Dear Heavenly Father,
I come to you in anguish, knowing that some people are faced with daily abuse in their marriage. Some of it might be physical, some mental, some verbal… and it needs to stop. Please intercede on behalf of those being mistreated. Protect them from any harm, and please put an end to the abuse in Jesus name. I pray for the abusers and ask that you restrain them Lord. Convict their heart, giving them understanding of the damage they are causing. Grab them and seize them, send your Holy Spirit to minister to them. I pray for a radical change in marriage relationships starting right now in Jesus Name! I pray for restoration for both husbands and wives. Redeem these marriages, removing all fear and replacing it with your love! AMEN!
God,
You are our Defender, our Savior, our Redeemer! We lay our hearts before you and ask that you would break the chains of addiction in anyone’s life who is struggling. I pray over my life, my husband’s life, and anyone else who cannot fight this battle alone. Intercede on our behalf and bring healing. We pray for the strength to stand in faith against anything that tries to have a hold on our lives. Reveal your power and be glorified through testimonies of transformation. Remove the dependency our bodies crave and replace those desires with longings to be with you, to seek you, and to worship you. We claim authority in Jesus Name to say no to sin and yes to you Lord! AMEN!
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the men who sacrifice their life for the protection of others. Thank you for their courage. Please protect them as they serve, comfort their hearts while away from their families, and affirm their faith daily. We also pray for their wives who wait patiently everyday until they are reunited. Thank you for these wives, who sacrifice a large majority of their marital relationship, knowing the good that will come from it. Bless them for the courage they have to stand firm, especially those that are carrying children or raising children. Please continue to strengthen these women, comforting them as they are bombarded daily with doubts and insecurities. Equip them to push those thoughts aside, and have faith in what you have given them. May you keep both husbands and wives eyes from being tempted while away from their spouse. Bind their love and make it a strong bond that will always prevail. We also pray for the wives who have lost their husbands during active service, please send your Holy Spirit to comfort those disheartened. Overwhelm them with your love and mend their broken hearts. We pray that in every husband and wife your will be done in Jesus Name AMEN!
God,
We come to you today and lift up wives who are under oppression, whether it is from the enemy, their husband, other family members or friends. We pray and ask that you would intercede for them. Please comfort them and protect them from whatever harm is trying to come against them. We ask that you send angels to guard them and give them a peace that surpasses all understanding. We pray that you remove any fear that is keeping them in harms way. May you fill them with your Holy Spirit and empower them to seek help, seek refuge, and seek freedom from their oppressors. May you be glorified in each of their lives in Jesus Name we pray AMEN!
God,
I come to you today on my knees, petitioning for protection over marriages. I pray for those couples who feel as though they are being attacked, those who feel as if they were drowning, those who feel trapped, burdened, mistreated, or abused. I lift up those in despair, at the end of their faith, hopeless, and those who feel alone. I pray that you would wrap your warm, gracious, loving arms around them and comfort the deepest parts of their heart! I pray that reveal your will to them and enlighten them about their situation. Revive them. Remind them of the hope they have in you. Send people to encourage them and keep them accountable to being obedient to you. I pray for peace to be evident in marriages, restoration to be apparent, and healing to be obvious, so that your name may be glorified! I pray for your redeeming love to redeem the love between every husband and wife in Jesus Name AMEN!
Anger is an emotion that God gave us to express ourselves, however He cautions us not to sin in our anger. We need to make sure that we respond righteously no matter what emotion we are effected by. Also, God’s word says that we should not let the sun go down on our anger. This is especially important in marriage! If you or your husband is angry, don’t let it simmer as you try to sleep, rather take time to communicate what the issue is. In most cases the anger can be resolved and you will find you sleep much better.
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Ten years ago our nation suffered a horrific tragedy; causing a ripple effect of anguish felt through out that day… and for many, still continues. I understand that there are many people who should and will be acknowledged today in remembrance, however I would like to specifically acknowledge the wives who experienced that traumatic event. Wives who’s lives were lost, wives who lost their husband, wives who left their husband at home to serve our country and wives who’s husband left home to serve our country. There are many wives who were affected because of what happened on September 11, 2001 and I wanted to take a moment to lift them up in prayer.
God,
We lift up our hearts to you today in remembrance of what happened ten years ago on September 11th. Our hearts cry out in anguish over loss, pain, and sadness. We thank you for all the men and women who sacrificed their lives in an effort to serve amidst this tragedy and we ask that you would bless them and their families. We pray for all the wives that have suffered because of this terrible event. For the wives who lost their lives, please comfort their families. For the wives who lost a husband, please send your Holy Spirit to give her peace. For wives who are serving away from home or for wives who are serving at home while their husband is away, please let your love consume them and overwhelm them with your peace. We lift this day up to you and pray that every heart would draw close to you. Amen!
I have been waiting to see Soul Surfer for a while now, I love watching movies based on true stories. I had some time to spare so I rented it online through Amazon. As I began watching the screen I immediately got enveloped into the story, almost forgetting about the reason this movie was made. Then came the moment when Bethany, a young surfer girl was attacked by a shark. The scene was dramatic and emotionally painful to watch, as her friends struggled to help get her and themselves safely to shore. Bethany was hurried to the hospital where the doctors rushed to save her life. My own insides churned as Bethany’s mother and father were in shock to see their baby girl being brought in on a stretcher.
After Bethany is released from the hospital she mentions her desire to get back into the water. I thought in that moment, wouldn’t she be scared? I would be afraid to get back into the water, in fear of the very thing that almost took my life; but not Bethany, she had courage. The movie continues to show how Bethany approaches life limited by only one arm. Her inspiring passion to do what she loves without fear left me in tears. Even when Bethany questioned why God would allow this to happen, she searched and searched, instead of giving up in self-pity. The movie also revealed a very powerful relationship between Bethany’s parents. As husband and wife, difficulties come and response is required, and these two, amidst a traumatic event involving their daughter were able to respond to each other in love. There were many scenes that showed their love for one another and the love they shared for their children. The marriage foundation will determine how a family responds to life, and for the Hamilton’s, their faith in God carried them through!
Bethany mentions that the Lord working in mysterious ways is an understatement! I fully agree. She also says that the most important thing in this world is Love, which is bigger than any tidal wave and more powerful than any fear. After Bethany challenges her limitation and proves she can still surf, the media bombards her. They begin to ask her questions including why she thinks this happened to her. She responds by saying, “I have the opportunity to embrace more people than I ever could have with two arms!” That is a very inspiring message coming from a young girl who could have easily been defeated. Yet her faith gave her the courage and the ability to rise up above any fear and understand compassion.
The very end of the movies ends with Bethany sharing this,
“Life is like surfing. When you get caught in the impact zone, you need to get right back up, because you never know what’s over the next wave. And if you have faith, anything is possible, anything at all.”
This movie is so inspiring and reminds us that we need faith in God. I am so excited that there are such great movies out there, revealing the message of hope to so many!
Surprise attacks from things you hate, can effect many parts of your life. If you respond in panic, you may end up snowballing the event. Immediate reactions are hard to control aren’t they? Marriage is especially one of those platforms where immediate responses can end up snowballing into a mess. Threats are impossible to out run, even if you clean your house, pray everyday or go to church consistently. The enemy hates marriage and hates the opportunity we have to experience oneness with our spouse and with God. He will find ways to throw things at you that are going to make you uncomfortable, perhaps even terrify you, but it is important to trust God and hope in His promises.
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