Opening my Bible to 1 Samuel chapter 1, I got to reading about Hannah and Elkanah. If you haven’t read their story lately, I encourage you to dig into it and let the words sink gently into your soul. I absolutely adore the love between these two.
Elkanah had two wives, which was common in those days, one was Peninnah and the other was Hannah. We’re told in verse five that Elkanah loved Hannah, and reading through the story, we get the idea that there was a strong bond between the two.
But there was a problem. Verse five tells us that, “the Lord had shut up her [Hannah’s] womb.”
An important thing to remember here is that bearing children was of utmost importance in their society. A woman who couldn’t bear children would have been considered a failure to many. She couldn’t provide her husband with the blessings that other wives could.
Each year Elkanah took both of his wives to Shiloh where they would present a sacrifice to God. And each year, Peninnah provoked Hannah reminding her of the fact that she was barren.
Broken hearted, Hannah wept to the point where she couldn’t eat.
Elkanah was empathetic because he cared for her deeply. I love what he says here, “Why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:8)
Hannah rose after dinner, took a seat by a post at the temple, and poured her heart out to God.
This was her prayer,
And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. – 1 Samuel 1:11
Like Hannah, we all struggle in this life. If its not one thing, it’s another.
I’m heartbroken when I consider the struggles that some of you face.
I long to have children…
I desperately want a strong marriage…
I miss having a relationship with my parents…
I wish we weren’t struggling financially…
I wish my husband was here…
If only our health was better…
I want my husband and I to be closer…
If only I hadn’t been unfaithful…
I wish we had better jobs…
I’m struggling with addiction…
Each and every one of these desires should bring us down to our knees in prayer. And any one of these things can put a serious strain on a marriage. They can bring heartache and pain unlike anything we’ve ever imagined.
I know what it’s like to feel pain. I lost five children to miscarriage. One I carried for five months and since he wouldn’t leave on his own, my womb was the coffin that carried his body for days before the doctors took him away. I wondered if I’d ever be able to have children again after losing so many. Like some of you, I had fears. I had insecurities. I had pain.
I know what it’s like to feel darkness. I suffered a deep bout of depression that lasted almost a year after the fifth miscarriage where all I wanted to do was curl up in a closet and stay there. And for years after I battled to stabilize it.
The question was and always will be, Are we ready and willing to hand it over to God? Are we ready to move forward in hope, according to His will, perfect timing and wisdom?
I like a great love story. And this one between Elkanah and Hannah is beautiful, but the love story between Hannah and God is a greater one yet. She was willing to give the one thing that she desired most in this world back to God.
“If you give me a child, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life,” she said.
What can we learn from her? What can we learn from other scriptures?
We see in 1 Timothy 6:6 that contentment is important, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
But we also know that the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing and to bring our requests before God.
Be careful [worried] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. – Philippians 4:6
Hannah made her request known unto God with fervent prayer. And God answered that prayer by not only blessing them with a son (Samuel), but with other children as well.
What we can learn from Hannah is the importance of dedication. She dedicated her son to God for a sacred purpose trusting Him with this most important area of her life.
Will you dedicate your marriage to God? Are you ready to hand it over to God for a sacred purpose? In its entirety?
We must be willing to say, “God this is my hearts desire, but even this–the longing of my soul–belongs to You Lord. Do unto us according to Your will.”
If you’re following along with my book, Messy Beautiful Love, let’s dig into chapter three.
Chime in: Would you like to leave a comment or an encouraging thought? Click here to join the discussion.
You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife
For daily marriage prayers visit: http://www.marriageprayers.today
I am very excited about this series and about this giveaway. I had ordered an apron a few months ago and it never came. I just found out the other day that it was “lost in the mail”. I hope I can get a refund 🙁
Will you be doing a giveaway for your book, too? thx
I won’t be doing another giveaway for a while. Sorry.
Thanks for the inspiring devotionals and prayers.
You’re welcome.
Really got a lot out of chapter 6 as well as day 6. We have struggled with having a second child. I am surrendered to God’s will for my life, no matter if includes another child or not!
It’s hard to let go and lean on Him sometimes, but we’re never sorry.
What a great story and just laying down everything and trusting God when you are heartbroken are believing for something to come to pass.
