Pray for Marriages (Celebrate the good)

Greetings Prayer Warriors!

Yesterday was the Feast of Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ). This was the feast day upon which I launched my prayer blog one year ago. (My actual emails have been hitting your mailboxes for 20 months.) Praise God! So I am in a celebratory mood of praise and thanksgiving. Let us celebrate in prayer the many blessings He gives us and praise Him for the example of good marriages.

Nothing is more beautiful than watching a marriage completely centered in Him. His love shines through the couple with amazing light, a beacon of hope for all who struggle.

So we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Romans 12:5

Lord, we ask you today to abundantly bless those marriages where you have been placed at the center. May they be living witnesses to your glory manifest in them. May we be encouraged and strengthened by their example of mutual self-giving for the building up of each other. May all of us as the living Body of Christ, have the fortitude and faith to encourage each other to always walk in your ways, to help each other when we fall, and to be generous with our forgiveness and love, beginning in our own homes. We ask this in the name of your most precious Son, Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Invite others to celebrate. Forward this invitation.

Pray for Families (Anchor in the Storm)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

I spend a lot of time contemplating families and family life. There is so much irony that exists. Family members both rock the boat and can anchor the family at the same time.

Think of each family as a sailboat in the ocean of life. Sailing starts out as such a pleasant experience. Then a storm hits. Just when you think you have tied all the knots securely, over time, some become loose resulting in sails that take you way off your intended course. Suddenly everyone thinks that they are the captain, which can lead to being completely lost at sea. While the temptation at times might be to declare mutiny and throw the unruly members overboard, we intrinsically know that instead we are called to love. Love unconditionally.

In their distress they cried to the LORD, who brought them out of their peril, hushed the storm to a murmur; the waves of the sea were stilled. They rejoiced that the sea grew calm, that God brought them to the harbor they longed for. Ps 107: 28-30

Our compass in life must be Christ. He will help us navigate the seas of life, as He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. We need to become beached upon His rock, our firm foundation. He is the gentle voice in the storm, if only we still our soul to listen.

Dear Lord, as the waves of family life ebb and flow, grant us the grace to be patient, love unconditionally, and allow you to shine your guiding light through us. May we provide life rings to all those family members who are being tossed by the waves. Keep them tightly tethered so that through us, they may see you, the hope of all salvation.

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Throw out a life ring. Forward to a friend.

Pray for Marriages (Grace in abundance)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Let us awake in joy knowing that the Spirit dwells in us!

This Monday morning, whether in life or in marriage, whatever is weighing you down, causing you heartache, stealing your peace, or making you less charitable in word and deed, hand it over to the Lord so that you may not carry it alone.

Rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Cor 13:11

That’s easier said than done, you think. Consider that you are not alone.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you. 2 Cor 13:13

We are given all that we need; Grace in abundance, the love of our Creator, and the fellowship and guidance of the holy Spirit.

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor 12:9

Dear Lord, we pray that you bless all marriages. We ask that you be generous with your grace, lavish us with you love, and guide us with your Spirit, so that we may be a reflection of you to our spouse and they to us. When we feel challenged and weak, may we know that you are just strengthening and perfecting us for the journey. Lift us up Lord, that we may praise you always. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Lift up a friend. Invite them to prayer.

Pray for Families (Growth in Virtue)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

As I listen to the news on a daily basis, I am struck by the lost concept of sin. People don’t even try to hide their sin, but rather brag about it. Then there are those with the misguided concept that think that sinful behaviors done in private aren’t hurting anyone else. With the advent of the Internet and social media, opportunities abound like never before for family members to slip and fall into very dangerous territory. The irony is that when one is steeped in sin, it does not lead them to greater happiness, but rather misery. Sin separates us from God, the source of all joy. But by turning to the Lord and expressing sorrow, we can quickly move from sadness to joy.

Do not reprove me in your anger, LORD, nor punish me in your wrath. Have pity on me, LORD, for I am weak; heal me, LORD, for my bones are trembling. Ps 6: 2-3

I sought the LORD, who answered me, delivered me from all my fears. Look to God that you may be radiant with joy and your faces may not blush for shame. Ps 34: 5-6

As we pray, let us focus on the battle against the Seven Deadly Sins: greed, pride, anger, envy, sloth, gluttony, and lust. The virtues that help us overcome the deadly sins are known as The Seven Cardinal Virtues: generosity, humility, meekness, brotherly love, diligence, temperance and chastity. For our family prayer today, let us pray that all of us can be released from those deadly sins that most affect us. May the Lord generously pour out His grace upon us so that we may grow in the virtues that we need to be a light to others in the world.

