Say the St Joseph Prayer to Sell a House if you’re having trouble selling your home or property.
Prayer to Sell a House
O, Saint Joseph,
you who taught our Lord
the carpenter’s trade,
and saw to it
that he was always properly housed,
hear my earnest plea.
I want you to help me now
as you helped your foster-child Jesus,
and as you have helped many others
in the matter of housing.
I wish to sell this quickly, easily, and profitably
and I implore you to grant my wish
by bringing me a good buyer,
one who is
eager, compliant, and honest,
and by letting nothing impede the
rapid conclusion of the sale.
Dear Saint Joseph,
I know you would do this for me
out of the goodness of your heart
and in your own good time,
but my need is very great now
and so I must make you hurry
on my behalf.
Saint Joseph, I am going to place you
in a difficult position
with your head in darkness
and you will suffer as our Lord suffered,
until this is sold.
Then, Saint Joseph, i swear
before the cross and God Almighty,
that i will redeem you
and you will receive my gratitude
and a place of honour in my home.
Amen.
After burying the statue, also consider saying a novena to St Joseph. A novena is said consecutively for nine days, and can be an effective means to gaining a favorable intercession on your behalf.
www.praywithme.com
Updated on April 25, 2016
Can a prayer to St. Joseph help you sell your house? | Source Does Patron Saint Joseph Help Get Houses Sold Faster?
Even if you’re not Catholic, a prayer to Saint Joseph might be just the thing to help you get your house sold, according to thousands of people across the United States. Then again, maybe it won’t.
I’ve always been interested in learning about various religions and their belief systems. I’m certainly no biblical scholar, but I’m well-versed, if you’ll pardon the pun. When the topic of St. Joseph was broached among a group of Realtors, I was surprised that I’d never heard of what my fellow expert house sellers claimed: “Bury a statue of St. Joseph and the house will sell. I order them by the dozens!” I was even more surprised that more agents believed it helped than those who thought it was malarkey. Many of the believers said they aren’t Catholic, even!
Yep…. I definitely had to learn more!
But First…. Do Catholics Pray to Saints?
I’ve had a number of discussions with Catholics and non-Catholics about this topic. Some Christians believe that Catholics must be violating a cherished biblical principle: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3, King James Version).
There are other verses of the bible that express similar ideas, most found in the Old Testament.
Catholics, however, have another outlook. They call this practice intercession, which means they’re asking a saint to plead, or intercede, on behalf of someone who needs it.
“It’s no different than if you ask your deceased family member to watch over you,” explained Karen, a woman who teaches a class introducing people to Catholicism. “Many, many people talk to their departed friends and family without a second thought, and intercession is essentially the same thing.”
Your OpinionWhat do you think of Karen’s explanation of intercession? Saint Joseph is called upon to protect homes and families in times of trouble, as seen here following Hurricane Gustav in New Orleans. | Source National Geographic: Tektōn as a Trade in Biblical Times Why St. Joseph is Called Upon to Help with Real Estate Sales
Although there are many men named Joseph in the bible, only one is considered a patron saint. A patron saint is a saint who is seen as a special guardian of some sort.
St. Joseph is viewed as a patron saint of many things, including:
- Workers
- People in doubt
- Family
- Structures
- Carpenters
- The Catholic church
- China, Peru, Viet Nam
Ok, don’t ask me about the countries, because I don’t know how these associations came about! But it’s easy to understand why Joseph is associated with other topics that people call upon him for.
In ancient writings, he was called a tektōn (τέκτων in Greek). The more familiar word “technology” comes from tektōn, which originally meant someone who was an artisan, particularly skilled with stone, wood, or machine-type objects.
It makes sense, then, that he would be viewed as having a connection to carpenters and workers. But why would he be viewed as a guardian for families?
As I’m sure everyone knows, Jesus’ mother, Mary, was reportedly a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. She was betrothed to Joseph, who considered breaking off their engagement. Both Matthew and Luke report in the gospels that Joseph chose not to disgrace Mary and stayed with her, and was said to have treated her well after an angel appeared to him.
He treated Jesus as his own son, teaching his “foster son” the skills he needed to become a tektōn, too. The National Geographic video shown here challenges the notion of Jesus as simply a wood-working carpenter, but it gives the viewer an idea of the sort of work Joseph is believed to have taught to Jesus and why a “carpenter” probably also meant stone mason.
There are contradictions and many unknown facts about Joseph’s life. He’s only mentioned three times in the bible, and while many believe he died before Jesus’ public life earned him notoriety, the date of his death isn’t mentioned in the New Testament.
