Every marriage that God instituted is a blessing. It should be viewed as such.
That it is a blessing doesn’t mean it is going to be perfect with no ups and downs. All marriages have their own challenges and we all have to make up our minds to press on and don’t give up.
If we believe it is a gift from God then we need to treat it as such. Treat it with such dignity and honor. Treat your marriage and spouse with respect.
Have respect for marriage. Always be faithful to your partner, because God will punish anyone who is immoral or unfaithful in marriage.
Heb 13:4
It is a special gift from God so have respect for it and treat it with some honor. Part of the respect and honor you give to marriage is being faithful to it as a covenant.
How faithful are you to this gift God gave you? It is a privilege being married and like any gift, you will give an account of how you used it.
Did you miss out on yesterday’s devotional, we’ve got you covered kindly go HERE. For KHC video Devotionals kindly go HERE
How faithful are you in thoughts, words, and actions? How faithful are you in ensuring you trade with this gift and multiply it? You start out in your marriage being small in every way. By being faithful, you multiply.
Faithfulness is not just limited to being moral and avoiding adultery. It is about being accountable and prudent with it. Like a wise businessman, trade with whatever God has given to you.
Do business and make sure you profit with the spouse God gave you. Till your marriage. Focus on making the most of it. Build your marriage and spouse.
Whatever good you desire and admire in other couples is also available to you. Be ready to work hard with your marriage. God is not promising there won’t be pressure, but don’t give up.
Dave Meyer was faithful in working at staying married to Joyce Meyer. It was very tough initially. It went through a lot of difficult times.
Being faithful is sticking with your partner no matter what. Working at it no matter what it takes. It is such a dogged attitude and a bulldog approach to marriage that God rewards.
Tell yourself and your spouse, we are in this for life and for the long haul.
May God grant us the strength to do His will.
God bless your marriage
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I have a faithful heart. I don’t give up on my it no matter what
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord grant me the grace to keep keeping on in my marriage
THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY Heb 13:4 Have respect for marriage. Always be faithful to your partner, because God will punish anyone who is immoral or unfaithful in marriage.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Keep tilling the ground of your marriage
Hanging out with your friends can be a great way of having fun, especially if they are friends that bring out the best in you and help you to smile when you feel down.
You also have to be a good friend to others. If you make hanging out with you interesting, then you will probably have loads of friends wanting to be friends with you.
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Prov 27:17, KJV
There are cool ways to have a great time with your friends. One of such is playing bible games with them.
There are loads of games you can get from the bible. It’s a book filled with many characters that did some fabulous and not too fabulous things.
You could try learning the books of the bible alphabetically and say what each book is about. For example, the book of Proverbs talks about wisdom, Genesis is about creation and how man began to fill up the earth.
You could also have a game of bible heroes- discussing what these heroes did, how they did it, where it happened and so much more.
Another fun game from the bible is searching for who said what in the bible, why they said it, and what it meant.
Acting out events from the bible is also a great way of having fun. Think of the story of David and Goliath – you could act that out with your friends. What about the story of Elijah, Elisha, Gideon, and loads of other characters? Think of costumes, props, lights, and action.
You are not only having fun by doing this, but getting to know your bible back to front, and learning the bible in a fun way.
Also, you are acquiring more knowledge about God.
You are learning about how things were in the bible, how people dressed, what they ate, what they did, and more.
It’s also a good way of bringing unbelievers closer to God. Think of it as a mini form of evangelizing.
So, the next time your friends come around or you go visit them, how about suggesting one of these games to them?
Merry Christmas! This season will bring the seasonings ordained by God into our lives in Jesus name!
Continued from yesterday.
4. I was creative in my expression of love to her
I studied her to find out what makes her happy, and then I went out of my way to create some of those things like cards, paintings, and so on. I have a way with words, so I made full use of that.
He should be willing to sacrifice some things for your happiness.
5. I was willing to wait and not compromise
I was content with waiting. I was not a pastor then, but I knew sexual compromise was wrong. I wouldn’t want to push her into sin.
