Power of a Praying Wife - Chapter 6

His Purpose

Everyone has a purpose  It is the reason we exist. Its our life's mission, objective or plan. Generally, we are here to glorify God and do His will. How that specifically translates in our lives is unique to each of us. Your husband needs to know the reason he exists. He needs to be sure his life is not just an accident but that he is here by design. He must be certain he was created for a greater purpose. When he discovers that purpose, and is doing what he was created to do, becoming what he was created to be, he will find fulfilment  This can only contribute to your happiness as well.

If i have learned anything being married two and one half decades, it's being a wife can't put pressure on her husband to be something, but she can pray for him to become it. She can pray that he be molded according to God's plan and not anyone else's. Then, who he becomes will be determined by whether he hears God's call on his life, or not. For God "called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" 2 Tim 1:9

Your husband is predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11,12) But you still need to pray that he hears God's call, so that who he is and what he does lines up with God's purpose for his life.

You can always tell when a man is not living in the purpose for which God created him. You sense his unrest. You get a feeling something is not quite right, even if you can't put your finger on what it is. When you are around  a man who is fulfilling his calling and doing what he was created to do, you are aware of his inner direction, confidence and deep security. How do you feel  about what your husband is doing with  his life? Do you lack peace about it because he is on a path that is unfulfilled, beating him down or going nowhere?
If so, then pray "Lord, take my husband from this place, reveal to him what You have called him to be and open doors to what he should be doing."

Praying that way doesn't mean your husband will be pulled out of what he's doing and dropped into something else. It can happen that way, but often what takes place is change in the man's perspective. I have a friend named David, who has worked for years in a factory making air planes  When he heard the call of God on his life, he knew he was to help troubled teenagers in low income families. He also knew he wast to leave his job to do it. As it turned out, his work provided enough money to support his family while it afforded him exactly  the kind of hours he needed to do what he had to do. He has organized food distribution to needy families, free concerts for under privileged teens, Christian outreached for the unsaved, and peace talks between rival gangs. He has done as much to bring restoration to his strife-torn city as a man could possibly do. His is by no mean an easy job. but it's fulfilling. And he has a sense of purpose that is unmistakeable when you are around him.
Physically he is not a large man, but he is a spiritual giant and you know it when you are in his presence. His wife, Priscilla, also hears God's call on his life and she supports it in every way she can.

Whatever God has called your husband to be or do, He has also called you to support it and be a part of it, if in no other way that to pray, encourage and help in whatever way possibly.
For some woman that means creating a good home, raising children, being there for him and offering prayer support. Other woman may take an active role by becoming a partner or helper. In either case, God does not ask you to deny your own person-hood in the process. God has called you to something too. But it will fit in with whatever your husband's calling is, it will not be in conflict with it. God is not the author of confusion, strife or unworkable situations. He is a God of perfect timing. There is a time for everything, the Bible says. The timing to do what Go has called each of you to do will work out perfectly, if it's submitted to God.
If your husband is already moving in the purpose for which God has called him, you can count on the enemy of his soul coming to cast doubt - especially if he hasn't yet seen anything close to the finished picture or realised the success he had envisioned. Your prayer can help cast away discouragement and keep it from taking hold. It can help your husband to hear and cling to God's revelation. It can cause him to live his life on purpose.


The Prayer:

Lord, I Pray that (husband's name) will clearly hear the call You have on his life. Help him to realise who he is in Christ and give him certainty that he was created for a high purpose. May the eyes of his understanding be enlightened so that he will know what is the hope of Your calling. (Eph 1:18)

Lord, when You call us, You enable us. Enable him to walk worthy of his calling and become the man of God You made him to be. Continue to remind him of what You have called him to and don't let him get sidetracked with things that are unessential to Your purpose. Strike down discouragement so that it will not defeat him. Lift his eyes above the circumstances of the moment so he can see the purpose for which You created him. 

