Pray for Marriages (Fear of the Lord)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

When I was a child, there were many things I didn’t do out of fear of my parents.  I knew my parents all too well.  I never doubted their love and ability to discipline, and that fear and my own love for them was a positive motivator for me to refrain from evil.

This makes me contemplate fear of the Lord.  It is not necessarily fear as we know it, but rather awe of the Almighty. When you are in awe of someone, do you not want to imitate and please them?

Thus all who dwell on the earth shall know, all who remain in the world shall understand, that nothing is better than the fear of the Lord, nothing sweeter than obeying the commandments of the Lord.  Sirach 23:27

Yet, one cannot fear Him whom they do not know, thus how can they know the sweetness of God?  As individuals and married couples, we are called  to continue to build our friendship with the Lord so that in knowing Him, we may become imitators of Him and grow in intimacy with our spouses through Him who dwells in us.

“ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother [and be joined to his wife], and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”  Mark 10:7-9

Do you fear the Lord enough to follow His commands?  Do you ever try to convince Him that you know best?  Can you truly bear to disappoint the One who loves you to death?

Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere mutual love, love one another intensely from a [pure] heart. 1 Peter 1:2

Obedience to the truth and the desire to follow it, calls for a heaping dose of prayer, so let’s beseech the Lord for such a holy desire.  Pray much for marriages, especially those struggling the most. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray for greater fear of the Lord, for He is Awe-some! Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Supporting the Elderly)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

As I’m spending a few days visiting my elderly mother, my heart and mind goes to all those who have unexpectedly become caregivers of a parent or two.  It is a beautiful act of love, one that mirrors the love and caring those parents gave their children.  But with it comes a lot of self-denial, as frequently the adult children caregivers still have kids who need them or they have to suppress their empty-nester dreams.  The elderly don’t grow out of their neediness, rather it only progresses.  Yet, the elderly resist each step of losing their independence, combatting change. The decisions regarding next steps in time become more complicated and emotional.  

Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the old, and fear your God. I am the LORD.  Leviticus 19:32

All which seems so difficult, so much to bear,  always becomes lightened by the prayers of others that pull down the grace of God.  It also is eased by the encouragement and help of others, even from the smallest of kind gestures. 

Let’s pray for the aging and all their caregivers.  

Lord, grant patience to all who are tending to their elderly parents and grandparents. May they exhibit your love, compassion, and tenderness.  Bring them joy and sustain them in their journey.  Comfort the elderly and eliminate their fears.  Bless all families and may such times of self-giving bring them ever closer, not just to each other, but to You. Amen.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray, encourage, support, and pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Transformation and Renewal)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Do you love secrets?  I have one. While I pray for the virtues of patience, humility, and charity, (just for starters,) I hate that the Lord keeps using my marriage as a means to perfect me!! The Lord tends to put us with the spouse we need. While I acknowledge that opposites attract, the qualities that attract you to your spouse can be the same ones that irritate you decades later. They end up being virtue-producing qualities!

How is the Lord calling you to grow? Are there temptations you are trying to avoid? Are you challenged with fidelity, chastity, or gluttony? Anger,  impatience, sloth? Too much indulgence or excess in work, play, or other? What causes friction in your relationship? If you kept yourself from reacting to the argument and instead did some self reflection, what would you see?

We need to become conscious of our psychological defects before we can begin to grow in virtue. While it’s important that we first see ourselves as a precious son or daughter in the eyes of God, it’s indeed painful to see how far we are from becoming who we were made to be. Unless we are reflecting the image and likeness of God, we aren’t there yet!! Lord have mercy! 

Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

Spend some time in prayer asking the Lord to help you see what needs to change for you to become a better person and thus a better spouse. (The answer can’t be changing your spouse!)

Lord, help our marriages to flourish. May we take constant self-inventory of where we are falling short, not to self-flagellate, but to grow in humility as we daily surrender to your Divine Will. Transform us by the renewal of our minds! May we never fail to accept the endless love and mercy you desire to give us each moment, each day. Thank you for clothing us with your peace, even in the midst of our daily chaos. Our hearts overflow in gratitude!  Jesus, we trust in you. Help our unbelief!! Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Transformation and renewal begin with assent! Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Eliminating the Golden Calves)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

When I was younger and heard the story of Exodus, in which God led the people out of Egypt through his servant, Moses, followed by Moses being given the Ten Commandments on Mt Sinai for all the people, I imagined it must have been an incredible time to live and to witness the goodness and mercy of God.  However, I was alway a bit dumbfounded as to why the people who were so grateful to God suddenly created a golden calf to worship when Moses was absent for a while.  It seems like such ingratitude!  

