Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 30

DAY 30 - PRAY FOR HIS FUTURE

None of us can live without a vision for our future. If we don't have one, we flounder aimlessly. Without it, life seems pointless and we die a little every day. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). Having a vision doesn't necessarily mean knowing the specifics about what is going to happen next. It has to do with sensing the general direction you're moving in and having hope that something good is on the horizon. It's knowing that you do have a future and a purpose, and that it is bright.

Not every man has that certainty. When he doesn't, you can almost see life droning from him. Even the ones who do, don't necessarily have it all the time. Even the most spiritual man can get overtired, burned out, beaten down, distanced from God, confused about who he is and why he is here, and lose his vision for the future. He can misplace his sense of purpose and become overwhelmed and hopeless because of it. If he loses sight of his dreams and forgets the truth about himself and his situation, he can end up believing destructive lies about his future. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6).

God says not to listen to voices that speak lies, for "they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the LORD" (Jeremiah 23:16). Any vision for the future that is full of failure and empty of hope is not from God (Jeremiah 29:11). But God can restore vision where it has been lost. He can give hope to dream again. He can bring His truth to bear upon the lies of discouragement. He can give assurance of a promising future. Prayer is the avenue through which He can accomplish it.

If your husband's eyes get focused on the day-to-day details of living that he loses his vision for the future, your prayers can lift his sights. They can help him see that God is his future and he needs to run his life in a way that invests in that. "Do you know that those run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it" (1 Corinthians 9:24). You don't want your husband to be a man who speaks a vision of his own heart and loses the prize. You want him to be able to see from God's perspective.


God doesn't want us to know the future, He wants us to know Him. He wants us to trust Him to guide us into the future one step at a time. In order to understand God's leading, we must seek Him for every step. " Those who seek stay close enough to hear His answer. The Lord is the giver of vision; pray that your husband looks to Him for it. With God, his future is secure.

PRAYER

Lord, I pray that You would give (husband's name) a vision for his future. Help him to understand that Your plans for him are for good and not evil, to give him a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Fill him with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that he may have a walk worthy of You, fully pleasing You, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of You (Colossians 1:9,10). May he live with leading from the Holy Spirit and not walk in doubt and fear of what may happen. Help him to mature and grow in You daily, submitting to You all his dreams and desires, knowing that "the things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27). Give him God-ordained goals and show him how to conduct himself in a way that always invests in his future.

I pray that he will be active in service for You al the days of his life. Keep him from losing his sense of purpose and fill him with hope for his future as an "anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast" (Hebrews 6:19). Give him "his heart's desire" (Psalm 21:2) and "the heritage of those who fear Your name" (Psalm 61:5). Plant him firmly in Your house and keep him fresh and flourishing and bearing fruit into old age (Psalm 92:13,14). And when it comes time for him to leave this earth and go to be with You, may he have such a strong vision for his eternal future that it makes his transition smooth, painless, and accompanied by peace and joy. Until that day, I pray he will find the vision for his future in You.

SCRIPTURE FOR MEDITATION

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Psalm 37:37,38

Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

Psalm 92:13-15

Those who are planted in the house of the Lord. Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Psalm 27:4

One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord. All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.

Jeremiah 31:17

There is hope in your future, says the Lord, That your children shall come back to their own border.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 29

DAY 29 - PRAY FOR HIS FAITH

 If anyone says they have no faith, that will not be true. Everyone lives by faith to a certain extent.....When you go to a doctor, you need faith to trust his diagnosis. When you eat at a restaurant, you trust that the people serving you have not contaminated or poisoned the food. Every day is a walk of faith on some level. Everyone believes in something. "God has dealt to each one a measure of faith"(Romans 12:3).

We choose what we believe in. Some people choose to believe in themselves, some in government, some in evil. some in science, some in the newspaper/news, some in hard work, some in other people and some in God. Faith is something we can't live without. Faith is something we can't die without either. Our faith determines what happens to us after we leave this world. If you have faith in Jesus, you know that your eternal future is secure. That's because "the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies thorough His Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:11).

