I came across an article this week that I wrote a few years back. It’s such a good fit for this week, that I had to share it with you…
This afternoon my daughter called me from school to ask me a question about her schedule. Just before hanging up she said, “Pray for my exam, Mom. This is my career–it’s important to me!”
Totally cute since she’s only in grade nine, but I did make sure to take a few minutes out of my day to pray for her exam.
Again tonight before going to bed she said, “Okay mom, make sure you pray for my marks okay? I’m hoping I did alright on the exam. And can you also pray for my next semester?”
This sudden interest in prayer is new and alive in her. I love to watch how it’s constantly on her mind, and that she’s taking both the little things and the big things to prayer. Most of all I love that it’s more than a ritual or a last resort–it’s a passion.
“We say ‘all we can do now is pray’ like prayer is the last kid picked in dodge ball.That’s so dumb because prayer is not a last resort. Prayer is a nuclear weapon. Joshua prayed 13 words and called the sun to stand still in the sky.” ~ Steven Furtick
I love that, “Prayer is a nuclear weapon.” If more couples prayed together, less couples would struggle. If more couples were united in faith, less would step out of their marriage.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m well aware that the divorce rate is just as high among Christians as it is among non-Christians. But I have to wonder how many of those couples were united in prayer–together–seeking the will of the Lord for their marriage.
Being a Christian doesn’t mean that your marriage will be stronger than anyone else’s, but when Christ is put at the center of that marriage it does.
There’s a popular graphic that many of you have probably seen before. It’s called the marriage triangle. The triangle illustrates how a husband and wife who are focused on the Lord will naturally grow closer together.
So it is with life. So many couples would rather travel half the distance and put in a fraction of the effort it takes to make a good marriage work. And fewer yet put God at the center of marriage.
My vow today is to pray for my marriage, and I know that Michael is praying the same.
For those of you who are alone in this–whose husbands aren’t seeking the will of God for your marriage I remind you of this: don’t underestimate the power of prayer or consider it your last resort. The power of prayer is a dynamic force.
Maybe you’ve come to a place where you feel like there’s nothing else that you can do. Pray. You can’t change the heart of a man, but the same God who hung the sun and the moon in the sky certainly can!
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. ~ Proverbs 21:1
You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife
P.S. Come back here on Monday for week 3 in our “Revive Your Marriage” series. We’ll be talking about intimacy, and you won’t want to miss it!
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THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE
Just a reminder. Our challenge this week is this: make a conscious habit to pray for your marriage throughout the day. Take time here and there to commune with the Lord and bring your husband before Him.
BIBLE READING FOR THE WEEK
Don’t forget to get your Bible reading in this week. Here’s what I suggest:
R – Read Daniel chapters 5-6. Also, read Psalm 5.
E – Expand on questions you might have as you’re reading (dig deep and take notes).
A – Ask yourself how you can apply this scripture to your marriage.
D – Decide if there are any changes you need to make or actions you need to take.
The story of Daniel is a great fit for this week as we see him praying to God three times a day. He’s a prime example of someone who believed in the power of prayer. We see that he valued prayer more than he did his own life, which is what makes his story so incredible. I’ve also included a Psalm because it’s a beautiful focus for this week as we’re offered a glimpse into the prayer life of David.
BIBLE VERSE
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
RELATED RESOURCES
Messy Beautiful Love: Hope and Redemption for Real-Life Marriages
by Darlene Schacht | Available at Amazon.com (affil link)
Love gets messy.
Financial problems, sickness, aging parents, a chronically unhappy spouse . . . trials will inevitably come that threaten your marriage. No matter how long you’ve been married or how strong your relationship is, sooner or later you are going to have a mess to clean up.
MessyBeautiful Love is about cleaning up messes God’s way, exchanging your ideas for His, and being prepared for both the best and the worst that marriage has to offer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Darlene Schacht and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada where the summers are warm and the winters are cold. Together they’ve come to learn that relationships aren’t always easy, but that marriage, the way God intended it to be, is a treasure worth fighting for.
She began her publishing journey about twelve years ago when she pioneered one of the first online magazines for Christian women, known at the time as “Christian Women Online Magazine.” After three years, Darlene left CWO to blog as a solo author at Time-Warp Wife Ministries.
It was also during this transition that she worked alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure to write the NYT Best-Selling book, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. Reshaping it All was the winner of both the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and the 2012 Christian Reading Retailers Choice Awards.
Author of more than 15 books, Darlene continues to write and to minister to her readers through her blog at TimeWarpWife.com.
Connect with Darlene:
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Twitter: @timewarpwife