Marriage is HARD. Bold prayers #18. A good marriage.

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Good -- to be desired.  To be approved of.  
Good -- having the qualities required for a particular role. Fine.  
Good -- possessing or displaying moral value.  

Good -- giving pleasure, enjoyable or satisfying.  
Good -- that which is morally right; righteousness. 

Happy Anniversary Brother....and sis! 

Good -- benefit or advantage to someone or something.  


For so many years, I felt I had a good marriage.  I watched others around me and always compared mine to theirs.  It is so easy to judge or evaluate.  

Being married more than 20 years seems to be something that is not celebrated as much anymore.  I honestly feel we should start a new trend and really have some BIG parties for those celebrating 20, 25, 30 and so forth!  

We know several couples that have good marriages.  You can see they possess moral value and enjoy each other.  They seem satisfied.   There is something about them ....that makes you WANT what they have. 

 Hebrews 13.4 -- Marriage is to be held in honor among all...


  I found a list on the internet to help me with this next part --

A good marriage has some characteristics, perhaps this pertains to your marriage?  

 1.  You have attached yourself for life with someone who desires to work with you in your walk with God and not with someone who will hinder that journey.

This makes perfect sense if you are married to a believer and one who is seeking God.  It gets hard when the spouse is more into themselves rather than God!
I have been a witness to real godly marriage services and I have been to others where we walked out and prayed for the couple and took bets on how long it would last.  Sad. 

 2.  You have married a person who will hopefully place you above themselves. 

They will love you as Christ loves His church.  There is so much more peace and freedom when we place others above and ahead of ourselves.   Love does cover a multitude of sins. 

3. Your marriage partner should have the same commitment as you do to life–long marriage–and you will have a common faith to keep you binded together during difficult times.

THERE is faith involved here -- I have seen couples go through stuff and divorce.  I have also seen couples go through stuff and hang on.  Sometimes, I believe, one of the partners just gives us way too soon.   I guess this 'characteristic' hits me....as we lasted or made it through a very difficult time and I like to say, God won.  

4.   You want someone who will help you grow in Christ. You want someone who hates sin, loves what is good, is relentless, persistent, gentle, and seeks wisdom. 

Truly, when we marry so young - is this really possible?  I think now to what I know compared to what I did at 21 when I did say, "I do".....  I have prayed this for my children since they were little.  One daughter is married and I am thankful for her husband .  They are a couple wanting to grow in Christ.   My son is still single....so this is a prayer I speak over him all the time.

5.   Marriage is a gift from God and is not to be taken for granted. It’s like cement; it’s for life. Selves may not intertwine, but lives do. Shared memories become as much of a bond as the bond of flesh.

With each year, our marriage did cement and bind together.  Those memories did help when our marriage was in crisis...I believed by faith that new memories could be made! I think the knowledge in knowing that our spouses are a true gift....can change our thinking.

  And here is some advice I found on a blog from a grandmother to her granddaughter:  

Your mate is someone with a mutual understanding. Every marriage has problems, but every problem has a godly solution. Think before you say something, and don’t jump to conclusions. Respect your mate even if you disagree.

 The best solution to disagreements is to pray together and talk through your problems. Listen to your spouse’s opinion with an open mind, and be willing to compromise until you reach a godly agreement.

Lord, today You have reminded me that many have good relationships and good marriages.  Today, I am pray for those around me and those that are reading these blogs.  Lord, I pray that if they are reading them because they want more or a better marriage that some how and some way - You will show and teach them what to do next.  But if they are reading them to stand in agreement with me  as perhaps there are couples right around them or family that needs some BOLD prayer within their relationships -then meet that need and SHOW them.  Teach them Lord to be bolder with their prayer lives and help them see that they can mentor and intercede for even their neighbors if needed!   

Lord, I am also pray for those good or better marriages to become  better and bolder.  They have been content in You and do not feel they are to evangelize or to mentor anyone else.  I pray  that they will seek You and ask, are we to help mentor some younger married ones?  Are we to be more involved with our local church and help teach what  a good marriage looks like? Are we being Your hands and feet?  

Lord, this is kind of hard for me to speak out ...but I will... I knew that I knew, when I got to see you in heaven you would ask some things of me.  So I knew that I was to fight for my marriage and you would say, "well done".  In the past few months, you have brought Bren and I into some relationships and hardships with couples and individuals  and I believe you have asked us to 'get involved'. 

  Some have had positive endings and others have not.  There have been more of the 'not' than the good and You know our struggle with this.  It is very hard.  Our feelings get hurt.  But we will be obedient.    We realize now that we could get to heaven you hear you say, "why didn't you help this one or that when I placed them in front of you?" So in that Lord --  that notion motivates us to stay obedient.  So, I  pray for those reading this that know that they know....they are not being obedient.  I pray they will SEEK you and start.  

Lord, I also pray for those good marriages that want more of you and  just want their marriage to be in Your will.    Lord, I pray  these blogs and reminders are indeed helpful and not hurtful. 

And finally  Lord, yesterday,  you had the preacher speak about our worship and how it glorifies YOU.  Our marriages are suppose to glorify you. May my marriage glorify You.  As we live our lives and as we love others, there is a fragrance that is given off.  There is a distinct "smell' of godly influence and peace.  May our marriages give off the BEST godly smell.  May our worship be fragrant to You Lord. 

In Jesus most Holy and STRONG name...Amen.  

2 Corinthians 14 - 16   

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. 15 For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  16 To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?…