Pray for Marriages (Loving Intentionally)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

While I missed Friday’s reminder, I hope you still prayed! Family time won, (as it should). Over the years I have struggled with balancing my time set aside for the Lord and those activities that honor Him, and not losing focus on my God-ordained vocation of marriage and family. Satan delights in tempting us to use our strengths in overdrive, which then become our weaknesses and can steal time from what’s truly important. It is a subtle snare.

That’s true in marriage as well, not just family. How often does one work self-inflicted overtime, spend copious amounts of time volunteering for this and that, even church related activities, or work long hours for a great cause, delighting in what they do, only to decimate time with their spouse (and/or children). These can be very good things if mutually agreed upon, but not when they are only to make you feel praised and loved by others, (while your spouse/family feels neglected.) 

Meditate on the following scripture passages, and when you read the word “ love”, add ‘for my spouse/family”.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues  but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Perhaps the question to ask oneself is, “What is the most loving behavioral response for my relationship?”  The challenge is to find moderation. Sometimes one can incorporate their spouse/family into their volunteer/ charitable time. And perhaps there may be times your spouse can help you meet a work deadline that is causing you to work into the evening. Simply put, reflect on what can bring you together rather than separate you more. 

Lord, we need your eyes to help us find the right order within our lives. We need your wisdom to help us make the best decisions within our vocation of marriage and family. We need your heart to love more intentionally. Guide our actions and words, so that we might become a reflection of you in all that we do, honoring your master plan for our lives. Jesus we trust in you! Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Begin each day with a renewed love. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Truly Divine)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

The sacrament of marriage is truly divine, as it fuses the man and women in a mystical way, much in the same way that baptism makes us part of the Body of Christ. We are one.

For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ  and individually parts of one another. Romans 12:4-5

Without a doubt, our union with Christ is difficult to comprehend! Have you ever contemplated, “Are my bodily decisions taking into account that I am a member of Christ’s body? Do I glorify God with it? Am I making good decisions, ones that strengthen my union with God as well as my union with my spouse?

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? [ … ] For “the two,” it says, “will become one flesh.” 1 Corinthians 6:15-16

In marriage, we are joined to another human being in such a beautiful, unifying way, yet our actions often betray us as we regress from us to me. Too easily “we” lose sight that our daily “yes”, a yes of self-denial for the good of the other, was what we vowed to do!

A man shall leave his father and mother [and be joined to his wife], and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” Mark 10:7-9

We clearly need divine help, so let us boldly ask!

Heavenly Father, we truly need your grace to celebrate the “we” on a daily basis and be comfortable with our yes. Pride, selfishness, exhaustion, frustration, and a litany of other things drive us to separate like two magnets, rather than unite like a magnet to steel. Be our strength and teach us to move toward greater submission to one another. We are beautifully flawed humans made magnificent by your effusive graces which beckon us not only to greater marital unity, but to oneness with your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are truly blessed!  

A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit. Psalm 51:12

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Offer  an unexpected kindness to your spouse. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (All God’s Children)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Of the many blessings we have in life, if we are honest with ourselves, most we take for granted. We consider shelter, clothing, housing, and transportation, a given, not a gift. Sometimes it’s not until a real tragedy hits that we realize where the source of all gifts come from: Our Almighty God. 

If we haven’t experienced tragedy, we have at least witnessed it. What we haven’t seen, we often learn about it in the media. (My heart is thinking NC). Nothing, however, is more edifying than seeing friends, neighbors, and strangers rallying to help. And when one isn’t able to assist physically or emotionally, they often can financially. The human spirit is alive and well, animated by the Holy Spirit.

‘I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them upon their minds. Hebrews 10:16

This is a faith we have to pray to receive and grow in, and live by. We are all a work in progress. So we begin in prayer that all that we do is for the glory of God, in service to his people.  

Whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, 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 and be found in him. Philippians 3:7-9

Regardless of our own pain and suffering, let us pray for such a right order of thought, that which St. Paul eventually came to later in his life!  

Loving God, may your children who have been affected directly or indirectly by Hurricane Helene, find comfort in your comforting embrace. May those suffering from tragedies not publicized, also be assisted by your many good samaritans.  Lord, move our hearts too, that we may reach out to others with acts of charity, kindness, empathy, support, and assistance. May we never assume that others will assist those in need, but rather know that it all starts with a yes from us. Help us with our yeses! For when we sow love, the Son makes it  grow and grow, propagating it throughout the world.  Sweet Jesus, we trust in your everlasting love! Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Live the gospel and love will never end! Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Choosing Life!)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Wisdom is often born of pain. Hindsight is 20-20. However, we live and make decisions in the here and now. Often they are emotionally driven, and not thought through. Words and actions in our marriage can have a ripple effect, be it positive or negative.