Clearly, if the biblical reports are accurate, Joseph is a superb example of a man who symbolized protection of both home and loved ones. It seems logical that he would empathize with families in trouble, particularly when it comes to the structures they live in!
How to Seek St. Joseph’s Assistance
I found a few variations on how to seek intercession on a real estate sale. More than simply saying a prayer to St. Joseph, believers bury a statue in their yard. The statue is customarily removed after a successful sale and placed indoors (after a thorough washing, of course!)
Using plastic statues of St. Joseph appears to be a recent tradition, first appearing in the late 1970s, the practice is probably based on the ancient practice of burying medals for similar reasons. There are various thoughts on how to place a statue of Saint Joseph, but all of them involve burying it somewhere in the yard around the house:
- Facing the street
- In a flower garden
- Upside down
- Right side up
- Facing the house
- Facing away from the house
- At a certain depth
- Next to the “for sale” sign
The statue’s burial is to be accompanied by a prayer. There are also variations of this. I came across a simple one a website selling Saint Joseph medals:
O blessed Joseph, faithful guardian of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, protector of thy chaste spouse, the virgin Mother of God, I choose thee this day to be my special patron and advocate and I firmly resolve to honor thee all the days of my life.
Therefore I humbly beseech thee to receive me as thy client, to instruct me in every doubt, to comfort me in every affliction, to obtain for me and for all the knowledge and love of the Heart of Jesus, and finally to defend and protect me at the hour of my death.
Amen
Other prayers can be found online or in home sales kits like the one shown here. I assume you could say your own prayer, too, and hopefully score some points for originality!
What YOU say….Do you think an appeal to St. Joseph can help a property sell faster or for more money? What Real Estate Agents Say About St. Joseph
I belong to several groups of Realtors who discuss real estate trends, best practices, and share their troubling or exciting moments. A sampling of their comments:
BELIEVERS:
- “Worked for me.” Geri M.
- “It worked for me when I tried to sell two of my own houses. Tell them to go for it!” Carmen J.
- “I’m going to do it in the spring when we put our house on the market… I’m an Agent and Catholic!” Judy T.
- “Good karma is never a bad thing! Worked on two personal homes.” Eva P.
- “Do it for every property I’ve listed…all sold in short time.” Brett S.
- “I’ve always thought it was crazy but it’s worked too many times for me to discount it. Who knew!” Martine A.
- “Love it, use it. St. Joe has always come through for me!” Aimee J.
- “Sold 100% of my exclusives.” Ruslan M.
- “Why not? I have lots of clients of all religions, I promise great marketing and enlist the help of St. Joesph every day! I order St. Joesph’s by the dozen.” Arlene R.
SKEPTICS:
- “Pricing it right works better!” Rick M.
- “I have one in the front yard and back yard of a listing with no luck for several months!” Cathy C.
- “I got it wrong. I buried St Francis and got stray cats.” Kelly M.
- “Test case: Bury one in front of a house that isn’t listed and see if it sells anyway. Then we’ll know.” Dennis A.
As you can see, the number of believers outweighed the skeptics by nearly two to one. While I was looking for more information, I stumbled across an item at Snopes that I thought Dennis A. would have enjoyed. Quoting from the book shown here (above right), Barbara Mikkelson said one of the anecdotes told of a man whose property hadn’t sold, despite his appeal to Saint Joseph. Frustrated, he threw the statue in the trash, only to discover a few days later in a newspaper headline that his local dump had been sold.
Conclusion: An Anecdote of my Own
I call myself spiritual, but not religious. As I mentioned, I just heard of this practice recently, although I’ve been selling real estate since 2004.
I do not believe that an overpriced house in lousy condition or a bad location will sell simply because someone has turned to Saint Joseph. I’ll still be advising my sellers to get their home looking its best and to price it competitively. However, I did find myself thinking about one of the first listings I ever took.
I’d called Helga because she had a “For Sale By Owner” sign in her yard. She lived in a cute tri-level, brick home on ten acres. She was planning to move to another state, and her husband had already relocated.
“How much are you asking for the house?” I inquired.
She replied, “I won’t take less than $185,000.” GASP! After carefully examining market data around the small community, I realized the house wouldn’t appraise for more than $130,000. Although I probably wouldn’t accept a listing so overpriced today, I was brand new to real estate and told her I’d do my best to sell it for her. At least it would generate some buyer inquiries, I thought, and I’d sell them a house, even if it wasn’t hers.
