Pray for Marriages (Hypocrites?)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Reading today’s gospel, this word  jumps off of the page at me:

“Hypocrites!”  Luke 13:15

This was a reprimand from Jesus. Wow, that is a prickly word to digest!  It forces one to self-reflect (especially after immediate self-denial! While we intend to do right and lead a Christ-centered life, if we don’t execute on it, where does that leave us?

For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.  Romans 7:19

Consider this in the context of marriage.Are you hypocritical when it comes to your actions and words in your marital relationship?  Other than good intent, ask yourself how you are doing?  What can you do better? Are you praying to be a better spouse, to be reunited with your spouse, or to be able to forgive your spouse? Are you praying for the strength to do so?

Our prayers are united for one another, and for all of those for whom you pray, for perhaps it is not your own marriage you are concerned about.

Lord, bless this group of warriors and all those they hold in their hearts.  Give them the wisdom and fortitude to persevere in prayer and find peace in hope, for hope does not disappoint. You are the Good Shepherd; guide us. You are the light of the world; bring us out of darkness. You are the resurrection and the life; sanctify us. You are the bread of life; strengthen us in our ability to love. You are the way, the truth and the life; guide us into perfect union with our spouse, and ultimately You! Amen.

Be strong and take heart, all who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:25

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Praying is the path to all that is good. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (The Christ in you)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

You, who have been given the gift of faith, have a special calling.  Be bold in your faith and live your Christianity out loud. This does not mean “in your face” preachy Christianity, but rather exhibiting joy in your trials. It means not reacting to others, but rather listening with understanding while reproving inappropriate behavior, and then loving when it feels impossible to do so.  This can only be accomplished by letting go, and letting God.  It is He who hears and acts upon your prayers for family.

Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4: 1-3

Preserve the bond of peace. Pray for the grace you need to grow in the virtues of humility, gentleness, patience, kindness, and charity so that your family will come to know Christ in a deeper way through you.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Encourage prayer, which increases grace, which increases virtue. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Newlyweds)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

One day when I had my wedding picture on display, someone commented, “Look at the joy in your faces!”  I narrowed my glance and indeed, there was radiant joy.  Being a newlywed is a time of expectant anticipation of all that lies ahead.  There is so much potential!  It is a time to unwrap the gift God has given to you, the bride and groom. It is one of unification as two become one, with a calling to live this new vocation and all that it entails. It is a call to die-to-self and live for the whole.  But you as a couple must unwrap the gift for it to be of use!

Letting go of “me” for “we” is always an adjustment and will demand a lifetime of re-adjustments. May witnessing healthy marriages be your inspiration! Thus, let us pray for newlyweds on their journey and all “older-weds” that they may remain or become beacons of light and love for all to see. 

How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride, how much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfumes than any spice! Your lips drip honey, my bride, honey and milk are under your tongue; and the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. Song of Songs 4:10-11

Lord, we pray for a tsunami of grace to be bestowed on all those who make a commitment to marriage.  Since a loving marriage is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet, help couples to nourish their love. May all bitterness be put aside, so that the sweetness of your love can bind them and strengthen their bond.  All is possible when one walks with you!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

All are invited to the banquet!  Come ready!  Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (The Right to Truth)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

"What is truth?"

In the movie version of The Passion of the Christ, Pontius Pilate asks this of his wife as he is wrestles with his decision on whether to prosecute or release Jesus. Although he clearly sees that Jesus has done no evil, he choses not to free him because there would be an uprising against him. Thus, he follows the will of the crowd that wants him crucified to death. 

How often have you wondered in disbelief how Pontius Pilate could have made that decision?

Yet how often do we today, ignore the truth and fail to speak up so as not to go against political crowds and popular agendas? If we live in fear of offending someone or inhibiting our future advancement, the next generation may never hear the truth, let alone come to know Truth.

Do we have a right to know the truth, or should the truth be suppressed in the name of rights?

Think of any hotbed issue. We know the truth in our hearts. Do our actions mirror the law in our hearts?

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

Ask yourself if you have the courage to go against the shouting crowds and speak the truth. What horrors have already occurred because the truth isn’t politically correct?

Silence can kill. Passivity reduces us to imitating Pontius Pilate.

“I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves.”  Matthew 27:24

Let us not wash our hands when it comes to our brothers and sisters. Let us be mindful of their eternal life, and pray:

Lord, you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Set us free by breaking the shackles that bind our actions and paralyze our speech.  Guide our families in the truth.  Give us ears to discern what is true. Reinforce our hearts to bear all things and endure all things, while living a life in accord with the truth.  Give us courage when we are fearful, determination why we are timid, and a love that covers over a multitude of sins.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Truth is an absolute. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Lukewarm)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Have you ever paused to consider that the Lord wants a passionate relationship with you? If you engage with Him and seek to unite, He gives you new life, new perspectives, and a renewed purpose.  In marriage, we are to experience a passionate relationship with a unitive love that brings forth life. And, in the true meaning of “passion” we must also die to self for the good of the lives that we bring forth.

