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! 

Pray for Marriages (The Cobblestone Road to Holiness)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Nothing is as beautiful to God as a soul crying out to Him. Perhaps He has been waiting for that very moment when a beloved child realizes how much he needs the Father. How often in our lives have we ignored God until we hit a breaking point, and then our soul reawakens and we cry out to the only one who truly loves us unconditionally, our Lord!

This can happen at any time in life, but especially in marriage. One finds their “true love”, pushes God aside, has their “dream wedding” and neglects to invite the Lord, and as the honeymoon phase wanes, reality begins. Or, one does invite the Lord to the wedding, but the “seven year itch” wasn’t in their plan!  Riding on cobblestones no longer seems romantic and the journey becomes unpleasant. Who was expecting so many bumps? Love becomes harder and as the feelings fade, love transitions to a conscious act of the will. We learn that love is a choice, and we must choose to love, as true love is an action. The road to holiness has begun!

Since my heart was embittered and my soul deeply wounded, I was stupid and could not understand; I was like a brute beast in your presence. Yet I am always with you; you take hold of my right hand. With your counsel you guide me, and at the end receive me with honor. Psalms 73:21-24

Let us pray for all those marriages traveling on the cobblestones and rocky roads in life. May their souls reawaken to all the Lord has waiting for those who love Him. Curb their desire to flee, and help them fall in love with Thee. For it is in loving You, that they will receive the grace to reflect Your love to their spouse and find a love reignited.

We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Though my flesh and my heart fail, God is the rock of my heart, my portion forever. Psalms 73:26

May the Lord bless all of you for your faithfulness!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Say a prayer; help a marriage. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Prayer and Scripture)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Change is hard, whether it’s developing a new habit (e.g.Daily prayer time) or breaking a bad one (e.g. Too much screen time). It starts with a desire, and then a commitment to move forward one day at a time. But then there is the forced change, usually dictated by employers or the culture, such as keeping up with technology, changing your vocabulary to comply with current dictates, and learning AI. 

Most of us have dealt with unwanted change, but AI is still new to most of us.  While no one can argue its utility, I remain concerned about just who is programming who?  

While we can’t always halt “progress”, we can commit to being guardians of our family, especially when it comes to technology and the ever changing cultural “norms”. However, we must be informed and  grounded in the Truth. It starts with a foundation of prayer and scripture. 

The Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. John 16:13

Lord, help us discern, find moderation, and never fear speaking the truth in love. 

Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Lord, grant us wisdom, that we may reflect your love and truth within our families. Help us to teach and listen. Guide us as we build like-minded communities of prayer, to strengthen, protect, encourage, and hold us accountable, especially when we feel weary and alone. May our Guardian Angels remain at our sides, to light and to guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

And your ears shall hear a word behind you: “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:31

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Build your community to strengthen families. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Understanding and Perseverance)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

We have been praying for marriages for a long time, and graces have been abundant as a result of that. You may have been praying for a particular marriage, perhaps your own or a loved one’s.  Maybe you saw the effect of your prayers, maybe not. However, if I’ve learned anything in life, it is that God’s timing has little resemblance to MY (preferred) timing. We often pray thinking that if we follow a specified formula, we will get what we want. But then when that doesn’t happen, we question God. WE knew what WE needed. How could the answer be silence or inaction? 

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 

Matthew 7:7-8

This can leave us confused. But the Lord does answer. Perhaps He first tests your faith. Then he may test your commitment to your marital vows. He may even take the opportunity to help you grow in virtue (understanding, patience, perseverence). He may even help you remove the beam from your eyes!* He is pouring out gifts to you, but you don’t notice because they weren’t what you asked for, but He knew they are what you (or your spouse) needed. “Everyone who asks, receives!” He is opening the kingdom to you, but preparing you first!

Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Romans 12:12

He never wearies of your voice, your prayers, and your petitions. In fact, he delights in them.

Lord, we admit, that we can sometimes become weary in prayer, as we wait in anticipation of a response. We sometimes feel hidden, neglected, and unheard. Help us to understand that we are always seen by a loving Father who never loses sight of His children, are loved by God beyond human measure, and that every murmur and sigh of ours is heard with clarity by our Lord. Help us to see our spouse with the eyes of the Father. Grant us the patience with our spouse the Lord provides to us. Finally, help us to persevere in prayer with an unwavering trust. Be generous with your gift of faith. You are our strength, Lord, and we will always trust in you. 

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

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Belief is born of prayer. Keep praying and pass it on! 

* Matthew 7:5