Pray for Marriages (Loving Through the Cross)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

As humans, we like to fix things, restore order, and straighten the crooked. It can bring about peace and calm. However, things go awry when we try to fix, restore, and straighten people. We are to love people and fix things, not love things and fix people.

Perhaps you feel alone because you have a spouse that suffers from depression, Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, other mental health challenges, or even Autism Spectrum Disorder. Conversely, maybe you have a spouse with physical limitations or disabilities. Whatever your challenge, you are not alone. All marriages experience highs and lows in their relationship, they just differ in type. But all come to a realization that they are not in control, and are quickly humbled. While one wants to grab the helm, the Lord asks rather that we trust in him and the path he has ordained for us. The only action he calls us to, is to remain steadfast in love.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely. Proverbs 3:5

Loving through difficulty is hard. One must draw close to the Lord and rely on Him to love through you while praying for the strength to imitate Christ.

Not by might, and not by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

Let us pray for husbands and wives, especially those most challenged. While you might think your cross is heavy, your spouse might think that you are their heavy cross!

Lord, we think we are strong, but you know we are weak! We think we have all the answers and lose sight that YOU are the answer. We think we have endurance, and then whimper at the first hardship. We believe we have the fortitude to persevere, yet allow our hope to weaken. Lord, we ask for healing graces for ALL marriages and a shower of graces to strengthen each unique marriage. May we not focus on our difficulties, but rather on perfecting our love in imitation of you. Thank you Jesus, for the customized crosses you’ve designed for each one of us, that our marital walk may lead to an eternity spent with you. Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

 

Be steadfast in love and pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Holy Week Perseverance)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

Holy Week is almost upon us, a time to meditate on the Passion of the Lord. Even if you haven’t succeeded in all of your Lenten practices, be sure to lean in here. There is such a large contrast between Palm Sunday, where Christ was loved and praised, to his crucifixion just 5 days later where he was mocked and killed for speaking Truth.  

 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.”

Perhaps you have experienced the swing of being both loved and hated in your family. Place yourself with Jesus and meditate on the heavy emotion of feeling unloved by those you care about most. Then remember that Jesus never stopped loving those who ignored or hated him.  

“I do believe, help my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

Can you remember a time when you experienced a verbal or physical lashing? Contemplate that pain and experience Jesus’s cries during his scourging, remembering that he was making atonement for your sin.

‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ Luke 18:13

If you’ve ever been jeered at and humiliated, you will never forget it. Yet Christ allowed himself to have a crown of thorns pounded into his head, old cloth as a robe, and a stick as a scepter as he was mocked as a self-proclaimed king. Consider the times in your life when you rejected him as king. Draw close to console him, promising to make him the forever King of your life.

‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ Luke 18:13

Perhaps there was a time when you were saddled with family burdens, or had to carry the burden for your family. As you contemplate your exhaustion, meditate on the weight of Jesus’ cross and how crushing the sin of the world must have been. Consider that he would do it all over again for you, not because of your love, but because of his.

“I do believe, help my unbelief!”  Mark 9:24

During the Crucifixion, Jesus “appears” to be powerless as he is nailed to the cross. Think of a time you felt powerless, helpless, and all alone, but when you turned to Jesus, he intervened to assist you. 

LORD, your mercy endures forever.  Psalm 138:8

As we enter the final stretches of Lent, let us continue to pray for our families and each other, repeating, “Not my will but yours be done.”

Dear Lord, please bless and strengthen the prayer warriors and their families, as they push through this last week of Lent.  Give them the grace of perseverance needed to be a perfect reflection of your love!

Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet

Share His love. Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (Sculpted to Perfection)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

Have you ever pondered the deep faith of the persecuted? There are so many beautiful stories in the bible where those who endured hardships of every kind, never lost hope, never wavered in faith, and always trusted in the kindness, mercy, and justice of the Lord. 

When you have challenges in life, especially those that impact your marriage, take a lesson from a saint or two. Don’t trust God less, but rather more. Don’t run from the trial, but lean into it. Don’t try to solve it, but release it to the Lord.  

My child, stand by your agreement and attend to it, grow old while doing your work. Do not marvel at the works of a sinner, but trust in the LORD and wait for his light; For it is easy in the eyes of the LORD suddenly, in an instant, to make the poor rich. God’s blessing is the lot of the righteous, and in due time their hope bears fruit. Sirach 11:20-22

Lord, we are poor in spirit, make us rich in our faith. May we trust in your guidance as you lead us out of darkness. May we not complain about our trials, but rejoice that they are a result of your great love for us. May we not fear the hands of the Sculptor as He molds us in His image, but welcome the chipping away of all that mars and scars us. Jesus, help us trust in you more!

Pray for one another, that we all become beautiful reflections of Christ’s light, especially to our spouses.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Shine a little brighter and pass it on!

Pray for Families (Desolation and Consolation)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Most people plan out their lives.  They want to be married by a certain age, have X number of kids, have great careers, travel, and live their lives to the fullest. But rarely is that path a straight line and often there are roadblocks and detours. Sometimes, OUR plans are crushed. 

While I have been dealing with family medical issues, so have many of my friends. Some are in the sandwich generation, taking care of kids and parents, others just have unique family dramas and crises. What is so easy to lose sight of, is that the Lord has a plan for all of this. None of this is a surprise to Him.  None of it is without a higher purpose.

For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. 

Jeremiah 29:11

While that doesn’t feel consoling in the moment, how often have you looked back on trying events and seen the blessing? 

