Pray for Marriages (L.O.V.E.)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

This reminder is arriving a little late as an unexpected heat wave without air-conditioning fried my brain!  But there is one reminder that I’m giving you about your marital vocation that is easy to remember.

 

Live

Out your 

Vocation

Everyday

 

You must have a firm resolve to love as Jesus loves.

 

Pray every day

Reflect on what derails you

Ask the Lord for direction

Yield to God

 

Living out your vocation is only possible with prayer. 

 

I call with all my heart, O LORD; answer me that I may keep your statutes. Psalms 119:145

 

The message is simple.  Pray and love daily, never forgetting to extend your love and prayers to others.

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Love and prayer. Pass it on!

 

 

 

 

Pray for Families (Bearing Fruit)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

 

What a delight to have grown children come for a visit! I always marvel in their growth, their individual uniqueness, and their perspective on us parents!   I always brace myself when they arrive though, because they have no problem helping me see all my flaws, idiosyncrasies, and what makes me, me.  In other words, they keep me very humble, (as I fight the urge to be defensive!) 

 

Subsequent introspection helps us see how we unintentionally offend, wound, or perhaps annoy others.  Why can’t they be a little more patient with us?  Then we reflect on how the Lord unconditionally loves us just the way we are, and are moved to be more compassionate toward others, especially those who get on our nerves too (for example, adult children).

 

If only we could consistently be more Christ-like in our words and deeds, especially around family! 

 

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Galatians 5:22-23

 

Come Holy Spirit.  Fill the hearts of the faithful and all those who call out to you!  Help us to bear abundant fruit, so that we may share that fruit with others. Help us to introduce your kingdom here on earth by being a daily reflection of you in all that we say and do. In doing so, may we spread the Gospel to our families and through them, out into this hurting world, Amen.

 

I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me. Philippians 4:13

 

Jesus, we trust in you!

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Share the fruit!  Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Thy Will Be Done)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

I remember when I was in my first decade of marriage, I was surprised by the adjustments, range of emotions, biting of tongues, constant compromising (or lack thereof), and what seemed to be a constant letting go of my will. I would then marvel at what good marriages so many of my friends had. However, they have all since divorced and my husband and I just passed 37 years of marriage!

 

If I had the secret and wrote a book, I would be rich! But alas, my riches are spiritual which is much more satisfying. I think it is not what I did, but my constant prayer that eventually brought me low enough to utter, 

 

“Thy will be done.” Matthew 6:10

 

The 3 hardest words ever!

 

Let’s pray prayers of encouragement for all those couples who are struggling. Their pain is real, the journey is hard, but the good news is that the Lord will never desert them.

 

Say to the fearful of heart: Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God, he comes with vindication;

With divine recompense he comes to save you.

 

Heavenly Father, you are attentive, tender, and kind to couples who are struggling to stay in their marriages.  Help them to trust you more.  Fortify their hope and pour your love into their hearts that they may be softened, expanded, and conformed to yours. Give them the grace to persevere in their journey.  Receive our collective prayers, and turn their sadness into abundant joy. Amen.

 

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

 

Pray some extra prayers today for marriages. A couple will really appreciate it. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Blessing Fatherhood)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

 

Fathers are such a blessing and a gift.  That is why the Lord gave men authority over their families.  Men as the spiritual head are to lead, guide, protect, support, and love their family. 

 

Let us pray for all the men that answer this calling! Lord, richly bless them!! Grace them the perseverance, patience, and charity!

 

In other regards, there a crisis of fatherhood! Many men breed, but neither marry nor parent.  Others marry, but are never present and involved.   Yet some are involved, but do not spiritually lead.  

 

Lord, richly bless these men as well!  Grace them with knowledge, counsel, and understanding. Open their eyes to see and their hearts to love. Open their arms that they may experience the joy of a child’s warm embrace. Awaken them from any delusion that money is more important than time, or that work is more important than being present to teach and guide.

 

Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more. Romans 5:20

 

Finally, we pray for our priests/bishops/cardinals, and even the Pope.  As spiritual fathers. Just like biological fathers, many joyfully accept their vocation, and lead, guide and love their flock.  Yet some fail to embrace and live out their calling, not fully stepping into the authoritative, protective, supportive, loving, role of father. 

 

Heavenly Father, richly bless these men too!  Continue to show them the way. Grace them with fortitude, compassion, and wisdom!

 

Through Father’s Day, let us continue to gift all fathers with our prayers.  May our continued prayers lift, edify, and encourage those that need it the most, and bring ongoing blessings to all.  

 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you. 2 Corinthians 13:13

 

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

 

A father’s love has no equal. Support authentic fatherhood! Pass it on!  

Pray for Marriages (From Pain to Pearls)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

This past weekend I attended a wedding shower for a young engaged couple.  The room was filled with 300+ years marital wisdom from the groom’s parents’ friends.  It was so enlightening to hear the advice of these couples and their words to the future bride and groom.  What was most inspiring though, was that none of these couples had an easy journey to reach their 20-45 years of marriage.   Marriage is a life of the unexpected, filled with joys and heartache. What matters, however, is how we react and choose to move forward.  