For 2 days now I have been surrounded by this verse: Be careful [worried] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. – Philippians 4:6. It appears God really wants to remind me to not be worried about anything. Thanks for yet another reminder!
I love when that happens.
Something neat happened this weekend with my spouse. I have been forwarding the email’s of this challenge to my him and haven’t been asking him about it. Last night he said to me. “I was getting the emails okay and now it only has the prayer on them.” I replied, “That is how it’s supposed to be. Darlene doesn’t do a post on the weekends just the prayer.” “Oh that is wrong.” He said disappointedly. Well I now know he must be reading them because he missed the post over the weekend! Quite honestly I never thought he’d read them. God is working 🙂
Awesome! Glad he’s reading them! woohoo! Wish I could post on the weekends too.
Thank you for the gentle reminder today…that we need to give it all to God.
I am loving this prayer challenge. It is amazing what God can do in my marriage ,when I give it to him. It is not perfect and that is ok. I see changes in my husband. I see changes in me. I just know the enemy/Satan is not happy about these changes at all. Thank you for this gift!!!
Amen!
Thank you for this series! Through the focus these prayers are giving me God is showing me things I did not expect!
Wonderful!
Thank you Darlene, really enjoying the book and study!
Awesome!
I definitely want a marriage that glorifies God! I’ve been working on becoming more of a godly wife to my husband, knowing I can only work on changing myself through God’s help! I have to say, I teared up reading about your loss. You are so strong and God has definitely blessed you through your faithfulness!
Thank you for your compassion Kayley. I’m glad you’re here.
I love to read this blog! Thank you! It’s always encouraging to me. Early in my marriage, I dedicated my marriage and children (5) to God and never looked back. He truly keeps us close to Himself and has healed our broken heart when we lost one son as a teenager. God is faithful!! Thank you for such a nice giveaway, too!
Amen! God is faithful.
What a beautiful reminder of the power of prayer. Nothing is so far gone that it is beyond our Father’s reach. Thank you!
Amen!
Good morning! Thank you for reminding us to pray for out spouse. I think as a busy Mom, I focus so much praying on my children and others, I forget my spouse. Blessings!
Great reminder Laura!
I am always reminded of the story of Hannah when I question why I am unable to bear a child as well. After suffering a miscarriage a year ago and removal of a large fibroid there are times when I give up hope and feel it’s just not fair. This came at just the right time for me to remember to “Pray Without Ceasing!” Thank you!
Lori, I’m so sorry to read that. I pray that God will bless you as you continue to press into Him.
I have always admired the love between Hannah and her husband. He placed her value in her and not what she could give him. The strength, love and faithfulness she displayed giving Samuel back to God was beautiful!
No wonder he loved her so much. I imagine she was an incredible woman of strength to do this. Love it.
Good morning – I love the prayer at the opening of this… thank you for the inspiration today!
You’re welcome!
Needed this today – we are struggling financially and we are waiting to hear about a new job for my husband. It is so hard to wait, but I know God has a plan and I have to trust in His perfect timing.
Waiting is so hard, but we grow from it. If only we could see the patience at work in us. 😀
I am really enjoying both your book and the prayer challenge!
Awesome!
Thank you Darlene, your email and reminder of Hanah was appreciated. I’m 44 yrs of age, was in 1991 diagnosed with ms, happily married to a great man for which I can only thank God for so many grace but no children 🙁
I have gone from praying and begging, asking Angus Buchan and others to pray for us, getting sad and VERY angry with God, trying everything docters advise you and shedding buckets full of tears through the course of more than 10 years. TO REACH the point of asking God to grant us (read this as ME) peace to relax in His plan for my existence in a world that expects different things from you and especially for a woman. I just want to share my growth in this regard to sort of come most of the time to the point of being grateful not to have kids even though the hurt will never go away I believe. Please keep me in your prayers for Him granting me His peace which the world cannot understand, answers that will assist me AND a husband who WILL NEVER forget his commitment and promise before Him to honour Him with our marriage. Thank you and may the Lord keep on blessing you and your family!
Thank you for sharing that Petra.
Thanks for sharing your heart! Barrenness can be tough even today but I try to stay focused on God’s plan for me not mine and that seems to help! Thanks
I hesitated to start this challenge, but I am so glad I did. It has already been a blessing to our marriage.
