Prayer for Marriages

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOEviTLJOqo&list=RDyOEviTLJOqo#t=1

Old Church Choir ~ Zach Williams

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. ~ Psalm 5:11 ESV

Father, as even Brad and I have been under attack, ourselves, I do not take, nor speak Your Words lightly. Father, my wholehearted prayer for my married friends who are under attack, and sadly have been attacking each other, is for a fresh filling of Your Joy.

Joy is its own Spiritual fruit and does its own Spiritual work within us. It starts in the core, bubbling up from the inside, flushing out of our hearts, minds, and bodies, all the worldly toxins (unmet expectations, resentment, fear, doubt, comparisons, etc.). But unlike a chemical cleanse, which leaves us feeling empty and weak, Joy refreshes, recharges, and reignites us. What had dimmed down to an ember, has been fanned into a blazing, raging fire because of Joy. 

Joy is what emboldens us to stand and fight against every enemy that dares come against what You have tenderly placed in our loving care. Joy is what breaks the heaviest chains from around our arms and legs and lifts the most oppressive burdens from our shoulders, leaving us feeling lighter than air, bubbling out of us songs, dances, and words of Praise and thanksgiving, to Father God, who, through Jesus, has set us free!

Father, I pray that all who read this prayer will be blessed. I ask that You fill each of us with a fresh anointing of Your Joy. I ask also that You would continue to spread Your protection over us, our marriages, and our families. I pray that 2018 would be markedly different, that our marriages and our relationship with You would not only grow in strength and increase in depth, but would also be a beacon of hope for those who need You. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2018

Trust pt 2

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! ~ Psalm 40:4 ESV

REST is the result of a decision to believe God ~ Alex Anderson, Pastor and author. The emphasis isn’t believing in God, but believing Him, taking Him at His Word, and trusting it.

Numerous sermons have been given on being Mary (sitting at Jesus’ feet), and not Martha (working at His feet). We all long to be Mary, free to sit and rest in the blessing of His teaching, but too often we find ourselves working, instead. I will confess, as of late, I haven’t been doing such a good job of resting, or trusting. Instead, I’ve been struggling, striving, and stressing. When God told me to go back to work, the first thing I did was to pull out our budget and figure out how much I needed to earn. If I don’t have to pay for childcare, I only need X amount. But if I do, then I need to make Y amount. Understanding the budget is great, but it shifted the focus from God—how He was going to provide—and put all the emphasis on me—how was I going to do it.

Trust: to have confidence in another; to be secure, to fear nothing for yourself. Rest: to give permission for one to cease from labor in order to recover and collect her strength; to refresh. Jesus calls to us in our Martha-mentality and says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls,” (Matthew 11:28-29 NIV). Rest. Trust. Sitting. Freedom. Is it really that easy? YES! We can be Mary, even in Martha seasons. We can choose to shift the emphasis and focus from ourselves and put it back on Jesus, allowing Him to teach us.

Father, forgive me for working, for thinking I had to do it all, when You called me to trust and rest in You. Holy Spirit, remind me to rest, because it’s when I’m attentive to Jesus’ words and teachings that I’ll know what He wants me to do and how He wants me to do it. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2017