Pray for Marriages (The Light of Faith)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

How often have you been in a situation where you said to yourself, “I don’t know what to do?!” How often in marriage have you asked yourself that same question?  I think most would answer, “frequently”.

 

Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Revelation 2:3-5

 

Sometimes it is hard to put on heartfelt love and compassion. Patience and kindness are intentional. Let us be mindful that the simple thing to do is often one of great effort. But it is exactly what Christ modeled for us. 

 

I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. John 13:15

 

Lord, help us never to grow weary of imitating your love, patience, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Give us the light of faith to persevere down the path you have ordained for us. We pray for the grace needed to be your light in the dark moments of marriage so that together we can bring hope and light to all those who dwell in darkness. Jesus, we trust in your unwavering love and mercy!  

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Light begets light! Be a flame in your marriage!  Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Healing of Body and Mind)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

As COVID -19 cases seem to be resurging in major cities throughout the US and world, it’s a good reminder to pray for our families, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ, for I imagine there isn’t one of you who hasn’t know someone affected. Let us pray for their physical health plus everyone’s mental health as tighter restrictions of gatherings are re-emerging. 

 

But for you who fear my name, the sun of justice will arise with healing in its wings. Malachi 3:20

 

Lord, we trust in your greater plan, but we ask for the grace to not waver. Protect our families, especially those who live at great distances from us, and if sick, renew them in their health and their faith. As anxiety and depression rise, call each softly to rest in your Sacred Heart or the Immaculate Heart of you Mother. Anchored to you, we will survive all tempests.  Bless each member of our families and shine the light of faith into their hearts.  Find the prayers of your humble servants pleasing and both hear and answer them.  Jesus, we trust in you! Amen.

 

Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? Luke 18:7-8

 

May the Lord answer our prayers and increase our faith!

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Continue to talk to Him who always listens. Prayer is a conversation that the Lord never tires of! Pass it on!  

 

Pray for Marriages (Sailing toward Heaven)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

 

During the homily at Mass on Sunday, the priest gave an enlightening description of the physical space in the church which I’d like to share, understanding that the space in your church may be different.  He said that the tabernacle on the altar represents heaven. The gates at the communion rail represent the gates of heaven. The nave, where the parishioners sit, represents the ship sailing towards heaven.

 

This description created a beautiful image. I visualized a ship with the winds of the Spirit filling its sails and journeying toward the Divine.

 

As I contemplated “church” my mind wandered to “domestic church”, which is the family home. If God is welcomed into our home and our marriage, He becomes the captain of that ship. However, it is not usual for any ship to experience great tempests. I next envisioned some spouses jumping off the ship (free will), and others while under the influence, falling off, but those who remained were carried to their heavenly destination.

 

You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

 

Storms within any church are difficult to weather. Let us pray that as the winds of change, the tsunami of life, and the quakes unsettle us, we may keep our eyes fixed on the Lord, and continue to allow Him to captain our ship. We pray that by focusing on His loving gaze we may never desire to leave and jump ship. May we become intoxicated only by His unwavering love and fidelity. Lord when we are nauseated by the rocky seas that swirl around us, may your hand calm the waters and bring us healing and peace. We surrender control. Come Lord Jesus, be our captain! 

 

“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them [as their God]. Revelation 21:3

 

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

 

Heavenly hope is something to be shared. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (The Leaven of Prayer)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

What a week! Never a dull moment! The election news and all that surrounds it is impacting the psyches of many.  Add to that the uncertainty of what the nation’s future will be, and you have a recipe for anxiety, depression, and confusion. Yet, there is a recipe that steals the leaven from the former and instead gives rise to peace, joy, and love, a balm for the soul.

 

Prayer is a yeast that will lift the downtrodden. During these times, let us pray for peace and healing within our families while meditating upon God’s Word.

 

Lord, there is much that worries me, help me to find rest for my soul.

 

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

 

Help me to let go of the anxieties that oppress me.

 

Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

 

Lord, be my shelter from all that swirls around me and robs me of my peace.

 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.  John 14:27

 

But the world seems topsy-turvy Lord!

 

I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” John 16:33

 

Lord, forgive us our trespasses!