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

When in desolation, be consoled by the prayers we pray for you. May they lift you up! When in a period of consolation, rejoice and pray fervently for those in desolation. We are one in Christ, so let’s pray fervently for the benefit of the whole. May all be blessed!

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray for those experiencing difficult times and pass it on!  

Pray for Marriages (Surviving Basic Training)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Many marriages suffer because they became unyoked spiritually, or weren’t necessarily yoked to begin with. Rather than journeying astride, their relationship became a push and pull, creating a very unsteady gait. Re-syncing  can be very difficult, especially when one thinks perfection is changing the rhythm of the other. 

For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. John 4:44

It’s not our job to change or even convert our spouse. It’s the Lord’s. That’s a difficult pill to swallow if you are a control freak, and even if you aren’t! This where humility and surrender are required.  “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you. Take care of everything”.   

We are called to be a reflection of Christ in his love, his mercy, and his peace.  In his tenderness, meekness, and compassion. And most of all, we are called to pray for our spouse, calling down blessings and graces upon them. 

Our earthly life  is our basic training in the building of virtue. We are broken down so the Lord can build us up stronger. We are the little lambs he carries upon his shoulders when we are too weak to carry on. We can take rest in the fact that we never walk alone. 

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

Lord, we ask you to lift up the tired, the weak, the frustrated, and the discouraged. May your grace restore them, fortify them, and nourish them to forge ahead on their journey, especially in their marital relationship. Sustain them on their personal way of the cross, bringing them a “Simon of Cyrene” to help them carry on when they burden is too much. If it be thy will, send us to be a “Simon” for another, in true brotherhood and sisterhood. Help us to be a reflection of you, both inside and outside of our marriages.  Jesus,we trust in you, now and forevermore!

“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them [as their God]. Revelation 21:3

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Simon says, you can do this too. Pass it on. 

Pray for Families (Battling Confusion)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

These are confusing times. Families are facing challenges previously never even imagined. Lies are paraded around as truth. We have pronoun wars, gender wars, political wars, healthcare wars, religion wars, and border wars, just to name a few. All wars are meant to control someone or something. 

An acquaintance, whose daughter has cancer, is fighting with a healthcare system so that she can access her 13 year old’s medical chart. Mind you, the 13 year old doesn’t have email nor is internet savvy. Apparently, parent’s lose access to their child’s health records once they are 13 years old. Who is being protected?

Who is fighting for the children? The families? 

Some foster parents are struggling to keep a child from being sent back to a drug-addicted mother. Who is being protected?

Who is fighting for the children? The families? 

Vaccines with limited long term safety testing are often mandated for little children and babies. Parents are not being given full informed consent, nor can they sue a vaccine manufacturer if their child is harmed. Who is being protected?

Who is fighting for the children? The families? 

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

We are fighting for the children and the families. With prayer, fasting, and the rosary as our weapons, we are empowered to fight, to push back, and to hold our ground in defense and protection of the truth. By immersing ourselves in the Gospel of Truth, the Lord will give us the words and tools necessary for combat. Wield the power of prayer. Pray, pray, pray!

Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:13-17

The list of concerns is endless, but do not dwell in worry, instead,

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

Encourage one another in prayer. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Keeping Custody)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

There are some things that tear apart a marriage. An obvious one is adultery. However, there are other things that can wound a marriage, such as lust and pornography. Perhaps you’ve never considered the latter. In 1976, there was a famous Playboy interview with presidential candidate Jimmy Carter where he admitted he "looked on a lot of women with lust" and had "committed adultery in my heart many times."  It rocked the news at the time placing Jimmy in a very negative light. Unfortunately, today many wouldn’t blink an eye after such a statement. A change in the culture doesn’t mean it’s no longer a sin. Custody of the eyes is important as well as custody of the heart.

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna. Mark 9:47

Prevention is the best plan. Know your weaknesses, and stay close to the sacraments. Guard your marriage, invest more in your relationship, and fortress it with prayer.  

A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit.  

Psalm 51:12

Lord, we pray for the fortification and healing of marriages.  For all who have slipped into sin, grasp their hand to pull them out of the mire. Crush their desire for evil, forgive their offenses, cleanse them of their impurity, and guard their eyes and heart. Enkindle the flame of their marital love, that it may burn hotter and holier than ever before. May your unfathomable love and mercy be their only distraction. Amen.

But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed. Isaiah 53:5

Have faith in the one who can heal all. Jesus, we trust in You! 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray for unified marriages. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (A Path to Surrender)

Greeting Prayer Warriors,

We are a couple weeks into Lent, and it’s time for a self-assessment on how well you are keeping with your Lenten goals. No judgment here, as I am having constant missteps as I try to stay on track. I can’t even send this blog post out on time! Yet, we are all called to get back on track when we derail. 

Maybe you didn’t make any Lenten commitments? Recommit to praying for marriages and families, especially your own! Not good at fasting? Fast from what steals your prayer time. Reclaiming that time could be used to advance your journey to holiness, allowing you to be a more powerful witness to your family. It could also be used to increase your prayers for your family members. 

Lent is a time to surrender your will to God’s will.

“This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. 

Matthew 6:9-10

God has a big plan for your family, young and old. The hardest  part is trusting in it, especially when His plans and timing don’t align with yours, which seems to be the majority of the time. Begin each day, by renewing your desire and commitment to surrender your will to His.

In the morning let me hear of your mercy, for in you I trust. Show me the path I should walk, for I entrust my life to you. Psalm 143:8

Keep your eyes on God. Remember, you never journey alone. There is always a prayer warrior praying for you and your family!

Seek out the LORD and his might; constantly seek his face. Psalm 105:4

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Take a step forward in prayer and pass it on!