Marriage Matters # 9

-


February Heart Quote

"It's not the body's posture, but the heart's attitude that counts when we pray."  

Billy Graham

What is your attitude towards marriage?  How often do you think back on your wedding vows?  As I read today's heart quote the word cherish came to mind and that took me back to the traditonal wedding vows I said September 23, 1978.

 "In the name of God, I, Linda (my legal name), take you, Deke, to be my lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death us do part. This is my solemn vow."

While I love to be held by him and he has certainly stood by me in sickness, I think most women long to experience the cherished part.  It's not really a guy word though.  They probably don't go into a marriage asking, "Will you cherish me?" Feed me, keep the home welcoming for me, have sex with me, help raise my children...may cross his mind, but probably not cherish.

Wives here is a challenge for us.  Write down what you cherish about your husband. The vow above says we will love and cherish and I think those actions can breed reciprocity/reciprocality. We can be the example of how to cherish another. While the way we desire to be cherished is probably very different than what our husbands need through love, honor and respect, we can open up a healthy discussion on this topic or better yet, we can "PRAY IT, NOT SAY IT" asking God t0 show them what it means to cherish their wife.  

Knowing your husband's love language helps in this process.  5lovelanguages.com

When the enemy launches an attack drawing your mind to think negatively about your spouse fight back with a postive thought. Example....He may leave his dirty clothes on the floor, dirty dishes all around and just tracked mud into the house, but you know what?  He came home to me and the kids right after work!

When was the last time you spoke a word of encouragement to you spouse or prayed for them during the day.  Take it a step futher and pray over them when you know they have a tough decision, work travel, or in my case....he's heading out into the woods with a chain saw or onto the roof with a back pack blower and one in his hand.

As I've said before, purchase books on praying for your spouse and use them.

Let's pray now...

Lord, thank You for the establishment of marriage and for the gift of my spouse. Show me how to love and cherish my spouse today like I never have before!  Protect both of our hearts and never let us wander in our commitment to one another. Place the needs of my spouse on my heart to be praying for them before they even have to ask. Keep our marriage bed pure and exciting.  Allow our love for one another and for You, Lord, to grow deeper and deeper each day. Fill our marriage with laughter, joy and sweet kisses that keep us both wanting to come back for more, by the power of Your Holy Spirit.  In Jesus name, amen.

The Verse

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.


The Song

“Believe for It” Cece Winans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd24fpsF1Qw


Popular posts from this blog

She Fought the Good Fight

-
Image
February 27 Bible Gateway's verse yesterday was: This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him . 1 John 4:9 A fitting verse for the day my everyday friend, soul sister, monster of the faith and mischievous partner in crime, Kaye, left this world behind and headed to her heavenly home. My husband was able to be by her bedside and said he knew she heard the words of our faith that he shared. Her sweet daughter held the phone up to her ear so I could say good-bye and the brightest single star you have ever seen shown through my bedroom window as she exited this earth! Yesterday, my heart literally ached so badly that I told the Lord, "Take me too!" Wouldn't she have been surprised if I had snuck up on her in heaven and said, "Thought you were going somewhere without me, did ya." When we received the call she was ready to go, I called out to the Lord for comfort and He led me to the Bible Gat
Read more

Marriage Matters #1

-
Image
One of life's deepest hurts is when the one you love is unfaithful. Forty years ago, I remember an older friend, whose wife had been unfaithful and left him for another man saying to me..."Boo, I hope you never experience having the person you love and are married to, living 8 blocks away loving someone else." Deep hurt. They divorced. The wife of another friend of ours was having an affair with a fellow church member and a neighbor of theirs who lived 5 blocks away. She moved in with this man and our friend said one evening he was walking by the house where they were living together and saw them sitting at a table having a candlelight dinner. Ugh. The torment. I've always said it would be aweful to find out the person you were married to and  loved deeply loved another.  Hmm. We are the bride of Christ.  Is He our first love? 2 Peter 2:14 says: They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed
Read more

Are You Sinking... Being Tossed About?

-
Image
  A text came in from our neighbor recently, on a cold blustery day, when I was home with a stomach bug and awful headache. He said, "My canoe blew off our dock and has floated over to your shore."  And I'm thinking..."And you want me to do what?" I explained my husband was at work, but could help in the afternoon. I went to the window and could see the boat being tossed back and forth along our shore line. One minute it was close to our main dock and the next the winds had shifted and it was 200 feet in the opposite direction.  What I then realized is it had been taking on water. A text came again that he was in his car and driving around to our property.  Climbing out of my night shirt, I put on warm ups, UGGS boots and a hooded coat and limped outside to see how I could help. When I arrived to the shore line, the neighbor had tossed a 3 prong hook tied to a rope into the boat and was pulling it to the shore with one hand.  He had recently had hand surgery and
Read more