There is a problem when he is insisting you should sin with him. Whoever sins with you will eventually sin against you!
It is one thing if he is an unbeliever, but if he is a child of God and he is telling you to do that, something is really wrong somewhere.
6. I prayed for her more than I prayed for myself
I found it easy to pray for her. I was fulfilled doing that. All my personal prayer points were done, but hers were prioritized. I just prayed for her and I was okay with that.
If he loves you, he would always mention you before God. Something is really amiss when someone who says he is in love with you prays for himself regularly and forgets to mention your name!
7. I wanted her to grow spiritually
I bought her books. I got her enough material that would help her spiritually. We shared books. We had Word vigils alongside others of just studying God’s word. (Don’t go and do vigils alone o!)
A relationship doesn’t survive only because you went out, went to cinemas, and had a lot of fun. There are spiritual exercises that are needed.
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 14:17 (KJV)
To be continued tomorrow…
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I make the right choice in God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to be more creative in loving my partner
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Dealing With In-Laws In Marriage. Our parents and the parents of our spouse are very much part of our family. In fact, we should be grateful to them for bringing up our spouse.
No doubt, their sacrifices have contributed to making our spouses who they are. Whether they brought them up well or not is another thing, that God used them to preserve the life of your spouse is enough to be grateful for.
Most times, our parents and in-laws are a blessing. They give advice and help us with babysitting. The question then is how do we deal with their excesses? Grandparents and Grand In-laws are usually less busy with work, so they tend to be busybodies.
When they become a pain in the neck, how do we handle things? When they seem to go out of their boundaries, what do we do? When they become a distraction to us and our marriage, how do we handle them, without hurting them?
When their demands are affecting our finances, what do we do? When our religious beliefs are different and at loggerheads, what do we do? When because they are humans, they tend to come between us and our wife or husband, what do we do? When they want us to do things opposing our conscience, what do we do?
When we have a sick parent-in-law or parent, should we reject and abandon them? When we face pressures from in-laws about responsibilities they put upon our shoulders, what do we do?
Did you miss out on yesterday’s devotional, we’ve got you covered kindly go HERE. For KHC video Devotionals kindly go HERE
All these questions and many others are what we face daily and these affect our marriages in no small way. They affect our relationship with our spouse.
Basically, no two situations are exactly the same. We need wisdom from God to handle these issues. Prayer is very important and relationship with the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that will show us the true picture and give us the solutions we need.
He will tell us the right words at the right time to speak to them. The Holy Spirit will even tell us the right gifts to get.
Here are some wise tips to help you handle in-law issues
1. Know God’s order; it’s your spouse first before the family 2. Don’t hurt the feelings of your spouse because of some in-law 3. Live within your means and budget 4. Have an account for emergencies from which you take care of such needs. 5. Let parents and in-law know that you and your spouse are inseparable and nothing can separate you. 6. Protect and defend yourselves before your in-laws. 7. Love your parents and in-laws but let them know that you have a responsibility to your own family first.
God bless our marriage!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I live considerably with my in-laws
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, give me wisdom to handle my in-laws
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He is our friend and comforter. In the place of prayer, He enables us, especially in tough situations.
You need Him to function perfectly as a child of God. When Jesus was going to leave the earth, the disciples were sad to hear this. He said that he had to go for the Holy Spirit to come. The Holy Spirit had to come for us to receive the spirit of God.
How do you receive the Holy Spirit?
The first thing is to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of your life. This means that you confess all your sins because you believe God sent Jesus to die for your sins. After this, you renounce all sins and make a decision not to go back to them again.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:9, KJV
The next step is receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit either by the laying of hands or by the Holy Spirit himself coming on you. The manifestation of this is the evidence of tongues. Some kids might choose not to speak in tongues, probably out of fear of what their friends or classmates might think or say about them. Others could just be afraid of what is happening to them.
Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Acts 8:15, 17, KJV
I beg you not to be afraid of what people around will say or think of you. Do not be afraid of what is happening to you. The Holy Spirit is not harmful in any way.
After this, you need to start practicing the tongues you have been given. Do so as often as you can. This is a great way to pray as it enables you to weed out distractions. It helps your spiritual muscles grow.
For which cause I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of my hands.
2 Tim 1:6, ASV
Having the Holy Spirit is one of the best things that will happen to you as a Christian.
May the Spirit of God bless you with tongues. Amen
Prayer: Sweet Spirit, come bless me with tongues. Thank You. Thank You.
Action point: Try to speak in tongues for 30 minutes today if you have received the Holy Spirit.
Well, you can know. It is so easy to know but we often close our eyes to the obvious signs. I am going to use myself as an example.
Ours is a typical campus lovebirds story. There are ways I felt and there are things I did.
While these may not be specific things he must do as well, they are just to guide you in actually knowing whether the love is genuine.
1. I wanted to be with her always
More than anything, I wanted to be around her.
Something is not in place when he is not bothered about not seeing you in months.
A lady once told me she is preparing for marriage and yet the husband-to-be had not seen her in two years despite that they were just a few kilometers apart. Well, it turned out that he eventually left her for another person.
2. I felt like I was her protector
We all know God is her protector, but I had that feeling I was responsible for her.
This feeling engendered compassion which in turn informed my actions towards her.
If you have been slapped, be careful. If you have been forcefully violated be careful.
If you have been left in the cold because he was angry not minding your safety, be careful. If you have been massively embarrassed and shouted at in front of friends and families, be careful.
3. I wanted her to be happy
I couldn’t bear the sight of her being moody or downcast.
I would always try to make her laugh, quote scriptures to her about the joy of the Lord and all that.
If he doesn’t care about you being sad and depressed for days as a result of his actions, be careful. Things are not likely to change after the wedding.
If he seems to enjoy you being down and sad, something is wrong somewhere.
If he doesn’t care about you being pregnant again despite the trauma of the abortion you went through, you need to speak to your legs. Abortion is murder, it should not be trivialized.
By the time you have aborted twice, you really need to review your life and get out of that abusive relationship that will lead nowhere.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I make the right choice in God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, open my eyes to see what I cannot see.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
This is a very relevant topic to all people who are married. We all belong to one of these groups in our marriage.
a. Your intimacy is good and needs little improvement
b. Your intimacy is just there and you want a fast revival
c. Your intimacy is bad and you are close to compromising
d. You are enjoying your intimacy
e. Your intimate life is very dry and boring and you are bothered
f. Your intimacy is not good and you don’t care.
g. Your intimate life is bad and you are settling yourself outside.
Did you miss out on yesterday’s devotional, we’ve got you covered kindly go HERE. For KHC video Devotionals kindly go HERE
Every couple must fall under one of these seven categories. Five of these categories are very bad and need urgent attention.
You must keep the flames in the bedroom red hot. The health of a marriage is largely dependent on the health of the bedroom.
Wives, don’t use love-making as a reward system for your husband, whereby when he is good and you are happy with him, you give him your body. You are not a prostitute who gives sex for reward.
Deal with every issue before they are allowed to cripple your love life.
Intimacy is first of the heart before it becomes of the body. All inhibitions must be taken off your marriage until you both become naked and not ashamed.
Close all doors to the enemy and swallow your pride. You cannot be full of yourself and expect things to work out. Some wives issue out commands to their husbands just so that they can make love to them. They become lord of the rings.
Don’t leave your matrimonial bed. Don’t sleep in different rooms, it will not work. Pray for whatever flaws he/ she has. Don’t judge or criticize your spouse to the point of rejecting them.
Whatever the issue, you are married. Save your marriage before it is too late. Forgive yourselves and embrace each other. Your marriage can still work out beautifully well.
God bless your marriage!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will enjoy my marriage.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to satisfy my spouse at all times.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Take your spouse to “Jerusalem”
There are several things you can do for your grandparents. Today, we will look at one thing you can do for your grandparents. Respect them!
