem like a big downer, and yet while sad, we don't have to walk this path alone. The Lord wants to walk it with us! Prayer, simple, heartfelt conversation with God, is what connects us to Him. We also become more connected with each other through loss, as the Lord seems to send us angels. 

 Let us offer up prayers for those who mourn, especially those who are paralyzed by their grief. 

Lord, we pray for an outpouring of grace on all the brokenhearted, that you might sooth their souls.  We pray especially those whose mourning is wrapped in a vice-grip of anger which prevents their inner healing. May they hear your gentle voice and open themselves to the Divine Comforter!

I dwell in a high and holy place, but also with the contrite and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, to revive the heart of the crushed. Isaiah 57:15

All glory is yours Almighty Father. Amen!!

Peace, Joy, and Love

Janet

Comfort those in sorrow. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (A Change in Perspective)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

With each passing year, I can more clearly see the times in my life where my view of a situation/person was wildly off. Sometimes it was a harsh judgement without all the information.  Other times it was a myopic view of a situation (of which I had no experience) when what I needed was a 5000 ft perspective to understand the true picture and show compassion.  My list is long, but what I ponder in my own life, is what “lens” am I viewing my marriage through?

Someone once said, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

• Consider, if you look at marriage as nothing more than a contract, how would you look at your spouse?
• If you look at marriage as a permanent covenant with God, an unbreakable bond, does how this change how you look at, and approach, and treat your spouse?
• Do you look at your spouse as God’s beloved child, one He chose to create for His special purpose in this world?

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Perhaps you need a new perspective so see the great in what you behold on a daily basis?

God asks only one thing of us:

This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. John 15:12

All is possible with prayer.  One can never overdose on prayer.  Prolific use can lead to unimaginable peace in your soul, joy in your life, and an amazing ability to love another. Pray for marriages!

My prayers are with you!

Peace, Joy and Love,

Janet

Prayer.  The only recommended “gateway drug”. Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Wipe the Slate Clean)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

It’s a new year and who doesn’t love a new start, a reset, a purging of the old, or a fresh outlook? To do so, one must let go of the old; old grudges, old receivables; unfruitful relationships, jaded perspectives, and so on.  To counteract our own resistance, with God’s grace, we can let it go.

Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Lord, help us be a shining light in our family.  We humbly ask for your grace, so that we can wipe our slate clean and loosen our grip on all that restrains our goodness, kindness, and generosity. Come with the fire of your love to purify our intentions, enlighten our minds, reignite our prayer life, and spark our love for others, especially our families.  Give us wisdom as we begin a new year. Extend your bountiful grace to our family, for we know of and trust in your enduring love.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Wipe the slate clean, re-energize, and pass it on!