Pray for Marriages (Future Marital Love)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

My young adult daughter was visiting this weekend and with it came the opportunity for me to see her friends, some of which I have known since childhood.  I love hearing about their journey of life; where they are now and where they hope to be.  One friend had just returned from being the Maid of Honor in a wedding.  While catching the bride’s bouquet used to be a prized feat, apparently that isn’t true today.  Her single friend related, “I saw the bouquet coming right at me and I was so flustered I dropped my beer!”  She went on to say that nobody wanted the bouquet.  “I’m not ready to take the step of living with my boyfriend yet, let alone marrying him!” she exclaimed. Several other friends discussed delaying marriage until they each had everything completely in order.  Living together was the middle ground.

While these sentiments are not unique to today, they are more common. It made me ponder the state of marriage today and in the future.  While it’s a good idea for both parties to be mature enough to enter into marriage, at what point does one become so absorbed in creating their own way of life that it becomes too difficult to compromise with another’s way?  As sex outside of marriage is commonplace and just a means of recreation, will true intimacy be possible within a marriage without first a change of heart? 

These are questions that I am not qualified to answer.  However, I do know though, that the youth of today need our prayers.  Out of love, let us continue to pray for marriage.

Set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, 1 Peter 1:13-15

God our Father, we give you thanks for the gift of marriage: the bond of life and love, and the font of the family. The love of husband and wife enriches your Church with children, fills the world with a multitude of spiritual fruitfulness and service, and is the sign of the love of your Son, Jesus Christ, for his Church. The grace of Jesus flowed forth at Cana at the request of the Blessed Mother. May your Son, through the intercession of Mary, pour out upon us a new measure of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as we join with all people of good will to promote and protect the unique beauty of marriage. May your Holy Spirit enlighten our society to treasure the heroic love of husband and wife, and guide our leaders to sustain and protect the singular place of mothers and fathers in the lives of their children. Father, we ask that our prayers be joined to those of the Virgin Mary, that your Word may transform our service so as to safeguard the incomparable splendor of marriage. We ask all these things through Christ our Lord, Amen.*

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayer is a beautiful gift that is priceless.  Be a generous gift giver and continue to pass it on! 

* Prayer In Defense of Marriage

Pray for Families (Finding True Delight)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

In the last week I have had two people very close to me die.  I am reminded that our time here is very fleeting. I am reminded of the importance of living every day for the Lord so that His will be done, not mine.  I am reminded of the importance of family and the value of prayer. I am reminded that people don’t often remember what you said, but how you made them feel.

LORD, let me know my end, the number of my days that I may learn how frail I am. To be sure, you establish the expanse of my days; indeed, my life is as nothing before you. Every man is but a breath. Psalm 39:5-6

Keep us humble, Lord!

The LORD is my strength and my shield, in whom my heart trusts. I am helped, so my heart rejoices; with my song I praise him.  Psalm 28:7

What makes each of us special is not the success and notoriety we achieve here on earth, but how successful we are in helping others know the Lord.  

I delight to do your will, my God; your law is in my inner being!”  Psalm 40:9

Can one sense the Lord’s presence in you?  Do they sense your peace even in the midst of chaos?  If someone only watched you and never listened to you, what would your actions teach them?

For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.  Matthew 6:21

Pray today for loved ones and family members who have passed away.  May a heavenly reward await them.  Pray also for your living family members, that with each passing day they may grow closer to the Lord. 

Lord, receive your departed children with warm, loving arms and a heart steeped in mercy. Jesus we trust in your merciful love!  May the living be forever changed by their life’s witness!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

One simple prayer can make all the difference.  One day you will learn why.   Say a prayer for another and pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Love and love)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Think of your spouse when you first met, or if you aren’t yet married, anyone you have ever loved deeply. What were your actions?  Were you so enamored with them that you wanted to spend every minute you had with them? Did you constantly seek to know EVERYTHING about them?  Did you feel you were the luckiest person in the world when you were with them? Did you hang on every word they said?  Did you think your bliss was heavenly?

