Pray for Marriage and Family (Thanksliving)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

As I reflect on my life, some of my happiest times were when I had nothing. I didn’t know excess and luxury, so I never missed it but rather just wondered what it was like. As decades passed and I got to taste and own some of the finer things, I found that they didn’t impact my true happiness, because that was grounded in the Lord, the real cause for my joy. 

You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. Acts 2:28

This week let us all pause, give thanks, and hit the resetbutton. Take time for self-reflection. Have you been focusing on the gifts you’ve been given or the crosses you’ve been carrying? Have you been grateful for the blessings or complaining you haven’t been given enough? Do you grumble about your marriage, or give praise for the journey that has helped you grow as a person? 

Although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Lord, you are our joy, our hope, our strength, and our comfort. We praise you! We adore you!  We love you! Help us to be forever mindful of the love your never stop showing us. Thank you, Lord for training us in the virtues. Thank you for our marriages, and the gift of our families.  May we give thanks not once a year, but live a life of thanks by praising you with every action, word, and deed. Praise to You who not only gives us life in this world, but have promised us life in the next!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

P.S. Lord, I personally give you thanks and praise for these faithful prayer warriors. Bless them abundantly and pour graces upon their families so that others may ask the cause for their joy.

Always give God the glory! Pass it on!  

Pray for Families (Precious and Loved)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

You love your family and do all you can to demonstrate that love.  Yet many of you may have loved ones who feel depressed, anxious, or irritable. Perhaps they don’t feel good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or loved enough. Perhaps this describes you. The following is for everyone; a love letter from the Lord.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you. Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. I am the way and the truth and the life. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.  Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine. Jeremiah 1:5, Isaiah 43:4, John 14:27, Revelation 3:19, John 14:6, John 10:9, Isaiah 43:1

Pray for your family, pray for one another, that all may see themselves through the Lord’s eyes. Beautiful. Precious. Loved so much, that Christ ransomed his life for you.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

It’s the greatest love story ever told. Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (A Blessing and a Cross)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Marriage is both a blessing and a cross, gifted to you by God. Sometimes the duality of that gift is difficult. While the blessings are wonderful, we are often tempted to let go of our cross when we get tired of carrying it. But we were given a partner to carry it with us. It’s weight distribution is rarely 50-50. More often it can be 80/20, 40/60, or 100/0. Like Jesus, we are called to carry our cross and climb our own personal Calvary, with faith, with hope, and with love. When we fall, if we ask with faith, we will be given the strength to persevere.

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
Accept all disappointments and sufferings with joy, out of love of our Lord. Trust in his greater plan for your marriage.

You have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary. Rev 2:2

To the victor I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God.” To the victor I shall give some of the hidden manna;I shall also give a white amulet upon which is inscribed a new name, which no one knows except the one who receives it.” Rev 2:7, 17

Lord, for all those spouses weakening under the weight of their cross, walk by their side and help them carry it. May their blessings overshadow the heaviness of their cross, for through endurance and perseverance, their strength and love will increase, resulting in a lightening of their cross. Come Holy Spirit and set their hearts on fire! You showed us that a heart filled with love conquers all. Help us to imitate you! 

The righteous must still do right, and the holy still be holy.” Rev 22:11

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Encourage one another.  Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Increasing Love for Him)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

If you’ve ever read any of the writings of the saints, when you hear them talk about God with such adoring love, such impassioned words, you may wonder, “What do they know that I don’t know!”  The answer is, they KNOW him. They have emptied themselves of self-love, vanity, pride, possessions, or anything else that preoccupies their attention. They make room for Him. Not to say they weren’t attentive to their duties based on their station in life. Of course, they were! They just did those duties for the love of God.

Ask yourself, what is getting in your way of knowing Him more? Think of friends and family that are in love with the Lord.  How does that impact you?  Your family? If more people seek a deeper relationship with the Lord and live their life in service to the Lord, it’s impact will ripple to others, including your family.  Say a prayer for yourself and then for your family members, that their desire for the Lord will grow like a mustard seed.

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. Mark 8: 34-35

Plant some mustard seed with your prayer! Water it with your tears of hope.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Plant and water, for He causes the growth! Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (The Battle Within)

Veterans Day

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

As we pray for marriages, let’s pray a double portion for our veterans. They show us how to serve one another out of love for the greater good, a beautiful analogy of Christ serving the Church. They sacrifice time with their spouse and family, so that all of us may know freedom and peace. They often put themselves in personal danger, for love of country, which is love for each and every person regardless of race, gender, or creed.  They protect others, hoping their friends and family will protect and support their spouse left behind to carry the weight.