In other words, if the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He will raise you up as well. Having certainty about what happens to us when we die will greatly affect how we live today. Confidence in our eternal future gives us a perspective on living in the present that is laced with confidence as well. We all have times of doubt. Even Jesus wondered why God had forsaken Him. It wasn't that He doubted God's existence or ability to come to His rescue, He just didn't expect to feel forsaken.

Sometimes we don't doubt God's existence, or whatever He is able to help us, we just doubt His desire to have any immediate impact on our lives. Surely He is too busy for my problems, we think. But the truth is, He's not. Does your husband have times in doubt? If so, your prayers for him to have ever increasing faith will make a big difference in his life. Eve if he doesn't know the Lord, you can still pray for faith to rise in his heart and look for an improvement in his level of peace. There is nothing in your husband's life that can't be conquered or positively affected with an added measure of faith in God. Jesus said of any man who has faith to believe in Him, "out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). That alone can b enough to wash away a lifetime of pain, trouble, fear, sorrow, apathy, hopelessness, failure and doubt.

PRAYER

Lord, I pray that You will give (husband's name) an added measure of faith today. Enlarge his ability to believe in You, Your Word, Your promises, Your ways, and Your power. Put a longing in His heart to talk with You and hear Your voice. Give him an understanding of what it means to bask in Your presence and not just ask for things. May he seek You, rely totally upon You, be led by You, put You first and acknowledge You in everything he does.

Lord, You've said that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Feed his soul with Your Word so his faith grows big enough to believe that with You all things possible (Matthew 19:26). Give him unfaliing certainty that You've promised to do, You will do (Romans 4:21). Make his faith a shield of protection. Put it into action to move the mountains in his life. Your Word says, "the just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17); I pray that he will live the kind of faith-filled life You've called us all to experience. May he know with complete certainty "how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You" (Psalm 31:19).

Amen.

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

James 1:6-8

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Romans 14:23

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Matthew 17:20

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Romans 5:1

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 28

DAY 28 - PRAY FOR HIS SELF IMAGE

If your husband's self-image needs a makeover, be patient. The answers don't come overnight when a long - held pattern of thinking has to be broken. But you can appropriate the power of God to fit the enemy that feeds him familiar lies, so he can be free to hear God's truth. You'll find that as you intercede, God will reveal glimpses of the key to unlocking that particular thing in your husband. In other words, ad you pray He'll show you how to pray.

Take the testimony of Dan and Cindy for example.....

Dan experienced great frustration trying to find his way in life. He didn't know who he was or where he fit in, or if in fact he fit in anywhere. His preoccupation with trying to figure it all out causes great friction between hi and his wife,  Cindy. She tried to help him, but he resented her advice. He perceived her thoughts and suggestions as mocking his ability to figure things out himself.  His reaction was to dismiss her words,  which caused her to strive even more to assert herself.  The harder Cindy fought to not feel devalued, the more Fan retaliated, until in the frustration of his own insecurity he rejected her input altogether

This kind of ever - deepening strife could have led to divorce,  but Cindy learned how to pray rather than fight.

She set herself to pray as long as it would take for God to break the bonds of self-loathing and mold her husband into His image. She asked God to help Dan find his identity in the Lord. She also prayed for God to enable her to speak to Dan in the Spirit and not in her flesh, so that her words would be received as encouragement to his soul rather than criticism.

God revealed that Dan's minimised self-image had been learned from his father. He, too, had experienced that same kind of insecurity all his life. But whatever the source of Dan's behaviour, Cindy knew God had the power to change it and God did. After a long awaiting time for a miracle, Dan gradually begun to see himself as one of God's much-loved sons and not an evolutionary mistake. 

God says our first steps are to be toward Him: seeking His face, following His laws, putting Him first and our self centred pursuits last. When we line up with Him, He leads the way and all we have to do is follow. As we look to Him,  the glory of His image gets imprinted upon us. When our self image gets so wrapped up in God that we lose ourselves in the process,  we're free. We want that liberty for our husbands too.

