Pray for Families (Heal the Body, Heal the World)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

Fractures can so easily appear in family relationships, often to our surprise or without any realization until the fracture becomes a crack. 

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many. 

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

We all are ONE. Do we remain cognizant of that in our speech and behavior? Are we acting as ONE?  Or do we fall into self-righteous pride? Consider, do you treat a brother or sister, friend or foe with the same kindness as you do the rest of the body? Do you nurture the “unhealthy” parts of the body so that they may gain “strength” with your loving support? Do you encourage the healthy to remain so? Do you put in the effort to remain healthy in mind, body, and spirit, knowing that your “sickness” can spread to the other parts?

Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. 1 Corinthians 12:22-27

No division? What a call to action! Love is an action for what is love without action? Love strengthens the body. Pray and ask the Lord, “To whom am I called to support in humility, loving kindness, encouragement, and praise?” Let us listen to the Lord so that the healing may begin as each one of us springs into action!!

For the LORD gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. For wisdom will enter your heart, knowledge will be at home in your soul. Proverbs 2: 6, 10

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Heal the body, heal the world.  Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (Help for the Disconnected)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 

Mark 3:25

In an era where “diversity” is the mantra, too much diversity in a marriage can be a precursor to its death. A balance of strengths and weaknesses is wonderful, but when perspectives on culture, religion, financial philosophy, and the raising of children diverge, houses can be divided and spouses disconnected, regardless of how much one proclaims their love.

Many optimistically, innocently, and naively entered into such unions. Let us pray for those struggling to preserve their marriages, in spite of such difficulties.

Lord, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, each a unique masterpiece of your creation made to bring a special beauty into the world. Unfortunately, sometimes your masterpieces don’t complement each other. Yet, with your grace, you can be the bridge or even the grout that unites, strengthens, and fortifies. Lord, I ask that your grace be abundant in each marriage that struggles, yet strives to be united. In your love, you honor those who keep their faith in you. Don’t delay in your heavenly assistance, for the need is great. Jesus, we will forever trust in you!

If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy,complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Philippians 2:1-2

Peace Joy and Love,
Janet

Solace, compassion, and mercy are in the Lord! Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Before the Pot Boils)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

The beloved radio and television personality, Bishop Fulton Sheen, seemed to have a prophetic voice when in 1974 he boldly stated on television, “We are at the end of Christendom.” He wasn’t referring to Christianity in and of itself. Rather, he explained it as such, “Christendom is economic, political, social life as inspired by Christian principles. That is ending — we’ve seen it die. Look at the symptoms: the breakup of the family, divorce, abortion, immorality, general dishonesty.”

How much further society has slid in the last 46 years!  We are like frogs in a pot of water, not noticing that the temperature is slowly rising!

Is it any wonder why families are experiencing more stress, heartache, and loss as they witness each other’s wayward lives and feel helpless?  When the head of household throws away the Divine Compass, everyone gets lost!  We then wander aimlessly and follow the crowd, unaware of the dangerous path they are walking.

“In [the] last time there will be scoffers who will live according to their own godless desires.” These are the ones who cause divisions; they live on the natural plane, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. On those who waver, have mercy.  Jude 1:18-22

Interestingly, Bishop Sheen’s also prophetically describes the anti-Christ. “…his religion will be brotherhood without the fatherhood of God, he will deceive even the elect.” 

Do we not see that the culture is moving toward the brotherhood of tolerance and acceptance of all and anything? No longer are we uniting, “One nation under God”, trusting in the leadership and guidance of the (Heavenly) Father.

Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” John 8:19

We know how the story ends, so let’s first self-accuse, amend our lives, and remain steadfast in our faith.

Do not fear the reproach of others; remain firm at their revilings. They shall be like a garment eaten by moths, like wool consumed by grubs; But my victory shall remain forever, my salvation, for all generations. Isaiah 51:7-8

Spend the next week praying the “Our Father” for your entire family, praying that all come to know the fatherhood of God, first by my getting to know His Son.  And for those who need a smaller step, ask the gentle Blessed Mother to introduce you to her Son. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Help someone before the pot boils!  Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (Resisting the Cultural Waves)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

Have you ever met anyone who stated that marriage was easy? Neither have I. Yet from the beginning, Christ willed that man and women come together, live a life ordered to the good of each other, make a lifetime matrimonial covenant before him, and procreate. So important was the institution of marriage that God willed that his Son come into the world via a family. God never promised Mary and Joseph their lives would be easy, but He did promise His abundant grace.

Today’s culture completely promotes the dissolubility of marriage. After over a half century of a rising divorce rate, we have seen not only the breakdown of the family, but the entire societal culture.  As a result, there’s a crumbling of morality, a rising hate of Christian principles, and a quest for money and power, rather than a desire for holiness and godliness. 

The catechism states:

“This unequivocal insistence on the indissolubility of the marriage bond may have left some perplexed and could seem to be a demand impossible to realize. However, Jesus has not placed on spouses a burden impossible to bear, or too heavy - heavier than the Law of Moses.”  CCC 1615

The Pharisees approached and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you? They replied, “Moses permitted him to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother [and be joined to his wife], and the two shall become one flesh.’ So, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”  Mark 10:2-9

“By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, he himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Reign of God. It is by following Christ, renouncing themselves, and taking up their crosses that spouses will be able to "receive" the original meaning of marriage and live it with the help of Christ.” CCC 1615

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.  Mark 8:34

Lord, grant all married couples a renewal in faith, a greater commitment to love, and the peace to know you will never leave their side. Give them the courage to completely trust in you and resist the enticement of a culture that promises freedom, by cutting their tether to you. Lord, hear our collective prayers and  be their strength! Amen.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”  Matthew 11:29-30

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Someone you know is experiencing a marital tsunami. Pray for them, let them know we are too,  and pass it on! 