In contrast, how much time do you spend with Love Himself?  Do you make time to get to know Him?  Do you listen to His Word, contemplating and meditating on everything He tells you?  Do you have a hunger to get to know Him more? Do you yearn for quiet to hear his still, soft voice?  Have you spent enough time with Him to feel how deeply He loves you? Have you experienced His tenderness?  Do you find peace in His presence?

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; For Love is strong as Death, longing is fierce as Sheol. Its arrows are arrows of fire, flames of the divine.  Song of Songs 8:6

Seek to more deeply know Divine Love, and take that fire into your marriage.  It only takes a heavenly spark to create an inferno.  May Love Eternal bless you in your marriage and keep the sparks flying!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Spend time with the Lord to keep the fires of love in your marriage burning brightly!  Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Love in Action)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Sometimes I find myself wishing I could love others more: family, friends, and strangers even.  I wish I was a walking example of Christ, but I fail miserably in that department.  Good thing love isn’t a feeling because I can tell you sometimes I’m just not feeling it.  Can you relate? 

I’ve learned though that love exists in being present to another regardless of feelings.  When you love someone unconditionally, it lets him or her know they have inherent value aside from their behavior, temperament, or situation.  (Or regardless of your own behavior, temperament or situation!) Our value comes not from what we’ve achieved, but from the fact that we are children of God, coheirs of the kingdom, not for what we have done, but for what He has done for us.  It is a gift; one amazing gift.

The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.  Romans 8:16-17

We reflect Christ who is Love, when we, like him are present to another.  We love through support, encouragement, discipline, listening, praying, and any action that is outwardly focused for the good of another.  We glorify Him in every sacrifice we make out of love for Him. 

So love my friends.  Love, so that your witness (actions) may transform another.   Begin in your family so that your family tree may bear fruit. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Love should always be passed along, just like this blog!  Take action and pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Sustaining it’s Life)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

To set and achieve a goal takes thought, preparation, perseverance and hard work.  Consider the effort it takes to earn a degree, get promoted in a job, or to master a skill. Strangely, to make a lifelong commitment to stand by and stay with another person encompasses only mutual consent.  There is little preparation, but instead lots of feelings and emotions. It’s no wonder so many marriages fail! 

Luckily, when we make a covenantal vow before the Lord, He honors it with a life enhancing net of supernatural graces. Often he will send us friends, family, or strangers to support us on our marital journey, encouraging us to honor our “I do”. Even when we feel isolated and all alone we are not, for the prayers of others obtain additional graces for us.

From now until February 7-14 is National Marriage Week. Most couples will agree that achieving a good marriage is a lifelong learning process.  It begins and ends with first working on oneself and then sharing one’s best self with their spouse.  This week, intentionally take time to work on your marriage, beginning by daily affirming your spouse. Then encourage someone else in his or her marriage and show gratitude toward a couple that has inspired you in your marriage.  Say a short prayer of “Lord, bless their marriage” every time you encounter a married couple.  Most of all pray that you may sustain another’s marriage through your prayers.

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”  Matthew 21:22

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Sustain the life of a marriage.  Pray and pass it on! 

Pray for Families (The Inconvenient Truth)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Have you ever been so content in what you were doing, that you didn’t care if it was good for you or good for others?  Certainly you didn’t want anyone to point out the error of your ways?  Knowing the truth would spoil the fun!

Teach me, LORD, your way that I may walk in your truth, single-hearted and revering your name. Psalm 86:11

When pondering the story of John the Baptist and King Herod, (Mark 6:17-28) my initial reaction is horror at the King’s behavior.  Yet, are we not at least in some small way like him?  Do we not prefer to be blind to our own sin and become angry and vengeful (at least in our hearts) when someone calls us to the Truth?

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ^* (by grace you have been saved), Ephesians 2:4-5

Lord, help us not to despise the truth when it is inconvenient and uncomfortable to hear.  Help us to be open and truthful with each other, beginning in the safety of our family circle.  Help us to be receptive to the truth and give us the courage to reform our ways. May we also speak the truth in love to others. Guide our families into all truth, we humbly pray.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Truth begins with love. Pass it on!