PRAYER

Lord, I pray the (husband's name ) will find his identity in You. Help him to understand his worth through Your eyes and by Your standards. May he recognise the unique qualities You've placed in him and be able to appreciate them. Enable him to see himself the way You see him,  understanding that "You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You crowned him with glory and honour. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet" (Psalm 8:4-6). Quiet the voices that tell him otherwise and give him ears to hear Your voice telling him that it will not be his perfection that gets him through life successfully, it will be Yours. 

Reveal to him that "he is the image and glory of God" ( I Corinthians 11:7), and he is "complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power" (Colossians 2:10). Give him the peace and security of knowing that he is accepted, not rejected, by You. Free him from the self-focus and self-conciousness that can imprison his soul. Help him to see who You really are so he'll know who he really is. May His true self-image be the image of Christ stamped upon his soul.

Amen.

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

Romans 8 : 29

 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

II Corinthians 3:18

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

Colossians 3:9,10

 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

James 1:23-25

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Isaiah 60:1

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 27

DAY 27 - PRAY FOR HIS OBEDIENCE

No man can receive all God has for him if he is not living in obedience. Jesus, who was never one to beat around the bush, said, "if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matthew 19:17). He knew that nothing would give a man more peace and confidence than knowing he is doing what God wants him to do. God's Word promises that by obedient to His ways your husband will find mercy, peace, happiness, plenty, blessings and life. Not living in obedience brings harsh consequences, unanswered prayers and the inability to enter into great things God has for him.

Walking in obedience has to do not only with keeping God's commandments, but also with heeding God's specific instructions. For example, if God has instructed your husband to rest and he doesn't do it, that's disobedience. If He has told him to move to another place and he doesn't move, that's disobedience, too.

A man who does what God asks, build his house on a rock. When the rain, floods and wind come and beat on the house, it won't fall (Matthew 7:24-27). You don't want to witness the downfall of your house because of your husband's disobedience in any area. While it's not your place to be either his mother or the gestapo, it is your job to pray and speak after you've gotten your orders from God.

If your husband's disobedience to God's ways has already brought down your house in some manner, know that God will honour your obedience and He will see that you will not be destroyed. He will pour His blessings on you and restore what has been lost. Just keep praying that your husband not have a hearing problem when it comes to the voice of God, and that he has the strength, courage and motivation to act on what he hears.

PRAYER

Lord, You have said in Your Word that if we regard iniquity in our hearts, You will not hear (Psalm 66:18). I want You to hear my prayers, so i ask You to reveal where there is any disobedience in my life, especially with regard to my husband. Show me if i'm selfish, unloving, critical, angry, resentful, unforgiving, or bitter toward him. Show me where I have not obeyed You or lived Your way. I confess it as sin and ask for forgiveness.

I pray that You would give (husband's name) a desire to live in obedience to Your laws and Your ways. Reveal and uproot anything he willingly gives place to that is not of You. Help him to bring every thought and action under Your control. Remind him to do good, speak evil of no one, and be peaceable, gentle and humble (Titus 3:1,2). Teach him to embrace the stretching pain of discipline and discipleship. Reward him according to his righteousness and according to the cleanness of his hands (Psalm 18:20). Show him Your ways, O Lord; teach him Your paths. Lead him in Your truth, for You are the God of his salvation (Psalm 25: 4,5).

Make him a praising person, for I know that when we worship You we gain clear understanding, our lives are transformed, and we receive power to live Your way. Help him to hear Your specific instructions to him and enable him to obey them. Give him a heart that longs to do Your will and may he enjoy the peace that can only come from living i total obedience to Your commands.

