Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Marriage and Prayer

Marriage is a divine institution that was ordained and blessed by the Lord. The husband of one wife is to lead, pastor, shepherd his wife and his children in God's ways (according to Scripture). How are we to do this to God's glory without first seeking Him and His wisdom and His glory? Prayer is not seeking God to fulfill our will, but rather it is a time of pleading with God in humility to use us as vessels to fulfill His will - His plan for our lives.

There are many places I can take you as examples of how not to lead your family and many more that point us in the direction of how TO lead our families; but, I will take you to one of those here: "Husbands, love your wives, AS Christ loved the church and GAVE Himself up for her, that He might SANCTIFY her, having cleansed her by the washing of water WITH the Word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that SHE might be holy and without blemish." - Ephesians 5:25-27

God's ways are perfect, holy and sanctified. They keep us from going astray in our own idolatrous hearts. To read the Word by the power and understanding the Holy Spirit gives us is to know how to lovingly address our wives in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs; it's how we learn to sing and make melody TO the Lord with our hearts (Ephesians 5:19). It's BY the Word that we learn, as husbands, to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:20).

Therefore, it's praying with our wives, according to Scripture, that we teach and care for our wives by showing them HOW to submit to Christ before we can submit to each other properly in the sight of God. It's on our knees that we demonstrate that we are subject to God for everything and in everything. It's on our knees that we give our wives the comfort of knowing that it's not in our power and authority that we lead but by the power and authority of God, with love and concern for the family with HIS wisdom.

Men, let us be imitators of God, as beloved children; walking in love, AS Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1). We do this for the sake of glorifying God and leaving a legacy worthy of imitating for generations to come. Take your wife by the hand and fall to your knees before God and show her how YOU are completely surrendered to HIM in word and deed, and He will show you how to further lead your wife and your family to His glory. It's in this manner that your marriage will be presented to God as "holy and without blemish" - Pray without ceasing WITH your wife (1 Thess. 5:17).

Christ the man prayed often, why should we Christian men be any different?