Month: September 2020

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Devotion for Men ZZ

Praying Fathers Bless

‘Children are a gift from the Lord ; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.’ Psalms 127:3-5(NLT)

“Dad, do you love me?”
“Yes, I do,” you answer.
“How much do you love me?” he presses.
“More than anything in this world.”
“How much is that?” You take a deep breath, “I would do anything for you. If you were in trouble – I’d help. If your life was in danger, I’d do anything I could to save you.”
“Would you jump in front of a speeding truck to save my life?”
“You bet I would! I love you that much!”
After thinking, the child responds, “I love you too, Dad.”

As awkward as this conversation is, it reveals one important truth: every child wants to know they are loved. They want to know they matter more than anything in this world. And, yes, they want to know if they are loved enough by you, their dad, to risk your life for them. Psalm 127:3 reminds us that we are to value, treasure, and love our children.

Psalm 127:4 shows us that not only do our children need to be loved, they need to be aimed. Solomon writes that our children are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. Arrows are only valuable if they are aimed in the right direction. Aiming is the job of the warrior. It’s not the arrow’s job. So, warrior (dad!), how are you doing at aiming your son in the right direction?

Solomon goes on to say in verse 5 that there is a way that we can know if we are aiming our children in the right direction. He describes a scene where children are old enough to contend with an enemy and are not put to shame. One of the hardest aspects of being a parent is not knowing if what we are doing right now is the right thing. Often we won’t know for sure until our children are old enough to make decisions on their own.

PRAY that each of your children know how valuable they are to God, to you, and to their whole family.

PRAY you will be able to aim them in the right direction – toward a relationship with their Heavenly Father.

PRAY your sons will mature into young men who are able to defend their faith, and that your daughters become godly women who honor the Lord.

from Becoming A Praying Father

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Devotion for Women ZZ

A Wife’s Greatest Influence – Day 4

‘But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!’ Galatians 5:22-23(NLT)

To pray for your husband on your own, without even letting him know what it is about – to ask God to shape his heart, character and to keep him from temptation – this is a most powerful type of praying. Instead of nagging, ask God to do the very thing that He wants—to transform your husband more and more to be like Jesus in his character and conduct. Because this is exactly the will of God for your husband; when you pray like this, you know you are right in heaven’s bulls-eye. 

Read Galatians 5:22-23 and ask God to develop the each of the fruits of the Spirit in your husband’s personal life: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (nkjv).

Find the one character quality you know your husband wishes was true of him, and make that your primary prayer focus. Do you see how dramatically different this way of thinking and praying really is? Instead of praying for the one quality you wish your husband had, turn your focus to your husband; he’s the one you are called to help. And he undoubtedly wants help in an area that probably isn’t your number one! Put his wishes first and God will take notice of your unselfish request, and take care of you as well.

One of the most freeing things that can happen in your life as a wife can occur when you learn to release your husband into the hands of Jesus and then ask Him directly to take care of him and change him. Let go of the internal push to “make” your husband better and instead appeal to the only One who can transform anyone. Such amazing peace, power and influence you will have, and do have, as a wife. Use it. You will be blessed as you do. 

from A Wife’s Greatest Influence

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Devotion for Women ZZ

A Wife’s Greatest Influence – Day 3

‘And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.’ 1 John 5:14-15(NLT)

Maybe you sense your husband struggles with pornography. Maybe the new young secretary seems to have some extra affection for your husband. Maybe he gets so discouraged that he has been stopping at the grocery store on the way home to pick up something to drown his distress in too many drinks, or too much food.

Maybe he’s starting to lose his hair and his previously perfectly toned body now sags and he’s feeling like a has-been and overdoses every night on football, baseball, or basketball TV marathons. Maybe he’s facing real problems with one of your children and can’t seem to find the answer. 

All these problems are prevalent in our society today, aren’t they? 

