Pray for Families (Unity Trumps Division)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Be on alert about those who seek to divide you. Satan loves division. He has many minions, as so many inadvertently have drifted from God and right into the comforting words of the devil. “Be you. Nothing is wrong with following your passions.” 

Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain. 1 Timothy 6:3-5

We all experienced the havoc and division Satan facilitated over the v@ccines. Families became pitted against one another where previously the subject matter was inconsequential. But what’s next? Some Catholics are now being labeled violent extremists, Jews are being demonized, and Christianity and its values are under serious attack. Laws are changing, unbeknownst to most people. No longer is it beyond the realm of possibility that targeted religious persecution could be next, for such will become labeled “intolerant” and “haters”. Not to be alarmist, but will there come a day when family members will be coerced into turning one another in?  

Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. Matthew 10:16-18

We need to remember whose we are. We are the sons and daughters of the Most High King. We must claim our identity before we are assigned a new one.

Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. Matthew 10:32

Claim your royal identity for you are heirs of a heavenly kingdom.

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

Stay united in Him, and together you can avoid the snares of the devil. Pray the Unity Prayer* on behalf of yourself and your family.  It is said to blind Satan**. What is better than that?  

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Keep praying! Pass it on!

*Unity Prayer

**Jesus said, “Through this prayer, Satan will be blind and souls will not be led into sin. ( p.25 Flame of Love by Elizabeth Kindelmann, OCDS)

Pray for Marriages (The Grace of a New Year)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Happy New Year! May this be a year of blessings!

Many love to celebrate the turning of the calendar as it represents a fresh start. Missteps, mistakes, bad choices, traumatic events, were last year. Now is a time to make a commitment to change/begin what is within your power. Then pray to God for the grace to make the needed changes, the perseverance to continue, and a commitment to daily prayer.

“Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5

Maybe you aren’t one for resolutions. Perhaps you have a need to reconcile with God.  Are you angry with Him? Is there distrust?  Disappointment? Are you feeling unheard in your prayers for marriage and/or family? Are you questioning His love for you? Now is a good time to reconcile with the Lord. Find a quiet space and pour out your feelings to Him. He is a great listener. Do an examination of conscience and acknowledge where you have failed. Allow His mercy to wash over you. Resolve to keep the conversation going. 

In the morning let me hear of your mercy, for in you I trust. Show me the path I should walk, for I entrust my life to you. Psalm 143:8

As you welcome the Lord by your side, continue to focus on your marriage starting with your behavior. Share your love, diminish your arguments, snuff out resentments, increase your affirmations, and resolve to be a light for other marriages. 

What an amazing start to a new year! Let us pray for one another that we may take the first step and keep moving!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayers of praise, gratitude, and thanksgiving are a wonderful way to start anew. Pass it on! 

Pray for Family (Embracing His Love)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

Merry Christmas!  I hope you were able to have some cherished family time! 

My wish for you is that you don’t deprive yourself of celebrating all twelve days of Christmas! Continue to meditate on the Nativity. Draw close to the infant Jesus and note the peace that emanates. Ask for a share in His peace, especially in the areas of your life that lack it. Look at the faces of Mary and Joseph, close your eyes to contemplate their joy and astonishment at being in Christ’s presence and struggling to grasp that they were chosen to be His parents! Pray for a share in their abounding joy! Glance back at Jesus, and feel the purity of His love for you as He reaches His arms toward you, hoping you will partake in a mutual embrace. Let the Lord hug you, and ask Him to fill you with His unfathomable love. These are the treasured gifts of Christmas!

Like Mary and Joseph, many of us were called to be parents, either by birth or adoption. Jesus enters into our parenthood too, preparing (and repairing) the way! His presence shines forth through our newborns, as they reflect His want of our love and His trust that we will give it. As our children get older our love endures because it has matured, while they may not have! In Christ’s perfect wisdom, he draws us to perfection through them, readying us to support them as they too will be called to the purpose of His Will.

The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ. 2 Titus 11-13

Thank you for another year of lifting your hearts and voices in prayer. May God bless you all abundantly while he gives you the grace to pray without ceasing! May God be praised! I humbly ask that you keep me in your prayers, and as always, you will remain in mine.

Peace, Love, and Joy,

Janet

Keep the faith. Keep praying and pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Hope Restored)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Discouragement comes easy; it seems to bubble up with no effort! Hope, conversely, does not. It takes a deep faith in the divine power of God, in his perfect timing, and in his deep love for us. It demands the gifts of patience, endurance, and perseverance. Hope can feel like forty years in the desert, yet it is important that we continue to pray and pray and pray. Read the following scripture with your name. 