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

Proverbs 3:1-3

My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life

And peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,

Matthew 7:21

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Proverbs 28:9

One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

Jeremiah 7:23

But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 26

DAY 26 - PRAY FOR HIS DELIVERANCE 

Everyone needs deliverance at certain times, because there are all kinds of things that can pull us into bondage. God knows this. Why would Jesus have come as the Deliverer if we didn't need one? Why would he have instructed us to pray, "Deliver us from evil one" (Matthew 6:13) if we didn't need to be? Why does He promise to deliver us from temptation (II Peter 2:9), the clutches of dangerous people (Psalm 140:1), our self-destructive tendencies (Proverbs 24:11), all of our troubles (Psalm 34:17), and death (II Corinthians 1:10), if He didn't intend to do it? He is ready and willing. We just have to ask. "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me" (Psalm 50:15).

|Isn't it comforting to know that when we feel imprisoned by the death grip of circumstances, God hears our cries for freedom? He sees our need. "He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven the LORD viewed the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to release those appointed to death" (Psalm 102:19,20). How glorious to embrace the certainty that when there seems to be no way out, God can miraculously lift us up and away from whatever is seeking to devour us (Psalm 25:15).

Even if your husband finds it difficult to admit he needs help, some men feel like failures if they can't do it all themselves, your prayers can still be instrumental in his finding deliverance. You can pray to the Deliverer to set him free from anything that binds him. You can stand strong, through your prayers, against the enemy who seeks to put him into bondage. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1). The best way to stand strong is to put on the whole armour of God, praying for yourself and for your husband.

Amen

PRAYER 

Lord, You have said to call upon You in the day of trouble and You will deliver us (Psalm 50:15). I call upon You now and ask that You would work deliverance in my husband's life. Deliver him from anything that binds him.  Set him free from (name a specific thing). Deliver him quickly and be a rock of refuge and a fortress of defense to save him (Psalm 31:2). Lift him away from the hands of the enemy (Psalm 31:15).

Bring him to a place of understanding where he can recognise the work of evil and cry out to You for help. If the deliverance he prays for isn't immediate, keep him from discouragement and help him to be confident that You have begun a good work in him and will complete it (Philippians 1:6). Give him the certainty that even in his most hopeless state, when he finds it impossible to change anything, You, Lord, can change everything.

Help him understand that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). I pray the he will be strong in the Lord and put on the whole armour of God, so he can stand against the wiles of the devil in the evil day. Help him to gird his wait with the truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness, having shod his feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Enable him to take up the Shield of faith,  with which to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. I pray that he will take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful and standing strong to the end (Ephesians 6:13-18).

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION 

Psalm 18:2,3

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.  I will call upon the Lord , who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Psalm 91:14

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

Psalm 18:16-19

He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.  He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.  He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Psalm 56:13

For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 25

DAY 25 - PRAY FOR HIS REPENTANCE

Everyone makes mistakes. That's not the issue. But there is an epidemic in the world today of people who can't admit they did something wrong. God says, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (I John 1:9). But first we have to be sorry about what we've done.

According to God's way of doing things, there are three steps to changing our behaviour. First there is confession , which is admitting what we did.  Next there is repentance, which is being sorry about what we did. Then there is asking forgiveness, which is being cleansed and released from what we did. The inability or resistance to do any of these three steps is rooted in pride. A man who can't humble himself to admit he's wrong before God and man will have problems in his life that never go away. "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him" (Proverbs 26:12).

Does your husband have trouble confessing his faults?  Or is he the kind of person who can say "I'm sorry" twenty times a day, yet the behaviour he apologies for never changes?  In either case, he needs a repentant heart. True repentance means having so much remorse over what you've done that you don't do it again.  Only God can cause us to see our sin for what it is, and feel about it the same way He does.

Pray for your husband to be convicted of his sin, to humbly confess it before Go, then turn from his error and cease to do it. God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9). This kind of prayer can be very annoying to the one being prayed for, but it's far easier to have God shine His light upon our sin that it is to experience the consequences of it. Your husband will be thankful in the end, even if he won't admit it.

PRAYER

Lord, I pray that You would convict my husband of any error in his life. Let there be "nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known" (Matthew 10:26). Cleanse him from any secret sins and teach him to be a person who is quick to confess when he is wrong (Psalm 19:12).