As we completed the paperwork, she said she would leave the custom draperies, the hot tub, and a few other significant items, including a variety of statues that decorated her yard. “But I’m going to take the St. Joseph statue,” she declared.
The statue was about two feet tall and was situated next to her front porch.
In the weeks that followed, she received two offers on her house. Both were quite reasonable, I thought, since I knew that an appraiser would never report a market value of $185,000.
She rejected both offers and reiterated that she planned to hold out for full price. Nothing I said persuaded her to drop the price at all.
Yet just a couple months later, a full price offer came in! I expected a problem with the buyer getting a loan, because a bank won’t loan more than market value, so I made sure the buyer’s agent was aware of this possibility. “Oh, it’s a cash offer, and he knows it’s overpriced, but it’s what he wants,” she said.
Count me in the “It can’t hurt!” group of Realtors from now on.
hubpages.com
Saint Joseph is the patron saint of the “worker” and “protector”. Catholics worldwide pray to St Joseph when they are in financial need or they need assistance with a pressing need such as selling their homes.
Table of contents
- 1 Brief History of the Prayer
- 2 How Do People Use the Prayer?
- 3 But Is the St Joseph Prayer To Sell A House Legitimate?
- 4 What does the bible say about Praying to Idols/Statues?
- 5 If praying to a Statue Is a Sin, Then How Can God Help Me?
- 6 Go Ahead, Have Some Faith
- 7 St Joseph’s Prayer to Sell a House
- 8 What is the St. Joseph Prayer
- 9 How Does the Ritual Prayer Work
- 10 The Burying of the Statue
- 11 Where Can I Find a Statue of St. Joseph
- 12 After Burying the Statue
- 13 Psalms to Evoke the Higher Powers
- 14 Have Faith
Brief History of the Prayer
Most historians believe that around 1500 AD, a small group of nuns that had a pressing need to obtain land, turned to burying metals engraved with the St Joseph on them. This ritual involved the burying, and then praying to the image. It’s been told that later, the nun’s prayers were answered. The act of burying the metals with the St Joseph imprinted on them, was their expression of faith, claiming to turn to God for their need, and putting all of their hope and faith in Him. It’s a fact however, than putting one’s faith in God for his/her needs, doesn’t require a metal, statue, or any other type of man-made image. It simply requires trust in Him & ” know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. In our opinion “works for the good” includes but is not limited to the sale of a house.
How Do People Use the Prayer?
Most Catholics who believe that the St Joseph prayer will actually cause their house to sell, will practice the following ritual. Actually, even those who don’t have a faith in God, but are superstitious, will practice the ritual:
- Purchase a statue of the St. Joseph. Many retailers of this statue profit from sale of these status, it is easy to find a retailer online
- Did a hole within 3 feet of your For Sale sign in front of your house large enough for the Statue.
- Place the statue upside down facing toward the direction of the front of your home. Then…
- Those who believe in this practice would repeat the following prayer….
The St. Joseph Prayer to Sell a House
O, Saint Joseph, you who taught our Lord the carpenter’s trade, and saw to it that he was always properly housed, hear my earnest plea. I want you to help me now as you helped your foster-child Jesus, and as you have helped many others in the matter of housing. I wish to sell this quickly, easily, and profitably and I implore you to grant my wish by bringing me a good buyer, one who is eager, compliant, and honest, and by letting nothing impede the rapid conclusion of the sale.
Dear Saint Joseph, I know you would do this for me out of the goodness of your heart and in your own good time, but my need is very great now and so I must make you hurry on my behalf.
Saint Joseph, I am going to place you in a difficult position with your head in darkness and you will suffer as our Lord suffered, until this is sold. Then, Saint Joseph, i swear before the cross and God Almighty, that i will redeem you and you will receive my gratitude and a place of honour in my home.
Amen.
See more at:
But Is the St Joseph Prayer To Sell A House Legitimate?
To answer the question as to whether or not the Prayer actually works or not, we’ll first need to be clear that we can’t take a subjective look at the prayer. We can’t even look at statistics of home sale percentages and average days on market for those home owners that did bury the statue and those that did not. Why? Well how would you know with a 100% degree of certainty that your home sold faster by participating in the ritual, than if you opted not to? The truth is, there are so many other factors that cause a house to sell, that it’s impossible to put your finger on any one causing factor…including the St Joseph prayer to sell a house.