Give him patience to wait for Your perfect timing. I pray that the desires of his heart will not be in conflict with the desires of Yours. May he seek You for direction, and hear when You speak to his soul.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Power of a Praying Wife - Chapter 5

His Fears


There are many things in this world to be afraid of; only a fool would say otherwise. But when fear seizes us, tormenting and ruling our lives, we have become captive to it.
Men are often susceptible to that because without even realising it, they get attacked by the "what if's". "What if I can't make enough money?" "What if something happens to my wife and children?" "What if I get a terrible disease?" "What if my business fails?" "What if I can't be a good father" etc "Fear can take hold of a man (Ps 48:6) 

The second year we were married, Michael and I took a trip to Italy, Greece and Israel with our pastor, Jack Hayford and his wife Anna, and some people of our church. Michael had always been a very anxious traveller, so by the time we arrived in Greece, he was stressed. One night, after an exhausting few days, he said: "This is miserable for me. I can't stay on the tour"
"What exactly are you afraid of? I questioned him. "I am not sure..." he answered. "...But it feels like everything in my life is going to fall apart if I don't go back home right away."
Even though it was late in the evening, I called Pastor Jack's room to tell him we were leaving in the morning. I'm sure he must have been in bed by that time but he said "I will be right there."

He came to our room immediately and Michael shared with him what he was experiencing. Pastor Jack put a compassionate arm around his shoulder and talked about the love his heavenly Father had toward him. "God has adopted you as His son. When you're in the presence of a strong and loving Father, there's no need to be afraid.

Pastor Jack prayed for Michael to clearly perceive the love of his heavenly Father, and he also demonstrated a Father's love to him. It was a simple act of Holy Spirit-inspired kindness, but a powerful revelation to Michael. Because of it, he was able to rise above his fear and we stayed on the tour until the end. And it was good thing we did. I became pregnant in Jerusalem and nine months later our son, Christopher, was born on Pastor Jack's birthday. Significant things happen in our lives when we don't allow fear to rule the situation. 

There is a difference between a fearful thought that comes to mind as a prompting to pray for a particular thing and a tormenting spirit of fear that paralyses  You don't want to undermine promptings of the Holy Spirit to your husband's heart and your own, but you do want to support him as he battles destructive fear. Jesus said: "I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He was killed, has power to cast into hell" (Luke 12:5) The only kind of fear we are supposed to have, is fear of the Lord.
When you have fear of the Lord, God promises to deliver you from your enemies (2 Kings 17:39), protect you from evil (Prov 16:6), keep His eye on you (Ps 33:18) show you His mercy (Luke 1:50) give you riches and honor (Prov 22:4), supply everything you need (Ps 34:9) bless you children and grand children (Ps 103:17), give you confidence (Prov 14:26) a satisfying life (Prov 19:23) longevity (Prov 10:27) and the desires of your heart (Ps 145:19)


Prayer:

Lord, You have said in your word that "there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear. because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18)

I pray You will perfect my husband in Your love so that tormenting fear finds no place in him. I know You have not given him a spirit of fear. You have given him power, love and sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7) I pray in the name of Jesus that fear will not rule over my husband. Instead, may Your Word penetrate him that Your love for him is far greater than anything he faces and nothing can separate him from it.

I pray that he will acknowledge You as a Father whose love is unfailing, whose strength is without equal, and whose presence there is nothing to fear.
Deliver him from this day from fear that destroys and replace it with godly fear (Jer 32:40) Teach him Your way, O Lord. Help him to walk in Your truth. Unite his heart to fear your name (Ps 86:11) May he have no fear of men, but rise up and boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Heb 13:6) "How great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You. (Ps 31:19)

I say to you (husband's name), "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance with the recompense of God; He will come and save you (Isaiah 35:4) 
May the spirit of the Lord rest upon you, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord (Isa 11:2)

Amen

Power Tools:

" The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Ps 27:1"

Read me First - About this Blog

I am a young twenty something happily married and very blessed young lady. In every aspect of my life, especially blessed with the husband God has given me.

Don't get me wrong, I haven't had a smooth ride all my life. As everyone has, I have had my fair share of grief and dissapointments in life and in people, but I believe that whatever you go through, makes and sometimes breaks the process on who you become. I have been blessed with wonderful parents (both on my side and my husbands') that guided me and helped me where they can to become the woman I am today. Even my "real" dad, who has been in heaven since 2002 has always been there for me.

I haven't studied theology nor am I a perfect person BUT I do know that with HIM all things are possible. And whether this is my purpose, to share what I can through books or to at least give hope to those who need it, I will not know. But one thing is certain and always will be and that is GOD.

