PRAYING FOR LOVING AND DURABLE MARRIAGES

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery–but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:31-33

Successful and healthy marriages begin with and endure through an unwavering covenant of commitment that a husband and wife make to each other and to God. In order to achieve a successful outcome, there must be a profound resolve within each individual and together as a couple that says regardless of the obstacles confronted,

“We will face this together.”
“We will work it out together living in God’s mercy and Grace.”

God’s intention for marriage burns with fulfillment and satisfaction toward us. His desire is for husband and wife to live together and share their life dreams, goals, desires, longings, and sexual wholeness. All these are to be realized in such a way that both male and female grow as one whole, but also as individuals, and with all honor and respect to their unique identities.

Marriages are being attacked as never before from powerful forces both within the marriage relationship; unforgiveness, self-centeredness, anger, unfaithfulness, lack of commitment, and from external forces imposed by cultural, societal, and economic pressures. Some estimates now suggest that almost 50 percent of marriages will end in divorce (American Psychological Association). Other research suggests that “Christian” marriages are not immune to this destruction. Without strong homes and marriages, we cannot have a well functioning society, church, or country.

Prayer Directives:
As a couple, consider praying the following prayers.

• “Father, we acknowledge that you created man and woman to live together in loving, productive, and committed marriage relationships. We also acknowledge that we have sometimes failed to achieve these goals as you originally desired. Father, we need your grace and your forgiveness to help strengthen our marriage.”
• “Father, Please forgive me for my past failures and help me live in the present knowing that I cannot change the past and my joy is found in the present moment of “now.” (If you have sinned against your spouse, ask them to forgive you.)
• “Help me to forgive others who have sinned against me, realizing you have faithfully forgiven me for my sins.”
• “Shield and guard our family and our hearts against the enemy of our souls who comes to rob and steal our joy and undermine our marriage.”
• “Help us to regain our passion for one another. Help us love one another deeply.”
• “Love flows through a marriage that lives up to mutual responsibility. “Love is not self seeking, it’s not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong” (1 Corinthians 13:5).
• Father, help me to stop keeping a record of past wrongs and lovingly seek my wife (husband). “

Other Helps

• Staying Married—A Politically Incorrect Guide, www.rickcreasy.com
• The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage by Stormie Omartian (Harvest House, ISBN: 0736925155)
• Loving Your Spouse Through Prayer: How to Pray God’s Word Into Your Marriage by Cheri Fuller (Thomas Nelson, ISBN: 1591455707)
• focusonthefamily.com

DOWNLOAD – Download the November Bulletin Insert/Prayer Guide by clicking here.

Contributor: Rick Creasy, Cleveland, Tennessee, www.rickcreasy.com