Edie, from Rich Gifts asks us to write about something God has made you passionate about. I spend a lot of my prayer time praying not only for my marriage but for my friends marriages. I even pray for my children's future spouses should they choose to marry. Both my husband and I had parents who were wonderful examples of the covenant we entered in marriage, my heart aches for those who did not have such examples. I am thankful God gives us the perfect example in Christ's love for the church.
Divorce is very common in our country. In some areas well over 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. Seventy-five percent of all second marriages end in divorce. Many homes, lives, and children are being destroyed and God hates it, Malachi 2:14-16, Mark 10:2-11.
The media does not help matters any at all. The shows on television mock the sanctity of marriage, as do a few of our states governments. We live in a society where anything goes as long as it feels good for you.
This is not what God had in mind. Jesus came to show us how we are to live and treat each other. If anyone deserved to be served, He did yet He washed his closest friends dirty feet. He served. He calls us to serve. He calls us to choose to love each other even when we are unlovable just like He does. He calls us to forgive just as He forgives.
In the past my husband and I have lead a small group marriage study by Marriage Builders after attending a retreat. This was a great opportunity for us to pray with and support other couples who, like us, were trying to keep it all together while caring for young families. Currently God has it on my heart to pray for marriages and I have blogged some of these prayers and they are marked in red if you'd like to link to them.
Dear God,
Bless our marriages in this country. May they become the way You designed. May we be humble, gentle and loving with each other. Where there is a hurt, please heal it. If there is abuse please make a safe way out. May we turn to You for our needs not expecting our spouses to meet unrealistic expectations. Give us a heart for service, even in our homes. Grant us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Ephesians 4:2-3 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"
Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control"
4 comments:
Thank you for having a passion in this area!
When folks wonder "What's wrong with this country?" you get some very different answers. How can one avoid such statistics as half the marriages end in divorce and not see that as significant?! Is God mad? I don't think we have to wonder. Malachi's words are ever applicable.
So, again I say, thank you for having a passion to pray for marriages. Because without prayers and a conscious effort to pray about people coming together in a holy covenant, our situation is not going to change.
Your words are so true, and it was such a blessing when I read this post. We should all remain vigilant to keep our marriages strong and to realize how precious the marriage relationship is to God. How fortunate we are that we have the ultimate example of this sacred covenant in Christ's relationship with his bride, the church. Thanks for your passion in this area. And, thanks for visiting our blog! :o) Love you so much!
Missy
Wow Mrs P - this one is a winner. I think every marriage no matter how good or how bad can benefit from prayer.
Thank you for being a prayer warrior for all of us.
Blessings!
This is a Great Passion to have! I am always so sad when I hear of people getting divorce, especially Christians. God hates divorce, yet we seem to embrace and accept it as a normal solution to marital problems. I'm not married so I can't speak on the problems that occur but I do know that God does not give a command that He does not enable us to keep.
Thanks for joining my meme this week.
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