Before you go all sceptical on me I want to make it clear what my intention is with this Blog and also what it is not. So have a look below:

What this Blog is NOT about:

• My personal experiences and view points
• a Forum or discussion around judgement or to pass judgement onto others. 
• It it not a way to empower yourself but rather a way to grow closer in faith and prayer to our God. 

What this Blog IS about:

• To share experiences of the author, Stormie Omartian and the ups and downs she has had in her marriage, career and parenthood.
• Having a view point of, instead of emailing a "Daily Bread" to each other, rather enjoy a book via Blog ever so often.
• To refer back to the Word every time you read a piece and connect in whatever it is He wants you to hear, or to keep it for when He wants you to hear it.
• a Way to feel and know that you can with or without your husband/child, PRAY for them if you are not able to change or help physically in whatever situation.
• Less of us; More of God.

So with this said, enjoy, have an open mind, we all serve our God in different ways but most importantly let us be open to Him and His plan for us. 

Yours in Prayer, 

Chantelle

Power of a Praying Wife - Chapter 4

His Mind

I used to attribute my husband's mind struggles to his musical genius. You know the artistic temperament - bright and brilliant on one hand, dark and moody on the other. When we would get down, the words in his mind told him he was going to fail, be worth nothing, that he was incapable of doing what he needed to do. It had basis in reality because he had those kinds of thoughts even in the midst of his mos productive and successful work. I didn't realize for a long time that the mind battles he endured did not have to be written off as "just the way he is". Nor did he have to fight them alone. If he and I were one, then an assault on his mind was an assault on me as well. I could stand with him in the battle by declaring "This is not God speaking into my husband's life, it's the voice of the enemy. I am not going to stand by and watch deadly games being played with his mind and our lives."

I decided to try my own experiment and "stand against the wiles of the devil" on his behalf (Eph 6:11) After all, the Bible talks about "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Eph 6:18

Surely "all the saints" is a category, even if it's not a description, which includes my husband. As I persevered in prayer for him over the next few months, I was amazed as the results. Not only did he become better able to control the thoughts in his mind, but eventually I could even see the onslaught coming and attack it in prayer before it gained a foothold. The more he saw my prayers answered, the more he realized where the lies were coming from and the less willing he was to believe them. 

As I have travelled the country with my speaking engagements and talked with woman from all walks of life, I have been amazed to see how universal this problem is. In fact, it didn't seem to matter what temperaments or backgrounds their husbands had, they experienced the same kind of lines in their mind. I finally realized that all men have an enemy who wants to undermine what God desires to do in their lives. Woman have that same enemy, but men seem to be more vulnerable to his attacks in certain areas. Even the strongest man can get exhausted, overwhelmed, burdened, desperate or caught up in things that keep him away from the presence of God. He doesn't always see the traps of an enemy who wants him to believe that what he faces is insurmountable. His mind fills with words like, hopeless, no good, failure etc. 

a Wife can pray that her husband will discern the lies and hear instead words like hope, prosperity, possibility, success and new beginnings AND know that they are from God.

The two most powerful weapons against the attack lies upon your husband's mind are the Word of God and praise. The Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is discerner of the through and intents of the heart. By speaking God's Word, you can reveal wrong thinking and it will lose its power. If your husband won't do it for himself, you can speak the Word of God over him, either in his presence or alone in prayer. I've done that for my husband countless times and he will attest to the power of it. I remind him that God has not given him a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind. I tell him I'm praying for him to lay claim to that sound mind at all times.

Praise is also a powerful tool because God's presence comes to dwell in our midst when we workshop Him. In His presence we find healing and transformation for our lives. "Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened" Rom 1:21

You don't want futile thoughts to darken your husband's heart. Speak praise to God for your husband's sound mind, and he will be able to think more clearly about what he will and will not allow into it.

Depression, bitterness, anger, fear, rejection, hopelessness, loneliness, rebellion, temptation and many diseases all begin in the mind. These things can control your life unless you take control of your mind first. That's why God instructs us not to accept as truth everything we think. "I have stretched out My hands all day long to be rebellious people. who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts" Isa 65:2

He wants us to share His thoughts. "We (who believe) have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16)

Let's pray for our husbands to receive the mind of Christ and bring every thought captive under God's control. Who doesn't need that!

