Pray for Marriages (Sacrificial Love)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

As we remember and honor the fallen this Memorial Day, I think of those who gave their life so that others might benefit.

 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

Here in the shadow of Pentecost, I wonder if in battlefield prayer, they were given an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, one of courage, love, boldness, and zeal, so that they might complete their mission, regardless of the consequences. Their courage and willingness to die, embody the love of Jesus. 

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. John 10:18

Jesus showed us how to live when he mirrored for us how to die. He gave his life for his bride, the Church, the body of Christ, his beloved. He calls all of us to sacrificial love. Perhaps as we honor, remember, and pray for the souls of fallen soldiers, we too can ask for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the grace of exhibiting sacrificial love for our beloved, our spouses.  

For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Help us all fulfill our vocation (mission) of marriage. Pour out the gifts of the Spirit upon us, that we may be a witness and inspiration to others in this battlefield of life. Have mercy and kindness on the souls of our soldiers, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet 

Strive for sacrificial love…PRAY! Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (A Foundation of Hope)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

As one marries, has children, and ventures into parenthood, they have hopes and dreams for the lives of their children. Most try to provide stability and security with all the essentials of life. A Christian family strives to lay a foundation in Christ, knowing that any other foundation will not last the test of time. We strive to teach, guide, and transform our children into strong pillars of the Lord. We too, work on reinforcing ourselves as we see cracks and weakening in our own fortitude and strength.

According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11

While it can be disappointing to see the pillars you have built begin to crack and even crumble, do not become disheartened, because the foundation you built upon is firm. The Lord is the Master Builder and anything you built upon Him, He will work to save.

Every house is founded by someone, but the founder of all is God. 

Hebrews 3:4

How often have you seen adult children marry, have children, and then re-find their faith when their struggles mount?

Let us then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another.  Romans 14:19

Continue to build them up, witness to a life in Christ, and pray for them unceasingly. The Good Shepherd never fails to seek out this lost sheep.   

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Hope does not disappoint! Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Healing Power of Love)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

How easily we get irritated, especially in marriage. Sometimes it’s the little things that turn the mood from sweet to sour. Then moodiness sets in one can become triggered by anything and everything!

Perhaps we have to look at the little thorns in life differently. Maybe they are God’s little gifts to perfect us. 

Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and 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 5:3-5

How beautiful! The love of God is continuously being poured into our hearts, because he knows we can’t muster it up on our own in difficult moments! When we can’t love another properly, He offers His love!

God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Knowing this, perhaps we can die to ourselves a little more and strive to love without condition, as He did for us. Love heals and hope does not disappoint!

Prayer will get us there! Pray for the marriages of one another and those you love!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayer is the fuel that powers us to love perfectly! Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Rebuilt in Him)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

When I contemplate the disintegration of families, I liken it to a frog in tepid water where the heat is slowly increased. You don’t realize that one’s demise is coming until it is too late. When I grew up, weekends were for God and family. We would have family-oriented activities such as picnics, visits with friends and relatives, and always church on Sunday. We were anchored through faith and family. 

I didn’t notice or pay much attention to the change in culture until after the birth of my oldest child. I was too young when “no fault” divorce became the standard shortly after the popularization of birth control. Of course what would naturally follow was the loosening of sexual norms, the normalization of divorce and the acceptance of abortion. “Progress” or “freedom” were alway the mottos. As families fell apart, no one paid much attention to the kids left in the wake and how it might affect their near term and long term relationships. Eventually, intentional single parenthood was accepted. Add this to the 50% divorce rate and the family was pretty much cooked. Today we find Sundays no longer held as sacred, intact families are the exception, and more time is spent in front of a screen than interacting as a family.

The blessing is that the Lord has the last word. Mary is the Undoer of Knots. The Lord can make crooked lines straight. The Lord heals! We cannot reverse what has been undone over the decades, but we can as a family, pray for the Lord’s intercession. May we be but instruments of change in his hands, as He works for the glory of the Father through us.

Remembering you in my prayers, [I pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of [your] hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might.  Ephesians 1:16-19

Pray that change in the world begins with you and your family. May each of you be the spark that reignites in others a desire for the preservation of family, and foils the destructive motives of Satan. Let us praise Him who is our everything and can do everything! 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray and trust! Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (Power in the Prayer)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

When you have a busy day, you still need to pray, especially for marriages! 

With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones. Ephesians 6:18

Praise God for all the blessings of your marriage, and petition him for the grace to work through its less positive aspects.  It's okay to keep  it simple!  “Lord, make haste to help us! Send your assistance!” As always, don’t forget to pray for others and we’ll pray for you too!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayers don’t have to be lengthy to be powerful!  Be persistent and pass it  on! 

