If you’re stopping by from my devotion about honoring our husbands, welcome! I shared some true confessions yesterday about God working on my heart for years- showing me how to love my husband like He does. I also listed practical ways we can honor our men, and told about a great marriage book give-away on Friday. Be sure to scroll down to yesterday’s post to find out how you can be part of it.
Marriage can be hard. We want to be all God’s calls us to be as wives, but it’s not easy. We’re afraid. We’ve been hurt. We’re tired. We want our way and sometimes our husbands are hard to love. Some of us are in very difficult situations and need Godly counsel and wisdom for the next step. As I read your comments, I’m praying for each of you specifically. I’m so proud of you for being real here.
Satan wants to convince us that we’ll never change and that if others knew the kind of wives we were, they’d stone us. Jesus wants us to be real with each other and confess our struggles with the desire for real change. But it takes daily, moment by moment surrender. Real change comes through the power of God’s Spirit living in us – transforming us into His likeness each day. Even when it gets hard and we blow it, we need to keep going, keep surrendering because God promises that we can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives us strength!
Sadly, the enemy is gaining ground in destroying marriages. Yet God wants our hearts and our homes to be Holy ground – places where the enemy dare not tread! I want that, and I know you do, too! So let’s stick together and tap into God’s power through prayer:
Father, we humble our hearts before You now and ask that You pour out Your grace and mercy on each of us. We need Your love to saturate our souls with Truth. We need our eyes to be opened to the hope which you have called us to, the glorious purpose You have for our marriages. We thank You for the gift You have given us in our husbands. Help us to see things they do that are worthy of honor, respect and encouragement; Make us slow down long enough to tell them. Help us to silence the enemy’s voice of condemnation that sneaks up in our thoughts towards our husbands. Lord, take our thoughts captive and re-align them with Your thoughts. Help us not look to our husbands or anyone else for identity, purpose or joy. Help us to look to You alone for all that we need. You are the strength of our hearts and our portion forever! In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
If you live in Tallahassee, I’d love to meet you. I’m there right now preparing to speak at a Christmas outreach event tonight at Wildwood Church. We’re believing big that God is going to show up in a powerful way and draw us to Himself. Please pray for the women coming, for the team who’s prayed and planned this event for months (the leader’s husband is having emergency back surgery today as I write) and also for my family while I’m gone, for God’s powerful anointing to come over me. It’s been a long hard week at home. I need the Holy Spirit to come upon me and the power of the Most High to overshadow me as He invades the room with His glory and fills the heart of every woman there!
I’ll be praying for you, too. Wherever you are, whatever He’s calling you to do or be, remember, “You can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives you strength!”
JesusRulzMe says
Amen sister! God’s way for all things is the BEST way. May we all remember the magnitude of our salvation so that we might live with more humbled gratitude…I for one could sure use being more that way!
Bless you sweet sister,
Sunny
Sunny Shell says
Amen sister! God’s way for all things is the BEST way. May we all remember the magnitude of our salvation so that we might live with more humbled gratitude…I for one could sure use being more that way!
Bless you sweet sister,
Sunny
Pajama Mama says
AWWW!! I just read where you were in Tallahassee last night! I’m less than an hour from there…it would have been fun to pop in!!
I absolutely related to your emailed devotional yesterday as well.
Jeannie
MandyG says
Renee, I enjoyed hearing you speak this evening in Tallahassee. I have been struggling with some things over the past few months and God really spoke to me this evening through your sermon. Thank you
Joyful says
Praying for you my sweet friend. Trust the joy of the Lord is your strength. May He use you for His honour and glory as you share with these ladies tonight. I know you’ll be a blessing.
Love, prayers and hugs,
Joy
Jill says
Hey Renee, I am praying for you right now as well as the women in attendance. Pray God works in wonderful ways for all of you tonight. Thanks for your words and encouragement to be real.
In Him,
Jill
Chef Diane says
Renee,
You blog yesterday and today were so dear to my heart. In April of this year my husband left our marriage. In August we would have been married for 22 years. Everyone has problems in their marriages and I think that submit makes the hair on any women’s neck stand up. But when I said my vow’s before God I meant them. Marriages are under attack I think more now than anything. I have three sons and this has just been so hard for them. My heart breaks for them to have to be from a broken home. But the thing that God is teaching me is that I have to teach them how to love their wifes and honor God. I would love to have your prayers as we go through this holiday season. It is very hard on all of us including my husband. I don’t know what the answer is for us, but I just want to love and honor the Lord.
I will pray for the group you are with and for the Lord to speak in and through you.
Hugs,
Diane
Kimberly says
So glad God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond all that you are praying for! Have a great time! May He do a work in your life as well as in the lives of the precious women getting to hear you!
Praying!
K 🙂
Jill Beran says
Hey Renee, I am praying for you right now as well as the women in attendance. Pray God works in wonderful ways for all of you tonight. Thanks for your words and encouragement to be real.
In Him,
Jill