A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse one breaks the spirit. Proverbs 15: 4

There are no “do-overs” when it comes to unkind words. Maybe that’s why silence is golden and there is a wisdom to silence, not the silence of icing someone out, but the silence that shows restraint, the silence that harnesses our emotions. 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who choose one shall eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

Yet while words are restrained, actions need to be abundant. Small kindnesses, speak volumes. A loving touch shows you care. A helping hand unburdens another. Handing your spouse a cup of coffee in the morning (or their favorite beverage) is a wonderful show of amends!

Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life. 1 Timothy 6:18-19

We are all journeying to our final home. It’s best not to lose sight of that!  

I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life! Deuteronomy 30:19

Let us continue to pray for each other, that our marriages be centers of life!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Blessed be your marriages! Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (A Time for Everything)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Any parent who has adult children or other family members who are not living a Christian lifestyle and who remain outside of the church has an inward struggle as to whether they are doing enough to positively affect the situation. How much questioning, prodding, and or encouraging should one do, especially when there is a lack of receptivity or even anger when the subject is brought up?

There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1

I find it helpful to look  back on one’s own life. Was there a time in your life when you were not receptive to anyone’s “opinion” about your life? Would words have mattered? The Lord has a plan for all of his children. His timing is perfect. YOU may just  not be the messenger He sends to your loved ones!!

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak.  Ecclesiastes 3:7

Holding one’s tongue is difficult, especially when you worry about those you love.  What we are called to do is trust in God, and have faith that he loves our family MORE than we do.

God has made everything appropriate to its time, but has put the timeless into their hearts so they cannot find out, from beginning to end, the work which God has done. Ecclesiastes 3:11

Let us act in ways that do bear fruit. Continue to pray for your family and give glory to God for all His mighty works, seen and unseen. As always, stay united in prayer  for each other’s families, and be attentive to where the Lord does call you to act or speak on His behalf.  

I pray that  your faith, hope and love grows in abundance!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Never tire of praying! Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Loving the We)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Everyday can be a different struggle as we attempt to harness our selfish ambitions, our desire to be esteemed, and our need for worldly success, (aka $$$). Or perhaps your challenge is the opposite in that you lack ambition/direction, you wallow in self-loathing, and struggle with your finances. Neither is a healthy version of oneself to bring into a marriage or to become once married, as It will only sow discord.  

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. James 3:16

Yet, we often end up at a place in marriage where we never planned nor dreamed we’d be. The hardest transition to make in life is from me to we. Yet, at the one time we should be looking inward at ourselves, we prefer to look at all the ways our spouse should change.

Let us pray for an expanded capacity to embrace and love the “we”.  

Lord help us to find the balance of loving ourselves enough to love another, rather than  indulging our every desire at the expense of the other. Let us aspire not to earthly wealth, but rather heavenly riches. May we not dwell in spiritual sloth, rather may we find our true direction by actively seeking you. Grant us wisdom, love, and peace.

“What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him,”1 Corinthians 2:9

Lord, help us love you more, for the wealth of our love springs forth from You! 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray for an increase in love. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Healing and Renewal)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

While we understand the purpose of Christ’s dying on the cross for our salvation, for some reason understanding our own crosses isn’t so easy. Who likes to suffer?? We love the blessings and consolations, but crosses and desolations we grumble about, complaining to God about our heavy burdens, especially our marital ones. Must we really suffer? He reminds us of His invitation to surrender to His will.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. Mark 8:35

The whispers of the "Father of Lies" are much more appealing. “You deserve to be happy, don’t you? You deserve better!” “Imagine how wonderful your life will be if you divorce and move on!” “Have that affair! You deserve to be loved!” “You shouldn’t have to suffer, endure, nor persevere!”  “Follow me and I will give you the life you dream of!”

“All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” Matthew 4:9

Everyone is in a different situation. Some have good marriages with occasional bumps. Some have roller-coaster marriages. Others have marriages that rarely see the mountaintop. All are vulnerable to The Tempter. The good news is, that even if you have fallen, repent and return to the Lord, and He will heal you.

For my soul has been freed from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I shall walk before the LORD in the land of the living. 

Psalms 116:8-9

Lord, we come before you in humble prayer, asking for an outpouring of grace upon marriages. Bless those who are dedicated to their marriage, those trying their hardest to stay committed, and those losing their foothold and desperately trying to hold on. We also pray for those who have given up, lost hope, and are hurting immensely.  We believe all things are possible with your grace, so with expectant faith, we ask for the healing and renewal of marriages. The world (and its evil forces) needs to witness the power of your love within marriages, especially since it seeks to destroy them. We trust in your merciful love. Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, heal and save all marriages! Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray for the healing of marriages and pass it on!