Linda has prayed with me and brainstormed this concept many times. As a way to check my priorities at the beginning of this year I started re-reading a book directed toward finding our purpose. The other day the Lord brought clarity to some concepts that I hadn’t been able to put in words. Here is what He brought to mind.

Our purpose is not unique to each of us; only the way in which it is lived out is unique. We all have exactly the same purpose. That is to bring glory to God. In Ephesians we are told we “exist for the praise of His glory” (Eph 2:12). Pretty clear description of our purpose. Our attitude and actions in our everyday lives determine whether we fulfill that purpose. When I’m working on tasks that I sorely dislike, do I give thanks to God as Paul instructs? “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess 5:18) It’s difficult to rejoice and be negative at the same time. Choosing to rejoice doesn’t come naturally when we’re doing things we don’t like, but that is exactly what gives glory to God. The enemy loses much ground when we choose to have a positive attitude and give glory to God no matter what our situation is.

Fulfilling our purpose also is not a “big bang” kind of thing. It unfolds each time we choose to follow Christ’s path. At a funeral recently the person’s son said his dad once told him in a difficult situation, “do the next right thing”. Each choice we make that is aligned with God’s thinking is one more step in fulfilling that purpose. Part of my struggle is that I have an image of how I think I’m supposed to fulfill the passion that God has placed in me and my current situation in life doesn’t allow me to follow that path. But if my true purpose is to give glory to God, how better to do that than to have an attitude of praise and thanksgiving even in the struggle. And who knows if the vision I have will slowly develop from the situation I’m in. I do know that it won’t if I stay negative and resentful. By being in an attitude of praise and thanksgiving we stay open to positive outcomes, and we give God glory at the same time.

“We are the aroma of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” (2Corinth 2:15) A friend had her mom make me a beautiful scarf for my birthday and sent it all the way from Denmark where she lives. When it arrived it had the fragrance of lavender. Her mom had soaked it in lavender as she dyed the material a special color just for me. For days I would bury my face in the scarf and breathe the sweet, relaxing aroma. The lavender smell has faded, but she is having her mom send me a bottle of the oil so I can refresh it. We are like that with God. Just as the lavender soaked into the material, the essence of God soaks into us when we spend time with him. It doesn’t last though without being refreshed. We have to soak ourselves in His love, in His word, in relationship with Him through conversational prayer, in order to refresh His fragrance in us. When we do that, each time we enter a room, the aroma of Christ enters with us. Our smile speaks His name, our words encourage with Holy Spirit anointing, our handshake is the handshake of Christ.

I pictured a ring that continues endlessly. Our purpose is to give Him glory. That purpose is fulfilled naturally in us through our daily lives only when we’ve spent time with Him to absorb His essence, His “essential oils”. And being in the world wears out the fragrance, so we spend more time with Him and give Him more glory and spread His aroma. And the cycle continues. And wouldn’t you know it, one day at a time, one simple act of love and encouragement at a time, one “next right thing” at a time, our purpose is fulfilled.

My prayer is shifting with this concept from “what is my purpose?” to “how do I fulfill my purpose?” And how do I merge the passion that He has placed in my heart with the activities that are part of life’s demands right now? Have you struggled with some of these same things? Would you pray with me as we join together in surrender to His purpose and His fulfillment of that purpose?

Lord, you have created us for the sole purpose of giving you glory. We humble ourselves before your throne and ask forgiveness for the times our attitudes and actions haven’t aligned with that purpose. “Create in us a new heart”, soften our hearts, infuse us with your fragrance that we would be your aroma in the world. Whether our situations seem more challenging than we can bear or we are in a “sweet spot” right now with life being pretty easy to handle, give us an attitude of praise of thanksgiving. If it’s tough, hold us close. And if it’s pretty easy right now, protect us from getting casual about you. Teach us simple ways to give you glory in our everyday lives. And fulfill the passion that you’ve placed in each of our hearts for your Kingdom work. Open the doors that need to be stepped through, break down walls that are holding us back. Free us Lord to walk the path that you have laid out before us. Through it all, one day at a time, we give you all the glory and praise, Lord of all the earth.

A friend of mine, Sister Leonella, was a missionary in Uganda, establishing educational systems and prayer groups. One day when she was home for a visit, I asked, “You know I travel around the world speaking to Catholic groups. What should I teach God’s people?” Her voice was strong and the message was clear: “Teach them to love, and to shed unlove.” Isn’t this what Lent is all about? Saying yes to God, yes to love, and no to the enemy, unlove?

