DAY 16

Day 16
"Love Intercedes"

"Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers."
(3 John 2)

You have spent the last two weeks examining attitudes and actions, and this is the day to take all of that to God. No doubt you have been changed by what you have learned in the fifteen challenges before this. There are no guarantees that your wife has changed, but you have new understandings that perhaps were not there before. What do you do next? Have you ever wondered why God gives you overwhelming insight into your Wive's hidden faults? Do you really think it's for endless nagging? No, it is for effective kneeling. No one knows better how to pray for your mate than you.

Begin to pray for exactly what your wife needs. Pray for her heart. Pray for her attitude . . . . One of the most loving things you can ever do for your wife is to pray for her. There are so many ways you can pray for your wife and for your marriage - for forgiveness and not bitterness, for awareness of her needs especially during this time of confliction, for times of renewal in your commitment, for your love to increase, for opportunities to grow in oneness. God is powerful and loving and will answer your prayers. If you have not prayed before, please know that God wants to hear your concerns, your hopes, your confessions. He loves you and wants your marriage to grow in Him. Think of three areas in which you want God to work in your life and your marriage. Begin praying specifically for those areas.

In might be interesting for you to know that one of the greatest intercessory prayers in the Bible was in the heat of a military battle. The story is found in Exodus 17:8-13 where Moses (with Aaron and Hur) stands on the hill above the battle, and Joshua leads the Israelite army against the Amalekites. In the military annals Joshua was the commander who won the victory that day. He was the person up front and in the thick of the conflict. But you and I know the rest of the story. Back behind the scenes the battle of intercession was won by Moses and Aaron and Hur. Each role was essential for victory. Joshua was needed to lead the charge. Moses was needed to intercede on behalf of the children of Israel.

You are in a battle for your marriages, as there are enemies which would seek to distract or destroy. By interceding in prayer on behalf of our beloved wife, you are calling out to God for strength and victory so that you can prevail in married life together with your beloved wife.

Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6,7)

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
(Joshua 1:8)

As God's children, we have the incredible privilege of participating in His "family business". The mission statement of His business can be summarized in a couple of passages. Jesus' words in the following passages reveal God's heart as it relates to this world and those who live in it: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16) and, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10b).

Each one of us has a specific part to play in accomplishing this mission. When we come to Christ by surrendering our lives to His will, we are, in effect, signing up to obey His call to reach out to those around us as expressions of the love of God in human form. Commit yourself afresh today to discover and obey God's direction for your role as husband to your wife!

Prayer: God, You are my Lord and my life belongs to You. I choose to obey You in every area of my life. I pray that my wife will also trust and obey You. I pray that together we will experience the blessings of obedience, and through our obedience, we come to know Your love. In Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Ephesians 3:14-21 ... As you look back over the past two weeks, what are some specific ways God has demonstrated the full measure of His love for you? How do you demonstrate your love for Him and also for your wife?