Pray for Marriages (Reunification after Separation)

Dear Prayer Warriors,

As you observe Memorial Day today, start with a prayer for those who have given their lives in the Armed Forces as well as for the spouses and families left behind.

My heart goes out to marriages that are still recovering from the effects of both the absence of their spouse and events occurring during deployment. After extended separation, these couples need to find ways to knit their marriages back together. I ask that you pray for these marriages today, that the Lord will give them the grace, courage, and perseverance to stay by each other as assimilation back into everyday life occurs.

Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart. Relent, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! Fill us at daybreak with your love, that all our days we may sing for joy. Make us glad as many days as you humbled us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. Show your deeds to your servants, your glory to their children. Ps 90 12-16

Lord God, it is by resting in you that we obtain the strength we need to do your will. Help us to rest, so that we may glorify you in all we do.

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Pray for Families (Perseverance in Prayer)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Today happens to be the feast day of St. Augustine. I love St. Augustine because he was so human. Prior to his conversion to Christianity, he was quite the party animal who enjoyed all types of worldly pleasures. However, the saint who has my complete admiration is his mother, St. Monica, because she prayed her son into holiness!

I am sure St. Monica had many days when she considered disowning her son, since his wicked, sinful behavior, was a poor reflection on her. But instead, she stayed close to the Lord and trusted that he would one day answer her prayers. Just as we need to stay connected to the Vine to bear fruit, so too our children need to stay connected to us, the branches, even when we feel like cutting them off. For through our connection to the Vine they will be given life. Parents and family become the lattice. The Divine Gardener will redirect their wayward shoots, and in time, will prune them so that they may produce fruit of their own.

You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. John 15:3-5,9.

Spend some extra time today and throughout the 3-day weekend in prayer for families. Lord, give parents the strength to get down on their knees to pray for their children. Teach them to love their children unconditionally, as you have always loved us. Give them the fortitude and courage to persevere, especially when in their weakness and exhaustion, they feel they can’t.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Pray for Marriages (Love in the Silence)

Good Morning Prayer Warriors!

We live in such a noisy society. There is always something blaring at us. As such, we have to sometimes carve out spaces of silence in our day. For it is in the quiet of our hearts that we can hear God’s voice and experience the depth of His love.

In marriage as well, it is often in the silence that love is expressed. But if one doesn’t slow their pace and take the time to notice the beauty in their midst, they may miss the silent expressions of love that emanate from their spouse.

Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. 1 John 3:18

Love is an action. Take some time today while you are praying for marriages to reflect on the love you receive in the silence. Then make sure you too find ways to offer love in the silence of your actions.

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Pray for Families (Non-Verbal)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Did you remember to pray for families yesterday?

My need and desire to be with a special family member superseded all else
yesterday. Let spending quality time with family be your non-verbal prayer this weekend.

'Amen I say to you, whenever you did this for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did it for me.' Matthew 25:40

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Pray for Marriages (Listen to His Voice)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

I’ve always enjoyed watching couples who have been married a long time. There is a certain rhythm and a oneness that is fascinating to observe. I used to imagine that they were probably the lucky ones who always had that perfect marriage. More often than not though, their closeness came from weathering the storms together and trusting in the Lord to guide them.

When your own personal storms arise how often do you open the gate to doubt and allow it to have a voice? Instead, stay focused and listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd who will help you and guide you when you find yourselves blinded by the storm. Cry out to Him who will help you through the narrow gate.

Whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all of his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. John 10:2-4

Pray for all marriages, especially those caught in a deafening storm. May the ears of their heart be open to the gentle call of the Good Shepherd, who calls out, “Do not be afraid, I am here.”

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Pray for Families (Peace, Conversion)

Greetings Prayer Angels!

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima (OLOF), the day our Blessed Mother first appeared to three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal. There are many sites that discuss this beautiful story in full, which at the time was reported by both the Christian and secular media. Since this Marian apparition occurred less than 100 years ago, I thought it would be interesting to revisit the compelling messages Mary gave for mankind and contemplate how they could be integrated into our prayers for the family.