So I pray for you, and myself, that the Lord will get that message into our very soul: To love and shed unlove. An experience I had in Northern Ireland some years ago, has some important lessons in this regard. I was the leader of a team conducting a healing service in Derry and on our preparation day I missed a personal family appointment set up by Brendan, my host. My team and I had gone to the north coast to meet a priest and were late returning. My host was furious. Walking along the street in Derry, he said stiffly, ‘I brought you here for a day of healing and love and you haven’t demonstrated that love. I am sorry you came!’

Well, I huffed and puffed in self righteousness and tried to shift the blame to my team. ‘It’s not all my fault’, I proclaimed. A short snort was his only response. Then the Holy Spirit got my attention: ‘Linda, just die’. (Die to unlove.) We know the scripture: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20).

Just die. If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this: When God asks us to do something, he releases the grace to do it. That moment in Derry, the grace was there. My rigid wall of self-righteousness dropped away like a dirty garment. I turned to Brendan and told him I was wrong, and I was sorry. I asked for and received forgiveness. Then the Holy Spirit began to move.

In our evening of preparation prior to the event, love and forgiveness and tears flowed among us. We were a pure team, a united team. At one point Brendan turned to me and said, “Linda I see a ball of fire in your hands tomorrow. There are going to be miracles.” And oh, the mighty miracles flowed the next day in our amazing crowd in a community hall in Derry, which included people who had bussed in from Belfast. (I learned later that we were padlocked in from the inside to keep out the terrorists.) More than one person reported to Brendan that they saw the ball of fire in my hands. Marriages were healed. Babies were healed. A youth group was formed. Oh the power and the beauty and the blessings that poured out. Wow, what a lesson.

Oh Father God, let this same Spirit be poured out on those reading this message. We come to you in humble trust, hungry for dynamic encounters with you. We want to love and shed unlove. We are your beloved, blessed and broken. We long for more of your spirit, and yearn to hear your voice. Remove the dividing walls, the stone cold barriers. Help us to recognize and deal with the things that block the love force of your Spirit. Help us to repent, forgive, and then watch your Spirit move like it did that day in Derry. Thank you Lord. Amen.

To love and shed unlove. To shed: to remove something unwanted. To let go of the things that are not love. Knowing we are so deeply loved, we can do this.
It’s a safe place, with Jesus. In his generous love-light we can see our need and recognize the barriers. In his gracious love-light we can make big changes. He has much to teach us, and works with us right where we are. We can right now make fresh choices.

He wants to talk with you and me more than we want to listen. God is love, and God yearns to communicate with us, one on one. In the silence before the Lord, you might even hear him say something like this: ‘Peace, my child. I forgive you and I pour forth my mercy and grace to help you change. You are just learning and there is more I want to teach you. I love you and I am proud of you for coming to me. I will help you sort things out. I will help you to love and to shed unlove. As you come to me, little and humble, and let me wash you clean, I will restore you. People hide when they feel guilty. Standing in the light with me, they can admit the guilt and begin to change. As you let me be your strength, little by little you will become stronger. I am here to be for you what you need me to be. You don’t need to be afraid. I love you so much.’

We are ready to learn, aren’t we? (Say yes!) Here, safe in the arms of perfect Love, we can receive empowerment to repent and forgive. Here, then, we can watch the Spirit move! It can all start right now. Say “Jesus, please soak me in your love and remove all the unlove. I want that ball of fire that Linda experienced in North Ireland manifested through me for your glory!”

Reflect on what Paul says in Ephesians 2:4-8: “God is rich in mercy; because of His great love for us he brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin. By this favor you were saved. Both with and in Christ Jesus he raised us up and gave us a place in the heavens that in the ages to come he might display the great wealth of his favor, manifested by his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

Oh Lord, thank you for this favor. It’s time to believe you!

Closing prayer: Father, thank you for your kindness. Your Holy Spirit is now beginning to move in my life. Your perfect love is dissolving my fear. Thank you for dealing with the unrepentance and unforgiveness that was holding me back. Thank you for the grace to accept the fullness of your love and extend that love generously. Thank you for bringing to my mind any offenses. (Stop and listen.) Thank you for showing me those I need to forgive. (Stop and listen.) Thank you for the grace to see and be sorry for the ways I block the flow of your love. I won’t bury it or hide it any more.

Thank you, Lord, for my clean heart. In my deepening friendship with You, repentance and forgiveness will be a normal way of life. I won’t handle things the same way I did yesterday. I will change and grow. As a person becoming healed I will keep my heart soft and open with deep repentance, deep self forgiveness and forgiving others.

