Pray for Families (Prayer, Faith, and Endurance)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Peace to you all!  

 

As the world shifts, know the Lord sifts.  

 

I said in my heart, both the just and the wicked God will judge, since a time is set for every affair and for every work. I said in my heart: As for human beings, it is God’s way of testing them and of showing that they are in themselves like beasts.  Ecclesiastes 3:17-18

 

A king who sits on the throne of judgment sifts out all evil with his eyes. Proverbs 20:8

 

We must pray like never before as the spiritual battle rages on, seeking to steal souls. Your prayers have power, so amp them up!

 

Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.”  Luke 22:31-32

 

The Lord PRAYS FOR US!  How blessed are we?!  Take heart, for He does not want to lose even one of us.  However, it is up to us through prayer, to stay firm in our faith and to continue to pray for others, especially family.

 

Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a great contest of suffering. At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction; at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated. You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you had a better and lasting possession. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence; it will have great recompense. You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised. “For, after just a brief moment, he who is to come shall come; he shall not delay.  Hebrews 10: 32-37

 

May the good Lord bless you, protect you, fortify you, and be your daily refuge of peace. 

 

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

 

Peace can always be found in him! Share this! Pass it on!  

 

Pray for Marriages (Efficacious Grace)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

Some of you may be very frustrated.  You pray.  You labor.  You do all that you think you should do to support and uplift your marriage.  Yet, you may not see visible change.  Doubt creeps in, and you wonder if it is all for naught.  Keep the faith, for you are not alone. Take encouragement from Paul, the apostle.

 

For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective.  Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God [that is] with me. 

1 Corinthians 15:9-10

 

Let us pray for an over-abundance of grace, especially for those who labor and toil to fulfill the will of God in their marriage. 

 

Lord, may your grace toil within them and bear much fruit. May their labors be a beautiful sacrifice of love, fragrant within your court. As they share your Gospel in word or deed, may hearts be opened to receive your love, and upon doing so, may they overflow like a river breaching its banks, nourishing the parched soil of their marriage. 

 

So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me empty, but shall do what pleases me, achieving the end for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:11

 

All his grace is efficacious within you, his most beloved. May the enduring love of the Lord bring you peace!

 

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

 

The Good News is to be shared. Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Renewed Life)

National Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Unborn

 

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

As a girl, it was exciting to see opportunities open up for women.  As a result of Title IX, schools expanded their athletic programs for girls.  The acceptance of women into non-traditional jobs allowed for more career options.  The push for the Equal Rights Amendment seemed like a path to liberation, at least that’s what women were told.  Yet in reality, women weren’t advancing womanhood, but rather they were conforming to the masculine ideal, leaving behind the strength, beauty, and character of womanhood. To stay competitive, being pregnant was now seen as a hindrance to career opportunities and advancement.  I don’t mean to paint an over simplified picture of how abortion became increasingly common, because in fact, it’s very complicated, but rather help you see that when one denies who they are created to be, and feels under-valued for their unique gifts and contributions, one can delude themselves into thinking that freedom can be found outside of God. 

 

The search for “freedom” and “empowerment” can inadvertently lead one down very destructive paths.  The result has been ~1,000,000 babies per year are aborted in the US alone. Their blood cries out to God and their collective voices are unfortunately increasing. Therefore, let’s make our prayers for an end to abortion a daily practice. This world must put an end to the holocaust on the unborn. 

 

Let us pray for hearts to change.  Let us pray that we learn to value all gifts from God, especially the gift of new life.  Let us pray for healing of the body, mind, and soul of post-abortive women, who often carry this trauma with them throughout their lives Let us pray for those who haven’t come to terms with their decision, and still celebrate it. Let us pray for the broken-hearted men who wanted to keep their baby but had no choice. Let us pray for those men who ran from their responsibility or just paid for it to “go away”. May they seek forgiveness.  Now is the time for repentance and healing.  

 

For I will not accuse forever, nor always be angry; For without me their spirit fails, the life breath that I have given.  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.  Isaiah 57:16.18

 

Prayer helps reconcile oneself to God.  Keep all those you love (and especially those you don’t) in prayer!

 

For this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead that, though condemned in the flesh in human estimation, they might live in the spirit in the estimation of God. The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and sober for prayers.  Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:6-8

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Forgiveness. Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (Fortress of Prayer)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

The Lord established the sacrament of marriage, so that all children who were the fruit of that union would have a mother and father to love them, teach them about God’s promises, and guide them on their own journey toward serving the Lord.  Satan hates this, and thus furiously attacks marriage at its core. He seeks to prevent couples from getting married and tries to pull apart those that are. He attacks marriages externally by distorting and disfiguring what marriage was intended to be, and then attacks it from within, by jabbing at a one’s weaknesses and sensitivities, hoping to engage the couple in conflict. As a marriage crumbles, so does the stability of the children. Thus, safety is found by seeking shelter in the Lord, and fidelity through faithful prayer and prayers of faith. 

 

The fear of the LORD is a strong defense, a refuge even for one’s children. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning one from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:26-27

 

As Satan calls upon his minions to intensify the battle, stand ready with faith as your shield, hope in his promises, and a gospel of peace and love as your sword. Pray for one another, amp up your prayers, and help to fortify the army of prayer warriors by asking more people to commit to praying for marriages.

 

Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Ephesians 6:10-12

 

May your fortress of prayer bring you deep into the loving heart of Jesus. 

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Build the army.  Pass it on!  