No matter who your husband is, he faces many of these temptations, like every other man. Appeal to God to protect your husband from the temptations he’s most vulnerable to and ask God to fill him with extra comfort. 

Focus not on attacking him but on protecting him. Comfort him so that his inner strength will increase and he will have the courage to say no when tempted. 

Can you think of three challenging problems that you know your husband is currently struggling with? Pray about these things. You don’t have to tell him, “I want to pray for you about this.” Just be one with your husband and care enough to find out either in conversation or through your discernment what challenges he is dealing with. 

from A Wife’s Greatest Influence

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Devotion for Women ZZ

A Wife’s Greatest Influence – Day 2

‘So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.’ Genesis 1:27(NLT)

Whenever a wife awakens to the will of God as revealed in His Word regarding her role as the helper to her husband, she begins asking very different questions than before. Instead of “Why isn’t he…,” she now muses, “How can I maximize my positive impact on my husband so that God will be pleased by my assistance?” 

Keep in mind that the Bible is clear that the primary difference between the husband and wife is found in their distinctive roles. Man and woman, husband and wife—God created both equally in His own image as seen in Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (nkjv). 

Second, God gave the identical responsibilities to the man as husband and woman as wife in Genesis 1:28: “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” (nkjv). 

What is critical to remember, then, is husband and wife are equally made in the image and likeness of God and were equally delegated the dominion over the earth. The distinctive roles are God’s sovereign decision—the wife is to help the husband in fulfilling God’s dreams for himself and also God’s dreams for her. When pursued jointly whether through a mutual encouragement, prayer or support – goals are achieved more efficiently. 

Never underestimate the power of prayer in achieving your goals as a couple. Make an effort to spend personal time with the Lord praying for your spouse. But also seek to set aside time as a couple to pray for each other’s goals, discuss steps in obtaining them, and look to the Lord’s direction. As you begin to work together as a team, you will discover a powerful kinship develop that goes deeper than love. It is rooted in joint-ownership of each other’s most treasured hopes and desires. 

from A Wife’s Greatest Influence

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Devotion for Women ZZ

A Wife’s Greatest Influence – Day 1

‘Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. ‘ 1 Timothy 6:12(NLT)

‘But you, O Lord , are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.’ Psalms 3:3(NLT)

‘For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. ‘ 1 John 5:4(NLT)

‘I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”’ John 16:33(NLT)

As a wife, you have been uniquely positioned to influence not only your marriage, your family, your home but also the legacies your family members leave behind. It is easy to get distracted from this overarching purpose, especially when the issues of daily life present themselves. After all, life comes packaged with struggles, failures, sins, betrayals, hurts, wounds, disappointments, and crushing defeats. 

Yet your marriage provides the opportunity to discover the grace of endurance but also to model that grace to all of those around you, leading your home into a season of joy. 

If you think you’ll be able to avoid experiencing difficulties in your marriage, you are naive and your life will be filled with disappointment, discouragement, and despair. Why? Because your expectations are not realistic in this fallen world. All of us struggle with our selfish sin-nature that must be brought into submission to the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, and our spouse. 

Our response to the challenges life brings is always more important than the actual event. As Jesus and others in the Bible said so many times , the point of life is to “overcome” that which is difficult and painful. 

Each of those difficult moments or seasons is simply an obstacle that God permitted in your life so you can learn the deeper secrets of how to overcome and enjoy surpassing victories. They are actually gifts that feel like disasters but are heaven’s hidden stepping-stones to becoming more like Christ, who overcame everything thrown against Him. Indeed, said He, “I have [even] overcome the world” (John 16:33 nkjv). 