Thank you for showing me the way to go, and helping me to live a good life. I know I am not alone. You are home to me. You are Love and you love me without condition. In coming to know you, I come to know myself. Thank you for wanting me, receiving me, washing me and enabling me to come to you. Thank you for loving me until I overflow with love. Amen.

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Closing thoughts–If these issues seem important to you, consider forming a little study group with a few friends and discuss and pray through some of these points:

Steps of repentance
1. Recognize that you failed
2. Be sorry/confess sin
3. Decide to not do it again
4. Ask for and receive forgiveness
5. Pray for God to work repentance in us
6. Ask him to continue to bring things to mind
7. Ask him to train our hearts to stay in his presence
(If you are Catholic, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Soon.)

Benefit of repentance:
• Obstacles removed that keep us from abiding in Christ
• Hearts begin to hear the truth of God’s word
• Freedom from condemnation
• Joy of pure conscience
• Great personal growth
• Single hearted love and devotion to God will increase
• Life changing
• More Christ centered
• Thinking changed
• Mind cleansed
• A change of mind about sin and God before doing something wrong
• Quit thinking bad thoughts
• Easier to think of things that are true (Phil 4:8)
• Whatsoever is pure, lovely, admirable, etc.
• What else?

Then steps of forgiveness
1. Recognize the offense. Look at it and feel it.
2. Surrender the hurt to Jesus as a love offering.
3. Choose to forgive.
4. Ask Jesus to forgive them.
5. Ask Jesus to not bring up the offense again.
6. Compassion for the one who hurt you.
7. Receive healing for your vulnerability.
8. Go the extra mile. Bless those who hurt you.
9. Gratitude for the work accomplished and the work still in process.

(My books Miracle Hour, True Confessions and Miracle Moments will help in these areas too.)

Linda Schubert www.linda-schubert.com

Shelly and Joe, the couple in the silhouette image, made a commitment in the beginning of their marriage to pray together every morning. They recognize the absolutely necessity of coming before God as a couple–united before God as a team. When Joe prays from his heart, then Shelly knows what really concerns him and she knows better how to pray for him. And Joe knows better how to pray for Shelly when she expresses her heart felt concerns to him. As they humble themselves, and are honest with each other before God, something deep and powerful happens. God’s mercy is poured out. They know that if pride holds them back, prayer becomes shallow and ineffective. They have learned that trust is essential to come into a true level of honesty with one another. As Joe and Shelly hear each other express their needs openly, they are drawn closer to God and to each other. As trust grows, intimacy grows.

Developing the habit of praying together on a regular basis has helped them to be ready when unexpected things happen. When trouble comes they immediately come together to pray. It is automatic. (Lord this didn’t come as a surprise to you. We thank you for showing us what to do.)

They listen, and the Lord shows them the next step. Together, united in prayer before God, they know they can face anything.

How do you start?

Here’s the basic format of Joe and Shelly’s morning prayer time. They get up thirty minutes early to spend time together. First they have coffee and just chat. Then they read from a devotional that includes daily readings for the Church, with a reflection related to the readings. Then they pray together. They start with the Our Father, then Joe prays for family members and friends by name and then adds current heart issues. Then Shelly prays for whatever is on her heart. They keep it personal. They keep it short, getting to the point, taking turns back and forth as a team, until it feels complete. Because the Holy Spirit is guiding the prayer, they will know when they are finished. God helps them to remain humble, without judgment, sensitive to each other. They finish with an expression of gratitude and love for each other, and for the marriage God has given to them.

From Others

Kathy: My husband and I go to daily Mass together, which is wonderful, but I miss “talking” to God together ad lib. Maybe I am expecting too much. Or am I being unrealistic?

Noel and Ed: My husband Ed, now deceased, prayed with me at bedtime. He would start by reading the Bible or a book about the Bible like The Bible for Dummies. Then we would take turns praying. Ed would go through his day and then he would pray for family and friends. Then I would pray. Nothing long, but it drew us closer to each other and to the Lord.

Victor and Vivian: My husband and I pray together first thing in the morning as we wake up. He usually asks me to lead and he joins in the prayers. Before I finish, I would ask him if there is anything he would like to add and we close from there. We use the format of the Miracle Hour. It is a very powerful prayer and it helps us become stronger together in the Lord.