Yes, as simple as that sounds, respect them.
One of the ten commandments given by God to the Israelites talked about respecting parents.
“Honor your father and your mother. then you will live a long time in the land. The Lord God is going to give you this land.”
Exodus 20: 12 ICB
You respect them because God is still their God!
Though old, weak, and grey hairs decorating their heads, they are still God’s children. He hasn’t forgotten them and will never do so.
Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you. I will carry you, and I will save you.
Isaiah 46:4 ICB
Your grandparents in a way are also your parents. They may not have directly given birth to you but still have some authority over you.
Whatever promises God made to you, He made to them also. When He helps you, they also receive help. God provides for them as He provides for you too.
He saved them as He saved you. Jesus died for them just as He died for you. In their old age, God is still their strength. As you ask for strength, they also ask the same from God. And God gives you both.
They have the power to bless you. Their blessings come as a result of their deep affection for you. You are like another child to them; their golden child.
Israel blessed Joseph’s sons before he died.
They have the power to bestow wealth on you.
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…
Prov. 13:22 AMP
Respect them as you do your parents.
May God continue to strengthen our grandparents in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayer: God, thank you for still being there for my grandparents. Thank you for providing and protecting them.
Action point: How about checking on your grandparents this week or visiting them?
Declaration: My grandparents will live to eat the fruit of their labour.
Don’t let his shiny lamp, his fine car, and his iPhone without God deceive you. Those things bring temporary happiness that will fizzle out.
Real joy, constant victory only comes from God-ordained relationships and marriages who are constantly living by the word and the Spirit.
If he has no oil, he would think the lamp is the problem, and he would go and get more lamps, he would dabble into adultery!
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: [4] But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:3-4 (KJV)
Nothing is more excruciating to be married to a wicked spouse, cheating on you, lying, deceiving, full of frowardness, and never giving you peace of mind.
Nothing is more debilitating to be married to a strange woman, a knife instead of a wife, bringing daily hell instead of daily help!
Nothing is more fulfilling to be married to a man or woman who is faithful to God, and has no capacity for evil through cheating, lying, playing religion, brandishing lamps without oil.
Where is your oil? Where is your depth? Where is your fear for God? Where is your integrity? Do you pay tithe? Do you honour God? Then you can ask me out and only then will my heart fall for you!
I challenge you to look beyond the lamp and go for the oil, the oil will lubricate your destiny and prevent your marital engine from knocking!
I pray for you this day, with every fibre of my being and with the strength of my call, you will not miss it!
Can you pray in the Spirit a little?
I commit you into the hands of the one that will exalt your horns like the horn of a unicorn and who will anoint your head with fresh oil.
Every form of confusion is removed from your life in Jesus name!
You will not collide with losers. You will not be entangled with foolishness. God will go ahead of you and make the crooked places straight. Affliction will not have intercourse with you! Delay is removed from your race! Heaven will announce you!
Be blessed today!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I make the right choice in God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to choose wisely.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Isaiah 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Every marriage that seeks to fulfill the mandate of Heaven must seek to do these 3 things.
Every marriage, especially the ones ordained from heaven has a mandate to fulfill. This mandate requires a lot of focus and hard work. A lot of things will be screaming at you to give up pursuing your mandate.
Joyce Meyer said in one of her videos that thank God Dave never gave up on her too quickly. Was Dave frustrated? Yes. Did it seem like it was not worth it? Yes. What if Dave and Joyce had given up on themselves and their marriage? Saying the road was too though? Thank God they made it and are fulfilling the mandate upon their marriage.
Let’s go through these three important things needed in every marriage.
1. Accept your spouse.
In accepting your spouse you accept everything about them, their weaknesses, strengths, challenges, background, past, present future, their body makeup, etc. It is a full acceptance. Once you are married, you are into that person fully.
Someone said, my husband talks a lot, he snores, he is slow… oh good. It’s a whole package.