The Prayer:

Lord, I pray Your protection on my husband's mind. Shield him from the lies of the enemy. Help him to clearly discern between Your voice and any other, and show him how to take every though captive as You have instructed us to do. May he thirst for Your Word and hunger for Your truth so that he can recognise wrong thinking. Give him strength to resist lying thoughts. Remind him that he has the mind of Christ. Where the enemy's lies have already invaded his thoughts, I push them back by inviting power of the Holy Spirit to cleanse his mind. Lord, You have given me authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19) By that authority given to me in Jesus Christ, I command all lying spirits away from my husband's mind. I proclaim that God has given my husband a sound mind. He will not entertain confusion, but live in clarity. He will not be tormented with impure, evil, negative or sinful thoughts but be transformed by renewing of his mind that he may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Rom 12:2)

Enable him to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" (Eph 6:10) Help him to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with prayer let his requests be made known to You and may Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard his heart and mind through Christ Jesus (Phill 4:6;7) and finally, whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, having virtue, or anything praise worthy, let him think on these things. (Phill 4:8)

Power Tools:

"With the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Rom 7:25"

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30"

(By the Book :The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian)

Power of a Praying Wife - Chapter 3

His Finances


Much of who your husband is and what he experiences in life is wrapped up in how he relates to his finances. Is he giving or miserly? Is he thankful or envious of others? Is money a blessing or a curse? Is he wise or reckless of what he has? Is he in agreement with you as to how it is to be spent, or does your marriage exhibit financial strife?
Nothing puts more pressure on a marriage than financial irresponsibility, lack of money and huge debt.
Only when we recognize that all we have comes from God and seek to make Him Lord over it can we avoid the pitfalls that money, or the lack of it, brings.

Although my husband has always made a good living, the nature of his business is "feast of famine" with regard to when and how much money comes in. One year there was a recession in the music business and everybody felt it. Even the companies who owed us money withheld payment because of their own lack of cash flow. It was a frightening time, but it would have been much worse if we hadn't had faith in the Lord and committed our finances to Him. Our comfort came in knowing that we had obeyed God in tithing our money to the church. "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse" and see if He "will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it" Mal 3:10. "Blessed is he who considers the poor, the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth. "Ps 41:1,2. We also knew that those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. (Ps 34:10). We certainly were seeking the Lord. We believed that by looking to God as our source and living obedience to His ways, He would provide for us and we would have everything we need. He did and we do.

So many money problems can be solved by putting all finances under God's covering and doing what He says to do with them. That means giving when He says to give. When you do, God promises to deliver to you, protect you, bless you, heal you and keep you alive. When you don't, you will experience the same desolation the poor do. "Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard." Prov 21:13

To be sure, there are wealthy people who do not give, but if you were to check closely into their lives, you'd find that they are missing many of the Lord's blessings. The blessings of wholeness, protection, love, peace, health and fulfilment continually elude them and the don't know why. They gain wealth but lose the ability to enjoy it, all because they don't know that the key to life is knowing the Lord and living His way. This means, giving time, energy, love, talent and finances according to His direction.

Pray that your husband gets hold of this key to life and understand God's will for his finances. Pray that he becomes a giving person who is content to live within his means and not always strive for more. I am not saying he should never try to increase his earnings, quite the contrary. a Man deserves to earn what his work is worth and his wife should pray he does. Backbreaking drudgery that leads to gut-wrenching poverty and with it bitterness, anguish, sickness and envy should not be accepted as a way of life. By all means pray that the store houses of blessing will be opened upon him, but pray that it all comes from the hand of God. "The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it" Prov 10:22

It may not be possible to use prayer to avoid every financial problem because God sometimes uses finances to get our attention and teach us things. But your prayers will certainly help protect your husband from unnecessary struggle and loss. God's desire is to bless those who have obedient, grateful and giving hearts, whose treasure is in the Lord. "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matt 6:21. 
God wants your husband to find his treasure in Him, not in his finances.

The Prayer:

Lord, I commit our finances to You. Be in charge of them and use them for Your purposes. May we both be good stewards of all that You give us, and walk in total agreement as to how it is to be dispersed. I pray that we will learn to live free of burdensome debt. Where we have not been wise, bring restoration and give us guidance. Show me how I can help increase our finances and not decrease them unwisely. Help us to remember that all we have belongs to You, and to be grateful for it. 
I pray that (husband's name) will find it easy to give to You and to others as You have instructed in Your word. Give him wisdom to handle money wisely. Help him make good decisions as to how he spends. Show him how to plan for the future. I pray that he will find the perfect balance between spending needlessly and being miserly. May he always be paid well for the work he does, and may his money not be stolen, lost, devoured, destroyed or wasted. Multiply it so that what he makes will go a long way. I pray that he will not be anxious about finances, but will seek Your kingdom first, knowing that as he does, we will have all we need. (Luke 12:31)

In Jesus Name, 
Amen.

