I know a God who delivered the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He is the on-time God. He is right just on time. Not a second late, not a minute earlier.
He is awesome. He didn’t deliver them when they faced the king. He didn’t deliver them when they were bound to be thrown into the fire. He didn’t deliver them just before throwing them into the fire. He delivered them in the fire. Glory to God!
He was already waiting for them in the fire. Hallelujah! He waited for them. Let your trust in Him be strong.
What if the three Hebrew boys had started crying that this God has failed us? What if they refused to enter the fire and deny God? What if? We will not have their story written in the bible.
You may be passing through a situation right now that seems God is not answering your prayers. Maybe it’s the health of your child. Maybe it is the weakness of your husband or wife. Maybe it is a financial issue or a debt. Maybe it is a problem that seems to defy solution.
Just keep on waiting on God. Wait on him to come through in the nick of time. Don’t be anxious about when He will answer. Just be assured that He will answer.
God bless your marriage!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will go forward and press forth. I will not give up on God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will honour you
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well! (Psalms 90:12 Message)
When there is disunity in a household, there are all sorts of evil works of unrighteousness there. The devil has a field day because the demons are at work in such a family.
A family where they don’t pray together, study God’s word, take confessions, and do spiritual exercises together invites the devil.
The atmosphere in such a family is tense; there is hardly laughter, playing, or any of such. All there will be is suspicion, strife, unforgiving spirit, and abuse.
A house where the father is the lion of the tribe of the house; he is feared with trepidation, where the children are full of lies, abuses, and emotional hurts, where the children hibernate in their rooms for lack of companionship. Where the wife is full of lies, insincerity, hurts, bitterness, and schemes, all this ought not to be so.
We as believers are called to Christ-like life, to live like Christ, to love like Christ, to be meek and gentle like Him in all that we do.
When Jesus was on earth, He lived a selfless life, he lived to please God and not himself, his relationships were selfless.
He taught forgiveness, he lived forgiveness, even when he was dying on the cross he said; Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. That statement alone can set us free in our marriages.
Ask yourself, the wrong that is done to you, does that person know it is a sin? Then if they do not know, forgive them. Be quick to forgive easily. Develop a forgiving spirit. Learn to forgive in advance. Make up your mind; you are going to forgive your spouse no matter what he/she does.
When you forgive, you are actually helping yourself, because you cherish your relationship with God more than anything, and you don’t want anything to disrupt your relationship with God, you forgive.
Let us work towards making our home a haven and not an oven. It is your responsibility. Don’t wait for one person to do it for you. You have to be committed and take up the responsibility to do it yourself.
God bless your marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I have God’s wisdom to do the right thing
PRAYER FOR THE DAY I receive grace to forgive easily
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. –Romans 6:14 (KJV)
Expecting your spouse to change overnight will leave you heavily disappointed. It is entirely different if either spouse is an unbeliever; change in that sense is possible and can be anytime.
But when we talk about habits, attitudes, and behavioral patterns it can take a while.
Take note of these few points:
1. Patience
You will need to exercise patience! It takes a while. Let’s assume your spouse was twenty-five years old by the time you got married. It means that he or she has been formed into a certain mold for twenty-five years. Coming into marriage and expecting a quick change because you sermonized or lectured him or her will not make a change in a few days, expecting a quick change, may leave you disappointed.
Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud… -1Corinthians 13:4 (CEV)
I think in marriages, you always get to understand that virtue called “long-suffering!”
2. Don’t Lecture Or Sermonize
Your lectures and long talks do nothing at the end of the day; it only turns you into a nag, a domineering spouse, and an impatient spouse.
Between a husband and a wife, one will talk more than the other; don’t ever make the mistake of thinking your ability to package words is effective on your spouse.
It is even much more annoying and irritatingly hilarious if your spouse is a phlegmatic who doesn’t want trouble; he or she will allow you to talk and talk, and then will promise you there is change, only so that you can stop talking!
Only to do the very thing you’ve been talking about again!
