31 days of praying for your Husband

I found this 31 day challenge at www.reviveourhearts.com. I don't know about everything on this site but the challenge looks good! Its written by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. 

Bless your husband by praying for him! The Apostle Paul instructed all Christians to pray for one another. 

Ephesians 6:18 "

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

This includes wives’ responsibility and privilege to pray for their husbands. Earnest prayer for your husband is good for him, for you and the spiritual health of your home.

Proverbs 31:11-12"

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."

Satan desires to destroy your husband, especially his character and his leadership in your relationship. Trust God through prayer as you daily surrender your husband and marriage to the Lord’s wise, loving care.

As I begin this journey I pray that the Lord will help me to be a better wife and reveal to me what my husbands needs are that I can actually fulfill. I will post the Scripture reference and the message from the site for each day of the challenge, if you decide to join me please leave me a comment :o) 

One Flesh

The second and third parts of the video series, "How to be Happily married", focused on the roles that women and men have in marriage. Men are called to love their wives, women are called to submit to their husbands. That's made clear all through scripture so I won't go on and on about that. I want to discuss something else that really stood out to me.

Dr. Williams started out talking about how a man and a woman become one flesh when they get married. How man is to leave his parents and cleave to his wife. We all know the Bible says this, its not a foreign concept. But just how serious is God about what He said? How literal did He mean it?  An example I never would have even realized comes from the story of Job!

In Job 1, Satan goes to God and receives permission to tempt Job to curse the Lord. But not with out one stipulation in verse 12. "And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."

Satan could do anything but put forth his hand on Job. After this Job looses everything, except his life and his wife. Job's wife is barely even mentioned through out this book, but we know she lived. He needed her to have his second set of kids! To have taken her life would of been the same as Satan putting forth his hand on Job, which he was not allowed to do. Job lost everything, his world was devastated. But he had his wife. Was she a good wife, did he love her as Christ loves the church? I can't say. But what we know is that she was his wife, and therefore bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.

There are a lot of verses that discuss the marriage relationship. But still in a story where it could so easily be missed the Lord planted a little seed. He painted a powerful picture that shows just how serious he was that a husband and a wife are indeed ONE FLESH.



"Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." -Matt 19:6

The Rock

My husband and I have started watching a video series by Dr. Tom Williams called "How to be Happily Married". So far its been good, but we've only watched the first DVD. Something that stuck with me from the first video was his reference to Matthew 7:24-27 and how that applies to marriage. 

" ²⁴Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

 ²⁵And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

 ²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

 ²⁷And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

This passage could be applied to many aspects of our lives and its always the same Rock we need to stand on; Jesus Christ! If the foundation of our marriages is Christ then what more do we need?  

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

When darkness seems to hide His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace.

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,

Support me in the whelming flood.

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my Hope and Stay.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh may I then in Him be found.

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

As we continue this delightful series I will post the different things the Lord has laid on my heart. May you and yours be blessed!

A song that's on my heart..

Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy

Joseph Hart

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,

Weak and wounded, sick and sore;

Jesus ready stands to save you,

Full of pity, love and pow’r.

I will arise and go to Jesus,

He will embrace me in His arms;

In the arms of my dear Savior,

Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,

God’s free bounty glorify;

True belief and true repentance,

Every grace that brings you nigh.

I will arise and go to Jesus,

He will embrace me in His arms;

In the arms of my dear Savior,

Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

1. Come, ye weary, heavy-laden,
   Lost and ruined by the fall;
   If you tarry till you’re better,
   You will never come at all.
2. I will arise and go to Jesus,
   He will embrace me in His arms;
   In the arms of my dear Savior,
   Oh, there are ten thousand charms.
3. View Him prostrate in the garden;
   On the ground your Maker lies;
   On the bloody tree behold Him;
   Sinner, will this not suffice?
4. I will arise and go to Jesus,
   He will embrace me in His arms;
   In the arms of my dear Savior,
   Oh, there are ten thousand charms.
5. Lo! th’ incarnate God ascended,
   Pleads the merit of His blood:
   Venture on Him, venture wholly,
   Let no other trust intrude.
6. I will arise and go to Jesus,
   He will embrace me in His arms;
   In the arms of my dear Savior,
   Oh, there are ten thousand charms.
7. Let not conscience make you linger,
   Not of fitness fondly dream;
   All the fitness He requireth
   Is to feel your need of Him.
8. I will arise and go to Jesus,
   He will embrace me in His arms;
   In the arms of my dear Savior,
   Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

Secret to Happiness

I was struggling with something today. I needed the will and strength to overcome, move on, and forgive. So I cried out to the Lord. I need Him. I needed to find comfort in His word. As always He is SO FAITHFUL! I am so thankful to have such a wonderful and loving heavenly Father! Thank you, Abba thank you! Here is the passage He gave me. Its called the secret to happiness on my Bible 911 index. 

¹²Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

 ¹³Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

 ¹⁴And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

 ¹⁵And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

 ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

 ¹⁷And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

-Colossians 3:12-17

Obedience

I haven't been writing much about the scripture that the Lord has been pressing on me so I guess this is long over due! 


I just finished reading Created to be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. I highly recommend this book but I also caution that you need to review things mentioned in your own Bible and pray on it with the Lord. The Pearls are human and can't replace the Bible. Ok now that, that is out of the way. I loved this book! I found myself cringing at times because of how convicting it was. I had to put it down and take a break from time to time. Normally I devour a book that I really enjoy. But this one took me months to read. I had to soak it in bit by bit and at times I had to wait until I was ready to admit my faults. 


Something that really stood out to me was the concept of obeying our husbands. Everyone may not agree that we are to obey our husbands but:

⁴That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

 ⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. -Titus 2:4-5

If the older women are to teach the younger to be obedient to their own husbands then clearly the Lord wants us to obey our OWN husbands. I hope I'm not over simplifying this.


Even if that's not enough to "persuade" you then think on your wedding vows. Maybe you didn't have "to obey" in yours but mine did. So if I agreed to do the things in my vows I must then obey my husband. 


Boy oh boy! I am not very obedient. I'm definitely a do it my way kind of woman. But I promised God and my husband that I would obey. In striving to be a godly wife I am commanded to submit to my husband as unto the Lord, YIKES! I've only been married a short while. I've read in my Bible how I am to submit, I more or less know the things I'm supposed to be doing. But how do you put this into action? It seems I could read all day, and study all night but when it comes to actually doing....well, let's just say I struggle. I think I submit to my husband. But I've found its easier to submit, or obey, when I agree than when I don't agree! But I'm not called to submit only when I agree, I'm called to SUBMIT period. 


My prayer right now is that I can learn to live out the admonishment from the author of 1 Peter 3:1-11. 

 ¹Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

 ²While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

 ³Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

 ⁴But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

 ⁵For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

 ⁶Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

 ⁷Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

 ⁸Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

 ⁹Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

 ¹⁰For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

 ¹¹Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

A song that's on my heart..

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood,

From Thy wounded side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure;

Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands

Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone;

Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to the cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress;

Helpless look to Thee for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly;

Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,

When mine eyes shall close in death,

When I soar to worlds unknown,

See Thee on Thy judgment throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee.

Words: Augustus M. Toplady, 1776