Depression, discouragement, or moodiness happens to everyone at one point or another. As a couple, you are not also immune to this. Life happens and a lot of things have the potential of getting us down emotionally.
Your spouse will not have the solution to the problem but one of the dividends of a good marriage is having someone who can be a source of succor or comfort at such times.
We should also note that your spouse may not be an expert yet at knowing the right words or actions to take that will make you feel better at such times.
You need to learn to be patient with them. It may even be possible your spouse is also dealing with another form of pressure.
That is why it is good that each couple have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. He is the ultimate comfort who knows us better than ourselves. He will not only comfort us, he will strengthen us and give us joy and gladness for our depression.
The power of God’s word is such that His words become the rejoicing of our hearts.
However, we still need to be there for one another. We need to be so full or filled with the Holy Spirit that we are able to speak into the lives of each other at such times.
Did you miss out on yesterday’s devotional, we’ve got you covered kindly go HERE. For KHC video Devotionals kindly go HERE
Some temperaments are more prone to discouragement than others, but whichever way, we must be a source of strength and encouragement to our spouse.
Here are few ways to be a source of encouragement to your spouse
1. Love your spouse genuinely I believe to be a source of encouragement to your spouse you have to have a deep and genuine love for them, where you almost cannot bear to see them hurting or going through pain. It is this compassion that helps you to be a source of genuine comfort to your spouse, where the love of God is shed abroad in your heart.
2. Have daily communion with the Holy Spirit What this does is that you are well equipped. He is the source of strength. The strength needed daily is gotten in the place of communion with the Holy Spirit.
May God bless our marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I have victory over depression
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray against the spirit of depression
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Resist everything that triggers negative thoughts
Financial Areas To Talk About In Marriage. This article is continued from yesterday…
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
Ecc 10:19
So let’s talk about few areas we can discuss with our spouse about our finances
1. Being transparent about our income. Be as open and sincere as possible about letting your spouse know about our income.
2. Discuss paying of tithe. Let it be an established rule in your home.
3. Discuss your family budget Have a budget your home and family runs on. Let every single aspect of your marriage be under a budget. The kids, parents, projects…etc
4. Discuss savings
5. Discuss how to improve and make more money, having multiple streams of income.
Did you miss out on yesterday’s devotional, we’ve got you covered kindly go HERE. For KHC video Devotionals kindly go HERE
6. Discuss investments. In the parable of the talent, the servant that invested his master’s money was commended. Get information about investment opportunities, google about money-making ideas.
7. Discuss your needs When a woman’s needs are not met, she has a tendency of trying to sort herself.
8. Discuss contentment This is very important. We are believers and our lives must be guided by scripture. Our lives do not consist of what we have. Let your spouse know that money is not everything. We have to learn to trust in God and not in riches. Let our driving force not be money but God, His kingdom, and using whatever we have for His glory.
God bless our marriages.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY We have money. Money doesn’t have us. We are rich.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, give us the wisdom to know how to multiply whatever amount of money we have in Jesus’ name.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Ecc 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Discuss the points with your spouse
We know money is a major part of our lives as married couples. In fact, we make about 70% of our decision based on finances.
The house we live in, the area we stay, how many kids we have, what school they go, the type of clothes they wear, the type of food they eat, how comfortable the house we live in is, do we rent an apartment or buy one, what work we do, where we work, what part of the country we live in, what type of friends we have, the type of car(s) we have, what church we attend, our spiritual level…and it goes on and on.
Money is so important that it appears in the Bible 123 times.
The only thing that can compete with God in our hearts is mammon or finances. Every sin of covetousness especially of material things is traceable to Financial issues.
Did you miss out on yesterday’s devotional, we’ve got you covered kindly go HERE. For KHC video Devotionals kindly go HERE
Most adulteries and fornications are basically traceable to money. For example, a beautiful lady or handsome guy who you get attracted to is attractive because she/he can afford expensive things that make her/him beautiful.
No one is attracted to an ugly and poor fellow.
