And oh what a past he has...
I know all of our husbands enough to know that this is an important area to pray about. We have our own pasts too, and we must remember that the way God deals with our past isn't necessarily the way He is going to deal with our husbands. For me, God healed me of all my long time hurts in a moment. He gave me a new heart and from that moment on I knew that I was forgiven. There have been very few moments I have dwelt on the things of my past. But for me, all my past sin and hurt had been revealed to me prior to my healing. That is not always the case. I have an unconfirmed feeling that God will reveal some areas of hurt from the past to my husband that he has yet to see or deal with.
Lord I pray for my husbands past. First Lord I ask that you would help him to see his past as something to learn from and teach from. I pray that he would not live in the past or assume that everyone will make the same mistakes he did. Renew his mind and help him to recognize any bad habits that need to be changed. Help him see the negative things that have happened as you see them now. Help him to feel completely forgiven and healed. I pray that he would be able to clearly discern Your voice from all others. Let him not get caught up in the past, but let him be continually looking forward. Help him to always remember that he is a new creation in Christ and that the old things of his past are not an issue anymore. Especially guide him in areas where there may still be consequences for past sin. Help him to see Your purpose in all things. I pray that he would truly believe that you work all things together for his good, even accounting for his past sin and hurt. Help him to continually put off the old man and put on the new man daily. Thank you Lord for making my husband the man he is today. Thank you for using his past for good, even where it seems the darkest. Help me to put his past behind him also. Help me to remember to be merciful and forgiving in regards to his past. Use me to show him that he is a new man, a godly man, seeking after righteousness and purity.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Chapter 18- His Fatherhood
I liked this chapter. There were so many things that I could relate to as far as wanting to pray for Amos.
Lord, please help Amos to be the kind of father to our children that you are to us. Help him to require obedience, but be quick to give grace to a repentant heart. Help him to always set the example of how a husband and father should behave to our children. Now, even with Elijah so young, I pray that he would be aware of his parenting choices. Help him (and myself too) to instill godly discipline into our family. Help us to know how to discipline in a way that is pleasing to you. Please help Amos to always take the time to spend with his children. May his relationships with them always be priority over other things he feels "need to get done." I pray that he would get all is fatherly wisdom from you. If there are issues he has with his dad, I pray that you would bring them to the surface and heal him of any hurt or anger. Restore him, so that he can be the kind of father you desire him to be. Help him to fully understand Your heart for us as your children so that he can better understand how to be a father himself. I pray that he would never provoke our children to wrath, but that he would bring them up in the instruction and admonishment of You. Help him to always realize what an important role he plays in our family and especially to our children. Thank you Lord that his desire is to be a great a father. Let his focus be on drawing nearer to you, knowing that his relationship with you will directly affect the way he treats our children. Thank you Father for a man who desires to please you and be a good father and husband. Please keep gratitude for what I have on the forefront of my mind.
Lord, please help Amos to be the kind of father to our children that you are to us. Help him to require obedience, but be quick to give grace to a repentant heart. Help him to always set the example of how a husband and father should behave to our children. Now, even with Elijah so young, I pray that he would be aware of his parenting choices. Help him (and myself too) to instill godly discipline into our family. Help us to know how to discipline in a way that is pleasing to you. Please help Amos to always take the time to spend with his children. May his relationships with them always be priority over other things he feels "need to get done." I pray that he would get all is fatherly wisdom from you. If there are issues he has with his dad, I pray that you would bring them to the surface and heal him of any hurt or anger. Restore him, so that he can be the kind of father you desire him to be. Help him to fully understand Your heart for us as your children so that he can better understand how to be a father himself. I pray that he would never provoke our children to wrath, but that he would bring them up in the instruction and admonishment of You. Help him to always realize what an important role he plays in our family and especially to our children. Thank you Lord that his desire is to be a great a father. Let his focus be on drawing nearer to you, knowing that his relationship with you will directly affect the way he treats our children. Thank you Father for a man who desires to please you and be a good father and husband. Please keep gratitude for what I have on the forefront of my mind.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Chapter 17- His Relationships
The proverbs tell us that bad company corrupts good character. Who we spend the most time with influences us. It is just a simple truth, whether we like to admit it or not. Amos has told me about 3 Christian men at his new job. He is already so encouraged just to have other believers around him. This week as I have been praying for my husbands relationships he has asked a friend of ours to join him for accountability. I know he has wanted to do that for such a long time and has just not made it a priority. I believe it is not only important to encourage him to spend time with godly men, but to also encourage him in his relationships where he is an example to them also.
It is often difficult as a wife to encourage my husband to go out and be with his friends. My desire is for him to be with us as a family when he is home. I guess that is why I enjoy having couples that we both like that we can spend time with.
