Pray for Marriages (A Visible Sign?)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Marriage is a visible sign of Christ’s love for his Church.  Are you seeing much love out there these days?  Would someone look at your marriage and see Christ’s love?

You are not alone. This is why we pray!

Be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9

Begin with a few steps.

• We need to make God our Love, versus “love” our god. 
• Instead of loving things and using people, we need to use things and love people. 
• Instead of constantly seeking to alter our lives, we need to altar our lives.
• Instead of living to work, we need to work to live as Christ wills us to.
• Make a commitment to pray daily and your prayers will lead you to a deeper commitment to your marriage each day.

 I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel with my eye upon you.  Psalm 32:8

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayer is an immeasurable gift that brings about change.  Pray for a marriage and pass it on!  

Pray for Families (Rising from Depression)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

On the road of life, the terrain differs widely.  We never really know what to expect on the journey, except the unexpected.  As we travel life’s daily path of mountains and valleys, the highs are spectacular and the low can seem endless.  One might be depressed for hours, days, weeks, or chronically. Almost everyone knows someone in his or her family suffering from depression. 

Why are you downcast, my soul; why do you groan within me? Psalm 42:6

Thus, when I stumbled upon this prayer that a friend sent me a while back, I decided it was worth sharing.  Let us pray for family, friends, or self, seeking the Lord’s intervention.   

O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for living close to You, we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things.

-Prayer Against Depression: St. Ignatius of Loyola

When praying this prayer for someone, ask the Spirit of the Lord to be upon that person, lifting them into His joy. 

Fill your servant's heart with joy, Lord, for to you I raise up my heart.  Lord, you are kind and forgiving, rich in faithful love for all who call upon you. Psalm 86:4-5

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Help someone to experience Joy.  Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Hard to Love?)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Those reading this blog must have asked themselves at least once, "Why is marriage so hard!?"  I've asked myself that question many times, but today I began reflecting on Christ as Bridegroom and each of us as the bride. "Is He, the heavenly Bridegroom, hard to love?" I asked myself. He certainly wasn't the object of widespread devotion and adoration while here on earth. Rather, He had to suffer, die, and rise again before He was given much heed.  Today, we treat Him more as a utility broom to clean up our messes than a heavenly Bridegroom to love. If we can't appropriately love Love Himself, is it any wonder there is so much difficulty in our marriages today?

Let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. 1 John 3:18

He is the Bridegroom, we are the bride.

He came to save us from self-love and pride.

Surrender self-love to the powers above

And ask to be strengthened by the Spirit, the Dove.

Let go of pride to be a good spouse,

And welcome humility into your house.

Serve, teach, and love with docility,

Then claim Christ as the gate to eternity.

For as a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; And as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you. Isaiah 62:5

Lord, we seek your hand to assist us. Help us to surrender ourselves to your will and be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Strengthen marriages, especially those in the hearts and minds of each prayer warrior. Teach each one of us to love and serve you through others. We promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. We promise to love and honor you all the days of our lives. Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Learn to love more easily.  Begin with prayer. Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Love, Strength, Forgiveness)

Blessings of the New Year, Prayer Warriors!

Peace to your heart, as you begin anew.  Rest in the Lord and learn to love the treasures in His heart.  Bring this peace into your family.  Pray with them and for them. Together, pray for the preservation of family as Christ intended it.

No one should ignore or underestimate the decisive role of the family, which is the basic cell of society from the demographic, ethical, pedagogical, economic and political standpoints. The family has a natural vocation to promote life: it accompanies individuals as they mature and it encourages mutual growth and enrichment through caring and sharing. The Christian family in particular serves as a seedbed for personal maturation according to the standards of divine love. The family is one of the indispensable social subjects for the achievement of a culture of peace.  ...Without the family humanity has no future; young people in particular need to learn the values that give meaning to life, they need to be born into and grow up in that community of life and love which God Himself desired for men and women. -Pope Benedict

All families need God. Every single one. We need His help, His strength, His blessing, His mercy and His forgiveness.  It takes simplicity to pray as a family, simplicity is needed…. -Pope Francis

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Start the year off right.  Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Resolutions for the New Year)

Greeting Prayer Warriors,

The New Year is almost here, so it’s time to decide whether you will make some resolutions for 2016 and what they should be.  Perhaps you are drawing a blank.  Let me help get you started, especially in regards to your marriage!

Pray more.  Prayer helps every marriage, often in unseen ways.  If you are single, pray for other marriages or for your future spouse. 

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Practice forgiveness.  For annoyances, breeches of trust, etc., seek resolution and then forgive.

Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not leave room for the devil. Ephesians 4:26-27

Seek Unity. Perhaps this will be the focus of your prayers.  Put God at the center and allow Him to do the heavy lifting. 

Preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3

Let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

Give thanks and praise to the Lord.   In honoring one another, we honor God. 

Rejoice always. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18

Lord, may your grace fall heavily upon these precious prayer warriors.  Where they are weak, their prayer is strong.  Richly bless them for their faithfulness to prayer, and may your ears be ever attentive to their requests.  Grant them peace, fortitude, and perseverance on whatever path you have placed them on and extend your blessings to their entire family.  May they praise You always and forever.  Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Help someone with their New Year’s resolution. Pass it on!  

Pray for Families (Christmas Presence)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at harvest, as they exult when dividing the spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, the rod of their taskmaster, you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for fire. For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:1-5

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14

Today, I will pray on behalf of you and your families so that you may remain fully present to them.  Merry Christmas!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayer is an immeasurable gift.  Be generous in your gifting! Pass it on. 

  

Pray for Marriages (Preserving Peace & Joy)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Peace & joy my friends!  Peace and joy!

The holiday season has its known stresses, but somehow as Christmas draws near, unforeseen marital land mines can explode.   The weaker the marriage is, the greater the potential for further damage to the relationship.  Prepare yourself so that your peace may be preserved and you may remain joyful.

Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. 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 6:11, 14-17

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Let’s pray with pure and humble hearts, that the Lord not only preserve our Christmas peace and joy in both marriage and family, but enhance it!  This will lead us to where we all need to be... Rejoicing!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Philippians 4:5

Praying you’ll receive these Christmas gifts:

Peace in your soul, joy in your heart, and Love everlasting,

Christmas Blessings to your and your family!

Janet

Share the God of Peace, so that all may experience peace in God. Pass it on!