Carl and Beverly: As secular Franciscans, we pray the Liturgy of the Hours daily. This is a wonderful prayer for a couple to pray together. It can be done in the morning or evening or during the day. We pray it together every evening before going to bed. We find it very beneficial, especially the portion that deals with intercessions. That gives us an opportunity to pray together for our children, grandchildren, and friends, as well as for others who have asked for prayers.

Chris: Because my wife and I have different prayer styles, it was difficult in the beginning to pray together. I liked vocal prayer while she liked to sit quietly and meditate. I loved the rosary while she still finds praying a complete one difficult. She does like the Hail Mary however and has taught our two year old how to pray it! It takes time to learn how to pray together and we are still learning.

Mary and Dom: I pray in the evening with my husband in bed, which is really wonderful. His prayer is simple, precise and to the point, whereas mine lingers and is stretched out, fluid thoughts that enter my mind and flow out of my mouth. I know God created us differently, so it’s no wonder that we pray differently too.

Lynne: Bob and I heard a counselor on TV saying that the best way to pray together as a couple is to hold hands at night in bed before falling asleep. Don’t say a word and allow the Holy Spirit to work through the both of you. We have been doing this for about six months now and since my husband is a man of few words in prayer, it has been a marvelous experience. I am a woman of many words and want to pray in tongues, say many memorized prayers and storm heaven with intercessions. For me this is a great discipline just to let go and let God do His job!

Peter and Bernadette: We have been married for 33 years. My husband and I met at a prayer group in our college years. Praying together has been very natural for us over the years, while dating and throughout our married life. In addition to spontaneous prayers, we pray rosary novenas; first for discernment in our engagement; when we were pregnant with each of our four children; for all major decisions in marriage, and in our children’s discernment for milestones in their lives. We also use the Magnificat book to enhance our prayer lives. There are so many wonderful things that happen when couples pray together. Our hearts stay knit together, we see soft hearts, we learn to know and appreciate each other better and we desire to help the other grow and change. It helps us to “be sweet” to one another as we see each other’s struggles in this walk of life. We realize we are to make each other better for God. Another thing that we notice is that there is an “aroma of prayer” in our home. People who enter always comment on the peace and welcoming spirit in our home. I know it is the prayer!

Theresa: My grandparents were a wonderful example of praying together and loving the Lord together. They came as a couple before him, never missing a day. The Lord showers blessings on couples who pray together.

“…grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” (2Pe3:18) NEB

Starter prayer for couples loving the Lord together

Heavenly Father, you know each of us inside and out. You know our needs and our natures. You tell us in Psalm 139 that you understand our thoughts, and with all our ways you are familiar. We ask you to guide us in the form of prayer that works for us as a couple. Thank you for helping us on this journey of drawing closer to you and to each other as we make a commitment to pray together in the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Linda’s prayer for you

Heavenly Father, I lift your precious couples up to you and ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon them now with the mighty force of your unending love. Help them to make praying together such an integral part of their lives that whatever comes, they can handle it. Father, let gratitude and trust in you fill every breath they take, as they journey forward together in love and commitment. Thank you Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

“With deep roots and firm foundations, may you be strong to grasp, with all God’s people, what is the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ…” (Eph 3:18) NEB

Christian Couples Praying Together …the power of united prayer

Mt 18:19-20 “…if two of you agree on earth about any request you have to make, that request will be granted by my heavenly Father. For where two or three have met together in my name, I am there among them.”(NEB)

As I run the race of this faith of ours toward his eternal throne I realize this redemption we have been given is not a one-time event. Yes, on Calvary Jesus Christ paid the ransom for our liberation once and for all. But so much more than that–His blood is a daily witness, a testimony of his love (see 1 John 5:7) that is constantly liberating us unto a deeper and more significant level of glory (see 2 Cor 3:18). This is what his love does! It sanctifies our personhood, our very core identity, making us more like him day by day.

St. Therese of Lisieux describes sanctity as “a disposition of the heart which makes us humble and small in the arms of God, conscious of our weakness, and confident to the point of audacity in the goodness of our Father.” I love that we can be fully conscious of our weakness, and at the same time confident as children in God’s love for us. Oh holy and divine paradox; this weakness of ours…waiting for his immense and intimate love for us. It’s as though the weaker we are the faster his love rushes in to heal and liberate! This is precisely St. Paul’s message: “I will rather boast most gladly of my weakness, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me” (2Cor 12:9, 10). For it was Jesus Himself who came to earth to take our infirmities upon himself (Matt 8:17).