Distilling the messages of OLOF, she had 3 directives.

PRAY the rosary for Peace
SACRIFICE /Make Acts of Reparation - for the conversion of sinners
CONSECRATE YOURSELF (to Jesus) through the Immaculate Heart of Mary

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" Luke 1:28

Everyone has a friend or family member that they secretly hope will convert. Have you offered any sacrifices/acts of reparation to the Lord on their behalf?

Is there peace in your heart, in your household, in your life? Pray the rosary**.

Not so sure? Need some guidance? Rely on whom Jesus depended on while on earth. His Heavenly Father and His Blessed Mother. Ask Mary to guide you into Jesus’s Holy Will, so that all that you do may be pleasing to our Father in heaven.

As you pray for families, remember that we should pray in our actions as well as our words.

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

** http://www.rosary-center.org/howto.htm

Pray for Marriage (Discipleship)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

When I contemplate the Way of the Cross, I see such unfathomable Love. If being a disciple of the Lord means following in His path, my personal self-assessment falls quite short! Christ shows us clearly that love is an action, love calls for self-denial, and love calls for total surrender to the will of God.

How often do we complain at mere inconveniences? Whine about self–denial? Whimper with small crosses of emotional or physical pain? Just as Simon of Cyrene questioned whether or not he should be the one to carry the cross with the Lord, are we questioning God too? Me Lord? Really? When placed in the context of marriage, are we willing to carry any crosses out of love for our spouse, the person we became one flesh with?

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27

When we take up our cross and surrender to the will of God, we glorify Him. Pray for all marriages, that by enduring the bumps in the road they may bring glory to our God on High.

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Invite a someone to prayer. http://simplyinspiredprayer.blogspot.com/

Pray for Families (Especially Moms)

Good Morning Prayer Angels,

As we pray for families today, I want to focus on the heart of the family, mothers. We first experience love through our mothers. Perhaps when we are in the womb, but certainly beginning with our initial entry into the world. They guide and shape our lives, and teach us the ways of the heart, as only mothers can. Through their face of love we first see the face of Christ, and learn what unconditional love is.

So, in honor of all moms on Mother’s Day, I wrote this acrostic poem:

Molder
Of
The
Heart
Extemely
Revered

May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 115:15

To show our love of mothers and motherhood, let us pray that all mothers, even those that are only spiritual mothers, are abundantly blessed and filled with His overwhelming love and joy.

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Honor a mother. Share simplyinspiredprayer.blogspot.com/

Pray for Marriages (You've got a friend)

Good Morning Prayer Warriors,

As I hit my snooze alarm this morning, I asked the Lord what today's topic should be. Out of nowhere this started playing in my head.

“When you’re down, and troubled, and you need a helping hand, and nothin’, nothin’ is going right; just close your eyes and think of me, and soon I will be there, to brighten up even your darkest night. You just call out my name and you know wherever I am, I’ll come running….”*

Wow! Jesus is our ever-faithful friend!

How often are we looking to Christ as our friend when our relationships are struggling? When a marriage or friendship is falling apart? We must never forget that we have a constant companion in Jesus; we just have to say his name, with reverence and faith. Jesus, I trust in you.

I know that you live where Satan's throne is, and yet you hold fast to my name and have not denied your faith in me… Rev 2:13

"Ain't it good to know that you've got a friend when people can be so cold; They'll hurt you, and desert you and take your soul if you let them; Oh, but don't you let them."*

When one is feeling down and defeated, especially in a marriage, faith can often dwindle. Let us pray this week for an increase in faith, that we may never doubt that Christ is always with us, and is our ever-faithful friend just waiting for us to call his name.

"I do believe, help my unbelief!" Mark 9:24

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Introduce others to a new friend. http://simplyinspiredprayer.blogspot.com/

* lyrics by Carole King, as sung by James Taylor