2. Believe in your spouse. You not only accept your spouse but you also need to believe in them. Believe they can get better. Believe they can change. Believe their weaknesses can become their greatest source of strength. Believe there are some ‘good’ in them. Believe God’s Mercy will find you and your marriage will work out.
Did you miss out on yesterday’s devotional, we’ve got you covered kindly go HERE. For KHC video Devotionals kindly go HERE
3. Confess your love for your spouse. This is so powerful because our confessions are so powerful. If you make it a habit to confess and declare those things you want to see in your spouse and in your relationship. The more you confess your love for your spouse the more your love for him/ her grows. Don’t confess what you don’t want to see or experience in your marriage. Continually fill your mouth with positive things concerning your spouse and your marriage.
God bless our marriage
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY My marriage will fulfill God’s Mandate on it.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help to focus on my spouse
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY I begin to put to practice what I have learned
Now that you have decided to make spending regular time in God’s presence a habit, where to meet should be the next item on your agenda. Every meeting has a location. What is the best location for your devotion?
1. Do you have enough privacy with no disturbance at all?
Disturbances will break the flow of your connection with God. This can be exhausting and discouraging. So, find a place where you know that for that period, you won’t be disturbed. Having people around or constantly passing by you can be a huge distraction.
2. Is the place clean and not cluttered?
“Cleanliness is next to Godliness” This makes us understand that God not only looks at how clean our hearts are but, also how clean we keep our bodies. He is holy and part of holiness is keeping our bodies clean. God deserves to be worshipped in a clean environment.
Also, a cluttered environment causes your focus to wander from time to time when your eyes fall on objects in the environment.
3. Is the location quiet?
Meeting with God in a quiet environment enables your mind to focus on Him highly. The absence of noise helps you to quickly hear Him speak to you. You can hear His quiet, still voice.
That’s why it is highly recommended that you meet with God early in the morning before everyone wakes up.
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Mark 1:35, KJV
Considering these things will greatly improve your prayer time with God.
What kind of lover should you not marry? Follow me this morning.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:3-4 (KJV)
The lamp represents the pulchritude, it is that which is seen, it is that which attracts.
It is often polished and shiny. With all the hips, tips and lips in place.
But not all have oil in their vessel. Their lamp is only burning for a while.
Before you choose, check beyond the lamp, and be sure he has oil in his vessel.
A lamp without extra oil is an empty facade. The shame will soon be obvious to all.
Does he have the fear of God? Is she filled with the Holy Ghost?
Don’t go for phonetics alone, be sure he or she can speak in tongues. Demons have no respect for phonetics.
Afflictions of life engendered by wicked spirits can snuff out the light of the lamp quickly.
Without an extra oil, the lamp is useless, a fake life, devoid of life and substance, a shame in waiting, a disaster on queue!
I challenge you not to fall in love with foolishness.
The lyrics of Beyonce or the tune of Fela will not bail you out in the days of trouble. What is a professed child of God doing with curse-filled lyrics and music?
Invariably, you are what you listen to! You will need the word of the living God.
Plastic Christianity without a depth will lead to frustration. Religion without a deliberate relationship with God will embarrass you soonest.
Are you getting married to his bank account or the true riches of the kingdom? Money is different from wealth. There are billionaires who are bound by the spirit of poverty!
If you have no oil in your vessel, don’t ask me out!
To be concluded tomorrow.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I make the right choice in God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to choose wisely.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Isaiah 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Here, I will make an attempt to describe what marriage should be. This will help our focus to stand on the core of marriage.
A lot of people are into what is far from marriage in God’s perspective and they expect God to bless their union.
If we do things God’s way, He is under obligation to honor us.
1. A covenant marriage is a union between two blessed people.
You are blessed when you both follow and obey God’s injunction as stated in His word. The first step to being blessed is being born again, then attending God’s house regularly as a couple, praying together, studying, meditating, and confessing God’s word. Being blessed has nothing to do with riches but it sure will magnetism riches towards you.
