Pray for Marriages (Faith and Virtue)

 Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Marriage truly is a miracle. Two people with 2 separate upbringings, 2 different family dynamics, and world views shaped by their unique life experiences, come together to become one.  And they believe they can! Undoubtedly, for such a union to last, it takes supernatural grace.

To leave one’s self-serving ways behind is hard. One hardly recognizes their self absorption until they have to give it up! What seemed like an endearing trait during courtship may later become a source of irritation. Compromise is a daily occurrence. Suddenly you realize that marriage is the Lord’s boot camp for couples, as he breaks each of you down so that He can build you back up in the virtues, molding you towards one mind and one heart.

I know, my God, that you put hearts to the test and that you take pleasure in integrity. 1 Chronicles 29:17

However, marriage can feel like a never ending test, and in a heavenly way, it is. No hardship comes our way unless the Lord ordains it. Hardship makes one feel weak and without control. Thus, the Lord tests our faith in Him. He calls us to surrender to His will, so that he can show us the path to unity and everlasting life. 

 “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” 

2 Corinthians 12:9

Lord, as each spouse (or even just one) seeks a deep, fulfilling union, show them the way. Help them see that with faith, all things are possible. One can’t truly appreciate the mountaintop if they’ve never spent time in the valley, but please make that time short!  Send rivers of grace to refresh them, sustain them, and quench their thirst for Love Everlasting. Carry them through the raging waters and assist them in the climb.  As they carry you in their hearts, carry them in your arms.  Hear our prayers as we trust in your merciful love!

His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power.  For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. 2 Peter 1:3, 5-7

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Keep praying for marriages!. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Reaching the Summit)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Everyone is searching for something in life. More adventures, more challenges, more quiet, more fun, more of everything, even if that means space!! Instinctually, the “summit” is the destination. We are hard wired for ascension. We think ascending means accumulating more. Yet, to rise up, we must pare down, letting go of the unnecessary.

Isn’t that how it is in the building of our relationship with the Lord? At first He seems out of reach, then we realize that it is not God who is far away, but rather we have distanced ourselves from Him. We look inward and come to a stark realization.

What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate. Romans 7:15

Again we are faced with the notion of letting go of what we thought were treasures. Until we unburden ourselves of our stubbornness, pride, bitterness, vanity, lust, etc., even “base camp” with the Lord seems unfathomable.

We look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

The Lord knows we can’t climb the mountain alone, so in His love, he comes down to us at the very first sight of our steps towards Him.  He immediately bestows us with gifts of grace. His disarming love breaks down our walls of resistance, resulting in our ability to release those things that suddenly seem unimportant. Surprisingly, we learn that when we aren’t carrying the unnecessary, we become free to accept the Lord’s embrace and assistance.

“Summiting” can take a lifetime, but God always remains by our side. Here is a sample of the final experience.

I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God,  Philippians 3:8-9

The Lord always grants us all graces necessary, so let us pray that we and our family members have the courage to take that first step!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Aspire to the summit! Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Longtimer's Syndrome)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Sadness covers me every time I hear of another marriage crumbling, yet I’m not overly surprised, since as the world becomes more agnostic, choices become increasingly about self. For if you aren’t living for God, basking in His love, striving to abide by his commandments, and seeking a blissful eternity with Him, what’s to prevent you from becoming a total narcissist?

Let the wicked forsake their way, and sinners their thoughts; Let them turn to the LORD to find mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. 

Isaiah 55:7

What grieves me even more is the number of marriages I hear of that break up after 20, 30, or 40 years! I see it over and over. Restless spouse syndrome, diverging interests, wandering eyes, midlife crises, and empty nest blues. Plus every nuanced variation in between!

I acknowledge the pain they are feeling and the desperation and loneliness they must feel. They need our prayers, for when haven’t we benefited from another’s intercessory prayers?! I strongly believe in the efficacy of our prayers, so let’s pray for all those married 20+ years!

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

Lord, we ask for an outpouring of grace upon “established” marriages. Help them survive the ups and downs of the college years, the transition to empty nest, the loneliness of disconnection, and the persistent togetherness of retirement. Bathe them in your love, and bind them tighter than ever before. Give the the hope they need to persist and flourish. Jesus we trust in You!

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus. Romans 15:5

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Encourage intercessory prayer. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Chosen and Appointed)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Most people, even the most successful, are racked with insecurities. They focus on everything they aren’t. Perhaps we would all be better served if we focused on the fact that we are “chosen”.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. John 15:16

We were willed into existence. God intentionally made 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! 