You feel like escaping from the marriage, but sorry, you are hooked already!
Trust God that things will get better.
3. Pray Rather Than Talk And Talk
Your most effective and sure way to create any change is to pray. Take it to God and stop wearing yourself out.
Try and think about it, you’ve been complaining about something for seven years, yet no change! and you keep complaining!
Don’t you think in seven years, your spouse has disconnected himself or herself from your complaints?
He or she has mastered the art of closing the gate of his heart; you are only talking to the ears!
It does nothing and it would do nothing!
Pray about it!
4. Get Back Into Dating Mode
You used to love yourselves! You used to overlook and ignore some things you are bitterly complaining about now. What happened?
You need to get back into that romantic mode and love each other again rather than thinking your spouse is the problem of your family!
Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. -1Corinthians 13:7 (CEV)
Be supportive, be hopeful, and trust again. Cast your cares unto Jesus and stop focusing on the flaws of your spouse.
Get back into appreciating him or her in their area of strength.
I pray that God will help you need and send the very help you need in Jesus name.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am patient
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to love my spouse again
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, and never gives up. -1Corinthians 13:7 (GW)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Read Myles Munroe’s book on the Myth of Singleness
Women can completely relate to the art of cooking, it’s a beautiful art that requires focus and mastery. When you want to eat a meal, it doesn’t just appear by merely desiring it, or just thinking about it.
It takes a lot of deliberateness to cook a nice and tasty meal. For food to be prepared a lot of things have to come together; these things are called ingredients.
Spice, proteins, vegetables, you name it. These things have to come together before you can have a meal, and depending on what you decide to combine, it results in the aroma, taste, and outlook of your end product.
Just like cooking is an art, marriage is also an art; the only difference is you can’t master it because every day is different.
But certainly, there are principles (ingredients) you can use to address every issue, to get certain results, regardless of whether it’s the same scenario or not.
Love is a major ingredient in marriage; it’s not just the feeling of butterflies or Goosebumps. Even those that have been married for a short while will agree with me that you don’t feel butterflies in your belly all the time.
What exactly is this ingredient called Love? Let us see what the bible says.
Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, but keeps going to the end. Love never dies. -1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (MSG)
As husband and wife, the greatest good you can do for yourselves is to love each other passionately, love yourself from the depths of your heart and really mean it.
Let love be without dissimulation.
I love the way that The Message Translation puts it.
Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. –Romans 12:9a (MSG)
Don’t fake love for each other; let your love be genuine, genuine love can be felt, and it will also reflect in every area.
Pray for one another’s weaknesses; take every anxiety and fear to God in the place of prayers. As you begin to do this, you will receive the strength to love your spouse appropriately and passionately.
So shall it be in Jesus name!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will love my spouse unconditionally
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, send your help into our marriage
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. –Proverbs 14:29 (KJV)
Dear couple, today I want to show you a powerful weapon that works all the time. Regardless of whatever season you are in your life or marriage, this weapon is a formidable one.
Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. -1Chronicles 29:13 (KJV)
There is one thing that the enemy cannot resist; it is the power of praise, when you learn to praise God all your enemies fall down at your feet.
No matter what the problem or situation is praise is a way out, when you praise, worship, and give thanksgiving to God, the enemy is confused, and there is confusion in the enemy’s camp.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. -1Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
The devil hates joyful songs; he hates songs of adoration and thanksgiving to God, it gets him confused; he knows his strategy is not working, and his weaponry is not working.
His weapons won’t work because you are focused on something stronger, and better. you can’t be distracted, you are engaging the help of a God that consumes by fire.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” -Hebrews 12:28-29 (NIV)
Praise God all alone when it looks like the situation is not working when it looks like things are going awry when it looks like the children are wayward.
Praise God when the finances don’t seem to be flowing, praise him into your breakthrough, and you will surely rejoice!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will praise my God at all times, in every situation, and in every season
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, teach me to praise always
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Now, therefore, our God, we thank thee and praise thy glorious name. -1Chronicles 29:13 (KJV)