So does this mean I’m saying that “there’s no way to know for sure if this prayer works”? No, I’m not saying that the ritual doesn’t work; I’ll leave that for someone else to answer, but what I am about to claim will undoubtedly be a little controversial, especially for those whom pray to Saints regularly. Rather than asking if burying a statue a certain way, and then reciting a very specific prayer to a statue/Saint will sell your house fast, a better question would be: Is it biblical to pray to a statue/Saint, no matter what the need is? Let’s find out.
What does the bible say about Praying to Idols/Statues?
Firstly, the official position of the Catholic church is that Catholics do not pray to Saints directly to answer their prayers, rather they ask the Saints to pray FOR them on their behalf, in essence petitioning for them to “intercede” form them. Most Catholics that pray to Saints, believe that Saints, because they are in heaven with God, will have more success in “delivering their request” to God than they would if they were to bypass the Saints’ and go to God directly with the request to help them sell their home quickly…or any request for that matter.
Is it true, should we as believers in what Jesus Christ did on the cross, need to go through a “third-party” to intercede for us in our need? Absolutely not. Jesus is our intercessor, not the statue of Jesus, but Jesus himself. John 14:6says “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” . Notice that He DOES NOT say “no one comes to the father except through a Saint”. No one can submit his request (real estate, financial, relational, spiritual, emotional ect..) to the Father, unless Jesus and only Jesus is the intercessor. Further more, because of the finished work that Jesus did on the cross for us, believers can “…approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.
The biblical truth is that IF a person should feel the need to ask a Saint to “deliver” a message asking God to help Him sell their house on behalf of him/her, because they feel that they are not as worthy as the Saints, they are emphatically incorrect. Worse yet, they are in essence denying the significance and magnitude of what Jesus did on the cross for them. You see, by Jesus living a sinless life, and being the atonement for our past and future sins (should we accept him by faith), and conquering death, those who believe are able to say that they are Right with God or Righteous in God’s eyes.
In fact, in Leviticus 26:1 we find that it’s a sin as God says: “‘Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God.”.
If praying to a Statue Is a Sin, Then How Can God Help Me?
If you have found yourself in a difficult situation and truly need to sell your house, then I suggest that you go directly to our Father and humbly ask him to help you in your current need. Somewhere in the prayer I would suggest asking it all to be done in “Jesus’s Name”. Why, because the Jesus said “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” in John 14:13. Here’s how I would pray to Him without burying a statue or doing any other superstitious act:
An Example of a Prayer to Sell a House
“Father, you know that I’ve had a difficult time selling our home. I know that your Word says that you will provide for my every need. I know that you know my every need before I even ask, so I come before you and ask that you would help me in my current financial situation. I need to sell this house, but more than that I want Your Will to be done in this situation. So, I am asking that your Will be done, not my own. I will continue to trust in You no matter what the outcome is, in Jesus name I ask these things”
Go Ahead, Have Some Faith
There are many, many stories in the Bible that show what even a little faith can do. Even Faith “as small as a mustard seed” can go a long way in the eyes of God…and that’s one really small seed. If you’re reading this post, and you are considering selling your house in the near future, let us know, because we buy houses from home owners in distress on a regular basis.
www.needtosellmyhouse.com
It isn’t hard to realize that the housing market has rebounded, but it can still be difficult to sell a home. Some people become so desperate that they rely upon supernatural methods of garnering interest for their home. This may seem far fetched but there are dozens of people who claim they have improved their good fortunes by reciting the St. Joseph prayer. This is an ancient catholic prayer that has to improve a number of different situations, and it’s even believed to assist in the selling of a home.
St Joseph’s Prayer to Sell a House
O, Saint Joseph, you who taught our Lord the carpenter’s trade, and saw to it that he was always properly housed, hear my earnest plea. I want you to help me now as you helped your foster-child Jesus, and as you have helped many others in the matter of housing. I wish to sell this house quickly, easily, and profitably and I implore you to grant my wish by bringing me a good buyer, one who is eager, compliant, and honest, and by letting nothing impede the rapid conclusion of the sale.
Dear Saint Joseph, I know you would do this for me out of the goodness of your heart and in your own good time, but my need is very great now and so I must make you hurry on my behalf.
Saint Joseph, I am going to place you in a difficult position with your head in darkness and you will suffer as our Lord suffered, until this house is sold. Then, Saint Joseph, I swear before the cross and God Almighty, that I will redeem you and you will receive my gratitude and a place of honor in my home.
Amen.