Pray for Families (Keep the Faith)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

Many people have shared with me how their adult children have left the faith. Unfortunately, Sunday is just another day of the week to them. Church attendance is down and other activities have taken over the Lord’s Day.  Over the last several decade, God has slowly been "deplatformed" as family gatherings have dissipated, businesses formerly closed on Sundays have opened up, sport practices, games and tournaments now take over the weekends, and  lazy Sundays” is now a norm.  As a result, new gods have replaced our Lord. There are many!  For example, I don’t need to look at any statistics to say with confidence that sports activity and/or viewing is up on Sundays! The god of sports is all consuming!

If only people understood the power of the sacraments, the tenderness and compassion of God, and the power of having Him be the Rock of their lives, their anxiety levels would drop and joy would abound. The masses would flock to our Lord!

Understanding is important. Our stories matter!  The knowledge we’ve gained, the blessings we’ve received, and the wonders of His love that have transformed us, are stories that need to be shared! Real life experiences are what move people and change hearts. 

Be on your guard and be very careful not to forget the things your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart as long as you live, but make them known to your children and to your children’s children.

Deuteronomy 4:9

Our voice matters! If we don’t share the wonders of His love, and the impact the Lord has had on our life, who will? We must plant the seeds of goodness now, then pray that God will ignite the faith of our loved ones, for we are powerless on our own.

Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth.  1 Corinthians 3:7

Pray fervently to Him who has all the power and grace to beckon our family members to his loving arms!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Keep the faith and don’t forget to pass it on!  

Pray for Marriages (Loving More)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Have you ever wondered how to become more loving?  Love more!  

The hardest thing in marriage is to love when you don’t feel like it. Perhaps your spouse hit a nerve, pushed a button, let you down, disappointed you, crossed a line, and the list goes on. Sometimes one just can’t muster up love, caring, affection, civility, or forgiveness. Has this ever happened to you?  

We are not to ever sin against our spouse. The Lord knows our weakness, so He asks us to love Him first.

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.  John 14:23-24

If the Triune God dwells within you, He will love your spouse through you. For when Love dwells in you, He doesn't desire to remain dormant, but to act!  There is no hate, resentment, or vindictiveness in the Lord.  You must consent to Love! He will show you the way forward.

I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel with my eye upon you.  Psalm 32:8

We need to rely less on ourselves and more on God.  Pray more to love more! 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray to love and love to pray. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Earthly Trees of Life)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

The depth of family connection and unspoken familiarity runs deep within our DNA.  We instinctively have a connectedness with little known relatives that is hard to describe.

I had the privilege of meeting the adult children of a cousin of mine whom I saw infrequently over my lifetime due to large age and geographical distances.  What surprised us all during this meeting was that we instantly felt connected and in-sync, sensing God-given ties and similarities as well as actually seeing matching traits.  I felt awe and wonder at how magnificently the Lord builds family trees, keeping them united at the trunk, yet each branch has it’s unique twist and turns with a few knots!  Yet the leaves are all similar no matter the branch!  

How precious to me are your designs, O God; how vast the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sands; when I complete them, still you are with me. Psalm 139:17-18

Lord, we pray for our families in this world where its members disperse so quickly and have less and less time and opportunity to stay connected. Help us to at least stay connected in prayer, praying for one another united through you. May we uplift each other in life. Bless those in our tree, even if it’s a nut tree!  Nourish us with your grace, that we may bear abundant fruit so that one day we may all be united at the heavenly banquet!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray for a distant relation and pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Empowered by the Spirit)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

We naturally gravitate toward people who share similar values and ideas, as well as those whose personalities are complementary to ours.  But whether we marry opposites or similars, we quickly realize they don’t really know us because they aren’t us!  Our spouses didn’t have the same upbringing, didn’t have the same childhood traumas, didn’t have to put up with the same family dynamics, and may have learned different ways to face conflict.  In time, those differences continue to reveal themselves. We begin to see that each of our unique histories unfold and our stories continue to evolve and shape us.  We can’t possibly remain the person we were at the start of our marriage.

This, however, is where the marital challenges emerge.  Sometimes we don’t recognize the person we share a life with anymore.  We desire to be understood, but do we understand our spouse?  We want our partner to adapt to our personal growth, but are we adapting as a partner?  Are we willing to die-to-self in order to live out God’s plan for our marriage?

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.  John 12:24

How much time do you spend in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you why He brought you and your spouse together?  What are you to bring to one another?  How are you to be present to one another?  As your marriage evolves, what is the Holy Spirit asking of you?  

Come Holy Spirit, come!  Reveal the will of God and show me the way!

You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you.  Acts 1:8

Lord, when left to our own devices in marriage, we often seek the path of least resistance, not the narrow path, the holy way.  Send your Spirit upon us to strengthen us in our weakness and spark our desire to be true witnesses to love, living as you did, with perfect patience, gentleness, mercy, compassion, and understanding.  Purge our selfish desires, that we may focus on the other.

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

Harness the power of the Holy Spirit. Pass it on!