Help him to recognise his mistakes. Give him eyes to see Your truth and ears to hear Your voice. Bring him to full repentance before You. If there is suffering to be done, let it be suffering of a remorseful heart and not because the crushing hand of the enemy has found an opening into his life through unconfessed sin. Lord, I know that humility must come before honour (Proverbs 15:33). Take away all pride that would cause him to deny his faults and work into his soul a humility of heart so that he will receive the honour You have for him.
Amen.

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

I John 3:21,22
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

Proverbs 28:13
He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

Psalm 139:23,24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 32:3-5
When I kept silent, my bones grew old. Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night. Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

II Timothy 2:24-26
And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 24

DAY 24 - PRAY FOR HIS TALK

Have you observed a man who is all a talk and no action? There are some men who spend more time bragging about what they are going to do than actually doing it. They typically never get anywhere. "A dream comes thrush much activity and a fools voice is known by his many words" (Ecclesiastes 5:3). Dreams don't come true when more time is spent talking about then than praying and working towards achieving them.

Have you been around a man who is angry,  crass or ungodly in his speech? His bad language gives his listeners a sick, uncomfortable feeling and they don't want to be around him. "Let all bitterness,  wrath, anger,  clamour and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice" (Ephesians 4:31). The good things of life seem to overlook who's e who have nothing good coming out of their mouths.

Have you known a man who complains all the time? No matter what's happening,  he finds something negative to fumble about. "Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that you many become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst if a crooked and perverse generation, among whim you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:14,15). Negative words bring negative results and things seldom turn out right for a person who continually uses them.

Are you acquaintances with a man who is quick to speak yet does not seriously consider what he is saying? He blurts out words without weighing the effect of them. "The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil" (Proverbs 15:28). "Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than anyone who doesn't consider the consequences of his spoken words.

Have you seen an speak discouragement and paid  into someone, a spouse,  a child,  a friend, a coworker?  "Death abs life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat it's fruit" (Proverbs 18:21). That man will bring destruction into his own life because of it. Our words can justify us or condemn us (Matthew 12:37). They can bring us joy (Proverbs 15:23), or corrupt and dishonour us (Matthew 15:11). What we say can either either build up or break down the could of whomever we are speaking to (Proverbs 15:4). The consequences of what we speak are so great that our words can lead us to ruin or save our lives (Proverbs 13:3).

Everyone has a choice about what he or she says, and there are rewards for making the right one. "Whoever guess his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles" (Proverbs 21:23). Listen to the way your husband talks. What comes our if his mouth had to do with the condition of his heart. "For out if the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). If he complains,  sepals negatively, talks like a fool or speaks words that bring destruction  and death I to his or anyone else's life, he is suffering from negative heart overflow. Pray for the Holy Spirit to convict his heart, fill it with His love, peace and joy and teach him a new way to talk.

PRAYER

Lord,  O pray Your Holy Spirit would guard my husband's mouth so that he will speak only words that edify and bring life. Help him to not be a grumbler,  complainer, a user of foul language,  or one who destroys with his words, but be disciplined enough to keep his conversation godly.  Your Word says a man who desires a long life must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit (Psalm 34:12-13). Show him how to do that. Fill him with Your love so that out of the overflow of his heart will come words that build up and not tea down. Work that in my heart as well.

May Your Spirit of live region in the words we speak so that we don't miscommunication or wound one another. Help us to show each other respect, speak words that encourage, share our feelings openly and come to mutual agreements without strife. Lord, You've said in Your Word that when two agree, You are in the midst. I pray that the reverse be true as well, that You will be in our midst so that we can agree. Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer (Psalm 19:14).

Amen.

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

Ephesians 4:29 

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Matthew 12:36

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 

Psalm 34:12,13

Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.

Ecclesiastes 10:12

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up.

Matthew 15:18

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 23

DAY 23 - PRAY FOR HIS WALK

A man's walk is the way he journeys through life, his direction, his focus, the steps he takes. Every day he chooses a path. One path will take him forward. All others will take him back. The way he walks affects every aspect of his being, hoe he relates to other people, how he treats his family, how people view him, even how he looks.