Power Tools:

"Do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you. Luke 12: 29 - 31"

"My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Phill 4:19


(By the Book :The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian)

The Power of Praying Wife - Chapter 2

His Work

Here is two completely opposite scenarios:

"Bill seldom works. He is willing to let his wife, Kim, support the family while he pursues his dream. The Problem is that Kim is not content to bear the entire burden of supporting the family on her shoulders indefinitely and Bill has been pursuing his dream for 17 years with nothing to show for it. I believe the root of Bill's inactivity is fear. He is afraid that if he doesn't get the job of his dreams, he will end up in a job that he hates and be stuck there forever.

Steven is working himself to death. He can never rest and enjoy the success of his labour. He seldom spends time with his family and his teenagers are fast approaching adulthood. He doesn't work that hard because he has to, but because he is afraid. He fears that if he ever stops, he will be worth nothing in everyone's eyes, including his own.

These are extreme examples of how a man can relate to his work. On the one hand is laziness - avoiding work out of selfishness, fear, lack of confidence, depression or apprehension about the future. Of the lazy, God says, " As a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man on his bed. Proverbs 26:14"
(Drowsiness will clothe a man with rags. Proverbs 23:21) (The desire of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns. Proverbs 15:19) (The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labour Proverbs 21:25) In other words, a lazy man will never get anywhere, he will never have anything he will have a rough road ahead and it will ultimately destroy him.

The opposite extreme is workaholism - obsessing over work to the exclusion of all else and losing one's life in the process. Of the workaholic God says: "So are the ways of everyone who is greed for gain; it takes away the life of its owners" Proverbs 1:19. 
"I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labour in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun" Ecclesiastes 2:11" In other words, workaholism is draining and pointless.

Neither extreme promotes happiness and fulfilment  Only a perfect balance between the two, which God can help a man find, will ever bring that quality of life. What causes a man to go to either extreme can be, oddly enough, the same reason: Fear.
That is because a man's identity is often very tied up in his work. He needs to be appreciated and he needs to win, and his work is often a means of seeing both happen. It frightens him to think he may never experience either. If he is doing work that is demeaning to him, he feels devalued as a person. If his work is not successful, he feels like a loser.

God recognises that a man's work is a source of fulfilment to him. He says there is nothing better than for a man to "enjoy the good of all his labour - it is the gift of God" (Ecc 3:13)
The fact that many men are not fulfilled in their work has less to do with what their work is than with whether or not they have a sense of purpose. a Man who doesn't have that can eventually come to a place where he has worked hard and long for so little reward that he no longer sees a future for himself - at lease not one worth living. If there's also the specter of age creeping up on him, he may hear words in his head like, "You're not valuable to anyone" "You're replaceable" "You can't do what you used to" etc.. This is a dangerous place for a man to be. 

Gary, his father, and his grandfather all had difficulty making a living. In Fact, it was very late in each of their lives before they were even able to discern what they were supposed to be doing. They went from job to job without any clear leading. They struggled financially. None of them had parents who prayed for them to have their gifts and talents revealed, to know the calling of God on their lives, to have doors opened to them, and to become all they were created to be. History tends to repeat itself without intervention of God.

I've observed that people who have had actively praying parents seem to find their life's work early. Their careers may not take off immediately  but they have a sense of purpose and destiny that propels them in the right direction. They don't live with the frustration and aimlessness that the others do. While many parents have an agenda for their children, not enough of them seek God's plan for their lives. When a child's life is left to chance that way, a kind of vocational wandering can result. There is needless floundering, disappointment, doubt and despair as he tries to carve out a place for himself. If your husband had that kind of start, your prayers can change his life.
If your husband didn't have praying parents, you can step in the gap. You can pray for his eyes to be opened to see what God wants him to do and where God is leading. Your prayers can help him feel appreciated and encouraged enough to recognise he has worth no matter what he does. You can assure him that God has uniquely gifted him with ability and talent and has something good ahead for him. Then pray for God to reveal it an open a door of opportunity which no man can shut. Your prayers can pave a path for him.