Pray for Families (Resetting Hearts)

Greeting Prayer Warriors,

 

Christ has chosen each of you to be living at this very moment in time to fulfill your God-given mission.  Perhaps you know what the Lord has called you to, perhaps it has yet to be revealed. Nonetheless, His plan is perfect. I pray that you may know the will of God, and that both your prayers and ours bring you peace.  May God’s word fill you with hope and inspire you to persevere in using your gifts for both the good of family and the world.

 

Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5: 17-22

 

Do not engage in fruitless arguments, and respond to all insults and barbs with kindness. In this way, you radiate His light into a darkened world. Keep His flame alive in your heart, as it may be the spark needed to ignite hearts that have become dry as kindling. If this world is going to be “reset”, may it be to reclaim souls for Christ!

 

Because you have kept my message of endurance, I will keep you safe in the time of trial that is going to come to the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. I am coming quickly. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may take your crown. Revelation 3:10-11

 

May the Lord richly bless you as you continue to pray for the children of God.   Remain at peace!

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Enkindle someone’s heart.  Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (Secure on the Rock)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

 

Life is a series of choices, and we are blessed with the gift of free will. But each choice has a consequence.  God’s desire is that you freely follow Him, and not all the other enticements that are before you, promising to fulfill all of your emotional, physical and sensual desires.

 

God in the beginning created human beings and made them subject to their own free choice. If you choose, you can keep the commandments; loyalty is doing the will of God. Set before you are fire and water; to whatever you choose, stretch out your hand.  Before everyone are life and death, whichever they choose will be given them.  Sirach 15:14-17

 

It makes sense to pause and reflect on the will of God in your marriage and in your life. Through all the trials and all the crosses, He offers you a resting place, His Sacred Heart.  You can nestle here through your prayers, reading scripture, and your mindfulness of Him all throughout the day.  If you are spending time with Him, you will have little time to be pulled away into temptations, worries, and fears.

 

In a world that will spin regardless of what we do, we don’t have to spin with it.  Secure yourself to the Rock!   Live in Peace!

 

God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not fall. My deliverance and honor are with God, my strong rock; my refuge is with God. Trust God at all times, my people! Pour out your hearts to God our refuge! Psalms 62:7-9

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

  

He is rest for the weary.  Pass it on!

 

Pray for Families (A Light for this World)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

Peace be with you!  John 20:19

 

We are only one week into the new year, and all I can say is, “wow”. Or maybe “ow” is more fitting. While the Lord seeks to unite, Satan seeks to divide. The spiritual battle in gaining momentum.  

 

Satan seeks to create division not just throughout the world, but right in your home, since families are the building blocks of society.  He is the Father of Lies, and will distort the truth, increase confusion, stoke bitterness, and eagerly wait to catch you in his snare. 

 

I urge you all to control what you can. Ramp up your prayer, seek holiness, and reconcile with God.  To do so, you must reconcile with family members first, then friends, coworkers, etc.  If you hold on to resentment, ask God for the grace to forgive.  If you struggle with jealously, ask for the virtue of kindness. If you are short-tempered, ask to be showered with the graces necessary for to grow in patience. 

 

His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power. Through these, he has bestowed on us the precious and very great promises, so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature, after escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. 2 Peter 1:3-7

 

Now more than ever, you need a shelter of Love.  Continue to grow in the knowledge and love of Christ by inviting Him into your family. He will chase away the darkness and use you to bring much needed light into this darkened world.

 

Who [indeed] is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?  1 John 5:5

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Christ is the answer! Pass it on!

 

Pray for Marriages (Finding True Peace)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

Peace!  In the world there is much to be troubled about.  Perhaps in your personal life and your marriage, there is too. But remember, you are in this world, but not of this world. True peace can only be found in Christ and Christ can be found in the Word. 

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

 

Read and listen with your heart.  Just as you won’t ever truly know your spouse if you don’t spend time with them and listen to what they are trying to communicate (verbally and non-verbally), you won’t know Him who is Peace, if you don't carve out time to spend with the Lord.

If you are willing to listen, you can learn.  Sirach 6:33

 

Sometimes when trying to get a point across to a spouse, we can do all the talking.  It becomes a monologue, not a dialogue.  So too with Christ.  If we are constantly “talking” in prayer, we may never hear a response.  Listen to Him in Scripture.

 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.  Colossians 3:16

 

Continue to pray for the building up and healing of marriages.  Then listen and be at peace. 

 

“I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”.

John 16:33

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Spread His peace. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Baby Steps)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

Anyone who has had a child, fondly remembers encouraging their baby to walk by taking just one step. What incredible joy results when the father and mother see their child attempt to respond to their call by taking a few steps before completely falling down! 

 

The delight of the Father and Mother is no different in the spiritual life. As the Lord calls to you, He, along with the Blessed Mother, rejoice in your first movement in response to God’s call.  The Father only expects one step at a time, and he holds your hand during each attempt!  Our Mother picks you up every time you fall and prays to the Lord that He give you the grace not be discouraged but to get back up and try again.

 

So as 2021 begins, make a resolution to bring joy to your heavenly parents by moving closer to the Lord. Take more steps, even if it’s just one at a time.  Soon you will want to walk with Him daily, as He will listen to all your problems, worries, and dreams. He will bring you peace in your trials.  And Mary, as the good Mother, will also listen, encourage, and intercede on your behalf.  Each step will strengthen your faith, renew your hope, and increase your love, so that you will become His light in your family.  Intrigued by the Light, your family too will draw closer to Him.

 

Continuing the good you have done, resolve to keep praying for families, especially those in most need of His grace. 

 

Blessings to you and your families in 2021!

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Another baby step to take: Pass it on!