I’m glad you did too!
What a love story! I pray that my life can be a testimony of how I loved god. And I know he loves me. Now to completely dedicate and turn my dreams to gods faithfulness and love.
Amen! Me too!
I love this prayer challenge, and I would love to win the giveaway for this week 🙂 Thank you for being an inspiration to so many through your words and encouragement!
I love this! I have been the heartbroken woman crying out to God. What a great reminder to keep turning things over to Him and to accept His will for our desires. Thank you!
Wow this breaks my heart. I know the loss of miscarriage (though I only had one), I lost twins at 18 weeks. I know the pain of depression, I battled it for most of my life. I know the ache of a marriage that isn’t what you want it to be. Prayer has been my main turn-to in all of this. I used to write to express my pain, but any more, I just turn to God. I don’t even have the desire to write (which was normally just wallowing). It is so hard waiting…but maybe that is it, if you are waiting for your marriage to be what you want you haven’t really given it to God.
Thank you for sharing that Jody.
Amazing post today!! Love it 🙂
Everything I’ve needed to hear. Such a great study.
Thank you, Darlene, for your honest and transparent witness to women all over the world who struggle with silent sin and the pain it causes. Your honesty is strikes to my heart and allows me the strength to open it up to our Lord. Thank you!!!
Thank yo for your grace Gayleen. I’m glad you’re here.
Hello Darlene,
Thanks so much for your encouragements in helping us pray for and dedicate our marriages to God. Since the beginning of the challenge the Holy Spirit instructed me to do it along with the book of Proverbs from which I have been greatly blessed and also each day I leave a card for my husband to read and for accountability, I asked him to return it to me after he reads. So far, day 6, it’s been going well and I praise God.
Thanks again. May God bless you abundantly and may be meets you at the point of your need.
Stay blessed!
That’s a beautiful idea. I love it.
I am enjoying reading your book and following along with the prayer guide. Thank you for this. It is very helpful during any season of marriage.
Blessings to you!
I love reading your blog. You are an inspiration to others. I am glad God has blessed you with this gift.
thanks for your encouragement!
Thank you for your commitment to Christ and to your marriage.
I am the only one in my family , choosing to seek & follow The Lord , right now. It is very difficult. My marriage is very much strained. Addiction& rebellion as well as inabling these problems going on. I am beside myself, I just keep praying. I have been praying over these issues for what seems like forever.
Thank you Darlene!
I love the way the mitts match the apron.
Pray without ceasing. I needed to hear that today.
I hope I win this contest! It looks epic!!
Hannah’s is a beautiful story of relinquishment and you describe it so well, especially as you name some of the struggles faced by your readers.
We were in a bad place in 2006. We had risked everything financially to buy a failing Christian bookstore in my husband’s home town. For 3 years, we worked 80 hour weeks to get the store to the place where, as the franchise president said, “The plane is lifting off the runway.” Then Sept. 11, 2001, happened, the economy started to decline, and the Internet took off; books and music were the first things to be sold online. For four years we continued the 80 hour workweeks as our store declined every month until it closed. For the last couple of years we earned nothing. We had no option to close sooner because we were under lease with the mall. It was like watching someone die for four years. I would watch my husband drag himself to the door at the end of the workday (10 p.m.) and wonder if this was going to kill him. Had I not found a job outside the store, it would have bankrupted us.
We cried out to God over and over to help us.
At that time, the song was popular that contained the lyrics, “He gives and takes away…. Blessed be the name of the Lord!” We would sing that in church and the tears would roll down our faces. We believed it, even though we were emotionally, physically and financially exhausted.
Two years passed, then my husband was added to the staff of our church. (I just chuckled.) God knew exactly what He was doing. My husband is Family Life pastor at our church, the church grew to over 2000 in just a few years, and my husband is in the sweetest spot he has ever been in his entire life.
I think that song was our expression of what Hannah was feeling when she prayed.
Hannah’s story is a favorite of mine because I understand her pain. I too long for a child and am daily on my knees praying and believing for one.
But before I was even married, I asked God to give me patience. Now, I only meant so I wouldn’t get agitated when I had to wait an extra five minutes or so. But the only way you can grow in patience is through waiting, and we have been waiting for God to grow our family for almost two decades.