Even if your husband already has a successful career, it's still good to pray that he is where God wants him to be and that everything will continue to go smoothly. My husband, who is a songwriter and record producer, said he felt my prayers have prevented him from working with the wrong clients. He has never worked with anyone who is difficult, weird, evil or unsuitable which is nothing less than a miracle in his business. He knew i always prayed that God would lead him to the right people and remove from his path those who would be trouble. While our prayers cannot ensure a trouble free road for our husbands, they can certainly steer them clear of many problems. 

If your husband is a hard worker, make sure he has times of rest and enjoyment - to do things that entertain him and give him a reprieve from the with of a lifetime of supporting a family. Men need periods of refreshing. If they don't have them, they are prone to burnout and temptation of all kinds. 
Your prayers can help your husband understand that the true meaning of life doesn't come from work, it comes from following God. 


The Prayer:
Lord, I pray that You would bless the work of my husband's hands. May his labour bring not only favour  success and prosperity, but great fulfilment as well.
If the work he is doing is not in line with Your  perfect will for his life, reveal it to him. Show him what he should do differently and guide him down the right path. Give him strength  faith and a vision for the future so he can rise above any propensity for laziness.
May he never run from work out of fear, selfishness or a desire to avoid responsibility. On the other hand, help him to see that he doesn't have to work himself to death for a man's approval, or gasp for gain beyond what is a gift from You. Give him the ability to enjoy success without striving for more. Help him to excel but free him from the pressure to do so.
I Pray that You will be Lord over his work and may he bring You into every aspect of it. Give him enough confidence in the gifts You have placed in him to be able to seek, find and do good work. Open up doors of opportunity for him that no man can close. Develop his skills so that they grow more valuable with each passing year. Show me what i can do to encourage him.
I pray that his work will be established, secure, successful, satisfying and financially rewarding. May he not be "lagging in diligence  but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord" (Rom 12:11) Let him be like a tree planted by the stream of Your living water, which brings forth fruit in due season. May he never wither under pressure, but grow strong and prosper. (Ps1:3)

Power Tools:

"Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men. Proverbs 22:29"

"Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven. Proverbs 23:4,5"

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matt 16:26"

"Let the beauty of our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands. Ps 90:17


(From the book, The Power of a Praying Wife, By Stormie Omartian)

Power of a Praying Wife - Chapter 1

So this is my first blog and I must admit, I am rather excited about it. The purpose of this blog will be to share devotionals with you as I read them but also to try and get us, as woman, to a place where God wants us to be.

a Few months ago, I started reading a book that, if I had the money, I would buy one for each and every single woman I know. I heard some of my friends talk about this book and decided to buy it. Being the impulsive buyer that I am, I had no purpose for it really at the time, I just wanted it. 

As I read through it and shared some of it, I quickly realised how I have helped others by sharing the stories in the book and to encourage them that whatever they are going through, that there is always hope. I hope to bring the same to you. 

I consider my marriage to be in the centre of where I think God had planned for us two, but I  also know that you learn things everyday and by keeping God in the centre of your marriage, keeps it where it should be, but that doesn't mean it is easy to keep it that way always. 

As you read this, some things you might find you will relate to, and others you might not right now, but I hope you can take something away from all the posts to follow.

In our busy lives we get caught up with things that consume us and sometimes we face the challenge of loosing what God has planned for us, not just as a wife but as a woman that walks with God. If its not work pushing us into different directions, it is society that pressures us to be the perfect woman, multi-tasking, being a mother, a wife and the strong woman that overcomes everything...but this is not always who we are and it sure does not come easy. So with this, I am sharing with you some 'alone'time to just focus on you and where you are at the moment.

This book is such a powerful tool to assist us with our daily challenges and it gives us that extra 'With God by my side, I can do anything' push.

Please don't think this is only for wives or parents. I am not yet a parent myself but I pray that everyday, as you read this, you will take something out of this for you and remember what your purpose in this life is.