They have quickly turned aside from the way I commanded them, making for themselves a molten calf and bowing down to it, sacrificing to it and crying out, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!” I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Exodus 32:8-9

Yet, I look at our culture today and realize we aren’t that different. We have made many golden calves of our own. As we have slowly pushed God out of our culture, it has devolved, and few consider that Sunday is the Lord’s Day. Now instead of worshiping God, we worship self!  

The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they may not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

How have we worshiped self?  By leading a life whereby we hope everybody gazes upon us! We can have an over-emphasis on health and beauty, draping ourselves in the latest designer fashions, and artificially molding our bodies so that others would adore us. Let’s not forget that we often have to take those selfies and glorify ourselves by posting them so many more people can worship our body and envy our lifestyle! 

Perhaps that’s not you. Maybe the golden calf that replaces your physical presence in church or daily prayer time with the Lord is sports attendance/participation/viewing, a long time favorite Sunday Golden Calf for many.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14

There are many versions of the golden calf as the devil love to set subtle snares. A little self-reflection can help you identify yours. Pray for eyes to see. The Lord always awaits us with open arms, and a heart overflowing with mercy and love. We only need to turn to Him.

Pray this weekend for the spiritual health of your family. Resolve to change what you can, and be a true witness to others. You never stand alone. 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Change starts with self! Pass it on!  

Pray for Marriages (Heavenly Guidance)

 Greeting Prayer Warriors,

For those married any length of time, there are many times the relationship is at a standstill. For those not married, you know of couples, perhaps the ones your pray for, who have reached an impasse or even a stagnation. There doesn’t seem to be a clear direction of the way to go. Yet, we each have a heavenly helper we often forget about: our guardian angels.

Everyone has at least one. They were given to us to protect and guide. When you are frustrated, lonely, confused, broken, , or at your wit’s end, call upon your guardian angel for guidance.

Do you know the Guardian Angel Prayer? Perhaps you regularly pray it, haven’t prayed it since childhood, or never learned it. Add it to your prayer arsenal! It is short and powerful!

Angel of God, my Guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day (or night) be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go. Psalm 91:11

Heavenly Father, thank you for our heavenly angels who serve us so faithfully. May your legions of angels continue to protect marriages, especially those of our dedicated prayer warriors and all those they hold in their hearts.  Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Share the prayer.  Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Living Prayer)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

The importance of prayer and making time for it isn’t lost on anyone who reads this. However, everyone has experienced days where squeezing in all your obligations and desires is quite challenging. Thus, I love the sentiment St. Vincent de Paul shared with his followers, “If a needy person requires medicine or other help during prayer time, do whatever has to be done with peace of mind. Offer the deed to God as your prayer.”

Let’s never forget the value of such “prayer in action.” Be intentional this weekend and be more focused on being truly present for your family. Eliminate all that unnecessarily distracts you.  Help the elderly, assist the children, listen to the lonely, and pray for eyes to see the less obvious needs of a relative.

As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10

As you practice actionable prayer this weekend, you just may be the earthly angel someone was praying for. Your words and deeds will praise God, and the world will become a better place.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Encourage another to live their prayer life. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (With Whom Are You Battling?)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

When you’ve been married for decades, you can ponder all the phases you've journeyed through, all the joys, as well as all the times you’ve wanted to give up. You may question, why did the Lord put me with this person? While some may say that people aren’t made to be with just one person their whole life, the Lord stands by his design, that marriage is between one man and one woman, until death do they part.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the LORD.  Isaiah 55:8

That is a true statement from Truth Himself! Who can understand the mind of God?! Without His grace, marriages probably wouldn’t last more than a couple years. As each changes over time, the traits in your spouse you found so charming at first become the traits you find so annoying later! Yet, who are you really in battle with, your spouse or yourself? Come, Lord Jesus and show us the way!

The LORD will fight for you; you have only to keep still.” Exodus 14:14

Our real difficulty isn’t uniquely with our spouse, but with letting go and letting God.  It’s with loosening our grip on pride and creating space for humility to grow. For only in giving more of ourselves to our spouse, are we able to make space for the blessings and graces the Lord wants to bestow upon us. It’s acknowledging that we don’t trust God enough to think he knows what’s in our best interest.

Lord, 

Whatever prayer or petition any may make,…who know heartfelt remorse and stretch out their hands toward this house, listen in heaven, the place of your enthronement; forgive and take action. Render to each and all according to their ways, you who know every heart; for it is you alone who know the heart of every human being. 1 Kings 8:38-39

Lord, see the desire of our hearts, and have compassion. Hear our prayers for one another and for all marriages. May your graces overflow to those in dire need, while still being abundant for all those striving to keep in your Divine Will.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Encouragement is always needed. Pass it on!