Such wondrous love is this that Jesus approaches, searching for us every moment, longing to be involved in the details of our day. Because he no longer calls us servants but friends, he walks the walk with us. He removes our heavy yokes, leading us into times and seasons of renewal and refreshment (Acts 3:20). What wondrous love is this; the cooperation with grace that we own. He loves us and we return the love by allowing him to show us our weakness. He heals us and we live fully and wholly for him. This intimacy surpasses mere knowledge (Eph 3:19), but roots us in love with him with simplicity and purity of heart.

Thank you dear Linda for inviting me into your corner to share what’s on my heart. Our friendship spans more than three decades during which numerous times you have gently and precisely led me back to purity and simplicity in loving Jesus when I’ve made things too complicated. Let us pray together: Dear holy one, Lord of all, give us the grace to see each act of redemption you work upon us. Teach us how to love ourselves, to be patient and humble while your mercy heals us. In this we will learn to heal others with this very love. We pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ the Lord, Amen.

In around 1990 when I was in Manila with a teaching team, I met with coordinator Paul in the hotel restaurant for breakfast and shared with him my desire to write a little prayer booklet. He prayed right there for God to release it. Powerful, simple, profound. Sometime later my brother in law was killed in a plane crash and I was in Colorado for his funeral. It was a deeply emotional time for me. I went home from the funeral, sat down and wrote Miracle Hour. Two weeks of writing and my whole life went into the process. I held the draft before the Lord and said, “Lord, people all over the world long to hear your voice. Would you put a grace within the pages of this book that through it, people will hear from you.” Father Robert DeGrandis SSJ wrote the foreword, I printed 5,000 copies and stacked the boxes in the corner of my living room. Less than a month later, I received a call from a man in the San Francisco bay area. He was a Presbyterian, had been a Christian all his life, and had never heard God speak to him. He said, “I was half way through Miracle Hour and God spoke to me, and it changed my life.” God wanted me to know that he heard my prayer.

I had prayed for the Lord to give me something that was meaningful and self supporting (see Linda’s story). He answered it through Miracle Hour. If you look in my bookstore on this site, you will find Miracle Hour in many languages, from Russian to Portuguese, from Maltese to Korean, Dutch and Hindi, and so many more. It has been well received in most of the Christian denominations and has taught people how to pray, to be well, to move forward with new strength of purpose in their lives. A woman in the Caribbean was struggling with heavy depression, and some friends brought her a Miracle Hour. They said, “Just do the litany of praise and spiritual warfare.” It was a week before she picked up the book. God healed her. (The litany of praise was developed by a prayer group that had a profound influence in my spiritual growth: The Ephesians 1:4 prayer community. To be holy and blameless and full of love. The leaders have a license plate: LAFPDL. Love, accept, forgive, pray for, do good for, love.)

The Lord used Miracle Hour with a woman in Toronto facing a serious illness, teaching her how to be well. Over a period of a year or so, health returned to her. A woman in Oregon was going to commit suicide, and at the last moment her eye caught a copy of Miracle Hour in her living room. Something drew her to sit down and pick it up. She wrote to tell me how it saved her life. After all these years the love letters and notes of appreciation still come.

Seldom can people pray it in an hour. One woman wrote to explain the reason I called it Miracle Hour, was because it was a miracle if you could do it in an hour. A woman in Belfast, North Ireland, wrote to tell me she took it into church, came out hours later and re-named it Miracle Four Hour. Another friend, Ray, conducted an all night Miracle Hour in Los Angeles. One hour each section, throughout the night. My friends Carlos and Nora in San Diego were a part our teaching team during a ministry in Guadalajara. Carlos developed the power point Miracle Hour, now available as a part of a package for those who want to conduct Miracle Hour prayer groups or seminars. Along with that we have a Miracle Hour Seminar Manual for people wanting to extend the period of time teaching people to experience this form of prayer.

These are just some of the things I remember in writing the Miracle Hour story as I reflect back over the years. More will come later. I do know that when people yield their lives to Jesus and are baptized in the Holy Spirit and come to life spiritually, they long for a more fruitful life. They want to do something significant, to make a difference. It’s a natural outflow. Miracle Hour has been used in answer to this longing for many people. They start meeting with prayer partners, they begin little prayer groups, they bring Miracle Hour into prisons and jails. And most of all, they are hearing from God in practical ways, for their personal lives, for outreach, for healing.

My prayer for you: Lord Jesus, I lift this one to you now. Help them to yield to you and experience a fresh movement of your Spirit in personal life, in relationships, in ministry. Give them creative ideas and products that will help them and help others. Let the release come, for your glory. Thank you Lord. Amen.