Pray for Marriages (A Special Calling)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Being in the workforce has its challenges. One must deal with a plethora of trying personalities, learn to collaborate, yet strive to separate and highlight your accomplishments for advancement. No matter how difficult the day is, you always know you can leave that environment once your shift ends or the work is done.  

Marriage, however, is uniquely different. Those who the Lord designates for marriage are called to a special vocation through which they are serving the Lord. While you may also serve the Lord through your profession, in marriage you serve the Lord by honoring your spouse. It’s not a 9:00-5:00 shift,  but a 24/7 lifetime. It is not a space where you brag about your accomplishments, but rather one where you humble yourself, and unify as a team in collaborative harmony. This is in spite of any disagreements, snarky remarks, or self-serving behaviors.

My child, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, and do not be impetuous in time of adversity. Cling to him, do not leave him, that you may prosper in your last days. Accept whatever happens to you; in periods of humiliation be patient. Sirach 2:1-4

Anyone who has been married for any length of time knows that self-denial on behalf of another can be both challenging and rewarding. Serving another is difficult when you are not in the mood, tired, and you too are in need of nurturing. You can easily expand the list, but could you endure and persist without collective prayer on your behalf?  

Woe to timid hearts and drooping hands, to the sinner who walks a double path! Woe to the faint of heart! For they do not trust, and therefore have no shelter! Woe to you that have lost hope! What will you do at the Lord’s visitation? Sirach 2:12-14

Raise your hands in prayer, kneel in humility, and simply pray for marriages. You will be blessed with a daily refreshment of grace, that will embolden you in faith, and hope, and shelter you in love!! 🙏🏻

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Each prayer matters. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Divine Guidance)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Life is a series of decisions. Some bring joy, some bring regret. With spiritual maturity, we eventually learn that if we wait on God, listen to His voice, and follow His will, we will have peace with our decisions. 

Of course that sounds so easy, but it definitely has a learning curve. We may hear the Lord’s voice within our hearts, in scripture, or through others, or even in other ways. However, sometimes we  hear the wrong voice and are misdirected. 

Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

So when personal or family decisions go haywire, don’t self-flagellate, but humble yourself and return to prayer.  In time, your discernment will improve and God’s voice will become more recognizable. 

Every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world. 1 John 4:3

Lord, help us to hear your voice. Shepherd us as we attempt to guide and lead our loved ones towards holiness, toward You. As we read your Word, help us to be attentive to your voice. May our own voice decrease, and may Yours increase. When we are seeking affirmation, awaken us to the many ways you speak to us. Bless us and our families, and may we find peace knowing you always accompany us on this journey. Jesus, we trust in You!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Be still, listen, and ask Him who to share this with. Then, pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Facing “Climate Change”)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

When one marries, they are in awe of the love they’ve found. Their new love continues to blossom and grow as they nestle into a home and lovingly dote on one another. Then change enters in, perhaps after the birth of a child, or 2 or more. The focus is redirected, but  love broadens, and the roots go deeper.  However, unexpected climate shifts such as droughts (financial strains), monsoons (external family demands, sickness, deaths), and earthquakes (trust issues) can pressure test the relationship and make one question whether there is unity or division.   

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus. Romans 15:5 

In time, the house empties again. Some look at their spouse and question why they didn’t nurture that relationship like they did in the beginning. Others look in the mirror and realize they lost themselves somewhere along the way. Still others so wholly embraced their parental role at the expense of their spousal role, that they feel lost and alone as an empty-nester.  

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

Yet there are still those marriages who are a beacon of light, who kept their number one their number one, and are subsequently having fun and enjoying new adventures with their spouse. Praise God for their witness!

Wherever you are on the journey, know that the Lord walks with you, guides you, and will renew and refresh you. He will be your joy and your peace if you let Him.

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

Lord, you always bestow special graces on marriages, because they are designed to reflect the love of the Trinity. Bless all newlyweds and help them build a firm foundation of love in You. Grant the virtues of endurance and perseverance to parents of expanding families. With every climate shift in marriages, send your angels to soften the soil to allow for the roots of their love to grow even deeper. Help empty-nesters to rediscover their true identity in You. Finally, bless those marriages that so deeply reflect your love, while nurturing back to health those marriages that have lost their way. Amen.

For nothing will be impossible for God. Luke 1:37

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

Shelter in place in His loving arms. Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Igniting Faith)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

As I watch the MLB play-offs, I stumble upon these passages, and how I want to believe!

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

On so many levels we are called to faith! While I await for the realization of my hoped for outcome in the play-offs, I have even greater hopes for my family members. 

Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Luke 11:9

Lord, help us to never lose faith and be the spark that ignites those family members without faith. Keep our hopes high, especially when we tire of knocking. Grant us the grace to persevere in prayer, seek your will, and never tire of interceding for our family members (and ourselves)! For it is by faith, we may know of your love, compassion, and mercy. Be our strength, every second, minute and hour, for without you, we can do nothing. We praise your enduring love! Hear and answer our prayers! Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Ignite the faith of another. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Making Room to Love and Pray)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

While I took a week off from blogging, I hope that you didn’t take a week off of praying!  

Praying takes commitment. Praying for marriages takes desire! It seems easy enough, but without a routine, it easily gets delayed, pushed aside, or forgotten. We must ask ourselves, when we miss our prayer time, what is truly filling that space? Of our time stealers, can any of it be considered useless baggage? 

Next, what is taking time away from investing in your marital relationship? Material baggage? Emotional baggage?  Frivolous activities? Ask the Lord to help you see what needs to be tossed aside, because it may be less obvious than you think. Maybe it’s your lack of faith, your frustration in prayer, that makes you gravitate towards the “useless baggage”?

How long, O LORD, must I cry for help and you do not listen? Habakkuk 1:2

The Lord’s timing is never ours. We pray for one another’s marriages because everyone hits a dry spell every now and then. We pray that all  persevere in prayer and become more virtuous spouses. 

 I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone. 1 Timothy 2:1

Lord, abundantly bless this group who has been praying for such a beautifully long time. We praise you for the many fruits received as a result of our collective  prayers, yet still  petition you for an avalanche of graces, especially in those marriages most in need. Strengthen us for the journey, that our commitment may not waver in prayer or in marriage! Help each of us to become a beacon of hope for others, as we lift our voices to you in endless thanksgiving. 

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. Ephesians 1:18

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Your prayers delight the Lord! Pass it on! https://simplyinspiredprayer.blogspot.com/

Pray for Families (Prayers, Redemption, and Praise)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

We have many hopes and dreams for our family members. Our love demands the best for them. Yet, we don’t get to decide the circumstances of their adult lives.

Life is a series of choices. The Lord knows what our choices will be, good or bad. But regardless, he can turn the worst of choices into good. For He is God, and we are not! I have both heard stories about and directly witnessed bad choices that result in bad things, yet in time, and with the patience, the prayers, and the faith of supportive family members, the Lord weaves bad situations into beautiful new outcomes. He can make everything a redemption story!  

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

Let us praise the God who never gives up on any of His children!  

Yours, LORD, are greatness and might, majesty, victory, and splendor. 

1 Chronicles 29:11

Lord, while we doubt and worry and fret about loved ones, give us the faith we need to trust in you, the wisdom to give you all of our worries, and the patience to wait upon Your timing. We praise you, Jesus, for your tender love, enduring patience, and unparalleled fidelity to us.  

Praise the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures forever; Praise the God of gods; for his mercy endures forever; Praise the Lord of lords; for his mercy endures forever. Psalms 136:1-3

Sing praise, sing praise! Jesus we trust in You!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayers fuel change! Pray without ceasing and pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Fulfilling God’s Plan)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

My inspiration comes from many places, but when I was drawing a blank as to what to write, I prayed. I remember hearing part of Erica Kirk’s speech at Charlie’s memorial. She spoke so  eloquently about God’s call for marriage, that it seems appropriate to share a few excerpts here.

“To all the men, [...] embrace true manhood. Be strong and courageous for your families. Love your wives and lead them. Love your children and protect them. Be the spiritual head of your home.“

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. Ephesians 5:21-23

“But please be a leader worth following. Your wife is not your servant. Your wife is not your employee. Your wife is not your slave. She is your helper. You are not rivals. You are one flesh. Working together for the glory of God.” 

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. Ephesians 5:25-26

“Women, [...]  be virtuous. Our strength is found in God's design for our role. We are the guardians. We are the encouragers. We are the preservers. Guard your heart. Everything you do flows from it. 

With all vigilance guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life. Proverbs 4:23

“There was no keeping score between us. We were a team working together for the same mission. I never wanted to be the one standing between Charlie and the task that God prepared for him.”

In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband. Ephesians 5:31

Lord, our Savior,  help us let go of our stubbornness, pride, selfishness, and anything else that stands in the way of us being a good and holy spouse. May we embrace our marital oneness by uplifting  one another, working in tandem and challenging the other to live a life for the glory of God.  Send us torrents of your grace, for we are weak,  Be our strength, as we trust in your merciful love!

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

Encourage one another and pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Living the Gospel)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

Pondering the life of the Apostles, I have greatly underestimated how difficult their role in spreading the Gospel must have been. There were no Christians when they started other than Jesus’ early disciples, thus the resistance they must have encountered to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is unimaginable. 