 

Send your light and your truth, that they may be my guide. Psalm 43:3

 

A few pearls to share:

 

Kindness

Love is patient, love is kind…  1 Corinthians 13-4

 

Perseverance

I know, my God, that you put hearts to the test and that you take pleasure in integrity.  1 Chronicles 2:17

The testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:3

 

Strength in the Lord

Where one alone may be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily broken.  Ecclesiastes 4:12

 

Verbal spears can’t be retrieved

“The insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”  Romans 15:3

 

Unity

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15: 5-6

 

What was glaringly apparent during our time of sharing, was the importance of a strong faith community to support a couple’s journey.

 

Encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do. We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, cheer the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all. See that no one returns evil for evil; rather, always seek what is good [both] for each other and for all. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 14-17

 

Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.  Isaiah 41:10

May you be blessed for your steadfast prayers for marriages. 

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Pass this on to an engaged or recently wed couple! 

Pray for Families (Letting go of Unforgiveness)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

How often are you tweaked by what someone said or did to you and you absolutely obsess over the injustice?  You play it over and over in your head which only serves to enrage you further. Then you plot just how you will react, respond to, or treat that person in the future. Rarely are you thinking of kindnesses toward them, but much more sinister thoughts.

 

Jesus, never responds like that to our offenses, though many, against Him.

 

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

 

We are called to be like him, Mercy and Forgiveness. We are called to love...our enemies.  Responding with sinful behavior only lowers us to the level of the one who hurt us!  

 

Let us seek to forgive, beginning with ourselves, then our family members. Let’s deep six the old hurts and all that blocks the flow of Love toward us and from us.

 

Lord, sometimes we hold on to anger and unforgiveness like it is some type of comfort blanket that will somehow empower us. Father, we need your grace! In your forgiving our perpetrators, as well as forgiving us, the unforgivers, you allow us to open our hearts first to you, so that your love and forgiveness with flow through us to others. Teach us to love without cost and forgive without constraints. Transform us by conforming us to your ways.  Amen.

 

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

 

For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self.  Ephesians 3:14-16

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Forgiveness can cause copycat behavior.  Pass it on!  

Pray for Marriages (One Body in Christ)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

June has long been considered the month of weddings, and I imagine the next several months will be busy with all the wedding ceremonies postponed over the last year. More important than the wedding day is the lifetime to follow. Thus, it seems fitting to share this scripture, so the betrothed can really meditate on God’s marital plan for “wives and husbands”. 

 

Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.  Ephesians 5:21-30

 

I hope the women didn’t stop reading or absorbing the message after the second sentence. If so, go back and re-read! The synergy of the marital dance is out of reverence for Christ. He who is the head, is to be sacrificial as was Christ for his beloved, to sanctify her. The two are one flesh, and thus there is no longer room for self-love, but rather love for one another. This may be an eye-opener for newlyweds, but for older-weds, it is a journey they know needs to be continually coupled with prayer. 

 

So let us pray for and with one another! 

 

Gracious Lord, bless all those couples making their marriage vows before you. Shower them with the gifts of patience, kindness, love, perseverance, fortitude, wisdom, and fertility! Extend these gifts to all married couples, especially those who beg for your grace and intercession. May love pour forth from each couple as they radiate your light of peace and joy. May this flame of love bring light and hope to those whose hearts have dimmed. O Fire of Love, send sparks to ignite/reignite hearts to love one another forever, imitating your unchanging and unending love for us. Amen.

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Prayer fans the flames! Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Decreasing the Viral Load)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

We worry about contagion in our physical life, but rarely give a thought to contagion in our spiritual life. 

 

A virus may be microscopic, yet deliver a powerful wallop, keeping us in bed for days or even weeks. Thus, we are careful to wash our hands, our food, our countertops, etc. so as not to become vulnerable to something so horrible. 

 

Sin is also like a virus. It can derail a good spiritual life in seconds.  Are you as diligent with your precautions when it comes to protecting the health of your soul? Sin too creeps in unexpectedly when our defenses are down.  Consider what may result when the “viral load” of your sin manifests. Do you slay with your tongue? Does your lust go viral? Does anger fill your lungs?  Does pride make you look inflamed and puffy? Or are you prone to gluttony, feeding versus starving your spiritual “virus”??

 

Whereas a virus left to run rampant can lead to death, so can our sin.  Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (and the sacrament of reconciliation) are always a powerful cleanse.  Mercy toward another is a potent immune booster while sanctifying grace can strengthen the soul. 

 

For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.  James 2:13

 

Consider how these practices may become a powerful witness to your family; the perfect prayer! 

 

‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ Matthew 12:7

 

Thus, lead with mercy and love!

 

Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. 1Peter 4:8

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Be loving.  Forgive another. Pass in on!