“I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16

The Lord despises lukewarmness toward Him who is Love. Interestingly, John 3:16, is a juxtaposition of Revelation 3:16, showing us what passionate love looks like:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. John 3:16

How can we be lukewarm toward Him who died for us?

Lukewarm behavior doesn’t work in a marriage either. Perhaps that is worth contemplating. Is it better to be passionate in Love/Sacrifice?

Lord, penetrate our hearts and minds that we may better understand your plan for marriage. Set our hearts afire with a renewed love, desire, and a willingness to more selflessly give of ourselves. You did not hold back your love for us. Help us not to parcel out our love, but rather imitate your generosity of love.

Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:8

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Ask the Lord to light your torch. Pass it on!  

Pray for Families (To Those Unseen)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Today is for the forgotten sisters and brothers.  Not necessarily blood relatives, not just the poor among us, but also those who live worlds away in poor countries, remote villages, thatched huts, that is, if they are lucky enough to have shelter. Often they wake up wondering not about their future, but how they will get through TODAY.  How far must they walk for water? Will they receive medical aide, or will a simple infection kill them because they don’t have access to a physician let alone antibiotics? 

For I put water in the wilderness and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink.  Isaiah 43:20

God acts through us. These are our brothers and sisters.  Some of us are able to travel to these places to help, others may send money, but ALL are called to pray.

Lord, hear our prayers for all your children. Help us hear your call to serve. How shall we give? Time? Treasure? Prayer? Bless, protect, and empower those called to the front lines to serve. Send your Spirit upon them so they instinctively will know how to help those they meet. May e your light shine through them. Heal your people. Help us to part with our resources, so that others may share in our taken-for-granted “wealth”.  Gather our prayers and use them as a spiritual bouquet of hope, peace, joy, and love, so that many hearts will rejoice.  Thank you, Jesus, for hearing our petitions. Amen.

The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces.  Isaiah 25:8

On that day it will be said: “Indeed, this is our God; we looked to him, and he saved us! This is the LORD to whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!” Isaiah 25:9

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

It’s so easy to pray.  So say and prayer and pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Building Hope)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Much is said about love in the bible and there is no doubt about Christ’s command to love one another. It is a promise we make in marriage. The power of hope, however, is something we often overlook.  For to hope, we need to be fortified in the virtues of perseverance, humility, courage and patience.

• For all who hope they will find a virtuous and holy spouse, we pray for you.
• For all who hope that their marriage will depart from the valley of suffering and once again return to the mountaintop, we pray for you.
• For all those on the precipice of divorce and battling despair, may your hope of a heavenly intervention be answered.  Know that we pray for you the most.

Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Romans 5:5

Lord, guide us in the virtuous life.  May our arrogance and self-righteous pride give way to humility.  May our anger over a particular situation give way to a growth in patience. May our trust in your grace give us the perseverance that leads to victory won by you.  We are forever your children.  May your mercy and love set us free. Amen.

The LORD is my portion, I tell myself, therefore I will hope in him. Lamentations 3:24

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Encourage someone dwelling in despair. Pass it on!  

Pray for Families (Finding Peace)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Since the beginning of time, we have been in search of peace.  In the 60’s the slogan was make love, not war.  Unfortunately half a century later, the sexual revolution didn’t bring about the peace people were searching for. Instead, that “freedom” allowed for the sexual abuse of both women and men. It allowed for risky and sometimes deadly STDs to be transmitted.  Additionally, it led to over 60 million babies being denied entry into the world. Today, this world appears to still be looking for an elusive peace. Sadly, it fails to recognize that peace is within its grasp. It is it a gift one must choose to accept if one is to receive it, but one has to first acknowledge the Gift-Giver.  Peace is what the Lord longs to share with you. 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. John 14:27
In turn, we are called to share it with others.

Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Luke 10:5-6

Let us pray for the grace to humbly acknowledge loving Creator and accept His gift of peace.  In return, may we generously share it with others, beginning in the family.

Lord, help us to see that true freedom is found when we conform our lives to your will versus willingly conforming to the enticements of the world.  By doing so, may your peace cover us and our family like a warm, soft blanket.

Though the mountains fall away and the hills be shaken, my love shall never fall away from you nor my covenant of peace be shaken, says the LORD, who has mercy on you.  Isaiah 54:10

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Peace to your household! Pass it on!