Tuesday, November 10, 2009

This is not supposed to happen

Lately I have had a very heavy heart for friends and friends of friends who are in the middle of marriage crisis'. What a scary time for SATAN to come in and set up camp. I have talked to several good friends lately and they shared that studies show that this is the time between 5-10yrs of marriage where couples have the most problems. I guess we are trying to figure out who we are. Mommies, Daddies, coworkers, friends, and who we are to this person we said "I do" to years ago. Do we take the time to really spend with that person or is life consuming us to where the love of our lives is now our roommate and nothing more. Do we kiss, hug or show affection every morning or night and YES in front of our children? Its good for them to see that Mommy and Daddy do love each other and this is the most important relationship outside of our relationship with the LORD they need to see. Are we a united FRONT against friendships that are poisonous to us. do we have couple friends that tear us down by simply being in their midst?? WHEWWW hard stuff.
I am so grateful that even though we have struggle to make LIFE work for us. WE also find time to be a girlfriend to some pretty awesome friends I LOVE YOU....to play on the floor and be Mommy and most of all for DATE NIGHT and quiet time watching Criminal Minds with my BEST friend who happens to be my husband. I am praying so hard against the attack I see around us. Will you join me?
"Thank you Lord for teaching us how to make You the center of our marriage. Humble us to grow beyond our ego, pride and past hurts. Help us to establish and grow the love Christ in us to show each other kindness, trust, patience, forgiveness and divine love. Help me Lord to honor the qualities of my mate. Teach me how to pray for my spouse.
Empower me with courage to speak up for anything out of order in our relationship. Soften my tongue and heart where it has become like stone. Strengthen my flesh and self-esteem where it has become weak.
Whenever we lose the gratitude and passion for each other, guide us in ways to relight the candle of passion that can burn out from stress and time. Bless us to not only see, but honor one another. Help us to not only listen, but hear each other. Bless us to not only cherish one another, but nourish each other's dreams and spiritual gifts.
We surrender our marriage and our personal power struggles to You. Teach us to be less controlling and more collaborative in our decisions and problem solving skills. Quicken our minds so we may know how to please, protect and provide for each other. Bless our union to grow stronger, wiser, peaceful and committed. Bring into our circle of friends, examples of healthy committed marriages. Let our children, family and friends see Christ through our example.
Thank you Lord for covering our home with your grace, mercy and favor. Today is a new day that I choose to love, respect and serve my spouse. Give us both the wisdom, patience, love and faith not to give up on each other." ~ written by Jewel Diamond Taylor

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU--Read this prayer together with your spouse....talk about what it means to seek His face in your daily life as a couple. We all need to be prayed up....don't be so naive to say this could never happen to you...those are the very words Satan loves to hear.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

One thing that C and I learned from our premarital counseling that stuck with us is when we get to the point in marriage and we start asserting our “right to be happy” above all else, we have lost the focus that marriage makes us holy…and more like Christ. We may not always “feel happy,” about our mate, but that’s when we have the most opportunity to humble ourselves and think of them as more important than us. I’m preaching to myself, sorry opened a can of worms for me. I guess after my parents divorced I have wanted to be very intentional in our marriage…I don’t always do that, but it’s on my radar screen.

Anonymous said...

Beth....I totally agree!! Marriage is sooo under fire in today's society. It is very easy to get sucked into life trying to be all things to all people and just become roomates! We were just talking about this in Sunday School. I remember 1 thing my pastor said at our marraige retreat this spring. He talked about committment. That it's not love that keeps you together. It's COMMITTMENT! I may not always be lovable, but thank goodness that Justin is always committed to me and our marriage. So simple....but so easy to forget. We know tooo many couples lately that are splitting up! You are so right....we have got to stay on our knees. Satan would love nothing more than to break up another marriage.

love you,
Derinda

beth ewing said...

we're having the same struggles in our MOPS group. maybe this year is the attack on marriage. our church saw such a problem that they declared that a priority this year...to build up healthy marriages. unfortunately alot of my friends husbands are deployed this year...along with mine... and that makes it 100 times harder to deal with even the everyday stuff. but we have to be aware of what is going on in our marriages and try to stave off Satan at the pass.

tug-tugandnor-nor's mommy said...

You are not going to believe this, but tonight's study was about handling conflict in our Song of Solomon study....and after what we talked about today. I'll have to share more in depth with you tomorrow!!!

Jessica said...

This is so AWESOME!

Jessica said...

Um, the prayer not the fact that marriages are in trouble. You know what I mean:-)