Pray for Families (The Sacrifice of Love)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

One of my coworkers was extremely stressed this week because her parents, who just moved from out of state to be near her, had some minor medical issues. At first I was perplexed at what seemed to me an overreaction, but when I stepped back, I realized that never having children (nor wanting them), she wasn’t used to sacrificial love. She was a first time parent to her parents and responded like any first time parent!!

Parenting is one of the hardest vocations on earth, yet also can be the most rewarding. It involves much sacrifice, and frequent denial of self for the good of the other.  When parents are sacrificial in attending to the needs of their children, or grown children are sacrificial in attending to the needs of their elderly parents, they are reflecting Christ, whose love was kind, gentle, and unconditional. Christ came to give us an example and to show us the way. Not so that we would have a cushy life here, but that we might have eternal life. 

I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. John 10:10

When we are challenged to deny our own desires for the good of another, it is a gift, as the journey strengthens and purifies us.  We will always fall short, but with the grace of God we can be renewed in perseverance and love.

He gives power to the faint, abundant strength to the weak. Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, they that hope in the LORD will renew their strength. Isaiah 40:29-31

Lord, as we all labor in these earthly pastures, we ask for special graces for parents, and those who care for them. When we are fearful of what lies ahead, may we contemplate your time in the Garden of Gethsemane, and like you, pray to the Father to have the courage and strength to do His Holy Will. When what we do for others isn’t appreciated, but instead taken for granted, may we not complain about the scourge of unappreciation but instead contemplate how little appreciation you receive. When our position of authority is disregarded and mocked, and as our hearts are pierced, may we meditate  on your crown of thorns and what you endured for us. When we are exhausted, may we unite ourselves with you as you carried the cross of our sins.  And if we find ourselves crucified socially, physically, or intellectually, may we turn toward you, knowing you have already won the battle through your death and resurrection. Father, strengthen us, and grant us the perseverance, disposition, and love necessary to expand your kingdom here on earth, especially within our families. Jesus, we trust in you!

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

Imitate Christ. Pray! Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (Encouraging the Vocation)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Satan can attack marriage in many ways. And it’s just not directly on the marriage.

God who created man out of love also calls him to love—the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. CCC 1604

So if you are the Evil One, and despise love, and despise marriage as it is the building block of society, what do you do? You keep people from ever wanting to get married!

We have all seen it; couples living together, but shunning marriage. Or couples preferring pets to children. Also, men never maturing to a stage where they want the responsibility of marriage or family.  Or, women so stuck on body image that they won’t consider carrying a child.

I am seeking sickness here, in need of some prayer!

“The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life.” CCC 1603

For in the image of God have human beings been made. Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on earth and subdue it. Genesis 9:6-7

Lord, as society has strayed from you, obscured any likeness to you, and have become very spiritually sick. You are the nurturer of our hearts, the One who kindles our love, yet several generations have shunned you, and anxiety has filled the void. We ask for an outpouring of your healing graces, as society is slowly awakening to new hope in you. Come quickly for all your lost sheep, and shepherd them back to your pastures. Revive the desire for marriage, that our society may be rebuilt on the Christian family.

Now to the unmarried and to widows, I say: it is a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do, but if they cannot exercise self-control they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be on fire. 1 Corinthians 7:8-9

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Don't waste a second. Pray without ceasing. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Growing and Sharing)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Do you know anyone who hasn’t experienced chaos, crises, or heart-wrenching hurt in their lives, whether momentary or long-lasting? I imagine not. No one leaves this life without having carried several crosses.

When faced with such heaviness and pain, we often cry out to Jesus, and wonder where He is. Doesn’t He hear us or know we need Him, like NOW!?

But of course He does! Yet we often treat Him like a broom that needs to clean up our messes, like a personal assistant who has to jump to our attention when we call, and like a transportation steward that needs to take us away from all we are dealing with!   

“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. 

Mark 6:50, 52  

What we truly lack, is faith in HIS PLAN for us.

