Marriage is very important to our Lord. He uses Marriage in The Song of Songs to show His Love for Israel, the Church, & individuals. He sets marriage in place in the Garden of Eden. And throughout the Bible Marriage and the Family is very important to God. 

ARE YOU STRUGGLING IN YOUR MARRIAGE?   DO YOU LONG FOR A BETTER MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP?

"God HATES divorce". If you are struggling or want growth in your marriage know that God is FOR your marriage. You have an amazing opportunity to get closer to God, to heal and grow in Christ, to show God's faithfulness to your children, family, and friends, and to eventually use you to help others!!   (Marriage questions answered: scroll down)  (difficult marriage?)

Many people go to a counselor but we would have you consider the following process to heal and grow in your marriage:

 

5 MONTH PLAN: (Do Individually the first 2 months: allows emotions to heal)

MONTH #1: DO "DISCIPLESHIP"  (12 DAYS individually). Allows individual healing.

MONTH #2: CONTINUED GROWTH (next section below 12 Days): : "DISCIPLESHIP"

MONTH #3: CONTINUED GROWTH  +  GET DAILY PRAYER AS A COUPLE: (sit together & be prayed for). 

                    Have a mature couple pray for you daily. You will be accountable to them!!  Also:  1-800-700-7000  / 1-866-987-7729

MONTH #4: CONTINUED GROWTH  +  DAILY PRAYER AS A COUPLE (continued accountability with a couple)

                    + MARRIAGE ACTIVITIES   Do one activity each day (and for the rest of your marriage).   

MONTH #5: CONTINUED GROWTH  +  DAILY PRAYER AS A COUPLE with spiritual couple (accountability) / phone lines

                    + MARRIAGE ACTIVITIES +  DISCERN WHAT TO DO NEXT (individual/couple's counseling &/or marriage retreat)

                    CONSIDER PRAYERFULLY: 1/1 or couple Christian counseling, Bible Study, & Christian church supporting your marriage.

When Paul says, “husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church” (Ephesians 5:25), he is categorically prohibiting every attitude or behavior that results in a husband devaluing, humiliating, belittling, or emotionally or physically wounding his wife.

MONTH #6 (and beyond): CONTINUED GROWTH / PRAYER (couple accountability) / MARRIAGE ACTIVITIES / COUNSELING / ETC.

 

ALSO: see www.altogetherlovely.org/healing. Then scroll down to "3) Guidelines for Healing". Great advice for ongoing healing. It is alright to continue with someone to pray with & support you. We need support. As you learn to walk with Jesus "DAY BY DAY" AND "MOMENT BY MOMENT" God will show Himself faithful to you. It is a life of faith. 

 

FACT - FAITH - FEELINGS. That's the order. We put our FAITH in the FACT of God’s Word. The FEELINGS will come walking with Him.

 

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A TIME TO MEDITATE

START BY WORSHIPING GOD. THEN PRAY THIS PRAYER: Father God, I come to You through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ for entry into Your presence, forgiveness, healing. Forgive me for ________. Holy Spirit, will You now fall upon me. Come fill my spirit, my mind, my will, my emotions, my sexuality,  and every cell in my body with You. Melt away anything not of You. Thank You Holy Spirit.  In Jesus' Matchless Name I pray.

Now find a phrase or verse to meditate on. You can scroll down & watch the waves/sky if you wish.

 

Above all else, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13)

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 

Marriage is like a horse with a broken leg. You can shoot the horse but its leg is still broken.

“A good marriage isn’t something you find; it’s something you make.” (Gary L. Thomas)

“We are, all of us, utterly committed and deeply devoted to our “style”, our “way”, our “approach to life.” We have absolutely no intention of giving it up. Not even for love. So God creates an environment where we have to. It’s called marriage.” (John Eldredge)

“A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.” (Ruth Graham)

“Love…is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself.”  (C. S. Lewis)

“Staying married, therefore, is not mainly about staying in love. It is about keeping covenant. “Till death do us part” or “As long as we both shall live” is a sacred covenant promise—the same kind Jesus made with His bride when He died for her.” (John Piper)

“Marriage is a call to die [to self]… Christian marriage vows are the inception of a lifelong practice of death, of giving over not only all you have, but all you are. Is this a grim gallows call? Not at all! It is no more  grim than dying to self and following Christ. In fact, those who lovingly die for their [spouses] are those who know the most joy, have the most fulfilling marriages, and experience the most love.” (R. Kent Hughes)

“We [should not] make the mistake of thinking that marriage will provide the ultimate satisfaction for which we all hunger. To assume so would be to be guilty of blasphemy. Only God satisfies the hungry heart. Marriage is but one of the channels He uses to enable us to taste how deeply satisfying His thirst-quenching grace can be.” (Sinclair B. Ferguson)

Great marriages don’t happen by luck or by accident. They are the result of a consistent investment of time, thoughtfulness, forgiveness, affection, prayer, mutual respect, and a rock-solid commitment between a husband and a wife.” (Dave Willis)