A few months ago someone asked for prayers for selling their home. After praying for the person another lady who was standing close by and heard the request said that she was a realtor and advised the individual to bury the statue of Saint Joseph in the front yard and that would cause the house to be sold quite fast.
Have you heard of this before?
Apparently, there are realtors who keep a stock of St. Joseph statues solely for the purpose of selling the house of their clients! They dig a hole in the yard of the house and bury the statue as some kind of good luck charm to sell the house.
Let me first say that this is not biblical. There is no scripture in the bible that supports burying anything to get God to do anything for you. If you have this scripture, please feel free to leave it in the comments below. This sounds more like witchcraft than it does something that is coming from the Almighty God! To be clear, the St. Joseph in reference is the husband of Mary. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about this click here
When you are trying to sell your house you must first ask yourself a few questions.
1. Why is my home for sale? Did God direct me to do this?
2. Is my home reasonably priced or am I being greedy?
3. Is my house properly staged and does it look presentable so that someone would want to buy it?
4. Do I have a good realtor? The truth is sometimes it’s just best to stay away from family members or someone who just got their license and wants to practice on you!
You see, if God wants you to sell that house and move then you will sell the house really fast. You’re not going to need to worry about the economy because God is bigger than that! He can sell your house when no one else’s house is selling. So there is absolutely no need for you to have any fear that it will not sell.
(2 Timothy 1:7) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
You also can’t be too greedy expecting the buyer of your home to pay more than what is a reasonable asking price. You need to do your home work and know what the comps are in your area. What is the home worth?
(Leviticus 25:14) “‘If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do not take advantage of each other.”
Yes! We all want the wonderful testimony of how God blessed us in the sale of our home and we made so much money doing it BUT this should never be at the expense of taking advantage of someone else. God is watching and this will not be pleasing to Him. The money you made from being dishonest in that deal will be taken from you in so many other ways. It’s just not worth it. Be honest.
You want to make sure that your house is staged properly for a sale. Bottom line, clean your house! This is a simple thing but the truth is that most people neglect to consider that just by clearing away clutter and organizing their home, the sale can be quite quick. If you have animals try to make sure your house doesn’t smell like the animal. If you’re so accustomed to this, then ask a friend to tell you honestly how your house looks and smells. Invest in some plugins or something to clean the air and make your home pleasant. It’s these little things that can make a big difference especially if you don’t have the money to paint or do other major repairs.
Do some research online about staging your home for sale and make sure to do all that you can to be ready for your buyer.
Find a realtor that has experience selling your type of house. The price range, the area and has a track record for selling homes. It seems that everybody these days has a real estate license. This doesn’t mean that you should make yourself the guinea pig! Just because your family member has a real estate license doesn’t mean they should be selling your home. If they are good at what they do, that’s fine. Or if God told you to give them the listing. You need to pray about this as well. Use wisdom.
Please keep this very important point in mind, you are only selling your house to one person. All you need is just one person. You don’t have to worry about ratios of how many people need to look at your house before it is sold. You just need one. God can provide that one person for you with the first person that walks through the door.
So here are the prayers that you will need to get your house sold.
Praying to find a realtor
Heavenly Father, in obedience to you I am ready to sell my house. Thank you for leading me to this point. Guide me to finding the right realtor for this decision. Direct my steps to the real estate agent that you wish to bless with my listing. I pray that you will continue to build them up in wisdom, understanding and knowledge to list my house, give me good directions and finding the right buyer, in your name Jesus I pray, Amen!
Now it’s time to pray for your buyer
Prayer for the buyer of my house
Lord God, I pray for the buyer that you have for my house. Wherever they are right now Lord please begin to remove every obstacle that would prevent them from seeing my home. Guide them here. Give them the desire to want to live in my area. Provide the financing they need to qualify to purchase this home at my asking price. Get them pre approved and ready to close very quickly. Bless them financially and prepare their hearts to care for this home as much as I cared for it. In Jesus Name, Amen.
And, here is the final prayer which is one for you to sell your home
Prayer to Sell my home
Father God, thank you for blessing me with this home. Thank you for the enjoyment that I received from it for the years that I have lived here. Show me what I need to do to prepare it for sale. I pray that my house will sell very fast. I will not have any fear in my heart because I know that you have the right buyer lined up to purchase it. I pray that you will grant me grace to be honest and not greedy in what I am asking. I know that I only need one buyer and I ask that you will send them quickly. I promise to tithe on the increase that you will bring from this sale and to honor you in this business dealings. I also pray for the new place where you will be taking me. That you will have it prepared for me that i will find much joy and peace in that new home, in Jesus Name, Amen.