2. Marriage is a union between two responsible people
Both husband and wife must be responsible for their marriage. It is teamwork that requires the input of the two of you. Know the state of each other. Look out for yourselves and never deny each other.
Did you miss out on yesterday’s devotional, we’ve got you covered kindly go HERE. For KHC video Devotionals kindly go HERE
3. Marriage is between two focused people
If it must be successful, then both husband and wife have to remain focused on their vows. Don’t be distracted by your work, career, children, social life, friends, families, etc. Going in opposite directions will cause disasters and accidents. Desire it to work out and both of you should work it out.
4. Marriage is a union of two servants of God
When both husband and wife serve God, it is easy for them to serve each other. It takes humility to serve God and thus it becomes easier to submit to one another in love. Serving God is the curriculum and the ingredients to having a blissful marriage. Some want to have it wonderful, yet, don’t want to get the ingredients.
May God bless our marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I understand the concept of marriage
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to remain loyal to my spouse
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1Co 13:7 [CEV] Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY I will no more work against the unity between myself and my spouse
Stress is a daily part of our lives. We can’t hide from it but can only find ways to minimize its effects on us. A little stress though is good for us.
Children also experience stress. It could be a bully at school, a harsh teacher, or even an uncomfortable classroom. At home, it could be rifts between siblings, parental discord, or the death of a family member or friend.
And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
1 Sam 3:8 KJV
Older children often are able to identify something that is bothering them (i.e. a stress to them), unlike younger ones who have not acquired the capacity to do so.
Children don’t and can’t manage stress the way adults do. It shows through their words, actions, and behaviours.
Little Samuel heard God calling to him but didn’t know what to do. He ran to Eli every time he heard God’s voice asking if the old priest was the one calling him. Eli identified that it was God calling little Samuel. He then told Samuel what to say when next he heard the voice.
The bible doesn’t record that Samuel experienced any stress but it was a situation that was new to him. He couldn’t process it and went to the only person he knew that could help. And Eli was able to help him.
Parents must be observant to notice any change in their children. Children won’t tell you what is disturbing them immediately, even when you ask. Only by observing can a parent find out. Parents must give total attention to children when they are speaking.
Declaration: My children are not under stress. They learn to speak out. They are surrounded daily by the right people.
Prayer (parent): Lord, help me to be truly observant about my child(ren). Help me to notice the changes in them no matter how subtle they may be. Amen.
Action plan: Parent, sit down and watch your child today. Go through their things, room, and find things you never noticed before.
The greatest power you have as a single is not your handsomeness or beauty. It is not your height neither is it your hot legs. It is not your phonetics, and it is not your finesse.
Your greatest power, strength or advantage is your CHOICE!
Marriage is not or is not supposed to be by force but by choice.
Your choice!
You will live with your choice! You will live with the consequences of your choice. You will live with the strengths of your choice. You will live with the weaknesses of your choice.
If your choice is good, it translates into a good life. If your choice is bad, bad stuffs awaits.
A lady has the power of choice before wedding. After wedding, she still has choices, but her choice is subdued and influenced by the ultimate choice of her husband.
Many choice ladies on fire for God as singles ended up using the fire to cook only because of their choice.
Destinies have been warped and distorted by the choice of their choice!
In deciding who to marry, go beyond the obvious and plunge deeper to see what is beyond the pulchritude.
Go beyond the flesh of the flesh and check out the bone of the bones.
After you have seen the hot legs, does she have a hot heart as well? His height attracted you, but does he have a life a well?
A man who doesn’t have a life should not seek for a life partner.
You love his beard gang, are you sure it is not a gang-up against your destiny? Her smile slays you, but behind the smiles, are you sure there lies no bile?
The choice of a man is zeroed up after wedding, so choose well. The choice of a woman after wedding is final, choose well.
There is no clean divorce, it is always a tearing apart.