Download PDF
Have a Distressed Real Estate Expert Take a Look at Your Case
Enter your information to get a complimentary case analysis
What is the St. Joseph Prayer
In the four gospels, (Mark, Matthew, Luke and John) Joseph is described as a silent man yet he’s also an individual of great faith. He’s one of the better known saints, and he’s rumored to have died in the arms of Jesus and Mary. This is the same man who was charged with raising the son of God as the husband of Mary. Many lesser men would have left their virgin brides, but Joseph had unwavering faith. Since Joseph was so upstanding, Pope Leo XIII issued as series of letters in 1889, naming Jesus’s stepfather as a patron Saint of the church. However, the prayer dedicated to this devout man of god has been around for more than 1900 years. Earliest accounts suggest that this short prayer was actually written in the year 50 A.D. However, the first well known accounts of people actually using it date back about 500 years. There’s no scientific explanation for how the prayer works, but it seems to do with having friends in high places. Joseph raised Jesus, and it seems like praying to him is an express way of getting miracles through to those in charge.
How Does the Ritual Prayer Work
According to the Ballen Group of Las Vegas, the prayer of Saint Joseph can be used to ward off communism, find a job and of course, sell a house. However, there are different ways of performing the prayer in order to achieve the desired results. It’s not just enough to say the prayer when you’re looking to sell your house fast. You also need a statue of the patron saint. The statue isn’t deified or placed upon an altar. Instead, it’s buried, to mimic the success of the first real estate prayers dedicated to St. Joseph.
The Burying of the Statue
In the 1500’s, a group of nuns in Europe were seeking more land for their crops and livestock. They apparently said the prayer of Saint Joseph and buried their medals which were imprinted with his image. The prayers of the nuns were answered as they received ample land to sustain their cloister. This is the origin the ritual of burying something that represents the saint. It was more than 500 years ago when these nuns revealed the power of the prayer regarding real estate, and thousands of others have garnered similar success. It’s believed that the ancient religious ritual of sacrificing something is enough to appease higher powers. The web is bursting with stories of people who utilized the prayer after burying the statue, and they were nowhere near as devout as the nuns.
Where Can I Find a Statue of St. Joseph
The term ‘statue’ should be used loosely, because most of them are actually decorative figurines. The average statue is a mere 3.5″ tall, and they retail for less than $2 most of the time.
There are actually entire St. Joseph house selling kits and one seems to be as effective as the others. It’s important to note that this prayer and the statues have worked so well in the past that there are multiple companies dedicated to making these kits. A more expensive statue is viewed more favorably, because it requires a greater sacrifice.
The best place to begin looking for a statue of Saint Joseph is online; the Catholic Company sells a kit for $7.95 which includes detailed instructions as well as background information on the ritual. The Catholic Supply website has the largest selection of St Joe statues we could find. You should also be able to find the individual statue on Amazon or eBay. You should also be able to find the statue at a local Christian library or book store. The catholic friendly stores are more likely to carry the statues than are the protestant stores, so you may want to call around.
After Burying the Statue
The house selling kits may be better than the individually sold statues, because the kits include instructions. However, there isn’t really an exact protocol, so long as the prayer is said everyday. The words should be repeated exactly, and burying the statue lets St. Joseph know that someone needs assistance in the real estate market. It’s also important to have faith that the ritual is going to be successful.
There are also other prayers that are said to help sell a house, and they can be used to supplement the St Joseph’s prayer.
Psalms to Evoke the Higher Powers
The book of Psalms was written by King David, a man well known for his real estate prosperity. There are different prayers to be said on different days of the month, and the proper psalm for a day can be found online. Fortunately, there are also psalms specifically dedicated to becoming prosperous. Chapter 18 is the Psalm that results in miracles being worked on the reader’s behalf. The sixth verse mentions the lord hearing the prayers and moving heaven and earth to answer the prayers. Chapter 81 is also good for those needing help selling a house.
Have Faith
The AME church has a saying “If you’re going to pray don’t worry and if you’re going to worry don’t pray.” This means you need to have faith that the prayer is going to work before you bury the statue. In the book of Mark, Peter walked on the water with Jesus until he doubted, so have faith that your prayers will be answered and miracles can happen. Perhaps this is how the ritual aids people in selling their homes, because the additional faith provides a boost in confidence. It’s also important to remain proactive in your house selling efforts. Praying won’t do much without action and faith without work is dead. Saying the prayer and filling out the form below demonstrates both faith and the initiative, and we buy houses from people needing a miracle.
Have a Distressed Real Estate Expert Take a Look at Your Case
Enter your information to get a complimentary case analysis
www.needtosellmyhousefast.com