Pray for Families (Preparation for Battle)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Depending on what news services you follow, you may or may not be aware of churches being burned and religious statues being desecrated. Add to that the destruction of marriage and family (as the Lord designed it), the hook-up culture, abortion, and lawlessness, and only God knows where all this will lead. We can surmise that it won’t be to a holier nation! Sometimes I think we Christians in the world are like frogs in a pot slowly being brought to a boil. The slow temperature (culture) change is so subtle that before we know it, we will wonder how we got in the pot!

A war is being waged for our souls and those of our family.  Anyone who has children of any age realizes this. We must be ready to fight for the souls of our loved ones and the soul of the nation. Now is the time to make sure you have all the armor of a warrior and are prepared for battle!

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. 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.

 Armor is not optional. You must equip yourselves for battle.  Read the gospels so that you may share His message of peace. Know your faith so that you will not be left vulnerable to the Father of Lies. Become righteous by amending your life and receiving the sacraments, especially the sacrament of reconciliation. Cleansed and clothed in Christ, may your ears and eyes be open to discerning truth and destroying lies and may you always stand in readiness to do the will of God. 

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 6:14-17

Additionally, place yourself under the mantle of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Always have a rosary in your pocket to pray, for it is our Blessed Mother who upon hearing your voice, will come to your aide and crush the head of Satan.

Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Ephesians 6:11

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

At-ten-tion!! Suit up! Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (One More Prayer)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now.

Romans 8:22

The need for prayer is endless. As the world goes a kilter, more and more marriages are being tested, stretched, and challenged. Oh, how I wish after over a decade of prayers I would stop hearing of marriages being put to the test and often crumbling!  Conversely, others are getting married with little thought to the challenges of marriage and the need for God. They believe that they are in control of their lives and subsequently begin on a path that leads away from holiness. Perhaps this is you, perhaps it is a beloved family member. For the lover of Christ, the pain felt for themselves or others is real, but when united with Christ’s, it gains supernatural efficacy.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. Romans 8:18

In these days of uncertainty, I ask all of you to persevere in your prayers and crank up the volume.  Can you add just one more prayer each day?  We will never know how many marriages were saved this side of heaven, but we do know that the Lord is faithful.  Not one prayer goes to waste.

The Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. Romans 8:26

My prayers remain with all of you. Continue to persevere!

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

Say one more prayer and pass it on!

Pray for Families (Sanctifying Wounds)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Have you ever said something that you deemed a neutral statement and been shocked and perplexed at the wounded reaction of the other? It’s amazing how easily we can be triggered when someone unintentionally (or sometimes intentionally) pokes at our emotional wounds, especially within the family. We are a wounded people, each and every one of us. Some may relish their wounds, using them as a shield, an excuse, or a badge of honor. Others may feel completely defeated by their wounds. It all depends on how one chooses to frame it.  

What if wounds are our strength rather than our weakness? What if the Lord has “gifted” each of us with wounds, so that we may realize how weak we are without Him who strengthens us? What if our wounds are His voice begging us to come to Him who is the source of all truth and goodness? He who bore all of our sins and endured all the resulting wounds, wants us draw near to Him so that He can hide us in His holy wounds and heal us. 

He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.  1 Peter 2:24

Lord, we cry out to you on behalf of ourselves and our family members. We each carry wounds, some of which are on the surface and some which we have deeply buried, for facing them is beyond our strength. You, however, are the Divine Healer, the Sanctifier, the Comforter, and the Redeemer. With your grace, give us the courage to come to you who longs to heal us both emotionally and spiritually. Hide us in your holy wounds and strengthen us for the journey. May our wounds be the source of our sanctification. Help us also to be mindful of the woundedness of others, so that your healing presence might shine through us, strengthening those around us. Jesus, we trust in your merciful love, and thank you for the gift of our wounds. 

“Come, let us return to the LORD, for it is he who has torn, but he will heal us; he has struck down, but he will bind our wounds.  Hosea 6:1

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

No one is without wounds and all are in need of healing, so pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (For Life)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Marriage is fascinating on so many levels. It is a commitment people make for life. Not many things are “for life” other than prison sentences for the worst offenders!  Even they have a chance at parole for good behavior! All kidding aside, the Lord created permanency of marriage for a reason. While there are many, perhaps one is because during our lifetimes, including during one’s marriage, there will be many crosses to bear. When they feel unbearable, the Lord doesn’t want you to flee from your marriage, but rather to flee to the shelter of His Sacred Heart. 