He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:29-31

Like Peter, when things go wrong, we think God messed up rather than look to our own lack of faith and trust. His plan is to prepare us for heaven, while our plan is for a comfortable, uneventful life. So let us take time to pray for a greater gift of faith. Not just for us, but for our entire family and those of the prayer warriors.  

Lord, how often do we doubt you; your love, your care, your plan? We allow our suffering to harden our hearts. Lord, help us see all the good you do in our lives, so that our hearts may begin to soften. You, Father, love us unconditionally and care about our welfare and that of our family. Yet our faith in you is paltry. Increase our faith that we might believe, especially in times of hardship. Faith is a gift. Father, generously grant that our faith may grow exponentially, giving us a holy desire to share that gift. With gratitude, with praise and thank you. Amen.

Be still and know that I am God! Psalm 46:11

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Share the gift of faith. Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (Fruit-Bearing)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Have you noticed the new boldness of faith sprouting up again in this country, a land which has been spiritually parched for some time? Athletes are proclaiming Christ as their Lord and Savior, and others in the public spheres (some celebrities, social media influencers, etc.) seem to be finding their voice. The Spirit is moving! People are awakening to the fact that without the Son, nothing good will blossom, and good fruit won’t be produced.

The same is true for marriage. Without Christ, it will wither and fail to bear fruit.  It may not die, but it won’t know true joy, true love, true peace, nor will it find its true potential.

Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me John 15:4

Now is as good a time as any to do a self-inventory and check where your priorities may have shifted. Is Christ the center of your life and marriage? Or, has He moved into the periphery? Or worse, have you lost sight of Him all together? Perhaps it’s time to invite Him back in or renew your initial invitation? Are you bold enough to make Him a permanent house guest? Or, introduce Him to other couples who haven’t made His acquaintance or could benefit from an invitation?

What is the Lord calling YOU to do?

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. John 15:7-8

Lord, we come as humble and flawed warriors who call out to you. We often do what we want versus do what we ought. We are stubborn and weak, and when we wander from you, our strength to do what is right subsides. You see the good that we do, as well as the good we fail to do. You are Infinite Love that never leaves us, yet we sometimes walk away from you. We ask you to come into our marriages in a new, more profound way, awakening us to a new boldness of faith, hearts to love, and hands united to respond to your call. May we live out the Gospels, shining your light to others. Heal the wounds that make us doubt, and help us to see one another as You see us, beloved and precious in your sight. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayer opens the door to Christ. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Accompaniment)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

It’s been my pleasure these last couple days to travel out of state to see my elderly mother and accompany her to her doctor appointments. It’s also been very eye opening. NOTHING about her physician visits were senior-friendly. From the lengthy electronic check-ins, to waiting rooms that were poorly designed, to providers not pausing to make sure the senior understands, to giving them follow-up appointments a year out, (for what, a 2026  paper calendar?), they seem to have left seniors in the dust. For as much as our society loves to tout the importance of equity and inclusion, I saw none of it in regards to seniors. As everything becomes more electronic and app-based, even ongoing communication regarding chart notes can only be found online, it’s too much for even independent seniors to navigate. 

Now I know many of you understand this all too well, many having parents living with them or even being a senior yourself.  

I share all this as we pray for families. Let’s focus our prayers this week for seniors. May our prayers rise up in word and be displayed in deed, as we accompany seniors by offering more of our time and presence, including joint prayer time.

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. Psalm 73:23-24.  

Lord, bless the seniors, especially those ever closer to your embrace. Give us all the grace to be more present to them, exhibit more patience, and to become joyful advocates. Preserve their dignity, and bless them with many who surround them with love and care.  

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

Be a gift to seniors and be present. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Unbreakable)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

There are so many things that can add stress to a marriage, moving, having children, new or lost jobs, and financial disagreements, just to name a few.  Yet, I cannot even fathom the stress of those who have lost everything, especially the security of housing. While I am thinking about the California fires, this also pertains to those in war-torn areas around the world. 

Again I saw all the oppressions that take place under the sun: the tears of the victims with none to comfort them! Ecclesiastes 4:1

At a time when most couples need to join together in unity, often the opposite happens and they become divided. I feel called to pray for those couples, those marriages, facing absolute disbelief on the tragedies that just occurred, while struggling to find a path forward. Let us pray that rather than turn from God, they instead call out to God to give them strength, hope, and a fortified love. 