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Help others grow in virtue. Invite them to prayer.

Pray for Marriages (An end to divorce)

Good Morning Prayer Angels,

I am so excited because I have discovered how to end the desire for a divorce! You only have to follow two simple rules!

1. You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Matt: 22:37

2. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:39

If each spouse followed these 2 rules, they would love happily ever after!

The problem is that “feeling love” is so much easier than “love in action”.
When the feeling is gone many bail, and thus that’s why the marriage fails. ☺

So how does one put love into action? Read this slowly as if you are reading it for the first time. Chances are it was a reading at your own wedding.

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. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 1 Cor 13: 1-8

Lord, hear our heartfelt prayer for marriages. Enflame our hearts for you, so that we may love you first, with all our heart, all our soul, and with all our mind. Teach us then to love our spouses in the way you have taught us. Transform us in our weakness so that we may reflect you, and mirror a beautiful generosity of heart. Pick us up when we trip and put us lovingly back on the path to love. We humbly ask you this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:12-13

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Share the two simple rules. Send to a friend.

Pray for Families (Growth in Faith and Love)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Nothing is more frustrating for parents than when adult children make decisions contrary to how they were raised. Frustration, guilt, and hopelessness in the situation can often overtake the mind. We continually hit the “rewind” button in our brain to try to make sense of the situation, even though that seldom provides the answers we so desperately seek. Our biggest challenge is letting go of our desire to control the situation and trusting that God, seeing the whole picture, will hear our pleas, honor the good seeds we planted, and allow them to bear fruit in His time.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Perhaps such situations are not just for our children’s personal growth, but for our personal growth in both faith and love. Do we not spend more time in prayer during such crises? Do we not then begin to make sacrifices before the Lord? In prayer we learn we have to continue to love our children as he has loved us through our own diversions and excursions from truly living out our Christian faith.

Give me again the joy of your help; with a spirit of fervor sustain me, that I may teach transgressors your ways and sinners may return to you. Psalm 51: 12-13

Living out your Christian faith may be the strongest words your children need to hear. Never lose hope, always have faith, depend on His love.

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Renew hope, build faith, share His love. Forward to a friend.

Pray for Marriages (Fruit-filled)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Rom 1:7

Marriage is a marathon, not a sprint. This is hard to swallow if you are a sprinter. For even a half marathon would seem too long. For others, a 10K seems about all they can commit to. But the Lord calls everyone to honor his or her marriage vows until death. So we must surrender to Him, and trust that the Divine Trainer ☺ will teach us how to complete the marathon with joy.

First, we must have faith.

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Heb 11:1

We must never lose hope.

Hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord! Ps 27:14

We must always act with love.

Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. 1Peter 4:8

And as prayer warriors, we must always pray not only for self, but for others.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thes 5:17

As we pray for marriages, let us humbly ask that the fruits of the Spirit be the flowers given along the running path to all who commit to the marathon.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Gal 5:22

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Send a prayer bouquet. http://simplyinspiredprayer.blogspot.com/

Pray for Families (Our Foundation)

Good Morning Prayer Warriors,

Family dynamics are just that-DYNAMIC! Each member is in constant flux, due to internal and external influences. A family member never knows if they will be surrounded with crying, laughing, anger, shouting, silence, joking, arguing, apologizing, or just someone who is plain stressed-out! Adding to the rainbow of emotions are the life changes that factor into the family environment: members moving in and out, marriage, death, separation, sickness, unemployment, and unanticipated travel.

Ironically, even though forces affecting our family are unpredictable, our family is still our foundation. They provide us a source of understanding, for they know us better than anyone else. They are the arms we fly into when we need consolation and love, and are the ones who provide us safety in the unpredictability of life. God in His infinite wisdom and goodness knew the importance of bringing each us into the world through a family. His plan was that we first experience His love through the family we were born into.

However, every family is not ideal. But our heavenly family is.

Be still and know that I am God. Ps 46:10

We are never alone. Our Lord is our refuge in the chaos, our strength when we are weak. He is our loving Father who wraps us in His loving arms when are hearts our broken. He has given us a heavenly family to cheer us on. And he awaits the day we return home to Him.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. [Selah] Ps 46:1-3; Ps 62:6-8

Pray for families, that each member have the strength and courage to trust in Him and be a vessel of His love in their family.

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet