Category: Devotion for Women

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Devotion for Women ZZ

Winning Prayers For Every Wife – Day 1

‘I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.’ Psalms 17:6(NLT)

Tip 1:

Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by so many approaches to prayer. Start with a couple ideas and watch what happens. Pick out two to three things from these tips and enjoy some small victories first. Couch your prayers in a confident trust as the psalmist did his.

Tip 2:

Buy a little notebook (or use your computer/smart device) that you keep confidential from everyone and start tracking God’s answers to your specific requests regarding your husband. The following is a method you might try as an example:. 

Please, God, help my husband to finalize his report for work and receive recognition for it. 7/1/17 Prayed first. Yes!  8/13/17 42 days, answered.

A. Number the first prayer and continue numbering every time you add another request.

B. Put the date next to it when you started praying it: 7/1/17.

C. When God answers with a “yes” or “no,” then write it on the right side of your request: (yes, no, shift in perspective)

D. Then put the date God answered your prayer: 8/13/17.

E. Estimate how many days you prayed until God answered: 42 days.

F. Put a star next to the number when you pray extra hard for it that day: **.

G. Then circle the number every time God answers with a “yes.” It will shock you how many “yesses” you receive! 

H. As you pray, add Scriptures God gives you which enforce or inform your prayer and what it is you are praying for, specifically or generally.

Want to discover some topics to pray for your husband? Check out Prayers for Blessing Over Your Husband. It comes with helpful insights and guided prayers. You can also find daily prayer posts on InstaGram: @capandbuttercup 

from Winning Prayers For Every Wife

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Celebration

‘Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.’ Proverbs 11:24-25(NLT)

‘“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’’ Matthew 25:21(NLT)

‘Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”’ Luke 6:38(NLT)

Devotional Content:

In today’s video, Dr. Kim asks Mike and Lisa this question: “What do you celebrate when it comes to stewardship?”

This has been a pretty tough reading plan. I hope you have been challenged. I pray it will help put you in a positive direction with your finances and keep you from being another “our finances ruined our marriage” couple. Dealing with money God’s way is countercultural. It’s just like a lot of things God says are best for us. We have a choice:  God’s way or the world’s way. One is a temporary view of money and the other is eternal. Which will you choose?

The joy of choosing God’s way comes in many forms. Mike and Lisa talk of the fun of paying off a car. There is excitement in finally becoming debt free. Yet, to me, the best of all these comes when through our faithfulness as managers of God’s money, we have extra and can use it to help someone in need. That is truly cause for celebration. It’s like it all finally makes sense. This is God’s plan. This is merging money and God. It is becoming one together with money. It is a “key to lasting love.”

Today’s Challenge: 

As you look back on this reading plan, what has changed about you, your marriage, and money? Are you taking steps toward oneness? Have you mapped out a plan together?

Going Deeper:

Begin thinking about ways to help others when you have extra. Then pray for God to lead you into these opportunities!

from Mammon And God: Money And Spirituality by Dr. Kim Kimberling

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Division

‘Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.’ Proverbs 13:11(NLT)

‘Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. ‘ Colossians 4:2(NLT)

‘For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Paul’s Final Instructions
But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 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 6:10-12(NLT)

Devotional Content: 

In today’s video, Dr. Kim asks Mike and Lisa this question, “What is step one in overcoming division with money?”

Separation in any area of marriage is not good. You cannot work on your sex life if you consistently sleep in separate bedrooms. You cannot grow together spiritually without taking time to connect spiritually. The same is true with money. I think separation with money sets you up for problems. It goes against the principle we talked about earlier in this plan of managing the money together.  

Do you have to both operate out of the same bank account? I guess not, but why would you not? Nancy and I have always had one bank account for the two of us. We both have access to the money. We both know what is in the account and what is coming out. I know some of you who know our story are thinking, “You guys married young and never really established your own accounts with your own money.” You are right.  Maybe it was easier for us to do that. That does not change the fact that it has worked well for us, and in all of these years of marriage, we never considered doing it differently.

I believe that God wants married couples to become one in every area of life, and that includes our money. I have counseled a lot of couples where money is a problem. If they are separated in their money, that is usually a big part of the problem. That does not mean that a couple with one bank account will not have money problems, but it does mean that they are in it together.  

For some of you this is a foreign subject. You may have been hurt financially in a previous relationship. There may be trust issues centered on money in your current marriage. I get that. I would just ask that you begin praying about being one in your money and see where God leads you. It may take time – a lot of baby steps, Christian counseling, and consultation with a financial planner – but I promise you, it will all be worth it!

Today’s Challenge: 

If you are divided in any way with your finances, begin seeking God’s wisdom together and follow His lead. Take time to understand each other’s past with handling money.

Going Deeper:

Set aside time to begin talking about long term financial goals for your marriage. Once you have them in place, make a plan for reaching them.

from Mammon And God: Money And Spirituality by Dr. Kim Kimberling

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Getting on the Same Page

‘Commit your actions to the Lord , and your plans will succeed.’ Proverbs 16:3(NLT)

‘“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? ‘ Luke 14:28(NLT)

‘So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. ‘ 1 Corinthians 4:1-2(NLT)

Devotional Content: 

In today’s video, Dr. Kim asks Mike and Lisa this question, “What does it look like for the two of you to work together when it comes to money?”

Think about how great your marriage would be if you were together on the same page with every area of your marriage. For most of us that may never happen. We all have our differences. Embracing and working through our differences is a big part of growing a marriage, but what if we were on the same page with money? 

To me this is the natural progression as you have the same money mindset and you see money as a gift from God. Now you can decide how you two can work together when it comes to money. I am a long, long way from being a financial genius. I have made a ton of mistakes. I still make them. What I have learned is that Nancy and I do money a lot better when we have a map. That map is our budget. It helps us know what we have and where we are spending it. It makes financial adjustments easier. We know if at the end of the month we need more or we have more. Whichever way it goes, we have the information we need to make decisions and to go to God in prayer. We can decide where to cut expenses or how to save or spend the extra we have.

Praying about our finances as a couple is like everything else we pray about. It unites us and God shows up. We don’t fight about money because we have a plan and that plan unites us. What can the two of you do to begin to work together with your money?

Today’s Challenge: 

Agree to start a budget together. We will help. Just click here to receive our Awesome Marriage budget form that you can print and fill out together.  

Going Deeper:

Since money is often a delicate subject, pray together for God to grow you in this area every day and as you begin to do money His way.

from Mammon And God: Money And Spirituality by Dr. Kim Kimberling

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Money and Spirituality

‘“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need. ‘ Deuteronomy 15:7-8(NLT)

‘“O my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God! I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine.’ Psalms 50:7-11(NLT)

‘Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.’ Proverbs 22:9(NLT)

‘God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. ‘ 1 Peter 4:10(NLT)

Devotional Content: 

In today’s video, Dr. Kim asks Mike and Lisa this question: “How is our money connected to our spirituality?” 

Maybe you never put the words “money” and “spirituality” together. We tend to think of money as “of the world” but we relate spirituality to God and our relationship with Him. What happens when we put them together? I think we are taking the first step towards viewing money as God wants us to view it.  

If everything is God’s, so is money. So is our money. That’s where things get tough. We want to keep our money out of our relationship with God. After all, we earned it and we should be able to do what we want with it. Right? That seems to be the prevailing thought pattern concerning money. The problem with that is two-fold. First, it does not go along with what the Bible says about money. Second, most of us do a pretty poor job with money.  

What if we looked at money through God’s eyes? What if we said it is all His? He is the owner and we are the managers. That means that we let God influence how we manage the money. Mike and Lisa spoke of using money as a tool to grow God’s Kingdom, and making money decisions with that focus. Does that mean we cannot live in a nice house or have a nice car? No. What it does mean is that the house or the car can never be more important in our lives than God. When they are, the whole “God is the owner thing” gets turned upside down. This is what I do know from experience. We have done money both ways. Doing it our way has never worked for us. Doing it God’s way works all the time.

