More Blessings: The Power of A Praying Wife
January 24, 2012
Pre-school and babysitters...money money MONEY...MONEY$$$$ They are expensive. BUT, you HAVE to have date night. Lately, no matter how much we plan, we just have not been able to make date night a priority. But I had this thought, "When our family comes in to visit, normally we just drop everything and take time off. Why do we not treat each other and our marriage with that kind of priority?" And then it hit me, if we would schedule a day to be off from his work and I stay home and keep my calendar free, we do not have to pay additional child care...AND we would get like 8 hours together. BRILLIANT!
Song of Solomon tells us in Chapter 8:7 that "If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised". I had to read this verse three times in order to sort of capture what it is really saying. Really what Solomon is getting at is this - there are a ton of circumstances and conditions that wash out our lives, but nothing can dissolve love. Stormie Omartian says it perfectly in The Power Of A Praying Wife "If you had to give up everything for the love of your life, the wealth you had would be worth nothing to you. And if you kept your wealth and gave up your love, you would come to despise your wealth". AH! That is SO true. I had to stop for a moment and think about what life would be like without my husband Jonathan. Literally, tears came to my eyes. I started thinking of all the little things that he does just for me that no one else knows to do. For example, after I put James down at night, the first thing I usually do is grab my blanket and pillows and head for the chaise lounge to do some reading or just decompress. Most nights, by the time I get done rocking James to sleep and head down stairs, my blanket and pillows are already waiting for me. WOW! My hubby is serving me all the time every day in the smallest things that are so priceless. I got so convicted this week because we are not making each other priority...that is a "Concentrated and specific effort to stay connected in deep and meaningful ways". Love does not fade or die without our contribution. And love does not sustain without our contribution. The presence and strength of our love with one another is intentional and alive based on what we pour into it. How would praying intentionally daily for God to help you both become each other's priority again change your heart, attitude, and connection to one another? You have nothing to lose. Give it a few days praying over this very thing and see the results!
Prayer from The Power Of A Praying Wife:
Lord, I pray you would help my husband and me to make each other a priority. Teach us to lay down our work and responsibilities for special times to be together alone. I know we cannot have the marriage You want us to have if we are never spending quality time together. Enalbe us to affirm each other by communciating the deep thoughts and feelings that need to be expressed and seldom are because there just isn't time or inclination. Remind each of us why we chose to marry in the first place.
Keep our love and attraction for each other alive so that we don't allow each other to slip from a place of top priority. Where that has already happened, help us to change it by deliberately setting aside time for each other, to build each other up, and to clear the air of any miscommunication or unloving thoughts we acquired. Help us to take the time to peacefully talk everything out so we are current on all emotions and no specter of the past can rise up to steal our joy. Most of all, enable us to fully treasure each other more than all the wealth we have, or people that we know, or dreams that we follow.
In Jesus name I pray....AMEN!
Pre-school and babysitters...money money MONEY...MONEY$$$$ They are expensive. BUT, you HAVE to have date night. Lately, no matter how much we plan, we just have not been able to make date night a priority. But I had this thought, "When our family comes in to visit, normally we just drop everything and take time off. Why do we not treat each other and our marriage with that kind of priority?" And then it hit me, if we would schedule a day to be off from his work and I stay home and keep my calendar free, we do not have to pay additional child care...AND we would get like 8 hours together. BRILLIANT!
Song of Solomon tells us in Chapter 8:7 that "If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised". I had to read this verse three times in order to sort of capture what it is really saying. Really what Solomon is getting at is this - there are a ton of circumstances and conditions that wash out our lives, but nothing can dissolve love. Stormie Omartian says it perfectly in The Power Of A Praying Wife "If you had to give up everything for the love of your life, the wealth you had would be worth nothing to you. And if you kept your wealth and gave up your love, you would come to despise your wealth". AH! That is SO true. I had to stop for a moment and think about what life would be like without my husband Jonathan. Literally, tears came to my eyes. I started thinking of all the little things that he does just for me that no one else knows to do. For example, after I put James down at night, the first thing I usually do is grab my blanket and pillows and head for the chaise lounge to do some reading or just decompress. Most nights, by the time I get done rocking James to sleep and head down stairs, my blanket and pillows are already waiting for me. WOW! My hubby is serving me all the time every day in the smallest things that are so priceless. I got so convicted this week because we are not making each other priority...that is a "Concentrated and specific effort to stay connected in deep and meaningful ways". Love does not fade or die without our contribution. And love does not sustain without our contribution. The presence and strength of our love with one another is intentional and alive based on what we pour into it. How would praying intentionally daily for God to help you both become each other's priority again change your heart, attitude, and connection to one another? You have nothing to lose. Give it a few days praying over this very thing and see the results!
Prayer from The Power Of A Praying Wife:
Lord, I pray you would help my husband and me to make each other a priority. Teach us to lay down our work and responsibilities for special times to be together alone. I know we cannot have the marriage You want us to have if we are never spending quality time together. Enalbe us to affirm each other by communciating the deep thoughts and feelings that need to be expressed and seldom are because there just isn't time or inclination. Remind each of us why we chose to marry in the first place.
Keep our love and attraction for each other alive so that we don't allow each other to slip from a place of top priority. Where that has already happened, help us to change it by deliberately setting aside time for each other, to build each other up, and to clear the air of any miscommunication or unloving thoughts we acquired. Help us to take the time to peacefully talk everything out so we are current on all emotions and no specter of the past can rise up to steal our joy. Most of all, enable us to fully treasure each other more than all the wealth we have, or people that we know, or dreams that we follow.
In Jesus name I pray....AMEN!
I love the "Power of a Praying Wife"...one of my favorite books of all time. When I finish reading it through, I start back at the beginning--it never gets old!
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