 

With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you.  Jeremiah 31:3

 

Praise and thanksgiving to Him who never abandons us. May we never abandon Him! Renewed by faith, may your prayers for one another continue to rise!

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Be the leaven in the world! Pass it on!  

Pray for Marriages (The Eternal Crown)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

Many of you are aware that November 2nd is All Souls Day, a time to pray for the dead. My heart turns toward loved ones who have passed. However, since I have developed the habit of praying for marriages on Mondays (I hope you have by now too), I am reminded that our job as a spouse is to get our partner to heaven. Perhaps that means not only praying copious prayers during the marriage, but ongoing prayers of supplication for our spouse upon their passing. It is the rare person who dies a saint, for we are all sinners, so let us amplify our prayers!

 

 I encourage everyone to pray for souls all month long, until it becomes a habit, at which point you won’t want to stop!  A priest said it best when he exclaimed, “There are no ingrates in heaven, so if you pray for souls today, they will reward you once they get to heaven!” So, for those of you who thought, “If I my spouse dies first, who’s going to pray for me?” you now have your answer!

 

Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out.  If he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought.Thus, he made atonement for the dead that they might be absolved from their sin. 2 Maccabees 12:42, 44-46

 

Since nothing unclean can stand before God, let us pray for the cleansing purgation of the dead, so that one day they will be with God forever in eternity.

 

If you need a prayer to get you started, here is an excellent one written by St. Gertrude.

 

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

 

Keep praying for marriages too, so that one day each spouse may be given their glorious crown in heaven!

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Prayer is a gift of eternal value. Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Finding Truth)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

 

We are on the precipice. Of what, I am not quite sure.  I sense change is coming, but in what capacity?  Now is not a time for worry, but a time for hope.  We have a Savior who is loving, merciful, and never leaves us. Thus, if we don’t feel close to Him, guess who moved?!  Perhaps the change coming is the winds of grace to move us closer to Him.  Have you moved away from Truth?  Would you recognize Truth? What about your family members?

 

With a bombardment of messages from all forms of media, how does one discern the Truth?  One begins by turning off and turning away from all that useless noise.  While your anxiety may temporarily rise from the “withdrawal”, it will quickly lower if you open scripture.  Scripture is the Living Word, the Word made Flesh.  

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

 

Spend time in the Word and you will come to know The Truth. Spend time with Him and you will know Peace.  You will no longer worry about the number of “likes” you are getting on social media, because once you experience Love, “likes” will not satiate.

 

Pray for yourselves, that you may be grounded in The Truth.  

 

 “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

 

Pray for your family, especially those who have strayed from Truth and no longer recognize it.  May grace abound and the ears of their hearts be open, allowing them to recognize the voice of the Shepherd.

 

I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. John 10:16

 

We must pray for our country, a positive result in the election, and the preservation of our freedom to love and serve the Lord. Vote!

 

They promise them freedom, though they themselves are slaves of corruption, for a person is a slave of whatever overcomes him. 

2 Peter 2:19

  

Pray for the unity of all God’s children which is only possible in Him and through Him. 

 

Living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ. Ephesians 4:15

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

I hold you in my heart, you who are all partners with me in grace. Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (Strength in Numbers)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

 

Marriage is a journey that the Lord has mapped out for each one whom he has called to this vocation. He draws couples together through love and then creates a path of “perfection” for their journey together. He blesses many with children and while children are a source of joy, they also are sources of our virtuous growth.  And my oh my can it be trying to grow in the virtues!  

 

Be fertile and multiply. Genesis 1:28

 

This week, let pray for younger couples who are expecting their first child or those growing their family. 

 

Lord strengthen and nourish these couples for the journey. Bless them with the grace and wisdom to stay the course, discipline their children, and protect them from all that is destructively alluring. Give them the fortitude and perseverance needed for the sleepless nights with sick children and those who may have special needs. And throughout their journey, let not these couples drift apart, but rather be the third strand, forever strengthening them.

 

And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. Ecclesiastes 4:12

 

Finally Lord, show them the power of prayer and make them warriors!

 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

 

Prayer lifts hearts!  Pass it on!