When you model the grace of overcoming, you demonstrate that hope to all those around you. You leave a lasting imprint on the lives within your circle of impact. As a wife, you are empowered to lift the hearts and minds of all those with whom you come into contact. And the starting point is always prayer. 

from A Wife’s Greatest Influence

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Devotion for Women ZZ

Praying Over Your Husband’s Head – Day 3

‘In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.’ 1 Peter 3:7(NLT)

Taking the time to reflect on your personal prayer focus regarding your husband’s life can give you insight into how you can better use this tool for the good of your family. Spend a moment reflecting on the following thought-provoking questions. Then, use the guided prayer as a catalyst for praying for your husband right now.

  • Who has your husband become in his character because you have prayed for him?  
  • What meaningful achievements has your husband enjoyed in because you prayed for him?  
  • What is one decision your husband has made that you feel is out of God’s will? Ask God to intervene to change his mind.
  • What areas would you like to see your husband improve in your marriage and his leadership at home, and commit to praying for those this week.

Gracious Lord, Your Word says first and foremost that if my husband is not treating me with honor and grace, both of our prayers will be hindered. I desire for our prayers to be heard and answered, Lord, so please give him a heart to treat me according to how You want him to do so (1 Peter 3:7). 

Help me to cultivate an atmosphere in our home where he trusts me and desires to treat me with kindness and grace. I also ask that You give quick answers to my husband’s prayers so that he will see the effectiveness of using this spiritual tool in his life and in our home. Let these answers build upon each other so that his prayer muscles will be strengthened and he will look to prayer as a regular part of living life successfully. 

Give me wisdom to know when to speak and when to allow You to correct my husband’s thinking. I pray that You will move swiftly when I seek Your intervention in his choices as a way of affirming and building my own confidence in Your intervening Hand. Thank You for hearing my prayers for him and for responding. In Christ’s name, Amen.

from Praying Over Your Husband’s Head

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Devotion for Women ZZ

Praying Over Your Husband’s Head – Day 2

‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ‘ Philippians 4:6(NLT)

Are you unsure of how to best pray for your husband? Do you struggle to find the courage and words to take you to higher level of influence in your marriage?

Prayer is one of the most beautiful tools you can use for the direction of your home, but trying to know his heart and pray with intention can feel overwhelming. You can’t understand his every spiritual need for direction and guidance—but God knows.

That’s why God has placed you as a powerful force of prayer for your husband’s life. Move from uncertainty to assurance as you devote yourself daily to conversation with the Lord who created, knows, and fiercely loves your husband.

Here is a guided prayer to move you in this direction:

Heavenly Father, I ask that You will enable us as a couple to refrain from drawing conclusions, making assumptions or reacting emotionally when we have not yet sought to clarify the cause of our conflict through seeking to understand both the truth of the actions and the intentions behind the actions. 

Help my husband to live in such a way – making right choices throughout his work life, home life and social life – so that the enemy does not have a stronghold from which to attack our family. 

Surround him with Your breastplate of righteousness to protect his honor and heart. And when conflict does arise, let peace both dominate and preserve the sanctity of our relationship and intimacy of our communication and love of the truth. If my husband has made a decision outside of your will, I ask that You will intervene to change his direction before he moves us too far forward the wrong way. Give my husband wisdom to discern your leading and help me to refrain from criticizing him. In Christ’s name, Amen.

from Praying Over Your Husband’s Head

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Devotion for Women ZZ

Praying Over Your Husband’s Head – Day 1

‘You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. ‘ John 14:13(NLT)

I’ll (Bruce) never forget learning firsthand the amazing power of my wife’s prayers for me in the early days of our marriage. Back then, I misunderstood how to be the “head’ of our marriage with grace and kindness. A major decision had to be made and although Darlene did her best to share her wisdom and change my mind, I didn’t have ears to hear. 

After she saw I had my mind made up, she accepted the decision although she strongly disagreed. About a week later, I learned some new information that radically changed my mind. Over dinner I shared the fact that I had been wrong and had changed my mind. 

She smiled but didn’t say a word. I asked her why she was smiling.  She reluctantly revealed the reason. “Well, I knew your decision wasn’t the right one and was going to negatively affect us and our family but you just couldn’t see it.  I felt you would suffer in the future too.  So, I stopped arguing and just went over your head.” 

