In today’sdevotional, we’ll be looking at “Overcoming Your Marital Challenges Through Patience”. We may have so many ‘buts’, but one thing remains which stands sure and that is you are married.
Yes, married for life and married till death do you part. But marriage requires a lot of patience, hard work, and some more patience. This is what we need to overcome marital challenges that will come our way.
Like the movie, I and my husband saw some time ago. It was a pathetic story of a young lady who married her high school lover, got married against the advice of her sisters all in the name of love. She kept spending all she had for this guy who kept on promising things will be better.
She was the one funding the guy’s education and finally when she thought the guy would get a job to help her, he was busy with a project. The lady worked two jobs just to make ends meet. They spent all her mum’s money left for her till they were bankrupt.
This guy couldn’t get a job because he was an ex-convict. He devoted all his life to his project with the promise things will get better. The lady was frustrated. And one day out of her frustration decided to file for a divorce coupled with the fact that she suspected him of adultery.
After eighteen years of waiting for all his wonderful promises, she decided to call it quit. She was tired and frustrated. After some months of the lady giving upon him, his project hit it big. Her once not so good for nothing husband became a millionaire. She tried to get back but it was too late.
Her ex-husband was married to the same lady she accused him of having an affair with. She went through a season of guilt, shame, jealousy, and rage. All the things her ex-husband promised her were now to be enjoyed by another woman.
She loves her husband but… she could no longer wait. She was frustrated, tired, and overwhelmed. She could no longer wait and she had wrong advice from her sisters.
Please, whatever you are going through in your marriage, know that with a lot of patience you can overcome. You will still have your dreams come through. Don’t give up on your marriage. Don’t be like this woman who eventually killed herself out of jealousy. She labored but another ate the fruit of her labour. That will not be your portion
God bless your marriage
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am patient
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to be wait for your salvation in my marriage
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Rom 12:12 (KJV) Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Begin today to acknowledge the person of the Holy spirit.
Hello there, every couple or marriage has the potentiality of being tempted into an affair. Now, you need to understand that there are different types of affairs. Whatever or whichever affair, it’s best to close the door on any type of affair. Your spouse may be innocent or naive but there are desperate fellows out there. Oftentimes, these people are under the influence of Satan.
Remember the devil’s ministry is to steal, kill and destroy. Don’t give the devil a foot hold or he will take a mile. Affair proofing your marriage is not about becoming a SSS or a monitoring spirit and stalking your spouse all around.
Here are some tips that will help you protect your spouse from affair.
1. Make yourself so valuable to your spouse, he/she will always need you 2. Be true and genuine friends. 3. Love your spouse deeply. 4. Strive at all times to meet each other’s deepest needs. 5. Keep communication open all the time. The more you share communication on deep issues the more you protect your spouse from external influences. 6. Pray for your spouse daily and pray together daily. 7. Let your marriage be mentored. 8. Make God and His word and principle be the life line of your marriage. 9. Be sincere with each other in all things no matter how insignificant it may look. 10. Develop your individual fellowship with the Holy Spirit so you can be sensitive to His leading. This way the Holy Spirit can help you discern people with a ulterior motive around your spouse.
God bless your marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY My spouse is protected from affairs
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Father, keep me and my spouse safe from affairs.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: (1 Peter 3:8 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Begin to affair proof your marriage
In today’sdevotional, we’ll be looking at two very important things every wife should do to their husbands, lets’ delve in.
1. Respect your husband Respect is actually a virtue of the heart. It is a value system you place on your husband based on the understanding and acceptance of his headship position. Respect could be verbal, physical, and definitely attitudinal.
You need to respect your own husband. That’s an assignment, you must never fail at. In respecting him, you need to know what respect is for your own husband.
You don’t define what respect is to your husband, your husband defines to you what respect is to him according to God’s word.
You are to specifically ask him what you can do that will make him feel respected. It could be the way to talk, how you serve his food, how you take care of the home, how the kids are cared for, how you sacrifice for him, how you treat his stuff, how you get interested in his business etc.
Don’t assume or guess, ask him, you might be surprised at how simple things could be a big deal for your husband.
2. Pray for your husband One of the greatest ways you can fulfill your assignment as a helpmeet is to pray for Him. Be his intercessor.
Pray for and about every single part of your husband’s life. Nothing is too big or too small to escape your talking to God about.
Pray for him when he is at his best as a father, husband and when he is doing well. Don’t wait for things to get not too good before you start praying. Keep your prayer bank full and God will honour you.
Your husband will also love you more.
There are some issues that God just steps in and defends you without you having to struggle for in your marriage. It’s a spiritual thing and he will just love you more without knowing why. I enjoy this a lot because I keep praying for my husband always.
Helping him is essentially praying for him. He is the head, you are the heart, the engine, and the power room. Never stop praying for him, no matter what.
God bless your marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I love my spouse
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to love more
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;” (Hebrews 12:15, KJV)
Walk in the spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. It is in marriage that you can best apply this scripture. There will be many opportunities in marriage to fulfill the lust of the flesh. Our flesh wants to rise big time whenever our spouses do something that we consider unpleasant.
All works of the flesh as described in Galatians 5: 19-21 especially enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions, envy can all be seen in marriages.
In marriage, we are tempted to pay back evil for evil, tit for tat and it is easier to go by the rule of a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye. In marriage, it is easy to enter into strife, to be angry at our spouse, and be bitter against them.
In my twenty-one-plus years of marriage, I have come to note that it is always easier to nip things in the bud before they get out of hand. It is always easier to apologize on time before things get out of hand. It is always easier to talk things over than to let them linger and become bigger.
Galatians 5:22 (Amp), ‘But the fruit of the Holy Spirit (the work which His presence within accomplishes) is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self- control (self restraint, continence)
When we allow the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the resultant effect will be a Spirit-controlled marriage. That is where the Lord wants us to get to. That no matter what happens or whoever it is that is at fault, we are Spirit-controlled. Our lives are controlled and influenced by the Holy Spirit.
This can only happen when we begin to acknowledge the Holy spirit’s presence in our lives individually. When we learn to put our bodies under and allow the Holy Spirit His rightful place.
May God bless our marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am Spirit Controlled.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s place in my life
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Gal 5:16 (MSG) My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Begin today to acknowledge the person of the Holy Spirit.
One sureway to do this is to let your husband have the final say. Give your husband the honor of having the final say in your marriage.This is how to win the heart of your husband.
The intelligent, opinionated, and strong-willed wives have issues with this. They are choleric, goal-getters, and achievers. They are used to making their own decisions and sticking to them.
Of truth, opposites attract, so usually, a fast and active wife will probably have a quiet, slow, and steady husband. Now the challenge would be being submissive to your husband when you consider him too slow, passive, and weak.
You know what, that is your opinion, but if you want to win your husband’s love, you need to tuck in this opinion and obey God’s instruction to submit to your own husband’s disposition. After airing your opinion, genuinely let your husband have the last say. Remember he is the king of your family kingdom. The king’s words are never to be argued.
So what if I am sure he is in the wrong, should I just look on? Not necessarily, you can pray about it but not argue endlessly.
Give your husband the honor of reigning in your marriage, let him have the last say. Never drag power or usurp authority with your husband. Keep your tongue. Don’t nag about issues or over-flogged things.
May God bless your marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will love, respect and honour my husband.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will teach you how to honour your husband.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Proverbs 31:11 (KJV) The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Decide to honour your husband.