To be continued tomorrow.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I make the right choice in God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to choose wisely.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Isaiah 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Marriage requires a lot of hard work and focus. You must be so focused that all your thoughts are filled with how to make your home a success through hard work and holding on because the storms of life are real.
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
Mar 4:37 [KJV]
Woe to any marriage that does not have Christ in their marriage. Only Jesus is the calmer of every storm of life. When you have Him, the storms of life bow. He is the Prince of Peace and the only one qualified to say peace be still.
Usually, when storms come, their only aim apart from killing and destroying is to distract us.
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mar 4:38-39 [KJV]
Storms distract us from our focus. A storm is anything contrary to the peaceful state of our marriage. A storm could come in form of a fight, strife, disagreement, sickness, pressures at work, pressure from the in-laws, unpaid bills, children, whatever affects our state of peace is a storm.
Did you miss out on yesterday’s devotional, we’ve got you covered kindly go HERE. For KHC video Devotionals kindly go HERE
Whenever there is a storm, Jesus is inactive. May Jesus not be inactive in our home!
You have to be together as a couple and avoid distractions together. Your husband and Jesus in your boat are your main focus. Every other thing or person is a distraction.
God has a race set for each of us. That race should be our focus. Whatever will not help us in achieving our goal in marriage is a distraction.
You have to learn to stay by each other. Be a pillar of strength to each other and support yourselves to achieve your divine destiny.
Stand by your husband with your finances. Stand by your husband emotionally, don’t let him be vulnerable. Stand by him with encouraging words. Stand by him with your prayers. Stand by him by being obedient and in agreement or being agreeable with him.
God bless our marriage
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am not distracted. I am focused
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help to focus on Jesus and not see the storms
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Mar 4:39 [KJV] And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Keep Jesus at the center of your focus in your marriage
Don’t pay evil for evil. ‘Look! It’s Taye’. Dele pointed out to Femi as they walked home from school. ‘He’s alone. Now you can do whatever you want to him” Dele urged, his eyes gleaming with vengeance.
‘Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone’ (NIV)
Romans 12:7
Taye had stumbled into Femi on purpose earlier today at school during lunch break. Femi’s whole lunch had spilled over his white shirt. This earned him a huge reprimand from the teacher. And his mom was still going to do so too at home.
Dele was right, this was the perfect opportunity to pay Taye back. He remembered what he had learned from the devotional this morning. He remembered the verse in the Bible.
‘Be kind and compassionate to one another. Forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you’.
Ephesians 4:32
‘No, I won’t do anything to him’ he shrugged his shoulders.
‘Are you serious?’ asked a dumbfounded Dele. ‘He bullies you all the time’.
‘My mom read today in the devotional that Jesus said I don’t have to be mean to him also’. He gave Taye a wide smile and waved as they passed him.
‘Did you just smile and wave at him?’ Dele asked, his eyes huge as lemons.
‘Yeah, I did’, said a happy Femi. He felt good as he walked on. ‘I am going to pray for him instead’.
People will always hurt us no matter how good we are to them or others. Being obedient to Jesus is not to hurt people back when they hurt us.
Declaration: I learn to forgive. I will not pay evil with evil.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I want to obey you by not hurting back anybody that has hurt me. In your mighty name, I pray. Amen.
The scriptures talk about the way of a serpent upon the rock, right in the church! How did something so sinister find its way into something so good?
Let’s look at some dimensions of lust hidden or masked in love this morning. You think it is love, but it is actually lust! What a contradiction!
1. The Fainting
Oh! Give me something refreshing to eat—and quickly! Apricots, raisins—anything. I’m about to faint with love!
Son 2:5 (MSG)
Ladies are enthralled by attention and non-verbal expressions of love.
Their goals are different. The lady wants care, attention, and love. The guy wants sex, period!
The contradiction of goals results in confusion of the soul. Two cannot walk together except they be agreed…
2. The Cradling
His left had cradles my head, and his right arm encircles my waist!
Son 2:6 (MSG)
In no time, his manifesto begins in aggressive fulfillment of intentions.