“Over my head?” I asked, kind of in shock.  She sensitively said, “Well, I couldn’t help you, so I went over your head directly to God and asked Him to change your mind for me.”  I shook my head in unbelief, threw my head back and laughed and laughed, and said, “Wow, what a great idea!  Thanks for doing that because I was definitely heading in the wrong direction and my decision would have been disastrous!” 

Then it hit me. “So…how many times have you gone over my head?”  

She smiled as only a wife can do and replied, “I’ll never tell! It’s something God seems to enjoy saying “yes” and I’m thrilled that He does!” 

“No kidding” I mumbled, feeling rather helpless….

In our conversations over the years, we have talked about this powerful prayer option available to all married women. One day she said rather openly, “I had to learn that sometimes God didn’t answer my prayer with a “yes” but wanted you to learn from your mistakes the hard way.  I came to realize that His answer was always the best one in the long-term for you and me. Sometimes, though, I had to suffer from your mistakes which was God’s plan for me as well.”  My goodness, did I ever marry a jewel. 

You, my friend, are also a jewel. A jewel who holds the power to influence your husband in ways beyond what you may have ever even realized. Yes, you have God’s ear. And His heart. Discover how much He cares as you learn to take everything to Him in prayer.

from Praying Over Your Husband’s Head

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Saving Marriage ZZ

THE OTHER HALF

‘So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ‘ Galatians 6:9(NLT)

God can teach you a lot through a motorcycle crash. One of the most important lessons for me was how to heal fully, not just halfway.

I’ll never forget my accident. Enjoying a beautiful ride with friends through the Colorado Rockies, we rounded a curve, and my front tire drifted onto the shoulder. Before I even realized I was in trouble, I was tumbling off the bike and into rough gravel. My reward was a dislocated ankle, complete with broken bones and several torn ligaments.

At the hospital, I was told it would be almost twelve weeks before I’d be able to put any pressure on my foot. Then the doctor gave me an important warning. He said, “You’re going to feel good enough to walk on it after about six weeks, but don’t do it.” His concern was that the pain of the injury would likely be gone, but the ankle itself would not yet be fully healed. Walking on it too soon would only reinjure the ankle and cause further damage. That’s why his final instruction to me was, “Don’t quit halfway through your recovery.”

It’s a valuable life-lesson as well. When a marriage is in need of healing, many people work through conflict until the pain subsides. But this doesn’t mean the deeper issues causing the trouble have been corrected. That’s why it’s important not to quit halfway through your recovery. With the Lord’s help, you need to work at resolving the underlying problems, not just the pain they cause.

from Healthy Conflict in Marriage

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Saving Marriage ZZ

KNOW AND UNDERSTAND

‘Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. ‘ Romans 12:15(NLT)

If you’re married, you know a lot about your spouse. The question is: do you really understand them?

I’ve been fortunate to meet a lot of interesting people. One person I wish I could have known is the late Ronald Reagan. Oddly enough, because I’ve learned so much about him, there have been times when I felt as if I did know him. But what I’ve realized is that, although I know a lot of facts about President Reagan, I’ll never truly know him on a deep level as a person.

If I’m not careful, the same principle could apply to my relationship with my wife, Jean. A fact I know about her, for example, is that her brother passed away years ago. But do I understand at a deep level the impact his death has had in her life? Do I understand how it affects her even today? If a moment reminds her of him and tears come, am I compassionate with her even though it’s been such a long time?

You see, many couples experience conflict because they treat the events of their spouse’s life as facts about them. But they don’t truly understand how those moments have shaped their life and impact their behavior even today. Our spouse needs us to do more than just acknowledge their pain from a distance. They need us to be like the Lord, compassionate and present with them in the midst of the emotional challenges that linger from their past.

from Healthy Conflict in Marriage