Two are better than one: They get a good wage for their toil. If the one falls, the other will help the fallen one. But woe to the solitary person! If that one should fall, there is no other to help. Where one alone may be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily broken. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12

Heavenly Father, comfort those couples suffering from devastation, allowing them to feel your heavenly embrace, reviving them in hope. Sweetest Jesus, give them the grace that in faith, they may rest in you, finding joy, even in the darkest hours. Holy Spirit, renew the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the holy fire of your love! Holy Trinity, open their hearts, obtaining permission to entwine yourself into their holy union, creating the unbreakable cord!  Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Faith, Hope, and Love. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Life in His Son)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Sometimes when we reread something for the umpteenth time, it hits us differently.

If we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

1 John 4:9-12

“God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” Contemplate that.

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats  my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. John 6:53-54

Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” John 6:60

As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. John 6:66  

(Note the symbolism of 666 as they separate themselves from eternal life.)

As we pray for family, inevitably we pray for their return to God, the Church, and the Sacraments. But until that time, our prayer can also be to offer up our receiving of the Eucharist for them, so that one day they may return to the Lord and have eternal  life.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Embrace the power of the sacraments. Receive, and pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (The Way to Perfection)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Occasionally over the years in my profession, when a team desired to give feedback to a boss, they would first come together as a team and using the format of “Stop-Start-Continue” as a framework, would make list of what they wanted the boss to stop doing, what they wanted the boss to start doing, and what they’d like the boss to continue doing as a leader. It was an effective and gentle way to provide group-to-boss feedback and help the leader in their personal development.  

I then amused myself by pondering how that might work 1-1 with a spouse. "Honey, could you stop leaving dishes in the sink, start putting them in the dishwasher, and continue to empty that dishwasher after its run?" Or vice versa, "Honey, could you stop leaving your hair in the drain, start cleaning it out daily, but please do continue to clean the bathrooms!" These conversations would not go well if we are only trying to perfect our spouse!

Honestly, I was most struck by the fact that these are conversations that we should be having with ourselves first of all, as “start-stop-continue” is truly the way to our own perfection. 

For example, consider a sample of what we are taught in Scripture. 

Stop:

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.  But now you must put them all away: anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths. Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator.  Colossians 3:5, 8-10

Start:

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. Colossians 3:12-14

Continue 😁 : 

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

As you pray, listen to the Holy Spirit as he guides you to what the Lord is asking you personally to stop, start, continue. Then please pray that the eyes and ears of our hearts are opened wide, and that we all become greater blessings in our marriages!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

For a stronger marriage, work on yourself! Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Resolving to Persevere)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Happy New Year! We’ve made it to 2025, and there is no stopping us now! The world is in need of prayer more than ever!

When I began these emails which flowered into a blog in late 2019, I was still a relative neophyte in prayer. Sure I prayed, but I must admit my prayer life has blossomed since then, as has my love of scripture. I hope that you too have seen the effect of grace as you’ve continued to pray for marriage and family. My own prayers surround your personal intentions, and my hope is that you have experienced some positive answers.

Persevere in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 89:2

In 2025, one of my spiritual  goals is to be more aware of His daily presence, unwavering encouragement, and the little gifts He gives that I notice and acknowledge all too seldom. With gratitude may I become more thankful, focusing on the good, as well as the greater purposes of the crosses He gifts me. I also desire to become more loving towards others. Sometimes it’s easy, but whenever I think that, the Lord brings me someone more challenging to love! Since I hate to work on resolutions alone, I challenge you to come up with your own spiritual goals or copy mine!!

Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Romans 12:11-12

Finally, persevering in prayer goes without saying, yet it takes time and focus, because the Evil One delights in interrupting our prayer time! He has learned how much our prayers form a mighty shield over our loved ones and he hates it! You are making an impact!   So…

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. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6: 11, 12, 16

May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Grow the army of warriors and pass it on!