The book is called "The Power of a Praying Wife, Parent and Woman - by Stormie Omartian." It is divided into three sections which I will kick off the first section, The Power of a Praying Wife. Please don't look away if you are not married or don't have someone special in your life. We all have someone that you rely on, or that you need to be a pillar for. Apply this either to your current relationship/marriage or to any of your future relationships where you see fit or can relate to.

Because the first chapter of this book is rather long, I thought I would start with the "Power Tools" and then also the Prayer  in chapter one.

His Wife

" Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. Proverbs 31: 10-12"

Stormie says in her book that the aim of this is not to gain any kind of control over your husband, and this must be very clear. It is quite the opposite. It is laying down all claim to power in and of yourself, and relying on GOD's power to transform you, your husband, your circumstances and your marriage. This "power" is not given to wield like a weapon in order to beat back an unruly beast. It's a gentle tool of restoration appropriated through the prayers of a wife who longs to DO right more than to BE right, and to GIVE  in life more than to GET EVEN. It's a way to invite God's power into your husbands life for his greatest blessings, which is ultimately yours too."

"Something amazing happens to our hearts when we pray for another person. the hardness melts. We become able to get beyond the hurts and forgive - Stormie Omartian" 

POWER TOOLS:

"Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive them, that Your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:24. 25"

"Be kind to one another, tender-hearted  forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32"

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and he show seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7,8"

The Prayer

"Lord as we begin this journey, to pray for our husbands, our children, ourselves and all around us, we ask that you teach us how to love unconditionally as You love us, I pray that You will bless each set of eyes and ears that sees or hears this. I pray that You will lead this forum and that only good can be taken from this and only Your plans shall be revealed to us. 

Lord, help me to be a good wife. I fully realise that I don't have what it takes to be one without Your help.

Take my selfishness, impatience and irritability and turn them into kindness, long suffering and the willingness to bear all things. Take my old emotional habits, mindsets, automatic reactions, rude assumptions and self protective stance and make me patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self controlled. 

Take the hardness of my heart and break down the walls with Your battering ram of revelation. Give me a new heart and work in me Your love, peace and joy. 

(Galatians 5:22,23) I am not able to rise above who I am at this moment. Only you can transform me.

Show me where there is sin in my heart, especially with regard to my husband. I confess the times I have been unloving, critical, angry, resentful, disrespectful and unforgiving toward him. Help me put aside any hurt, anger or disappointment I feel and forgive him the way you do - totally and completely, no looking back.

Make me a tool of reconciliation, peace and healing in this marriage. Enable us to communicate well and rescue us from the threshold of separation where the realities of divorce begin.

Make me my husband's helpmate, companion, champion, friend and support. Help me to create a peaceful, restful, safe place for him to come home to. Teach me how to take care of myself and stay attractive to him. Grow me into a creative and confident woman who is rich in mind, soul and spirit. 

Make me the kind of woman he can be proud to say is his wife.

I lay all my expectations at your cross. I release my husband from the burden of fulfilling me in areas where I should be looking to You, Lord. Help me to accept him the way he is and not try to change him. I realise that in some ways he may never change, but at the same time, I release him to change in ways I never thought he could. I leave any changing that needs to be done in Your hands, fully accepting that neither of us is perfect and never will be. Only you Lord are perfect and I look to you to perfect us.

Teach me how to pray for my husband and make my prayers a true language of love. Where love has died, create new love between us. Show me what unconditional love really is and how to communicate it in a way he can clearly perceive. Bring unity between us so that we can be in agreement about everything. (Amos 3:3) May God grant us to be patient and comforting to be like minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus. (Romans 15:5) Make us a team not pursuing separate, competitive or independent lives, but working together, overlooking each others faults and weaknesses for the greater good of thee marriage. 

Help us to pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another (Romans 14 to 19)

May we be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement

(1 Corinthians 1:10)

I pray that our commitment to you and to one another will grow stronger and more passionate every day. Enable him to be the head of thee home as you made him to be and show me how to support and respect him as he rises to that place. Help me to understand his dreams and see things from his perspective. Reveal to me what he wants and needs and show me potential problems before they arise. Breath your life into this marriage. Make me a new person, Lord. Give me a fresh perspective a positive outlook and a renewed relationship with the man you have given me. Help me see him with new eyes new appreciation new love new compassion and new acceptance.

In Christ Jesus name, Amen"

(From the book, The Power of a Praying Wife, By Stormie Omartian)

Yours in Prayer,

Chantelle