Marriage

It is better religion to be kind at home than to pray in church.

Our feelings vary from day to day. A close friend, who has one of the greatest marriages I know, shared with me a feeling she had very early in their married life. One day, all of a sudden, she looked at her husband and her heart sank. Something had happened to her feelings for him. The thrill was gone. She was conscious of saying to herself, “Okay, this is it. This is the way it’s going to be. I’ve made a commitment to God – and to my husband – and I’m going to live by that commitment, not feelings.”
And so she proceeded, by faith, to love her husband sincerely – if not with the same sense of thrill and depth of emotional feeling. It wasn’t long before one day, just as suddenly as the feeling had gone, the feeling returned…and more. It overflowed!

The apostle Paul has given very clear guidelines for Christian marriages. And though these guidelines can be humanly challenging, they are fully achievable with the power of the Holy Spirit. Read Ephesians 5:21-33.

4 Biblical Truths About Christian Marriage

1.) Husbands and wives are first subject to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and then mutually subject to one another.

2.) The husband needs to be the spiritual leader of the home in the same way that Christ is the leader of the church.

3.) Both the husband and wife are to be loving, sacrificial, caring, responsible, and committed & consistent.

4.) It is the desire of God’s heart to do whatever it takes to keep the marriage together, and for each couple to experience His love through the other.

My Time With God

Preparation Time
Read Ephesians 4:26-31.

Check the areas you are struggling with in your marriage:

( ) Unresolved Conflict ( ) Children ( ) Finances
( ) In-laws ( ) Not in Love ( ) Communication
( ) Kindness/Respect ( ) Spouse non-Christian
( ) Previous marriage problems ( ) Other
( ) Spiritual Growth

Waiting Time
During your waiting time, let God…

Love You.
“God, I feel your love today, especially through my spouse, because…”

Search You.
“God, You have permission to reveal any issue that I have not forgiven or needs to be forgiven.”

Show You.
“God, is there anything that I need to know as I enter this day?”

Confession Time
Read Colossians 3:12-14. Then confess the areas that are hurting, or at least not helping your marriage.

Bible Time
We can never pray out of God’s will when we pray God’s Word.

…Read Philippians 2:1-5 slowly a couple of times.
…Close your eyes & allow a main truth to surface in your heart.
…Pray the Scripture and allow God to minister to you.

Meditation Time
After praying the Scriptures, write down the thoughts that God has impressed upon your mind:

Intercession Time – Praying for Others
Begin this time with a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving for the marriages of the people for whom you will now intercede.
Name Request

Petition Time – Praying for Yourself

How to petition God properly:
Talk to Him about the “little things.”
Be honest with God.
Pray “Thy Will Be Done.”

Prayer Requests

Application Time
The smallest obedient act is better than the greatest intention.

Q: What is the main thing that God has impressed on me today?

Q: What am I going to do about it?

Steps to take in my obedience to God this week:

My Goal: To implement the above steps in the next 7 days.

Faith Time
Faith is our positive response to what God has said. Spend a few moments praying through your eyes of faith. Tell God the positive things you see happening because of His goodness!

Praise & Thanksgiving Time

Praise God by recognizing WHO HE IS!
Thank God by recognizing WHAT HE HAS DONE!

This Week’s Memory Verse: (Philippians 2:3)

This Week’s Time Alone With God

Monday – This Lesson

Tuesday – Pray for your spouse today

Wednesday – Evaluate yourself compared to the characteristics and qualities in Colossians 3:12-14. Which one will you work on today?

Thursday – Write a letter to your spouse describing your commitment (see Matthew 19:5-6).

Friday – Review your memory verse