We know that God will do an amazing thing in selling your home fast. Remember, you don’t need any st. Joseph statues to sell your house you just need to pray, believe God and know that He will grant you the desires of your heart.
Here are some more prayers and bible verses for you:
Prayer of Faith
Prayer for Wisdom
Proverbs 23: 17-19 The Prayer of Expectation
Joshua 1:8 – Prayer For Success and Prosperity
www.missionariesofprayer.org
Over three years after buying my first home, I’ve reached another milestone – selling. I moved out of my parents’ house into a small 2 bedroom condo with Danny in August of 2009 – right before Ken proposed. (Had I known what was coming, I probably would have stayed where I was and saved for a wedding, or a different place. Bygones.) It’s always a bittersweet feeling, walking through the empty rooms of a place you called home, even if the new place is better, and even though you didn’t live there very long. It’s still the first place I owned, the place we started living in as a family, the place Danny started kindergarten from. The place that was so conveniently close to the grocery store, my aunt, and some really awesome neighbors. Still, it was too far from Ken’s job and family, and too small for three people. Especially when one of those people owns a large collection of toys. (Ken, not Danny.)
I met with the realtor, cleaned up the place, did a final walkthrough. I’ll miss it, but it’s time to move on. So now the question is, how do we sell it quickly?
This is what Google Image search came up with. I like it.
Both Ken and I were raised Catholic, and so we’re both familiar with the tradition of burying a statue of St. Joseph, upside down, in the yard of a house you’re trying to sell. I don’t know how I know this. I don’t remember anyone explaining this to me. It’s one of those things you just absorb, like so many other traditions.
In fact, the seller of our current house called soon after we bought it and asked if he could come dig up the front yard, because he had buried Joseph there. Unfortunately, upon arrival, he couldn’t remember where exactly Joseph was, and so left without excavating him. He’s still lurking, somewhere in our yard. (Joseph, that is. Not the seller.)
Hopefully, his current position will work for the condo. The HOA would probably frown upon us digging up a common area, and we don’t have any flowerboxes or potted plants to hide him in. I joked that I would hang him, upside down, from the kitchen ceiling fan, an idea that has yet to gain support.
That got me thinking, though. How do these things get started in the first place? Who was the first person to bury St Joseph outside a house they were trying to sell? Did they bury him upside down the first time, or did they figure that part out later? “Huh… tent/hut/cabin/whatever didn’t sell… Better bury him upside down!!”
St Fiacre. With a hoe. The jokes, they write themselves.
And the same with other saintly traditions. As Catholics, there’s patron saints for everything. St Thomas More is the patron saint of lawyers, which makes sense since he was one. St Jude is lost causes “because his New Testament letter stresses that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh, difficult circumstances, just as their forefathers had done before them,” according to catholic websites. The assignment seems to be based on an aspect of the saint’s life. But it gets more random- St Fiacre is the patron saint of both venereal diseases and cabdrivers, among other things, including gardening and boxmakers. I don’t know if he had one sponsorship and then the other, or if he was a venereally diseased cabdriver and boxmaker who gardened in his spare time, or if whoever is in charge of assigning these things just has a giant dartboard of saints. “We need someone for this, hurry!” Bam! Now you’re the patron saint of VD. You’re welcome.
But I do understand, psychologically, why the traditions continue. It’s called confirmation bias. You don’t remember all the times St Anthony didn’t help you find your car keys, but you do remember when you lost your id badge at the Taste of Chicago that would be expensive to replace and you and your friend prayed to St Anthony before heading to the lost and found where someone DID turn in your badge, even though that had more to do with the fact that you had the same name as the Mayor’s chief of staff than St. Anthony (what up, other Sheila.).
So. Burying St Joseph upside down probably doesn’t do anything. But, even confirmation bias is occasionally confirmed. Obviously St Joseph worked for the prior owners of our house, or he wouldn’t still be in our yard.
So, if you’re looking at condo listings in the Chicagoland area, and you see St Joseph hanging from a ceiling fan, he’s trying to point you to a really good deal. With hardwood floors, in unit washer and dryer, central a/c, and various other amenities.
evenmygpsislost.wordpress.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.