Pray for Families (The Delusion of Self-Repair)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Have you ever tried to repair something, and in an effort to find an easier, less costly fix, cut corners only to discover that it didn’t really help the problem but created even more hassles? 

Unfortunately, all too often we do that with our spiritual life. We sin, minimize and rationalize it, only to continue to sin and rather than seeking the Divine Healer in Confession, we delude ourselves by the self-talk of, “I’m really a good person, better than most people I know. I don’t need help, I’ve got this. Compared to my friends and coworkers, I’m a saint!”

As we continue on the journey and find ourselves lonely, dismissed, or unappreciated, instead of turning to the Divine Lover who yearns for time with us, we seek to fill the void with food, drug, alcohol, or the wrong people or the wrong things.  

Since my heart was embittered and my soul deeply wounded, I was stupid and could not understand. Psalms 73:21-22

We all have a God-sized hole in our heart, that only He can fill. There is no cut-rate substitute that can fill it, as it will only create more destruction. Let us then turn to the Divine Healer on behalf of ourselves and our families, and pray for the humility to admit how much we need the Lord. 

Come Lord Jesus! Heal us of the blindness that prevents us from seeing ourselves how we truly are.  Heal us of our pride and vanity, so that we may only seek to please you. Come fill our hearts, so that we may love with purity of intention. May we always praise your goodness with our words and our actions!

Whom else have I in the heavens? None beside you delights me on earth. Though my flesh and my heart fail, God is the rock of my heart, my portion forever.  Psalms 73:25-26

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Make a difference and pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (A Promise to Believe in)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Today I had a day where NOTHING went as expected. A total snowball effect ensued. Needless to say, I felt my stress levels rise. I took to prayer and remembered I had just the day before quoted to an acquaintance from the book of Job:

“The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!” Job 1:21

This was ironically perfect for me a day later.  Such is life, filled with blessings and what at least in the moment, can feel like curses. Yet when we patiently surrender and await resolution, there is always a blessing in the trial.  So too it is with marriage. The Lord will continue to test our love and our commitment, hoping we will choose to build (or rebuild) our marriage upon Him, the only foundation. 

The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5

So, I leave you with His encouraging words, which are TRUSTWORTHY AND TRUE.  Keep the faith.  Hold tight to His promises, and continue to pray for marriages, that each spouse may persevere and trust in His promises. 

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Share this with anyone who could benefit by a marriage recharge or reboot!  Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Forgiveness and Patience)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Ten days into the New Year and I am completely out of step with my expectations of myself for 2020.  (I even forgot to blog!) How easy it is to beat up ourselves!  Perhaps we need to begin the year by asking ourselves who we need to forgive for not living up to our expectations, beginning with ourselves.  Introspectively, we need to focus on what theLord’s expectationfor us is.  Every time we misstep, He assures us of His love and encourages us to keep moving forward. When we offend Him and seek forgiveness with a contrite heart, He offers us his mercy. 

Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment.  Joel 2:13

Next, we need to look at our family and ask ourselves, who have we been uncharitable to for not living up to our expectations.  We need to treat them as Christ treats us: with love, encouragement, and mercy.  Even the Lord admonishes us, but it is always with a heart filled with love.  

You are my God; be gracious to me, Lord; to you I call all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant;to you, Lord, I lift up my soul. Lord, you are good and forgiving, most merciful to all who call on you. LORD, hear my prayer; listen to my cry for help. Psalms 86:2-6

Lord, help us to see ourselves as you do; a cherished child of God.  Help us to understand that You gave each of us different spiritual gifts.  May we not expect family members to be just like us. (Or perhaps they are and that’s why there are difficulties?) Lord, give each of us the grace to see our family through Your eyes and grant us the wisdom to have appropriate expectations of them, with the patience to help them fulfill Your most perfect plan. Jesus, we trust in You!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Mercy me! Mercy you! Pass it on!

Pray for Families (20-20 Clarity)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Happy New Year!  I can’t believe we are in the year 2020! I feel blessed, grateful, and challenged to start another year anew. And already I am behind schedule! Nothing like a clean slate, clearing our body, mind, and soul of the toxins that build up. Having a clean slate isn’t a passive event, rather it takes a commitment to change and grow. Look back on 2019. What did you do or perhaps fail to do? Have you taken care of your body, keeping in mind it is a temple of the Holy Spirit? Have you been mindful of the condition of your soul? Do you go to regular confession? Whether you are Catholic or not, do a self-examination of conscience, and seek to reconcile with God and jumpstart your faith. 

This year, let us seek greater “20-20” clarity of the path that the Lord has ordained for us.  Let us commit more time to prayer and especially listening. Don’t hear the Lord? Perhaps you need to spend more time reading scripture and contemplating his Word. As you reach spiritual fitness, your beacon of faith with shine brighter to your family. What a gift, a living prayer!

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. 

1 Corinthians 13:12

Lord, I pray for all these prayer warriors and their families and ask that you give them the grace to become more spiritually curious, to develop a greater desire for holiness, to seek a greater boldness in their faith, and to love one another in imitation of You. Amen!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Need a New Year’s resolution?  Pass it on!