Today’s Challenge: 

Discuss together what it would mean for each of you and your marriage to take up the “God is the owner and you are the managers” plan for your money

Going Deeper: Pray for God’s wisdom with money. Ask Him how you can best serve Him and others as the managers of His money.

from Mammon And God: Money And Spirituality by Dr. Kim Kimberling

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Money???

‘Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.’ Deuteronomy 8:18(NLT)

‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.’ Matthew 6:33(NLT)

‘John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. ‘ John 3:2(NLT)

Devotional Content: 

In today’s video, Dr. Kim asks Mike and Lisa this question: “How do you view money as a couple?” 

When I do premarital counseling with a couple, money is always a topic of conversation because I bring it up. In general most of us fall into one of two categories: spender or saver. How a couple matches up determines the course of the conversation. Just because they are both savers does not give them a pass. They may agree about money in principle, but how does that play out day to day? Two spenders could be in a mountain of debt in just a few months. A couple consisting of a spender and a saver can certainly learn the value of balancing each other but it may be a battle to get there.  

Mike and Lisa refer to money as a “gift from God,” and it is! But God knew we were going to have trouble with money. It is the most mentioned topic in the Bible – over 2,000 verses. There are more verses on money than prayer, faith, marriage, sex or salvation. God gives us the answers. We just have to follow them.

What is your money mindset? What is your spouse’s? In every poll I have ever seen, money is always listed as one of the top three problems in marriage. It can literally make or break a marriage. So whether you are savers, spenders, or one of each, being on the same page with money is essential.

Today’s Challenge:

It is time to have a money conversation. Use these three questions to get the conversation going:

  1. What is your money mindset as a couple?
  2. As a couple, how do you rate yourselves in the way you handle money?
  3. What is your next step after this discussion? (Creating a budget or talking  to a financial planner are a couple of suggestions.)  

Going Deeper: 

Together do a Bible search on the word “money.” What is God saying to you on this topic?

from Mammon And God: Money And Spirituality by Dr. Kim Kimberling

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Devotion for Women ZZ

Prayer #4:

‘“What do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon and you cities of Philistia? Are you trying to take revenge on me? If you are, then watch out! I will strike swiftly and pay you back for everything you have done. ‘ Joel 3:4(NLT)

Appeal to God to help your husband overcome his problems.

If you husband is human, then your husband struggles with personal and professional challenges and problems that discourage and weaken him. If your husband isn’t facing at least one problem, then wait until tomorrow. Problems are part and parcel to life itself. Just imagine how your husband will feel when he discovers that you care so much for him that you’ll help shoulder the weight with him through prayer.

Whether the issue is an arrogant boss, unreasonable “top-down” impossible goals, a lack of money to pay the car insurance this month, a brother who always tears him down in front of others, or exhaustion because his long-awaited vacation just happened to fall on the very day his aging mother fell, breaking her hip, and he had to cancel everything and drive 400 miles to help her all week… You get the idea!

Often you will be aware of these issues because you live together and so you can immediately pick up on and bring his disappointment or discouragement or frustration or anger to God and appeal for God’s comfort and intervention. But other times you may not be aware and so it is okay to ask him about things he would like for you to pray about, or pray about things you sense may be a problem for him.

No matter who your husband is, he faces issues and 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 list three challenging problems that you know your husband is currently struggling with? 

You don’t have to tell him, “I want to pray for you about this.” But you can tell him as well. Whatever the case, use grace in your words and prayers. We are all human, after all. Be one with your husband and care enough to find out either in conversation or through your discernment what challenges he is dealing with, then pray for these specifically each day.

from 4 Prayers Every Wife Should Pray

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Devotion for Women ZZ

Prayer #3:

‘And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!’ Psalms 90:17(NLT)

Appeal to God in prayer to help your husband succeed in his work.

