Pray for Families (All Gift)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

What if we looked at everything in our life as a gift--- our family, coworkers, friends and enemies; all of our material goods, old or new; all of life’s challenges, heartaches, and disasters?  How is God using all of these in your life to draw you closer to Him?  How might He be using them as a means to your sanctification? 

Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my thoughts.  Psalm 139:23

Spend some time today and throughout Lent contemplating what the Lord desires of you.  Pray that He might show you what obstacles you have placed in the path between the two of you and how you might remove them with His help.  Think of it as having a garage sale of the heart and soul, removing all that suffocates your spiritual life. Then say a prayer for your family that they too may grow closer to Christ.

Incline your ear, and hear my words, and let your mind attend to my teaching; for it will be well if you hold them within you, if they all are ready on your lips. That your trust may be in the LORD, I make them known to you today—yes, to you.  Proverbs 22:17-19

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Time to de-clutter your soul! Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (When Love meets Misery)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Those in difficult marriages know all about misery.  It is filled with anger and unforgiveness. But rather than poisoning the recipient, it poisons the one holding on to it, depriving their heart of oxygen.  Love slowly dies.

There is a path to healing. Mercy! Mercy is love that meets misery. Mercy begins with forgiveness.  Like love, forgiveness is an act of the will, not a feeling of the heart. Forgiveness is never easy, but it is God-like. 

When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions. Mark 11:25

Since God’s healing grace cannot penetrate unforgiveness, let us pray that the Lord will enter more deeply into your relationship as you decide to forgive and give breath to love again. Pray for yourself, your spouse and other spouses, that they will have the courage, strength, and wisdom to let go of grievances and forgive. When you greet misery with love, Mercy Himself will set you free.

Who is a God like you, who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but instead delights in mercy, and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our iniquities? Micah 7:18-19

Disarm your spouse with the warmth of forgiveness and love. It just might be what melts a hardened heart. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Mercy unlocks the shackles!  Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Life = Liberty)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Jeremiah 1:5

When we disregard life, the family is literally at stake.

Did you ever hear something you’ve heard before but presented in a new way, such that “wham!” it suddenly hits you like a ton of bricks? That happened to me today. I was listening to a discussion on the radio that involved the effect of the HHS Mandate on religious organizations the as well as a discussion as to whether contraception, sterilization, and abortion should be considered as women’s “health” care and thus it’s coverage mandated. However, my stomach wrenched when one of the presenters commented something to the effect that “once the coverage of these procedures becomes government mandated as “health” care, don’t be surprised if there comes a day when your insurance provider tells you that they won’t cover the costs of your giving birth, but they will cover the cost of your abortion.” This sickened me because I knew it was quite conceivable. Such twisted decisions are already happening with the suicide pill, now legal in 4 states, where insurance companies are denying health saving procedures and instead providing coverage for the suicide pill, literally offering to eliminate the problem.

Let my life count for something in your sight!” 2 Kings: 14

“…what sort of a choice is it when life is expensive but death is free?” Dr. William Toffler

Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the grip of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth, my poor life from the horns of wild bulls. 

Psalms 22:21-22 

We are at a critical time in history where decisions are being made in this country that may change the course of family life forever. Pray for our country’s leaders that they make life-affirming decisions. Pray for our fellow countrymen, that the Lord opens the eyes of their hearts to see the Truth.  Pray for our own families, that they have the courage to speak up for the precious gift of life provided by our God, who when we unite with Him, shows us what true liberty is.

I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live. Deuteronomy 30:19

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Share the path to true freedom and liberty.  Pass it on!  

Pray for Marriages (A Necessary Rest Stop)

Greeting Prayer Warriors,

While a warrior may get tired during a battle, they usually enter into it rested and strong in hopes of keeping it short, minimizing casualties, and being victorious.  Unfortunately, so often in both life and marriage, we are faced with unexpected battles and are usually not prepared. So take preventative measures each day and recharge from your daily stresses.  Having energy for your relationship may preempt a battle and keep the peace.  So when “weary” is your middle name, and rest looks like a stop in the very distant horizon, take a few moments to rest in Him.  He will give you all that you need and more than you ask. 