Money is a defence. It can defend our spouse and marriage from falling if properly used
For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Ecc 7:12 [KJV]
So, as couples, it is important we talk about finances and guard against its adverse effect on our marriage. We can make money serve us at whatever level we are in. Finances will answer and solve the majority of our marital problems.
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
Ecc 10:19 [KJV]
Tomorrow, I will show you some pertinent areas to discuss the issue of money with your spouse.
God bless your marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY We have money. Money doesn’t have us. We are rich.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, give us the wisdom to know how to multiply whatever amount of money we have in Jesus name.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Ecc 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Discuss the points with your spouse
Therefore shall a man LEAVE his father and his mother, and shall CLEAVE unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Gen 2:24 (KJV)
The word “Leave” means to loosen, relinquish, permit, and forsake It is a total departure. But it is never a disconnection.
The man has to do the leaving. Without leaving, there will never be a successful marriage. All undue interference and control from the parents must be minimized.
The word “Cleave” means cling or adhere; to catch by pursuit: – abide, follow close (hard, after), be joined (together), and pursue hard
Allegiance must shift from parents to your wife. This is what marriage is.
Your wife comes first from the wedding day. Your spouse becomes your priority. Your mum is another man’s wife, not your wife. Your own wife must be your priority.
Cleaving means to catch by pursuit, so you never stop pursuing your wife. You keep at it, even after the wedding. In the pursuit lies the cleaving. The man is to cleave unto HIS OWN wife! An attempt to cleave to another man’s wife will usher in a marital crisis.
It also means to follow close. Be joined and connected to her emotionally and otherwise.
When things seem not to be going right, you don’t quit. This is what it means to cleave. You don’t pack your stuff and start singing songs of divorce when there is a little provocation.
This is what cleaving is. It is just like your relationship with God. You are to cleave unto Him and not try to leave when things seem not to be going your own way. Leaving God and refusing to cleave will complicate issues, and that is the same thing in marriage.
You are to cleave for life! Any attempt to leave is a tearing part that would be painful.
Stay with each other no matter what. Cleaving means that you are dedicated to each other. It means sharing with each other on the deepest level. It means enjoying each other and supplying warmth for yourselves.
Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
Ecc 4:11 (KJV)
I pray that God will grant understanding. Your marriage will not suffer a crisis. Your marriage will not lose that godly steam. I pray that God will pour new wine into your marriage and cause the love between you to come alive!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I choose to cleave to my spouse only
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Help me to cleave oh Lord.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Gen 2:24 [MSG]Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh.
1. Don’t ignore her needs When you ignore the most importantneeds of your wife over and over again, she is going to get hurt and eventually feel that you never loved her.
This feeling can degenerate to a point where she comes up with an emotional defense, and the peak of that is closing her spirit.
You see, in loving your wife, you have to do so in God’s term and her own terms and not in your own terms. This is basically because the needs of a man are miles apart from that of a woman.
So, in meeting her needs, it is often easy to interpret her needs based on your own, but it is not often so. Priorities are at variance, especially at emotional levels.
Let her communicate her needs to you, you will be amazed that what is important to her is non-issue to you!
And so, the challenge is to focus on what is insignificant to you but is a big issue for her. That is selflessness!
Her greatest needs are always towards attention and quality time!
2. Don’t make her feel stupid and dumb When you are always insinuating that your wife is dumb and stupid, she will get hurt.
Sometimes you don’t say it, but it shows in your body language and the way you dismiss whatever she tries to suggest.
Sometimes, a husband doesn’t even want to hear her opinion. She is to be seen and not heard. That is never the plan of God for marriage. The reality is that she is your helper. Her “dumb” or “stupid” suggestions would have saved you a lot only if you had listen.
You see, she may not be logical, but she is intuitive.
You know the man you want to go into business partnership with because he has all it takes, but she will tell you by reason of intuition that the man will mess things up. She has no evidence, not precedence, but she has intuition!
Don’t ignore that intuition!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I love my spouse on God’s terms and theirs.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will teach you how to love your spouse.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1 Cor 13:7 [CEV] Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Carry out the above tests on your potential partner