Psalm 139:13-14

Embrace your belovedness. Life is too short to focus on one’s shortcomings. Those are actually gifts that will lead you to humble perfection. Give yourself some grace. So when you or a family member are experiencing self-doubt, self-loathing, or any type of downward spiral,, remind them that they are chosen. They were made for a day such as this.  In Him, they can find their purpose and identity as a beloved child of God.

So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2

And  pray for one another, especially your family, as Christ prayed for us!

“I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. John 17:20-21

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Spread the love! Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (A Lifetime of Faith)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Saying “yes” to a lifetime with someone takes courage, and a lot of faith.  

The differentiating factor of success is whether you are putting your faith not just in your beloved but also “The Beloved”. For only God can seal and protect your marriage. Thus, you are at an early advantage, if you invite God not just to the wedding, but also into your marriage.

“Have faith in God.” Mark 11:22

During marriage, you will have numerous opportunities to lose faith in your spouse, especially when they don’t live up to YOUR expectations (often unrealistic). But never lose faith in God, as he is the bridge in times of divide. He will be your comfort when you can't find peace. He will still love you, when you feel unlovable. He can heal all that is broken. So hold fast to your faith.

We have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:2.

Trust in the Lord and do not flee from the crosses he grants you during your marriage. For such “gifts” can be an invitation to intimacy with Him. He always accompanies you, so that you never walk alone.  When you are weak, He is strong. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely. Proverbs 3:5

In spending time with the Lord, you will become more like Him, the best version of yourself. What better way to strengthen a marriage?

Living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ. Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth. 

Ephesians 14:15, 23-24

May we continue to praise God for all the times he has supported, healed, steadied, awakened, renewed, blessed, or resurrected a marriage. Keep praying, and keep the faith, and lead others to faith!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Pray for a lifetime of faith-filled love! Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Pruning for Maximum Growth)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Busyness seems to be the new normal. Work, family, personal life, and all the corresponding responsibilities put us on an endless hamster wheel. But that is not God’s will for us. Yet, sometimes it feels unavoidable. While staying active is good, when it gets to the point of squeezing out time for prayer, the sacraments, and God, it’s a problem. Perhaps we need to pause and reassess the “must do’s” from the “would like to do’s”. The “must haves” from the “would like to haves”. The “need to attend” events from the ”would like to attend” events. The “must join” clubs, sports, groups, or charities from the “would like to’s”.

Interestingly, nowhere in scripture does it mention that we find God in all this craziness. 

There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound. 1 Kings 19:11-12

Yes, he is but a soft voice in the silence. How often do we drown out His voice with endless activity?

“Be still and know that I am God! Psalm 46:11

He calls us to trust Him, versus thinking we can do everything and fix all our problems. Yet, are we willing to let go of our imagined control?

For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust shall be your strength. But this you did not will.  Isaiah 30:15

Lord, we have bought into the culture’s “more is better” on every level. We have such good intentions but often lose sight of our purpose: union with You. May our will be one with yours. We humbly ask for the grace of clarity in our lives, that we can prune the unnecessary so that we may fully bloom for You, and as a family become a beautiful bouquet. May we learn to seek the moments of silence, where our prayer can become an intimate conversation. You are our strength, refuge, and peace. May we forever tether to you. 

Transformation of family life begins with a yes. Pruning away the noise can bring about the most beautiful blooms. Help your family blossom. Pray together!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayer is a great fertilizer. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Food for the Journey)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

Sometimes, prayer in action must take precedence over prayer in writing or word. Perhaps you noticed my break in these emails, perhaps not. Either way, I hope you remembered to pray for marriage and family! 

Scripture readings lately have been filled with references to the "bread from heaven". No matter the length or strenuousness of the journey, his promise is to feed us through the Eucharist, his Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, the Bread of Life. How easy it is to forget that this fuel is there for us, daily if we choose.

When one experiences difficulties in marriage, turn to the Eucharist, where Christ gives you Himself.  

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. John 6:55-56

If you cannot get to the Eucharist, or are not a Catholic, turn to scripture to be fed by the Word. He will renew you and direct you in your journey. Hydrate yourself with copious amounts of prayer. One can never be overhydrated!

Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.  John 17:17

Lord, we pray prayers of protection, conversion, and transformation on all those marriages under attack, through division, derision, or extreme hardship. As you walk with each one on their journey, take their hands, provide encouragement, and lead them to calmer waters and greener pastures. May your constant presence refresh their souls and help them to persevere. Amen.

“I pray [...] so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us.   John 17:20-21

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Feed a friend! Pass it on!