Fast forward to today, and many are still hostile to the Gospel. It’s hard to speak publicly about Christianity. Thus, I admired Charlie Kirk who worked to bring Christian values back onto college campuses, by showing kindness and compassion, and speaking the truth in love. Like Christ, many were changed by his witness, while others hated his gospel message and the call to transform their lives. 

Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain. 1 Timothy 3:5

Indeed, preaching the Gospel is an age-old challenge, but one that is powerful when lived out loud. Of note, those who knew Charlie were changed by his actions and who he was, not by his words alone. In many ways, he radiated Christ. We must too, for that is what will transform the hearts of our loved ones, especially family members.  

Yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me. Galatians 2:20

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

He must increase; I must decrease.” John 3:30

Prayer will get us there. Don't let up!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Lord, make us good disciples!🙏🏻 Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Healing and Unification)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

It’s  been quite a week of happenings, and I imagine many of you are still processing all that you have read, seen, and heard. What God allows is hard. Yet, senseless death is incomprehensible.

Satan is trying to create division via his many minions, yet, by overplaying his hand, people are starting to unify. All should feel safe to travel on public transportation without fear of being murdered. All should enjoy exercising their freedom of speech as guaranteed by our constitution without repercussions. While many are stunned, even more are silently hurting. When refugees get stabbed on trains, and those who speak of God’s love and the importance of marriage and family get targeted, what is one to think?  

Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. 

Luke 6:21-23

May all of you hear God’s call to prayer. While He calls us to pray for the grieving spouses, children, and families of those who were murdered, He also calls us to pray for all those in this world who are suffering due to the loss of a friend or beloved family member. 

Lord, have mercy on us all, your beloved children!  Guide us to truth, love, and forgiveness, and bring back the joy we have lost. May we praise your merciful love, and never fear to speak truth, now and forever.  Amen. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Be bold! Pray for the saints and the sinners! Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (The Great Surrender)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

God’s ways often defy logic. Perhaps that is because He is above logic, boundaries, and outside of time.  He does what is loving and just, even if we don’t understand it.We may rebel, scream in defiance, and secretly think He doesn’t understand, defaulting to following our own will.  Do we not sometimes feel that way? Does it cause us to silence the voice of God and the promptings of the Spirit, especially in marriage?

Consider Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  His head told him to leave the pregnant Mary, but as an honorable man, not to bring her shame. Yet, in the end, he followed the will of God, even though it was contrary to what a respectable Jewish man would have thought to be proper.  He knew to stay, he may have been ridiculed, mocked, and shamed along with Mary, for she obviously was pregnant out of wedlock. Yet, his trust in the Lord prevailed.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. Matthew 1:18-20

You may know of marriages, perhaps even your own, where your whole being is telling you to leave, move on, sever ties. You may think many of your friends and family would truly understand “the why”. Yet, what if the Lord asked you to stay? What if you looked like you were crazy to stay? Quite the dilemma? Ask St. Joseph to pray for you, that you too may know the will of God. 

Let us pray for those seeking to understand God’s will in their marriage. What might He be asking you to change?  

Lord, you have placed each of us on a journey, one of seeking, discerning, and endless surrender to your Divine Will. In your mercy, be generous with your grace, remove the darkness that clouds our intellect, and soften the hardness in our hearts.  Help us to first change ourselves before we beg that you change the other. May we intercede in prayer endlessly on behalf of our spouse and our family, and may you grant us the humility to surrender our will to Yours. Jesus, we trust in You!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Lord, have mercy on us, and grant us the grace to conform to your will! Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Finding Joy Along The Way)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

As I watch the world evolve daily, it looks so very different from the one I grew up in and I am not quite sure what to feel. However, I do worry for the generations behind me.  As much as I appreciate some of the evolution, I don’t care much for the revolution. Many things I find quite distressing, such as there seems to be a growing lack of common sense, lies are called truth and truths are called lies, the youth are taught what to think, not how to think, and historical norms are being replaced by immoral ones. While that may be one level of stress, add to that your daily challenges, unexpected roadblocks, unplanned detours, and before you know it, “life” is stealing your joy! 

But we aren’t going to allow that to happen, for we know the source of joy!

This week, I am going to ask that each of you focus on praying for your own family’s needs, including your own. Do an inventory of where each family member needs God’s blessing and direct your focus there.  Spend each day in prayer, petitioning the Lord, while also thanking Him for all blessings. And when you are feeling down, never forget the good news.

“Behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10

We have great cause for joy! We have a Savior, who atoned for the sins of ALL of mankind. He loves us and will never leave us. He is our help, our companion, and our strength.

Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place of your dwelling, That I may come to the altar of God, to God, my joy, my delight. Then I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. Why are you downcast, my soul? Why do you groan within me? Wait for God, for I shall again praise him, my savior and my God. Psalms 43:3-5

Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and there you will always find joy. Soon, the storms of life will become but a passing distraction in comparison. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Keep on praying!  Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Sufficient Grace)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Family Life occasionally has ”bookend” moments,  times of simultaneous caring for the young and the old.  Understanding truly begins when you give birth to your children.  You never could have imagined how much work a new baby would be, as it feels impossible to carve out time for even a moment to yourself.  Fast forward.  Many of you now have aging parents either living with you or under your supervision.  Time with them is so precious, but can be as draining as a new baby.  It’s as if the Lord trained you up in self-denial early on, so you would be able to exercise patience, nurturing, and tender loving care for an aging parent (or two)!  

The human heart plans the way, but the LORD directs the steps.  

Proverbs 16:9

When these bookend periods overlap, it can feel overwhelming, but remember, each cross given is a gift.  It is through the cross that we lean into Jesus as he walks with us.  He asks that we trust in Him and let go of the reins.  He will guide us and bless us with all the graces and virtues we need to move forward, if only we humbly acknowledge our weakness, for it is in emptying ourselves that we receive. 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” 

2 Corinthians 12:9

He gifts us too with supportive friends, family, and even acquaintances, as well as personal prayer warriors!  Prayers are like helium, they lift us up and prevent us from falling!  

A glad heart lights up the face, but an anguished heart breaks the spirit. Proverbs 15:13

So pray for one another, especially for those caregivers with an anguished heart.

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

May their hearts be gladdened and their spirits be continually lifted through our prayers!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayer never takes a vacation.  (Even if this blog does!) Keep it up and pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (6G Experience)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

You probably know about and even use 5G because you want great connectivity. But have you heard of 6G? It has the largest network and delivers amazing and reliable connectivity in one’s marriage.

Foundations of 6G

God - King of Connectivity - He towers above all; reaches every soul

Grace - Wireless; penetrates the heart and mind when obstructions are removed 

Gratitude - Necessary for uninterrupted service

Giving - Builds the network to secure solid connections

Growth - All to the above cause growth to both the receiver and giver

Glory - Improved communications build stability, and connectivity perfects. Shouts of glory reach the main tower.

[It is] only God, who causes the growth. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:7, 9

In other words, God must always be our foundation if we are to grow. Even if only one spouse is doing all the praying, invite God into the relationship, even if He was previously kicked out, never invited, or ignored. Pray for the grace necessary to improve connectivity to your spouse, but also offer to your spouse the grace of patience, understanding, and forgiveness, especially during disagreements or when you find their imperfections annoying! Give willingly of your time and attention. Show gratitude to your spouse through acknowledgement of all they do and appreciation for the blessing they are, being specific.  Such generosity leads to the spiritual growth of each spouse. Then, when you realize you improved connections not just during the hilltop experiences, but also in the valleys and deserts, you’ll know you’ve reached the 6G experience because praise and glory will spill forth from your lips and reverberate to the heavens.

For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:9

Help others have a 6G experience. Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray! 

Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power! Revelation 4:11

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Increase connectivity within your network. Pass it on!  

Pray for Families (A Companion for the Journey)

Greetings  Prayer Warriors,

Today is the feast day of the Assumption of Mary, thus I feel impelled to celebrate not only that the Lord gave us earthly mothers, but He gave us his own mother! 

“Behold, your mother.”John 19:27

Jesus wanted all of us to receive all the love, tenderness, compassion, and guidance that he experienced from his mother on earth. What a gift! 

Consider all those who lost mothers in childhood, were abandoned at birth, had mothers with addictions, mental disorders, personality defects, or spiritual wounds that resulted in unwarranted harshness, neglect, and inability to love. Reflect on those who mourn the loss of their mothers at any stage of life. Add those who feel alone and misunderstood as single persons, parent(s), widows, or divorcees. Only one who has suffered greatly, like the Blessed Mother, can understand such suffering, and walk with you through it. She is a mother of consolation, kindness, and love.

“Most blessed are you among women.” Luke 1:42

One of great humility, she will gently build you up in the virtues.  

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness." Luke 1:46-48

She will lead you to great holiness!

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38

In doing so, she will guide you to Jesus.

The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 

Luke 1:49

Will you accept Christ’s gift to you, His own Mother?

Ask the Blessed Mother to pray with you to Jesus for all your family’s needs and the desires of your heart. She will delight in your request! And so will the Lord!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Keep praying, especially for family! Pass it on!