During the battle they cried out to God, and he heard them because they had put their trust in him. 1 Chronicles 5:20

Entering into prayer is like stopping at a rest stop.  You always leave feeling better than before you entered it.   Pray on behalf of those marriages needing prayer the most, that they may be filled with His peace.

Return, my soul, to your rest; the LORD has been very good to you. 

Psalm 116:7

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

God is the perfect Rest Stop.  He delights in each visit and never wants you to leave!  Pass it on!  

Pray for Families (Loving Words)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Take a moment to reflect on what you love about each family member.  Then let them know why they are special to you.   These loving words are more fragrant than any flowers, and will stay with them longer than the joy of eating a good piece of chocolate. 

Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Loving words are the greatest prayer.

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

Pass it on!  

Pray for Marriages (A Loving Decision)

Greetings Prayer Warriors! 

It’s National Marriage Week, (February 7-14) so let’s celebrate marriage and keep on praying!

This week choose one aspect of love as defined in scripture and choose to practice (anything done in constant repetition become an automatic habit) and perfect it.  (That’s why prayer is so important!) 

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.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-4

Choose to love, one action at a time.  Why wait?  We are praying for you! Please pray for us!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Love is a decision. Pass it on!  

Pray for Families (Strengthening and Protection of Young Adults)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

As Satan seeks to claim souls, I am clearly seeing his target: young adults.  From 18-28, young adults are so vulnerable.  They are seeking to be independent thinkers, self-supporting, and successful, when in reality most don't achieve all three in this decade of life.  Wanting a shortened path, they are faced with whether or not to make compromises.

Let me share a few stories I’ve heard recently.

• College male freshman, not much of a partier, needs to help his fraternity reach a goal.  A “friend” from another fraternity offers his assistance if he’ll do a line of cocaine. 

• Conservative church-going Christian female in mid-twenties with lots of liberal friends. “Friends” say that they will help bring her to their dark (liberal) side. 

• Christian female in mid-twenties, engaged to be married, wanting to remain chaste until her marriage.  Her Christian "friends" questioned, ridiculed and dumped her for being counter-cultural.

• A young unmarried couple, each raised with Christian values, decide to live together (or maybe just have sex sans living together).  Surprised when a pregnancy occurs.   (To marry or not?  To parent or not?)

Let us pray on their behalf. They need our prayers and support, as the future of the family lies in this young generation.  It’s no wonder that Satan does everything he can to keep them dazed, wandering, and confused!

Lord, we ask for an outpouring of your love and mercy upon our youth.  Send your Spirit upon them to strengthen their resolve, clearly see your Truth, and withstand the storms that seek to crush their virtues and leave debris in their paths.  May your legions of angels be sent to light their way, to protect and guard, and to rule and to guide.  Amen.

Lord, make them attentive to your voice: 

And your ears shall hear a word behind you: “This is the way; walk in it,” when you would turn to the right or the left. Isaiah 30:21

May we show them your face of love and mercy: 

Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

May we teach them to pray during times of temptation:
Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. Matthew 16:23

Peace, Joy and Love,

Janet

Prayer is a gift of love.  Be generous and pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Love Sweet Love)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Remember the song from the 60’s, sung by several artists over the decades, “What the World Needs Now is Love”?

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone. *

50 years later it still rings true, but in an even deeper way.  What the world needs now is Love.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 

1 John 4:16

The world does not need today's superficial, self-seeking love, for it does not satiate but rather dehydrates.  Only Love who longs to pour Himself out to us can quench that deep thirst.  Bringing Love into the world is a decision we must make daily, beginning in our home. To love or not to love is our decision.  It is an action, not a feeling. To truly love we must be in a relationship with God who is Love Eternal. When we don’t feel like loving is when we need to ask the Lord to love through us and for us. His love is the cord that binds us together in marriage.  His love will then flow to and through us to our children and then out into this world.  We need Him and He knows it, but do we?

He became their savior in their every affliction. It was not an envoy or a messenger, but his presence that saved them. Because of his love and pity the LORD redeemed them, lifting them up and carrying them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:8-9

Renewal begins by inviting the Lord into each marriage and by reaching out to Him rather than shutting Him out when things get rough.   He is awaiting your invitation.  Pray for each and every marriage, that each spouse may have the wisdom and courage to invite Love in as his/her permanent guest.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Send Love out into the world.  Pass it on! 

*lyrics by Hal David