Prayers for a Marriage - To ENDURE. ( Reposted)

 I wrote this back in 2013.....  It is needed for another tonight.


I have to share today that my husband said the sweetest thing.  It had to do with a word that I believed God wanted me to share with him.  I felt SO awkward speaking it to him, and I was SO afraid that he would not receive it seriously...or he would laugh....or he may feel I was 'being his holy spirit'....

It was very personal.  And when I gave him that word, I prefaced it - "don't tell me good or bad...in fact, say nothing to be about it until tomorrow -- I am too fragile to hear ANY criticism".   That was Saturday.

He honored that.

Now, if I was REALLY sure it was of the Lord... I should of BOLDLY spoke it and let it be right?

Wrong - we must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, but we are also human.

You see some of our  therapy was about me judging him and being that 'nag queen' and  being his 'holy spirit'.    So you can see why I would be careful about telling him 'what' to do or think.

There is a delicate and fine line between a husband and a wife.  We are to be intimate.  We are to be supportive and each others' friends.  We can give each other advice --  But we are also separate people.   After one has been married a long time, it is easy to fall into the trap of being the 'parent' of a spouse ...instead of being the wife or the husband.    I think there are a lot of marriages where there is not a lot of respect shown or given.  Been there ....working on that!

Anyway,  the sweetest thing he said to me was, "chell, I took to heart what you said and at church on Sunday, I .....".

He took something I said ...a 'god' thing...and he respected it.  He felt my word ( from God ) was valuable and he respected what I said--- what God shared with me.

Today I thought of that -- I have waited to hear that kind of a compliment for over 20+ years...I have.  I have seen that sort of a thing on TV and read about it on blogs and in articles about good marriages ... but today....God really revealed to me, again, that HE will rebuild the ancient ruins... ( Isaiah 61 .4)

However, I am reminded that it TAKES time ----sometimes...long times..

So today's prayer is about enduring...to wait...to hold on.

And this never would of happened -- if I had given up.  It was never a matter of 'giving up'...it was a matter of listening to what GOD told me to do.  HE told me to wait on HIM and wait on him.  

Lord, I come to you this eve and I pray for those couples that you have brought to our attention and to maybe the one wife that may be be reading this tonight...God I pray that first, the enemy would LEAVE them alone for this evening and I pray that within the marriage if it is the wife that is wanting to be 'out'...or if it is the husband -- THAT the enemy would just LEAVE them be this evening and as they lay their head on the pillow,---they would stop and think -- just maybe...just maybe...YOU are there and YOU can change the other. 

 Lord, I pray that the one who wants the marriage the most...will hold on and endure and wait...wait on YOU ...as YOU can restore the ancient ruins...  You can rebuild, but sometimes Lord it takes SO long to get that answer. 

 Lord, I thank you for healing that took place again today as I reflected about that word you had for me...for Brendan...and I pray that for the one reading this tonight -- I pray that she will receive a word from YOU for herself...for himself...to ENDURE. 

 I pray that they will read Isaiah 61 and be reminded that YOU proclaim freedom for the captives and YOU  will comfort all who mourn...that YOU will rebuild the ancient ruins and YOU can rebuild their love and their marriage.  I pray that tomorrow the one who has that lonely heart, the one that is hurting and seeking YOU will see something in their spouse tomorrow...something that gives them HOPE to endure...HOPE to hang in there and HOPE to believe that YOU will do for them..what YOU did for us. 

 I thank you for my restored marriage and I thank you that the enemy did not win.  God again, I bind that enemy away from these marriages and I pray you will loose extra protection angels to them -- to watch over and when there is any doubt being voiced -- that those angels will shout loudly -- that YOU win.  And Lord, I pray that those hurting women ..or men..would reach out and ask YOU to bring to them  a mentor to pray with - someone they can reach out too...close to them.  I ask that those 'oaks of righteousness' will notice and stand in the gap - amen.