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shade of the Almighty, say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2

Crosses are heavy and painful, and on one’s own the instinct would be to drop it before it crushes you. or your spouse. However, the Lord wants us all to realize we never carry a cross alone. When yoked to Him, He carries it with you for even for you. He knows its weight as He carried it up the hill to Calvary.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 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 11:28-30

Let us pray for all marriages feeling crushed by the weight of their crosses.  

Dearest Jesus, you have the most tender heart that bleeds compassion and beats with an unquenchable love for us. May your love pour into the hearts of those who feel a lack thereof, especially when it comes to giving or receiving it freely within their marriage. Breathe new life into each one, cleansing their minds to see that “life”can be found in You. Strengthen their resolve to continue the journey, making smooth their path. As you walk with them, may they find delight in your kinship. Fortify them in the virtues, until they find joy in embracing their crosses and no longer find them heavy. Lord, bless all marriages, especially those which are the focus of each prayer warrior.  Jesus, we trust in You!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

You need never despair, for our prayers will blanket you with peace, joy, and love. Pass it on!  

Pray for Families (How are you?)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

How frequently do we say or hear, “How are you?”  Our reflexive answer is “fine”, as we assume the question was only asked out of politeness, not interest. If we sense a flicker of interest we want to pour out everything that is going wrong with us and the world, but quickly reassess and fight the desire to dump all.  Perhaps, if we pause and reflect, we may be able to answer more thoughtfully, focusing on what our lives look like when we embrace our blessings.

I am God’s beautiful creation, even on a bad _hair_  day. 

                                                                       (fill in the blank)

I am an instrument in His hand to be used for good, as long as I don’t keep putting myself back in my box of comfort. 

I am a light to others as long as I don’t keep shining it on myself.

I am God’s merciful love, if only I seek to overlook another’s imperfections (especially those that trigger me) and greet them with love, compassion, and forgiveness

I am truthful if I first acknowledge all of my own imperfections and seek to root them out with prayer, fasting, and the sacraments.

I am grateful if I give praise to God for yet another day of life to serve Him. 

Let us pray for each other and our families, that we may see that we are part of God’s beautiful creation. With His generosity of grace, may we attain the emotional honesty needed to count our many blessings, including the trials God sends to perfect us. 

You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works!  Psalms 139:13-14

May peace propagate within your families,

May your joy grow exponentially, and 

May He wrap you in the blanket of His love,

Janet

Positivity.  Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (Forced Togetherness)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

As COVID-19 lockdowns continue, and travel taken is primarily for essential business only, what many couples thought was a temporary inconvenience is now an uncomfortable reality. Can’t you picture all the scenarios? A couple frequently separated due to one’s business trips is initially excited to have more time together, but soon both realize their routines has changed dramatically and too much togetherness is no longer exciting, but frankly annoying. Another example is two working spouses now both working from home and battling over prime office space. Will self-denial and generosity reign?  What about the parents who not only have to work at home but homeschool and now entertain their bored to tears kids, all while having to control the noise during baby’s naptime?  Lots of fuel in all these examples. Will love be rekindled or torched?? 

I said, “I will watch my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will keep a muzzle on my mouth.”

Mute and silent before the wicked, I refrain from good things. But my sorrow increases; my heart smolders within me. Take your plague away from me Psalm 39:2-4, 11

When it is difficult to love through each day’s trials, meditate on the Lord’s UNWAVERING and UNCONDITIONAL love for you, even when your behavior is quite unlovable. Prayer changes hearts, so let’s continue to pray.

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands, for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:6-7

Lord, when we think we’ve lost control of a situation, remind us it’s because of our delusion in thinking that we ever were in control. However, we are always capable of self-control. Each trial you send is for our own purification and sanctification. Take our mustard seed of love, and help it flower and grow. Drench us with your grace that we may love through all difficulties, frustrations, challenges, and disappointments, and help us to persevere in prayer for one another. Help us to grown in patience, kindness, generosity, and self-control so that our marriages and those marriages we pray for may be continually strengthened in and through You. Hear the humble prayers of your faithful servants! Amen. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayer never returns to you empty. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Grace and Conversion)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Many of you have been praying for family members for a LONG time. Some of you may think that the Lord isn’t listening. Others can tell you that when God does intercede, He does so in a big way!  During years of prayer, the Lord is often working on YOU first. He will help you grow in humility, perseverance, gentleness, kindness, and self-control. Never lose faith!

Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 4:15

As you grow in holiness, your prayers become more powerful. 

The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. James 5:16

Lord, hear the prayers of your humble servants, as they beg for graces of conversion to be poured out on their loved ones. May your compassionate heart be moved to act earlier on behalf of those who have endured in prayer. Jesus, we trust in You!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray for one another. Pass it on!