In February we will celebrate 20 years of marriage. And until God answers my prayer, I will keep praying and believing and daily (sometimes hourly) surrendering my dreams to Him.
Reminder to wait on the Lord for a child in His timing is just what I needed to hear today. Thank you!
Awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Darlene,
Thank you for this post, so full of encouragement, faith and strength. The story of Hannah is such a deeply touching example for all of us. I am so sorry for the pain that you suffered in your own personal story.
YES- I will dedicate my marriage to God – “‘I am handing over my marriage over to God for a sacred purpose in it’s entirety” !
Beautiful Kelly.
Really enjoyed this post! Love the picture of the anthropology give away!
I love it too! Those were the colors I wanted for my blog and so when I put the image together last night I thought… I’m not waiting any longer, I’m making a change. 😀 The image is gorgeous.
Thank you so much for the book and this prayer challenge. I have been struggling in my marriage and haven’t discussed it with my husband because I feel that God is saying just pray and He will take care of it in a far better way than my talking could do. It is an on-going struggle that has been there for much of our marriage. We have discussed it before and it is remedied for a brief time, and then old habits return. Sometimes I am really angry, but since I have been praying about it I have been working more on my attitude and trying to love my husband with the kind of love he needs, not necessarily the way I want to love him. (thinking about the 5 love languages) It has been a challenge, but God is helping me guard my lips and giving me the right words to say in the right situations.
I pray that God continues working through you. Thanks, Nancy!
I love the prayer at the beginning of your post, and also the reminder of the importance of dedication. We dedicated ourselves to each other the day we were married, but between then and now gets tough. Your post gave me a new perspective on dedicating even hardships to God and asking Him to make our marriage a dedication to Him.
Enjoying the prayer challange and your book!
Thank you for this awesome prayer marriage challenge! It’s amazing, yesterday in Sunday services, I surrendered my will for His and the prayer challenge today is about surrendering our marriages for His purposes. Totally awesome!!!
Perfect timing.
I’ve always liked the story of Hannah, since she is my name sake. Thank you for sharing your insights and encouragement from this passage.
Nice to meet you Hannah! 😀
I love how this is already blessing my marriage. It help me gain the right perspective throughout the entire day, and in turn helps me be in continual prayer for my husband and I. Thank you!
Wonderful!
As always, your words and the verses are very timely.
My husband and I both have enjoyed the whole marriage series!
Awesome! Glad you like it.
I love this bible story. I too struggled with trying to conceive. I finally came to peace, after 6 years, to trust God and His plan for our family. Kids or no kids. Biological or adopted. And, I became pregnant with my miracle baby girl last year!! So thankful for God’s provision and love.
Wow!! That’s a big reason to rejoice.
Sometimes Darlene, we don’t realize that were not alone untill someone shares. Thank you for sharing.
I turned 50 this year, but in my lifetime I have miscarried 9 times and have 7 living children. But truly my marriage and love with Mark, means so much more to me then having children. Today I wish for release, for freedom for our love to just grown and for him to be healed. Life is messy but God can turn a mess into a message !
Love you Much
Linda Marie Finn
Wow. That’s so high. I’m sorry to hear that Linda. Love your prayer for freedom.
I am enjoying your book and the 31 Day Challenge. I love reading about the stories of the women in the Bible. I think besides the Yahoo email, I may have given you a different one too. It is
brendaleeskene@gmail.com. Either one is okay to use. I was having some issues with my Yahoo account but seems to be working now.
Thank you for all the work you do and God bless you.
Did you need me to email you the study guide and prayer cards? If so, which one should I use?
Thank you for sharing what you have learned.
This was so needed for me. This is a great reminder for me to let GOD do his work, and to stop trying to be his assistant, because he is awesome, and doesn’t need any help. These prayers are a blessing to me and my household, for I am soaking day 6 in thanks.
Katrina “a praying wife”
Great thought Katrina. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the 31 Day Challenge. It’s very inspiring. I’m sharing each day with four of my friends and we’re praying for one another. I hope to encourage them also. Thanks again!
That’s really awesome. Sounds fun.
I don’t have anything profound to say in my comment but I did find this blog post profound and so glad to be a part of many women praying for their marriages and thank you Darlene for leading me in praying for mine!
I’m glad you’re here Sarah!