The left hand that should be busy with the meals travels to the head and cradles it lovingly or “lustingly?”
The right hand in daring progression surpasses the timidity of the left hand and encircles the waist. Desires travel into blood veins.
The heart races and gallops like a horse who just sighted waters! A rush of adrenaline colliding with dopamine!
Hey! Destinies are about to be ruptured. Glorious futures are about to be tainted. Promising ministry hopefuls about to morph into miseries!
3. The Stirring
Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem, by the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer: Don’t excite love, don’t stir it up, until the time is ripe—and you’re ready.
Son 2:7 (MSG)
Oh, there comes a warning Don’t do it. Don’t excite love!
In a moment, his voice and words are so gentle and caressing, the next moment, his biceps pins you to the wall in a wicked hold, because love has been excited. Be warned!
Eh, the time is not ripe. You are not ready!
Don’t let the “glee” take over the “flee!” It is time to flee!
Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem, by the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer…
The gazelles and the wild deer know how to run from the enemy!
Run! Flee! Don’t go to that guest house again. Don’t follow him to that hotel again. Don’t go and meet him on campus again. Don’t frolic with him in the office again. Don’t take his money again, because his money controls you.
Take a cue from the gazelles and the wild deer. When they see the lion crouching, they take off. They are not ready to be preyed upon.
Don’t be a prey! Don’t even follow him home!
As a father, I say to my daughters, don’t excite love, don’t stir it up, until the time is ripe—and you’re ready.
Have a great day!
God bless you!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I love genuinely. I am not filled with lust
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to love genuinely.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1 Corinthians 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Disconnect from every wrong relationship
A person is said to be committed when he or she is pledged or bound to a certain course or policy, when he or she is devoted to a task or purpose, exclusively allocated to or intended for a particular purpose.
So a person is committed to his/her spouse when he/she is bound or pledged to the course of the marriage covenant.
First, being committed to your spouse is a thing of the heart. You must have it settled in your heart that you have the best spouse given to you by God.
You may have to work hard at achieving being the best. Being committed to your marriage vows is doing everything possible to keep the bond of peace.
There will always be differences but the ability to handle our differences in a mature way is love.
A good understanding of what is expected of you as a married couple is very important. You must have a personal vision for your marriage.
It shows you are 100% committed to your spouse when you give him/her your undivided support. Some are giving their support but it is not full support.
Did you miss out on yesterday’s devotional, we’ve got you covered kindly go HERE. For KHC video Devotionals kindly go HERE
Some are committed and in the marriage as long as their feathers are not rough and everything is fine.
Job’s wife was not totally committed. Our commitment is revealed more during the hard times. I believe that is why the marriage vows says ‘ ….for better for worse, for richer for poorer’ that is 100% commitment.
Ruth is a good example of a wife that is committed. Her commitment was even unto death and way after death.
Ask yourself are you like Ruth or Jobs wife?
In these days when husbands and wives commitment to each other are just on border line. We ask God to give us Christian homes and make us Christ like husbands and wives, whose commitment is 100%
God bless our marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am committed to my marriage.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to be committed to my marriage
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1 Corinthians 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Be truthful always. Children think that when they are not caught red-handed in the act of wrongdoing, they are safe. Even when caught, they still might want to lie to wriggle out of it. That is an error.
Lovingly, we can help them see the error in this and show them what the bible says about it.
‘I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you’. (NIV)
Psalms 119: 11
We should punish them first, lead them towards an apology and make them understand why we are punishing them.
Punishment must always be in proportion to the wrongdoing not higher. They should know it is done out of love and not hate.
‘Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy’. (NIV)
Prov. 28:13
Prayer: Lord, I release my child (say their name(s)) to You. Touch their hearts not to hide their wrongdoings. Even when caught, help them not to lie. Help me lovingly to scold and punish them accordingly. Amen.
Action point: Confront your children on any issue you discover.
Declaration: My children are truthful. They understand the dangers of telling a lie. They do not hide their wrongdoings.