Table of contents
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.
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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.
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www.needtosellmyhousefast.com
Contrary to a refrain from ‘Les Miserables,’ nobody loves the landlord, but even non-Catholics have a soft spot for Joseph-the-realtor.
There is one thing I won’t ask St. Joseph to do. Well, two things; the second momentarily.
But the first thing, I won’t ask him to bless my carpentry. He knows it wouldn’t do any good. If he’s ever looked over my shoulder, he has it figured out.
I was the kid who cut his finger on the bandsaw in Mr. Schnable’s eighth-grade arts and crafts class. Mr. Schnable – I can’t speak for St. Joseph — was decidedly disappointed.
Things never got better. I yet carry a six-stitch scar from teaching tool safety to my #2 son. There were mitigating factors. It was a right-handed tool and I am left-handed. All the power tools ever made were made for right-handed people. Klutz, after all, is only one letter longer than Left.
The second thing I will not ask St. Joseph to do is sell my house. I didn’t even know that this was a thing until I asked a better Catholic than me which saint might be the patron of landlords, me being one at the time. St. Joseph the carpenter, possibly, I was told.
Looking it up to be sure, no, and as far as I can find landlords do not have a patron saint. I would like to hear otherwise, if anyone knows, but I mean, even coin collectors get a patron saint (St. Eligius, a 7th-century goldsmith who became a revered priest and bishop), but for landlords, there’s no one. Contrary to a refrain from Les Miserables, nobody loves the landlord.
I became a landlord by accident. We had lived in our house 12 years. I had never lived in a house longer, except where I grew up. When it came time sell, the housing collapse was still raging. In our immediate neighborhood, homes in bankruptcy had thoroughly depressed the market and we wouldn’t even recover enough to pay the remaining mortgage. So it became a rental, four years. Now, market recovered, it is time to sell.
This is where St. Joseph is said to help. What you do is, get a St. Joseph statue, bury it on the property, say a series of prayers over nine days, and sit back as the potential buyers overrun the place. When the house is sold, retrieve St. Joseph and give him a place of honor in your new home. So far, things sound harmlessly quaint.
Then it gets complicated. Where you bury the statue and how is important, but unclear. Front yard or back yard or under the For Sale sign? Do you bury the statue standing upright or bury the statue upside down (the theory being an upside down St. Joseph will “work” harder at getting out of the ground and into the new home), or flat, pointed to the street so he will entice passersby?
To facilitate this odd use of Saint Joseph, there are kits sold by Catholic supply houses but I also found one at an Episcopal Bookstore, which struck me as strange.
In fact, the whole thing seems unutterably superstitious, like magical thinking, a ritual to bend the universe (and buyers) to one’s desires, no different, really, than a metaphysical spell for realty shamans.
There are, to be sure, plenty of testimonials from people – even realtors – who buried a statue. It “works,” they assert. You would expect to hear those, if the house sells with a St. Joseph statue buried somewhere on the grounds.
Except we never hear from the other sort, a home listing 145 days out, still without prospects, even with St. Joseph buried – whichever way that is — in the proper fashion.
But there are other metaphysical tap roots. There’s a Wiccan spell and other “spiritual” helps, including Native American smudging and a Laughing Buddha secreted in the house somewhere, just for home sellers. Those approaches, too, have testimonials from very satisfied practitioners.
Should St. Joseph be reduced to a magic-like talisman? “Credulity,” a friend quotes, “is no Christian virtue.”
What’s a Christian to do, then? What anybody ought to do. Clean the house up; repair, replace, paint, and make it as attractive as possible, and fix things the way you would want them fixed were you the one buying it. Do a complete disclosure, no fudging, and maybe point out any quirks (every house has them) just to avoid surprises (like don’t run microwave and dishwasher together; you’ll trip a breaker). Leave a note for the new owners with a prayer that the house they bought from you may become for them a true home.
Last, maybe first, give thanks to God in prayer for the home it was, for the family you raised, and the neighbors you knew. Then, next time at mass, listen carefully for Pope Francis’s addition to Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV. You’ll hear St. Joseph’s name, patron of happy homes who, said Francis, “demonstrates the ordinary and simple virtues necessary for men to be good and genuine followers of Christ.”
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