praying for your wife...

the following is an excerpt from "The Power of a Praying Husband" by Stormie O'Martian (a book that Julie bought me about 7 yrs. ago and I am just now seriously reading, ouch.) :(

"I once saw a football game where the home team was losing and there were less than 15 seconds left in the game. They needed a touchdown to win, but everything was against them making a score in that amount of time. The game appeared to be over, and the opposing team and fans were already celebrating. Some people were even leaving the stadium. But the losing team and coach didn't give up or let their morale fall. Instead they pulled an unlikely play out of thier book, and through the most astonishing sequence of events, the home team made a winning touchdown in the last few seconds of the game. It was so amazing that news reports of it even referred to it as a miracle.

Your marriage is like that football game. You and your wife are a team. And she wants the security of knowing that when things are tough and down to the wire-even when the enemy is already celebrating your demise and all appears to be lost-you have the faith to believe that up to the very last second everything can turn around. She needs the assurance you have a play in your pocket that can take you down the field with the ball for a possible winning score. She wants you to trust that with God nothing is impossible and because of that you will never give up hoping for the impossible to happen.

When your wife knows you are praying, she is confident of all of these things. In my survey of wives, 85 percent of them said the most important prayer their husband could pray was that he would become the man, husband, and head of the home that God wanted him to be. This is the most important place for a man to begin praying."

*Men, I ask you, what's holding you back? Step up to the plate for your family.

*Shall we pray?

Heavenly Father,

I come to you today to repent of all that I have done against your will. I repent of the sorrow I have caused my wife by not praying for her and our children. I pray that you would show me the way to be the husband and father that you want me to be. Guide me in your ways, Lord.

In Jesus name,
Amen

Charlie

GREAT MOVIE!!

Just went and seen FIREPROOF . Its a must see movie for couples or for the whole family . It was great to see a movie with no bad language or scenes.And o my word they talk GOD and saving a marriage not destroying it! All I can say is who needs Hollywood and Brad Pitt or whomever?

MUST see this movie!!

Husbands

Found this article in some old papers of Julie's grandpa, Lloyd Treat. He has some great stuff there. Read this and let me know what you think. Anyway, some good stuff on marriage right here.

Ephesians 5v25-33: Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother and the two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Netherless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Here we see that marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. Husbands have the responsibility to love their wives even as Christ loved the church. Christ's love was self sacrificing, so likewise a husband should sacrifice self giving preference to his wife, caring and nourishing her. If a husband loves his wife as much as Christ loved the church then surely the wife will find it easier to submit herself to her husband. Paul concludes the passage by exalting men to love their wives as themselves.

1 Corinthians 7v3-5: Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Husbands here are commanded not to deny their bodies from their wives. Unless it is for an agreed pre-determined period of time to give themselves more fully unto the Lord. Paul warns that the time must be agreed before hand lest Satan should tempt them.

1 Corinthians 7v11b-12: .. let not the husband put away his wife. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not. 1 Corinthians 7v14-16: For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us unto peace. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man whether thou shalt save thy wife?

Husbands are exalted here not to put away their wives. Even if he is a believer but she is not, he should not seek a divorce, but if she desires to leave then he should let her leave peacefully. The believing husband should continue to live with the non-believing wife for two reasons. First, by having a believing husband she is sanctified. Note not saved but seperated out from the world and married unto a believer. Secondly, he does not know if what she sees of the Lord in him may yet turn her to Christ.

Colossions 3v19: Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Husbands are here reminded to love their wives and not to be bitter against them for any reason.

1 Peter 3v7: Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Marriage is a partnership, husbands and wives have different roles to fulfil but both should be seen on an equal level and as fellow heirs of grace. Husbands are here reminded that failing to give honour to their wives, i.e. failing to fulfil their role in the partnership, will cause their prayers to be hindered.

Pornography-the secret sin

okay, you will find on this blog that I do not pull any punches on how I feel about issues. THIS is one of those issues. I am a man. Therefore, I can relate. Pure and Simple, porn is wrong. It is SIN. It can & it will destroy you. Believe what you will. But, read this first.



Charlie