Last night as I was spending quality time with my husband, I got a call no one ever wants to get. My best friend called to tell me that her and her husband were over. They had been having problems for awhile and the trust was never restored. As a matter of fact, it was once again lost and I fear that their marriage will end.
It's crazy for me to even imagine it. This was a marriage I coveted, literally. They were best friends. I can remember walking into their three room house and there were notes everywhere. She was pregnant with their son and so he would cook her dinner and leave notes about eating and drinking her milk. They were notes of love and the romantic part of me was enlightened. Forward 23 years and there's anger and a complete lack of trust. I would never have guessed that this man could go from romantic to what he is today. Ever!
It breaks my heart because I know that many marriages crumble from issues such as theirs. The world is a pot of temptation, with over sexed women, pornography, power and money. It's not unusual to see a 60 year old man with a 20 something girl. Is it love? Probably not. What is happening to our men? Why is the temptation so great? The answer lies in the flesh. We are becoming a society that wants what it wants. We are Sodom and Gomorrah. We don't wait for anything. Instant gratification with no allowance for cost. What is the cost for my friend? Years of friendship and memories lost. They will become one of the broken families. Generations will be part of the brokenness of this world and all for what, selfishness and a moment.
I'm not trying to be on a rant right now. That's not my intention. I love this couple and I'm going to pray that God will restore them. Neither are Christians but even those that are, have trouble being committed in today's world. Divorce is higher with the Christian population than in the secular realm. We have to see the need and we have to protect our families. How are we going to do this? We are going to pray for all men, everywhere. Our call is not just to unite for the common good of women. It's to teach every woman in every nation to pray for their men. We need to be praying for our brothers, sons and husbands. We need to lift them to Jesus and ask that they would be kept from temptation. We need to be likeminded in Christ so that we can be realistic on the issues that face our men and we need to pray like we never have before.
The family is in jeopardy. Why? Because if satan can break a family, he destroys generations. My girlfriend is a very jealous person. I believe it stems from her childhood, when her dad left and went to pursue his own life, far away from her. She wants to keep things close and now she feels destroyed, once again betrayed by someone she loves. People don't get over betrayal easily. It's not in our nature and we all know that forgiveness comes from knowing Christ. Faced with a similar situation, it would be hard to forgive, never impossible, but difficult.
What took this marriage from something I coveted to a complete and utter tragedy? It took two people, with their own private issues, away from God and boom, in an instant the glass is shattered and two innocent young people are in the balance. Are you scared? I am.
It's proof that evil is lurking and that anyone can fall victim to their own desires. Stand with me today and pray for the men of our lives and for the men all over the world. We are in need of great leaders right now, men that can stand up and be sanctified. We need them to be strong and to carry the banner for Jesus. We need families to stay together and for all us to work for the good of Jesus Christ. The more our family unit gets shattered the more difficult it will be on our children. They will repeat what they see and it won't be good. Selfishness begets disaster, whether it's us or the men in our lives. We need to go to Jesus everyday and ask Him to replace our selfishness with honor.
We are in a holy war. It's a war that will never end. We must pray and worship our God together. We must teach our children to pray for their spouses and children. We must unite and ask God to partner with us, to give us sight into our issues and then we must pray. We must pray for security, fidelity and oneness. Without prayer, our families won't survive. The world and all its temptation is too great. We don't need to walk in a paranoid state; we need to walk with Jesus. We must have faith that Jesus can heal a broken heart, a broken marriage and a broken family. He can and He will but let's do our part to pray for each other because together the Spirit is strong. Will you join me for your sons, future husbands and husbands? They need us to lift them up. We are their other half and the mothers of the next generation, they need us to be secure in our Lord and to pray like there is no tomorrow.
Romans 8:8 NKJV:
So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
John 3:6 NKJV:
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Galatians 5:19-25 NKJV:
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
The flesh is strong and it fights the Lord. If we are in Christ, the flesh is crucified. Our sinful nature dictates that we can be tempted to fall into sin and be trapped by our flesh. We need to pray daily for those that we love. One, for them to be saved and two, that temptation would stay away. We must fight the flesh with spiritual things. Which means, we must read our Bible, pray and ask for forgiveness whenever the flesh takes over. Asking for forgiveness is not just something we practice with God, it has to become a routine in our daily lives. We must forgive in order to love, to be gentle or to have self-control. Any form of the flesh can and will destroy our families. May God protect you today as we join together and pray for ourselves and for our brothers in Christ.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come before you asking You to protect our men. I am praying for restoration of our families and for ourselves. Please help us walk in the Spirit rather than our flesh. Give us confidence to be warriors of You and to fight for those things that matter to You. Marriage is a covenant. It's between one man, one woman and You. When the covenant is broken, the family is destroyed. I pray for all men, everywhere, and ask that You would help them die to their flesh and in its place You would give them a dose of the Holy Spirit. We need men to guide and lead the nations. We need men to be praying and guiding their families. We need men that will stay focused on You and not their flesh. We need them to be with us, joining for the sanctity of marriage. Our hope lies in You. Only You, Lord, can heal the brokenness of our families. We come before You women that love and honor Your name. Please help us strengthen our men through prayer. Help us to have a spirit that walks with You and not in our flesh. We desire to be one with You. Our goal is to see future generations worshipping and adoring You. Lift us up as we unite and pray for all of us. Grant us this wish, O, Lord that we, men and women alike, would know the power of You. That You would restore our families and help all of us die to our flesh. We desire to be in Your kingdom, walking and talking with You. Be with us today and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Our men need to know a Savior and so do we. Grow us closer Lord as we learn to die to ourselves and carry Your cross. In Jesus name, AMEN.
Until tomorrow...
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