Pray for Families (Hope, Love, and Mercy)

Greetings Prayer Warriors!

As we head into a long weekend to rest from our labors, let us frequently repeat this simple prayer for families.

Jesus, I trust in you.

That I may always bring Your hope into my family.

Jesus, I trust in you.

That I may always bring Your love into my family.

Jesus, I trust in you.

That I may always bring Your mercy into my family.

May your mercy, LORD, be upon us; as we put our hope in you.  Ps 33:22

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Share your hope with others.  Pass it on.

Pray for Marriages (The dawn of Love)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

God is the answer.  “But what was the question?", you ask.   He is the answer to all our ills, yet as imperfect humans, we often fail to see the obvious.  God is love.

This is why it is so important that the Lord be invited not just to the wedding feast but to the life thereafter.  His presence will keep love in the marriage.  But often He is pushed out.  First in small subtle ways, such as the elimination of prayers at mealtime and bedtime.  Then Mass/Church attendance becomes inconvenient but you promise yourself you will still make time for Him….one day.    But like an old friend, the more time that passes, the easier it is not to see Him or miss Him.  New friends (idols) replace Him.

Then a crisis hits.   “I hope He still remembers me when I call!”, you think.  But remember, God is love, and He is waiting for your call to renew your friendship with Him. 

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.  1 John 4:16

Don’t wait for a crisis.  Call upon Him now, as an individual and as a couple.  Rekindle your friendship.  Embrace the love that has been waiting for you.

For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:17

Dear Lord, the keeper of all hearts, protect the love of each married couple.  Strengthen their resolve to honor their marital commitments.  When a heart is broken, hold it tenderly and sooth it with your healing touch. Reach out to them in the darkness, that they may be overcome by the dawn of your love.   Jesus, we trust in you. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Light up the darkness.  Pass it on.

Pray for Families (Preserving the Child)

Greetings Pray Warriors,

"Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Luke 18:16-17

I was pondering the above passage, when I ached at the thought of childhood being cut so short in our culture.   Young children are so beautiful, pure, and radiant.  Who isn’t immediately attracted to these qualities in the young?  Yet our culture treats innocence as something to be discarded as soon as possible.  The first assault is on a child’s ears, then their eyes.  A barrage of inappropriate media in print, video, and sound beckons them.  Innocence continues to weaken through their attire, their language, and their behavior.

Ask yourself some questions.  What am I doing to protect the children?  What message does my behavior send?  Is it the message I intend?   Are my words and behavior in sync?

We were made in His image and likeness.  Are we preserving His image?  Are we preserving the child in us? 

You created my inmost self, knit me together in my mother's womb. For so many marvels I thank you; a wonder am I, and all your works are wonders. You knew me through and through, my being held no secrets from you, when I was being formed in secret, textured in the depths of the earth. Your eyes could see my embryo. In your book all my days were inscribed, every one that was fixed is there.  Psalm 139:13-16 (NJB)

Let us storm heaven for the grace to be positive role models not just for our children, but for all children of God.  Pray for the fortitude to be a cog in the wheel of positive cultural change.   Pray for the heavenly protection of our children, from all that may trample upon their innocence.  Holy Family, pray for us, shelter us, and love us as we purge our lives from all that separates us from Him.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Protect the children.  Begin with prayer.  Pass it on.

Pray for Marriages (Love revisited)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Lately, I have had the privilege of hearing many people’s life stories.   I learned that many were divorced, which wasn’t surprising because I know that one out of two marriages end in divorce.   But what was surprising is how none of them said that they divorced due to abuse, alcoholism, drugs, but rather because one of them stopped loving the other.  Or they just weren’t “happy” any longer.  Do you feel my frustration?  So many give up on “until death do us part”, because they didn’t realize their commitment involved a continuous effort to love rather than an effort to hold on to feelings!?

The amazing grace needed to persevere is awaiting everyone.  All they have to do is ask for it.  But when one is in emotional pain, they aren’t always thinking in those terms.  So today and all week long, let’s ask on their behalf. 

Lord, look with pity on those marriages that harbor anger, frustration, grudges, hate, and hurt, and are incapacitated by emotional pain.  May your loving heart pour out abundant graces to help them learn what love truly is.   Shelter and sooth them in their hurt.  Teach them how to love.

I call upon you; answer me, O God. Turn your ear to me; hear my speech. Show your wonderful mercy, you who deliver with your right arm those who seek refuge from their foes.  Psalm 17:6-7

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray for grace to be outpoured. Pass it on.

Pray for Families (Heavenly Intercessors)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Today I was wearing a black and white bracelet that had pictures of Jesus, Mary, and the saints.   A receptionist asked me if they were pictures of my family.  "Yes, my spiritual family," I replied, adding,  “My advisory board."

It made me realize how lucky we are to have heavenly prayer warriors who join us in our prayers of ascent. How sweet and pleasing our harmonies must be to the Lord!!

Bless the LORD, all you his angels, mighty in strength, acting at his behest, obedient to his command.  Bless the LORD, all you his hosts, his ministers who carry out his will. Bless the LORD, all his creatures, everywhere in his domain. Bless the LORD, my soul!  Psalms 103:20-22

Today as you pray for family, petition a different saint on behalf of each loved one, that they join you in your continuous intercessory prayers.

Some say it takes a village, but perhaps it takes all of heaven and earth united as a community in prayer to bring about the most pleasing results.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Invite someone to join our heavenly community of prayer.  Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Son-shine)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Nothing says I care about you, or I love you, like spending one-on-one time with someone.  Capitalize on the sun and fun that summer offers and make a personal commitment to spend some alone time with each family member.

Say a special prayer for each one of them and also for your family as a whole. Then pray that His light continues to shine through you, and their hearts become filled with Son-shine.

I have called you by name: you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray for abundant Son-shine for the family.  Pass it on.

Pray for Marriages (Transfiguration)

Greetings Prayer Warriors!

What would marriages be like if we all radiated the love of Christ? To our spouses, to each other?  When one feels loved, how does that change their temperament?  Can conflict exist if both spouses consciously reflect Him in all that they do? Even if only one spouse reflects Him?

How can we be a reflection of Him?   Begin by spending time with Him; in prayer, in contemplation, in scripture, in adoration.   Carve out space each day for some quality one-on-one time with Him and He will do the rest.  

All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit.  2 Cor 3:18

Let us pray that all married couples be transformed into His image, so that they may radiate His love more beautifully to each other.  May they in turn, be a beacon of light and hope to other couples.

"Lord let me shine, shine like the moon, a reflection of you in all that I do; Lord let me be, a light for your truth, Light of the world, I want to be used to shine for you." *

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Help shine His light. Pass it on.  

* Lyrics to Shine, performed by Salvador

Pray for Families (Prison of Sin)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

In my readings, I came upon the concept of sin as a prison.  I felt very compelled to ponder this.  It occurred to me that sin is a prison of our own making. We sin when we become obsequious to our own will.  We store up earthly treasures, cater to our passions, and label  this "joy".  To protect this, we build a fortress around our heart, but rather than keeping the enemy away, it exiles us with the enemy.  This joy soon becomes an acronym for the Joke's On You!

"The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.  Exodus 34:6

Luckily for us the good Lord awaits our surrender.   Lower the drawbridge of your heart, so that Love can come in and transform your life. Surrender to freedom, because the Lord has given us the freedom to surrender.  Now in His will, you will find true indescribable joy.

Be a beacon of joy for your family.  Pray for them,  as well as all families.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Share the joy.   http://simplyinspiredprayer.blogspot.com/