I love this giveaway and I’m loving your new book. I’ve learned so much and got do much inspiration just within the first three chapters.
I need to learn to hand things over to God. This was a great reminder.
Thank you so much!
I enjoyed reading this about Hannah. One very special woman in the Bible. I’m married 37 years now and very glad to still be married to my best friend. My daughter in law found your books and recommended them to me. Would love to win the lovely apron set. It looks from the comments here that the things you are saying strike a cord with many people. Glad you are a voice for woman who want to be the best wives and people they can.
Thank you so much. My husband and I are enjoying this month of praying together for our marriage.
hello DARLENE
just so so glad i met you.am highly encourage especially the love story between Hannah and husband. i have been married for 3.8yrs now. No peace no love just wish God can do a miracle in my marriage and creat that strong bond that Hannah had with her husband in my own marriage. love u and pray for my marriage as well.
I enjoyed reading about Hannah.I am glad to be married for 7 years to my best friend and lover. May the Lord use you more abundantly to encourage other women. I love reading your blogs and get encouraged. I am with you in the prayer challenge.
I am feeling inspired by this marriage prayer challenge & I adore the anthropologie kitchen giveaway!
I like it too!
Darlene,
I want to thank you first and foremost to being obedient to God. I love how we start to write or do one thing and He spins us around to something completely different! This particular blog post was one I have passed along to a precious friend this morning after reading. I am gaining so much in this study not only from the book, but the blog as well. Thank you for all of the time and energy you pour into each process. I am looking forward to what else God is going to say to me through your work!
Christy
Thanks so much Christy. Every time I sit down to write I think, “What if something doesn’t come out? What if I have nothing to say?!” Eeek. God is faithful each and every time.
Loved your book. I am blessed to be married 31 years to a wonderful Chriatain man. Love this series you are doing. Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks so much.
Thanks for the time and effort you put into this. I’m so encouraged to keep praying for our marriage. God has put a deep desire in my heart for our marriage to glorify HIM, rather than have the focus be on my happiness. I’m seeing how selfish I have been and yet at the same time I’m finding more joy in my Heavenly Father! All that doesn’t happen without wrestling and struggling, but makes me more dependent on my Lord! I’m thankful for His faithfulness to us!
Awesome Barb. That’s a great reminder!
Great post/article!
My husband and I dedicated our marriage to God in August 2012 at the Kirk Cameron marriage conference. Since that moment, the enemy has been attacking our marriage, family, and every aspect of life, yet we are still married and praising God in this storm. He has never stopped sheltering us from what the enemy has tried, and He has rescued my husband from himself, too. Though the enemy wants to destroy us, we look to our Father daily to strengthen our marriage and each other. No weapon formed against our marriage shall prosper!
Amen!
I struggled with keeping up on the weekend, and now I’m getting back on track! Thanks for hosting this awesome challenge!
This is a beautiful giveaway package, beautiful…keeping us from being messy in the kitchen. 😉 I am enjoying reading each day’s post and prayer! I am pinning each one to read and reread. My book arrived and I am loving it… crying through much of it! Thank you for writing from your heart!
Blessings on you and yours!
Awesome! I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
This series is exactly what I need right now! Thank you soo much.
These prayers are awesome. I’m enjoying them and some have brought me to rememberance of the things I need to work on. Thank you!
I’m truly enjoying the prayers. They have hit home with me in so many ways. I’m also entering in the giveaway because it’s the perfect gift for my sister in-law who is a new Christian and is growing beautifully into a wife and mother that God desires is to be like. And I’m so proud of her growth.
Thank you so much for this series. God is doing a work in my heart through it!
Awesome!
Thank you so much for today’s post. I start fertility treatments this week after 5 miscarriages and have been reading 1 Samuel 1 and 2 over and over again. I always kinda skim over the love story between Hannah and her husband and only focus on the miracle of Samuel. Today I am reminded of the miracle I have of the amazing husband who has stood by me though every miscarriage and is standing by me now as we begin fertility treatments. God is still good in this and God is still being glorified!
Thank you.
That’s beautiful April. I love how you’re counting your blessings.
Your words are always so timely! I am truly enjoying the series and the read aling with your book!! Amazing. God Bless.