God wired people to achieve and to labor to become successful in their work. While this applies to both genders, a husband often feels this more innately due to the pressures to provide for the home. Men deeply long to succeed in their work; in fact, if a man continues to fail in his work, he will probably struggle in every other area of his life, especially at home. Therefore, help him succeed by appealing to heaven for supernatural help in his work and him ask these kinds of questions from time to time: 

· What is the biggest breakthrough you wish you could have this week?

· What do you wish to see in teammates or people you may manage by way of work ethic and character, and how can these improve?

· What do you need to do in order to gain greater recognition or a promotion?

Feel free to expand on these questions. Ask your husband questions that will reveal the specific ways you can appeal to God on his behalf. Don’t just ask God to “please help my husband at work.” Anyone could pray in that general way, but only you have the heart to really uncover what you want to ask God to do for your husband that would make him dance and shout for joy, and then to pray specifically for those things. 

Do you know the specifics in his work or career that would mean the world to your husband if they came true this year? This month? This week? Sadly, very few women have any idea about their husband’s work life except when he’s late. Again. As you encourage his growth and success at work, the blessing will boomerang to your home as well. 

from 4 Prayers Every Wife Should Pray

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Devotion for Women ZZ

Prayer #2:

‘But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. ‘ 1 Corinthians 11:3(NLT)

Appeal to God to lead your husband to be the loving head of your marriage and family.

As a follow up to prayer #1, this will happen as your husband draws closer to God. As he develops in his own spiritual maturity, your husband cannot help but become a more loving head of your marriage and family. But that doesn’t mean you can skip prayer #2! Pray this each day as well. 

There are marriages where the husband may not feel worthy to lead or may not want to shoulder more responsibility than he already is facing at work or may be overwhelmed by the problems and sins he is already dealing with. He may arrive home wanting to hide and forget his troubles rather than to rise up with inner strength to help you and the children and grandchildren. This happens more than we might imagine so that’s why prayer is crucial to producing change on this front.

We are not excusing any husband’s selfishness or abdication of his God-given responsibilities and dumping them on wives by acknowledging the reality many wives face. Instead, we are encouraging you as the wife to reconsider how you seek to achieve what you long for in your husband by what you choose to pray for. 

Husbands seem to stiffen whenever their wives confront them on spiritual matters, especially on being the “spiritual head of the home.” If your husband grew up without his father and was raised only by his mother, he may find being the “head” way out of his comfort zone. If your husband grew up with an aloof or abusive and disconnected father, then he likely will have inbred traits and expectations that will need tender care to reshape, often with two steps forward and one-and-a-half steps backward. 

Beg God to grant your husband courage. Ask God to instill experiences that breed confidence instead of defeat. Accept your husband exactly where he is, and then start helping him through encouraging words, a hope-filled heart and great expectations couched in love.

from 4 Prayers Every Wife Should Pray

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Devotion for Women ZZ

Prayer #1:

‘And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.’ Philippians 1:6(NLT)

Appeal to God to draw your husband into a closer relationship with Christ.

Ultimately, when your husband starts drawing closer to Christ on a regular basis, the Spirit of God will empower him in every area of his life to his benefit and to your delight. Unless your husband is highly unusual, he probably doesn’t cater to your “pushing” him to be more spiritual. But when the Spirit of God “pulls” him to Himself, your husband may shock you and head in that direction with a willing heart. 

Appeal to the Spirit of God to increase His “pulling” and “drawing” of your husband to Himself. Tell Him you trust Him with your husband and claim the promise that Christ will  “complete” what He starts (Philippians 1:6). Ask God to surprise your husband by unexpectedly pouring His love right into his heart more and more . 

Ask God to forgive your husband of his many past and present sins and choose to overwhelm him with His mercy and compassion. Ask the Godhead to communicate to your husband through any method He would like—to make Himself known directly to your husband. 

If you find yourself complaining and pushing your husband toward God, stop immediately and bite your tongue. You are pushing your husband away. Don’t appeal to him to pursue God unless he brings his desires up to you. Appeal to the heavenly Father directly on his behalf instead and watch God work! You will be amazed. When you truly surrender to God, He works on your behalf.

from 4 Prayers Every Wife Should Pray