“Do not be afraid, [Zechariah], because your prayer has been heard. 

Luke 1:13

We often are praying for relatives, spouses, children, in-laws, or friends. Patience in prayer is difficult, yet the Lord promises us much.

He will turn many of the children [of Israel] to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.” Luke 1:16-17

God’s love for his children is timeless, because they are His! He never stops seeking the lost sheep and he often sends human shepherds/messengers. You may be a messenger for another. Make time to listen in prayer. The Lord asks much of us, but always sustains us in the missions He gives us.  We must journey on with hearts united to the Lord's.

Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. Romans 5:5

As we pray for changed hearts, let us pray for the gift of hope, endurance, perseverance, and most of all faith.  

Lord, continue to re-energize us as we fade, renew our flickering hope, and help us be a beacon of light, a sign of hope to those in most need. Amen!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Encourage those falling into despair! Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Following a Favored Path)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

In my mind, I am all-in in following the Lord! Yet, I often wonder and perhaps you do too, if my resolve would crumble if I was really challenged?

I seek inspiration from the stories of Mary and Joseph. Looking at them as individuals and as spouses, they are models for both a virtuous life and a good, holy, and happy marriage. 

In life, we are often unsure of what the Lord is calling us to, as was the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

“Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 

Luke 1:28-29

But docile to the Holy Spirit, Mary humbly accepted the invitation to bear the Messiah, even knowing that people would whisper about her pregnancy in a culture that could shun her and much worse. Yet, she remained patient, and charitable, looking inward to the Lord for strength. 

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38

Likewise, Joseph, troubled and knowing he wasn’t the father of Mary’s child, also accepted the will of God.

Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man,  yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 

Matthew 1:19-20

The Lord always gives confirmation and the tools to fulfill His will. Docility, humility, righteousness, endurance, perseverance, gentleness, temperance, patience, kindness, charity, are just some of the fruits of the Spirit Mary and Joseph were blessed with. By all appearances,  they were also given the gifts of faith, wisdom, knowledge, and counsel. 

Pondering their life, what have we to fear in surrendering to God’s Holy Will?

Spend this last week of Advent in prayer, and ask for something special to happen in your marriage, or another’s marriage that you keep in prayer. Ask for an outpouring of spiritual gifts to help strengthen marriages and to fortify them against all that seeks to divide them. Seek also the fortitude to walk in the path of Mary and Joseph, seeking to fulfill the will of God, and to draw the Savior ever closer. 

St. Michael, be our protector and defend us in battle! Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, pray for us!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayer builds fortresses against evil. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Rejoice!)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

This 3rd Sunday of Advent is called "Gaudete" (Rejoice). Let us rejoice at the coming of the Savior.

In general, we don’t seem to spend much time rejoicing. Yet, when we see Christ living in our family members and friends, we should rejoice! When we see Christ’s reflection in our coworkers, we should rejoice!  When we experience Christ through a stranger, we should rejoice! 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Let us spend this Advent striving to radiate the joy of the Lord to others, that they may rejoice! Let us pray that our family members may experience the joy of His presence around them, rather than seeking many presents before them. May from the depths of their souls, they experience the awe of our Savior, and rejoice in His glory. 

We saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Keep shining His Light! 

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray much, talk little. Pass it on!

Pray for Marriages (Fully Focused)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Skimming scripture can be quite dangerous. When I thought I was reading “Sow for yourself justice, reap the fruit of pity,” I started to smile. But then I realized the word was “piety”. I was connecting more with pity; self-pity which is much easier than piety, just not as edifying.  

A partial focus on listening can also be quite misleading.  How often have you pretended to be an active listener with your spouse when in reality you were multi-tasking, only catching some words, and missing the entire context?  It wouldn’t be surprising if an argument or misunderstanding resulted.  

In this season of many distractions, don’t be distracted from people, especially those you love. Lean in. Engage more with your spouse, and tune in, finding more ways to connect versus allowing disconnection. And most importantly, pray together if possible. If that’s not possible, but rather the intent of your prayer, then may prayer be your primary distraction! 

Forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus. Let us, then, who are “perfectly mature” adopt this attitude. And if you have a different attitude, this too God will reveal to you. 

Philippians 3:13-15

Self assess, be merciful to yourself and others, seek what is above, especially through your actions to those here below, such as your spouse. Continue to pray so that one day you may both fulfill God’s Holy Will for your marriage, and finish the race in victory.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Everyday is brighter with prayer. Pass it on!