I appreciate the focus you are putting on prayer. It seems sometimes we want to just fix everything. But we need to come to the One who has the power and ability to create in us and our marriages what we cannot do ourselves. Hannah did that in great faith…poured out her heart’s desire before the Lord, who heard and answered her plea.
Amen!
Such pain Mine Abba has asked me to endure yet again! The doctors tried three times in 8 years to save my female organs. At 23 years, there just was no hope. However, God in his goodness has given me a vision prior to that perfectly described my daughter to the minute details! The child I could never have, came to my husband and I, that he fathered in a prior marriage. In a word of knowledge as clear as day, ‘you will only have her for 7 years. Teach her about My love, in family, church, in the world so she will know.’
Now she 38years. with three grown children from the first and will be married again in December and he has two, in grade school! I cannot fault Mine Abba, for He is faithful to His promises. Hannah was my favorite passage then! Thank your for reminding me with a tear soaked hankerchief!
God is faithful in His Word and its timing! As Habback says, It will come!
I love children so I taught Sunday school, Girl Scouts etc.She writes once in a while but has PTSD from moving from seveal homes etc.
Your testimony is amazing Barbs. God has used your test for a testimony.
This message was so helpful to me. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this study… I bought the book in time, but began the study late… last night in fact! I’ve been encouraged so much by it and because this study can help in any relationship, I’ve asked my daughter to start it as well. She began last night and I already see a difference in her. She’s singing while doing her chores! Thank you so much…. off to read more!
God’s blessings!
~Colleen
Oh, this warms my heart! I love it.
I look forward to these daily prayer/challenges 🙂 Thank you for your words of encouragement!
Thank you, Jennifer!
Thank you so much for your wisdom and your words… Love you!! Thank you for this beautiful giveaway as well! 🙂
I enjoy reading your articles and would love to win this package!
You are such an encouragement. Thanks for the sound teaching and practical application.
Thank you for this! And what a great giveaway! I’d love to win! 🙂 ~Amanda
I invited a number of friends to join us I am hoping they did. Such an awesome inspiration
Awesome!!
I love the part in this article where you say, “We must be willing to say, “God this is my hearts desire, but even this–the longing of my soul–belongs to You Lord. Do unto us according to Your will.”
I am currently going through the hardest season of my life, and I have prayed, and cried, and I’ve been mad, and hurt, and felt the whole roller coaster of emotions. And I’ve even found myself avoiding prayer just so that I won’t feel anything. But this exact prayer is one I made the other day when the Lord lead me to realize that while he knows what my will is, what my plans are, what my desires are, it is His plans, His desires and His perfect will that must come first. Then the answers and the fulfillment will come. Thank you for sharing such a great story – a great reminder that God does hear us, and He does still answer.
I’m sorry to hear you’re having a tough time Idania. I pray that you will keep leaning on Him.
I’m really enjoying this series! Thank you!
I’m glad you’re enjoying it Beth!
Hi Darlene,
First, let me say thank you.
Second, you and the other contributors are a blessing to so many of us… young mothers, first time wives and wives in general, and basically women all over. You all inspire us and encourage us and push us forward with your writings, thoughts, devotionals and all tid-bits.
I am a first time wife with two kids from previous relationships. A blended family life can become difficult; but my faith in the Almighty keeps me strong (most days).
I am grateful for all that you do and pray for the continuation of your love for God through your writings. May you and your family be blessed.
Thank you for your kind words Alethia. I’m blessed.
Thank you for your uplifting words! It is wonderful to read about lifting your spouse up and creating a stronger marriage! Thank you for all of your hard work to make our lives better!
You’re welcome Katherine. And thank you for being here!
Darlene: I’ve really been enjoying you 31 Days of Prayer for our Marriages! Thank you for doing this series! Be blessed & be a blessing, Jennifer
Thank you! I’m glad you are enjoying it. 😀
I want to get you’re book so badly. I am working through one book right now and then plan to get yours!!
Awesome! You might also check your library? I wonder if they’d have it…
I cannot even begin to tell how needed and timely this blog post was for me! Thank you 🙂
Oh, I’m blessed to hear that.
I am so blessed to be reading this book, and following the prayer challenge. My husband and I are doing it together, and I can feel our marriage solidifying every single day, as we give our marriage back to God. I am thrilled about the giveaway! I love anthropologie! and would just about move in there if it were allowed!
