A Slice of Smith Life: Supporting 50 Ways to Pray Instead of 50 Shades of Grey

Supporting 50 Ways to Pray Instead of 50 Shades of Grey

I'm sure from the title of my post you already know I will not be supporting Fifty Shades of Grey. Are you with me? No? Please keep reading. Yes? Great! Please keep reading.

I hope and pray you won't want to give the novels and/or movie your heart, soul, mind, time, and money either. Many bloggers have written about this novel and movie and two posts in particular that spoke to me were:

1) Matt Fradd shares Five Fat Lies in Fifty Shades of Grey and states that "this poorly written “love” story is more than just a harmless novel for bored housewives. It is filled with subtle and not-so-subtle lies." I encourage you to read Matt's post where he discusses these 5 lies. By the way, my teen daughter and I heard Matt speak at a pro-life youth rally recently . Very cool and funny guy!

2) Mary over at Catholic Sistas asks Why Settle for Shades of Grey? I encourage you to read her post where she states, "Admittedly I haven’t read it [Fifty Shades of Grey] and certainly don’t plan to see the film, but I know enough about it to know that it’s an example of how Satan takes what is good, what speaks to the deepest longings of the human heart, and perverts it into its own opposite."

And a scripture verse that really stood out for me recently regarding this novel/movie was "Do not love the world or the things of the world.If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever." - 1 John 2: 15-17 -

I was thinking the other night of this truth: the only way to combat the things of this world is with the power of prayer.

So I wanted to encourage myself and others to support 50 ways to pray instead of 50 Shades of Grey. It is with faith and prayer that we will remain with God forever, while the world around us is passing away.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

1. Pray to know, love, and serve God
2. Go to Mass every Sunday and everyday and receive the Eucharist

3. Pray in Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament
4. Read the Bible
5. Read the Scriptures for the upcoming Sunday Mass

6. Pray the rosary
7. Learn more about the Saints' lives and ask for their prayers and intercession

8. Listen to Christian music
9. Pray for the holy souls in purgatory
10. Pray for our Pope Francis
11. Pray for our priests
12. Pray for our religious
13. Pray for our seminarians
14. Pray for vocations to the priesthood
15. Pray for vocations to the religious life
16. Pray for your spouse
17. Pray for your marriage
18. Pray for happy and holy marriages
19. Pray for marriages that are struggling
20. Pray for those who are single
21. Pray for your children
22. Pray for your child's future spouse, if God calls your child to marriage.
23. Pray for those who long for a child
24. Pray for those who have lost a child
25. Pray for those who lost a child and never got to hold their child in their arms, only in their hearts
26. Pray for children who have cancer
27. Pray for our children's friends
28. Pray for family members with cancer
29. Pray for friends with cancer
30. Pray for cures for cancer
31. Pray for our government
32. Pray for our military

33. Pray for military families

34. Pray for those who are deployed

35. Pray for widows

36. Pray for widowers

37. Pray for the homeless

38. Pray for those seeking employment

39. Pray for those in financial crisis

40. Pray for the end to abortion

41. Pray for mothers in a crisis pregnancy situation

42. Pray for abortion clinic workers and doctors that they will get out of the abortion industry
43. Pray for mothers, fathers, families, and friends that grieve for children lost to abortion
44. Pray for those in chronic pain
45. Pray for those with mental illness.
46. Pray that hearts will be open to hear and embrace truth
47. Pray for a culture of life
48. Pray for purity/chastity
49. Pray for self-control
50. Pray for those who have no one to pray for them.

Amen.

Why stop at 50? Comment below if you have other prayers to add to this list to keep our hearts, souls, and minds focused on the things that really matter.

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6 comments:

Birgit J said...

Pray for those who have left the Church and those who willfully lack catechisis.

Pray that we continue to grow, know, and love our faith.

February 7, 2015 at 1:43 AM

Chris said...

Amen! wonderful wonderful post~~ You hit one out of the park with this! Love it and will be sharing/pinning on group boards that are Catholic/ Christian/family/HSing in nature.

I love your 50 ways to pray and Birgit's also. I'd add: reading/being inspired by catholic/Christian writers/bloggers. As well as writing and reflecting on our Catholic faith. Those are really a couple of substantial ways that I truly feel called to pray and be in communion with the Lord....by re-living my own faith journey through writing AND reading others' faith traditions, etc such as stopping here and at other favorite bloggers' sites.
Those are right up there with our AM rosary.

Thanks Tra!

xoxoxo

February 7, 2015 at 10:55 AM

NanaB said...

Pray for a return to making good movies. Go see "Old Fashioned", a new movie about real love relationships....support these type of movies.

February 9, 2015 at 6:51 PM

asliceofsmithlife said...

Birgit,

Yes! Great prayers to remember always! We keep these people in our family's prayers! Thanks Birgit!

February 9, 2015 at 9:36 PM

asliceofsmithlife said...

Chris,

I too am inspired by other's faith journeys and ideas! I love peeking into others faith traditions to help me stay on the right path :)
Thanks Chris for stopping in!

February 9, 2015 at 9:38 PM

asliceofsmithlife said...

Thank you Barbara for mentioning this movie! I hope I can go see it! I did look it up and it is playing in our area! Yay!

Thanks for stopping in to comment and spread the word about "Old Fashioned". It looks like a wonderful movie!

February 9, 2015 at 9:40 PM