Tell me, LORD, have I not served you for their good? Have I not interceded with you in time of misfortune and anguish? Jeremiah 15:11

They need our prayers in a big way.  While one can leave a war, the emotional and mental battle may continue for years if not a lifetime. Physically, they may return from deployment, but grieve for those who did not. They may withdraw from their spouse when they return, because how could they relate to what they experienced? I am sure the list could go on and on, but the greatest, most powerful gift we can give to them is prayer for their marriages.

It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed.  Deuteronomy 31:8

Heavenly Father, you raise up all types of warriors. May we, the prayer warriors, stand in the gap for the freedom fighters, our beloved veterans. Heal their emotional, physical, and spiritual wounds. Reconnect them to their spouse in a deeper more intimate way, for your cross can span any divide. Free them from memories that oppress them and replace them with the knowledge of your love and mercy. Send your Spirit upon them that they may be lifted out of any anxiety, depression, or fear.  Lord, please do the same for their spouses, who experience a much different, yet very real battle. By your grace, may they each rejoice in your boundless love and be filled with a penetrating peace!  Amen.

Asking peace for your mind, joy for your soul, and love to encircle your marriage …and may St. Michael the Archangel always be ready to defend you in battle, 

🙏🏼 Janet

Love a veteran by passing it on! 

Pray for Families (Trusting in the Shepherd)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

How many of you have children or perhaps other family members you worry about because they have wandered or even run away from God?  By the mere fact that you are reading this, you most likely find it concerning. Yet how long was your own journey to truly loving the Lord?  Did he not continually seek you out and continue to recommend new paths, all with a gentle voice and unwavering patience?  Did he not bring special people into your life, those who made you question your ways? Did he not beckon you to come closer, even when you thought you already were faithful?  Such a Good Shepherd we have!

I saw their ways, but I will heal them. I will lead them and restore full comfort to them and to those who mourn for them, creating words of comfort. Peace! Peace to those who are far and near, says the LORD; and I will heal them. Isaiah 57:18-19

Give glory to God and thank Him for drawing you into a prayerful life. Offer a sacrifice of joy to Him who loves your family even more than you do! With thanksgiving, pray for your family and surrender each member into His loving hands, asking that He guide, love, reprimand, and strengthen them on their journey towards Him.

I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and chant praise to the LORD. Psalms 27:6

Lord, hear the prayers that each reader prays in their heart for their loved ones. Be generous with your grace, protective with your hands, and loving with your gaze. Break the chains that bring about anxiety and depression. May your boundless mercy buoy each one out of the pits of despair, self-loathing, and narcissism. Ground them in the Truth, for we have complete trust that by your grace, all will be singing you songs of praise!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Hope does not disappoint! Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (A Restful Soul)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

The unifying love of God is a beautiful blessing in a marriage.  But over time, it’s easy to become distracted from the spiritual life, overwhelmed by the demands of daily living, and agitated or annoyed by the most benign actions of one’s spouse.   Satan smiles, waiting in the wings for his opportunity to enter.

Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Guard against sin and persevere in prayer.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!

 Pray for your marriage, pray for one another, and wait with confident trust in the Lord.

For God alone my soul waits in silence, from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly moved.  Psalm 62:1-2

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet 

Say a prayer, call upon the militia of angels, and pass it on!  

Pray for Families (From Sinners to Saints)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

So often, the power of God’s grace and the depth of God’s love is hard to fathom. We look in the mirror and just see a sinner starring back at us. We look at the lives of our family members and think, “Lord, have mercy!” as we wonder if they ever will turn their lives around and follow Him. Yet, history continues to record how the Lord can take the biggest sinner and make him/her the biggest saint! There is hope for all!

“A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence in God.” -St. Faustina

One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying. -Joan of Arc

God removes the sin of the one who makes humble confession, and thereby the devil loses the sovereignty he had gained over the human heart. -Saint Bernard

“Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus — a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you.” -St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

Take some time and explore the lives of the saints and get inspired.  Use that inspiration to launch your prayer life to new heights. Pick a saint for each of your family members and ask them to intercede on behalf of your family members. Pray that the Lord will receive the prayers of so great a cloud of witnesses on your family’s behalf. May the grace and love of the Lord remove all doubt. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Let us harness the power of heaven by asking for the prayerful intercession of all the saints. Pass it on!