I never heard of it before this giveaway. But now I’m a new fan. What beautiful stuff.
God speaks to us in many different ways and His timing IS perfect. Thank you for being a vessel He used today to bring encouragement and a humble reminder of a Godly perspective amongst life’s bumps in the road…
Amen!
I love your posts and the inspiration you are to us.
I’m glad you’re enjoying them Shirley!
Love this!
I appreciate your thoughts shared! It was very encouraging!
This is a great series!! 🙂
I MUST make time to read and pray during this challenge….it’s been a hectic October, and I joined in yesterday. Of course, it hit home…..Thank you!
Glad you joined us!
Thanks for the series and the giveaway!
As a mother of twin 16 month olds and a 3 and a half year old, patience is my main prayer. I desire to have my husband return from work and face a sweet tempered, kind wife – not a frazzle mess.
Amen. Me too! Although my life is somewhat easier now. 😀
I so enjoy following your blog. You are so REAL that it inspires me and encourages me to forgive myself for the mistakes I have made in my own marriage and to move forward creating a new past! One filled with love, prayer for my husband and marriage and trust! Thank you for the 31 day challenge! It is blessing our socks off! 😉
<3
I am really enjoying the Prayers of Dedication. It helps me to focus on my marriage even more. Thanks for sharing your heart with us and following God’s will.
What a lovely little giveaway. Praying my way for my marriage.
I love the prayers for my marriage! There are seasons in the marriage that need redirection to God and I appreciate the daily reminders of God as our focus as well as each other! Thank you Darlene. I am hoping to get your book for my birthday, I may just be buying it for myself! God bless you!
I have really loved and appreciated all the blog entries you have written. Today’s hit home, but the biggest thing is that I am using this not just for my marriage but for my family as well.
Really nice kitchen set! I am enjoying your posts, they are a great challenge to me and reminder of things I know I should do and be. Thank you!
I am loving the 31 day prayer challenge. Thank you for sharing that with us.
Thanks for being here!
I love reading these posts each day and always find something encouraging in them. I’ve even shared them with my SS group at church.
I really have enjoyed the daily prayers of marriage. It has helped during this time.
Thanks Darlene for all the support you have given your readers during this study. I’ve been convicted several times so far while reading your book. What a blessing it has been to me!
Good to hear. Love this.
I am enjoying this prayer challange.
Needed this. Thank you!!
I must remind myself, and your posts are always a reminder, that God will speak to us if we listen. I must also be cautious about requests for my desires rather than praying for the wisdom to serve as He wants me to. When I just can’t understand the “why” of a situation, I TRY to convince myself there is an opportunity to be a witness to His compassion. It is a struggle for sure, but I am grateful I know what I SHOULD be doing. Thanks for your reinforcement and encouraging words.
You are so sweet to do the giveaways! I’m enjoying your book! 🙂
I am really enjoying and being encouraged by the prayers each day! They are such a great way to start my day!
Yes, God must be the center of a marriage. When that is in perspective, it all falls into place. The kitchen giveaway is so fun. One way I can show how I love my husband is to cook and bake for him and our family.
I absolutely love it when you show up in my inbox! Thank you for your honesty and transparency.
Aww, you brighten my day. Thank you!
Thanks for your transparency, honesty, and being a champion for marriage!!
Thank you Jyll.
I would love to win this!
Qt hank your form the opportunity fri win this set. I’ve been wanting to get a beautiful apron just like this one.hoping to get your book soon also as the budget allows.
i thank the Lord for having us all pray for our marriages, society has an easy way out , a door call “Divorce” but sometimes we just need to stop and know that God is with us not against us, he wants us to win all our battles and especially when family is involved. I also miscarried 2 babies, but I never left that wonderful promise found in Deutoronomy 7:14 You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young. And then the Lord Blessed us with a son and 3 years later HE blessed us again with twins. The Lord is good and merciful and he knows our hearts desires and all we have to do is wait, it is the hardest part but in the wait we will find an Amazing GOD.
Thank you for that beautiful reminder Aracelly!
Thank you for your wisdom and encouragement.
Thank YOU for being here, Katie!
thank you for writing. what do you do when you have given your marriage to God and cried out to Him to save it but husband no longer feels the same and wants out after 26 years?