Lord, please help me to always encourage my husband in maintaining good relationships with his friends and family. Please surround him with godly men, who love to speak the truth. Thank you for the good men that Amos already has in his life, and I pray Lord that you would cultivate those relationships. Help me to do what I can to help him, without nagging of course. Show me if there is anything that I am doing that is hindering my husband from seeking the council of godly men. I pray that we would not forsake the assembling with other believers. I pray that we would make relationships a priority in our lives. Help us to have honest relationships where we speak the truth of God and not sustain relationships that are superficial and not beneficial. Please guide my husband in his choices for friends. Give him wisdom and discernment on who to seek council from. Thank you for the edifying relationships that we already have. Please help us to remember that as iron sharpens iron so do we sharpen each other.
It is often difficult as a wife to encourage my husband to go out and be with his friends. My desire is for him to be with us as a family when he is home. I guess that is why I enjoy having couples that we both like that we can spend time with.
Lord, please help me to always encourage my husband in maintaining good relationships with his friends and family. Please surround him with godly men, who love to speak the truth. Thank you for the good men that Amos already has in his life, and I pray Lord that you would cultivate those relationships. Help me to do what I can to help him, without nagging of course. Show me if there is anything that I am doing that is hindering my husband from seeking the council of godly men. I pray that we would not forsake the assembling with other believers. I pray that we would make relationships a priority in our lives. Help us to have honest relationships where we speak the truth of God and not sustain relationships that are superficial and not beneficial. Please guide my husband in his choices for friends. Give him wisdom and discernment on who to seek council from. Thank you for the edifying relationships that we already have. Please help us to remember that as iron sharpens iron so do we sharpen each other.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Chapter 16- His Priorities
It has been interesting to see how what we are praying for during the week infiltrates our lives. For a couple reasons, I have not really felt like much of a priority to my husband. It is not like I have a husband who completely ignores me or treats me poorly, but I just didn't feel like he was listening to me or giving me any of his undivided attention. Call me girly or pregnant or whatever but that is the way I was feeling.
As I read this weeks chapter, I felt that familiar wash of conviction come over me. What have I been doing to make Amos feel like he is a priority to me? What have I been doing to keep God as a priority, besides the easy, make it to church and Bible study? And after thinking about it I realized that in the four days Amos was home I really more put the burden of Elijah and the house on him instead of trying to make his days a time of rest and relaxation for him. There are no days off when you are a mom, and when you chose to stay at home and raise your children, there is an idea that says the children and the home are our jobs and hence our responsibility. I feel a great obligation and desire to make my home a safe, comfortable place for my husband and my children. I believe that it is my responsibility to shape the heart of my home. This week I lost sight of that whether it was because I was tired or overwhelmed or just resented the fact that there is never a real day off for moms. The point is that in my selfishness I was not making my husband a priority. I wasn't doing the things that I know he likes to have done. As a result I felt my husband make me less a priority, though I know it wasn't willingly or intentional.
Lord, I pray that both my husband and myself would always put You and Your will for our lives first. I pray that I would set the example of what Your priorities are to be in our lives to my husband and children. Let our desire be to always seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness knowing that all other things will fall into place. Help us to look to the interests of others before our own interests. Let us be selfless in all things. Above all else let us have godly priorities and not get caught up in what the world says our priorities should be. Thank you Lord for conviction. Thank you for showing me when I'm at fault, picking me up when I stumble and growing me through all things. Please give my husband a heart that is molded to Your priorities.
As I read this weeks chapter, I felt that familiar wash of conviction come over me. What have I been doing to make Amos feel like he is a priority to me? What have I been doing to keep God as a priority, besides the easy, make it to church and Bible study? And after thinking about it I realized that in the four days Amos was home I really more put the burden of Elijah and the house on him instead of trying to make his days a time of rest and relaxation for him. There are no days off when you are a mom, and when you chose to stay at home and raise your children, there is an idea that says the children and the home are our jobs and hence our responsibility. I feel a great obligation and desire to make my home a safe, comfortable place for my husband and my children. I believe that it is my responsibility to shape the heart of my home. This week I lost sight of that whether it was because I was tired or overwhelmed or just resented the fact that there is never a real day off for moms. The point is that in my selfishness I was not making my husband a priority. I wasn't doing the things that I know he likes to have done. As a result I felt my husband make me less a priority, though I know it wasn't willingly or intentional.
Lord, I pray that both my husband and myself would always put You and Your will for our lives first. I pray that I would set the example of what Your priorities are to be in our lives to my husband and children. Let our desire be to always seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness knowing that all other things will fall into place. Help us to look to the interests of others before our own interests. Let us be selfless in all things. Above all else let us have godly priorities and not get caught up in what the world says our priorities should be. Thank you Lord for conviction. Thank you for showing me when I'm at fault, picking me up when I stumble and growing me through all things. Please give my husband a heart that is molded to Your priorities.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
His Reputation 2
Today is my husband's day to cook lunch and dinner for the crew. They all pitch in $10 and Amos makes lunch and dinner. He seemed so nervous. Anyway, I just thought it was funny that I was praying for him today and decided to pray that "his reputation" wouldn't be ruined by his cooking. I don't know why but I think I'm so funny.
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