The Bible reveals much about the kind of walk we should have. We are to walk with moral correctness because "no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). We are to walk without fault because "whoever walks blamelessly will be saved" (Proverbs 28:180. We are to walk with godly advisors because "blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly" (Psalm 1:1). We are to walk in obedience because "blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways" (Psalm 128:1). We are to walk with people of wisdom because "he who walks with wise men will be wise" (Proverbs 13:20). We are to walk with integrity because "he who walks with integrity walks securely" (Proverbs 10:9). Most of all, we are to walk a path of holiness. "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool shall not go astray" (Isaiah 35:8). The best part about walking on the Highway of Holiness is that even if we end up doing something dumb, we will still won't get thrown off the path.


Jesus said there is only one way to get on the right path, one door through which to enter. "I am the way,2 He says (John 14:6). The way that leads to destruction is wide and braod and many choose to go that route. But "narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:`4). Pray for oyur husband to find it. Pray that he is guided by God's Holy Spirit. Pray that he stays on th epath by having faith in God's Word, a heart for obedience, and deep repentance for any actons he takes that are not God's will for his life. Faith and obedience will get him on the Highway of H|oliness; walking in the Spirit, and nit int he flesh, will keep him there.

God desires taht your husband's evry step be led by Him (Galatians 5:25), so He can walk with him and grow him into His image. A man who walks with God is very desirable indeed.

PRAYER

O, LORD, I know the way of a man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah 10:23). Therefore, Lord, I pray that You would direct my husband's steps. Lead him in Your light, teach him Your way, so he will walk in Your truth. I pray that he would have a deeper walk with You and an ever progressing hunger for Your Word. May Your presence be like a delicacy he never ceases to crave. Lead him on Your path and make him quick to confess when he strays from it. Reveal to him any hidden sin that would hinder him from walking rightly before You. May he experience deep repentance when he doesn't live in obedience to Your laws. Create in him a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within him. Don't cast him away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from him (Psalm 51:10,11).

Lord, Your Word says that those who are in the flesh cannot please You (Romans 8:8). So I pray that You will enable (husband's name) to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh and thereby keep himself "from the paths of the destroyer" (Psalm 17;4). As he walks in the Spirit, may he bear the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22,23). Keep him on the Highway of Holiness so that the way he walks will be integrated into every part of his life.

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

Ephesians 4:1,2

 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love.

Isaiah 33:15,16

He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure.

II Corinthians 7:1

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Psalm 15:1,2

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;

Psalm 101:6

My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me;He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 22

DAY 22 - PRAY FOR HIS EMOTIONS

In today's topic, we'll look at two of the negative emotions that mostly arises in relationships.....Take these two testimonies.......

Testimony 1
Don used anger to control his family. Each family member was so concerned about his temper that they lived their lives on tiptoe, doing his bidding out of fear rather than love. When his wife, Jenny, learned she not only didn't have to tolerate his anger, but going along with it was disobedient to God, things began to change: "Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul" (Proverbs 22:24,25).

Jenny realized she could still love the man but not approve of his sin, so she began praying fervently for him on a regular basis, both alone and with a group of prayer partners. She prayed he would stop being controlled by the Holy Spirit. Her prayers not only helped to clear his mind enough for hi to see how he had been acting, but they paved the way for him to find strength and courage to alter his behavior. "A gift in secret pacifies anger" (Proverbs 21:14). T|he best gift a wife can give in secret to calm her husband's anger is to pray for him.


Testimony 2
Chad was tormented for years by chronic depression. Although his wife Marilyn, was an upbeat person, his negative emotions brought her down and made her feel hopeless and depressed just like he was. Then she read about King David's experiences and recognised they described exactly what her husband had been felling. "My soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave. I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength" (Psalm 88:3,4). "I am troubled, "I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all day long"...."I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart" (Psalm 38:6,8).

Marilyn saw that in spite of such deep despair, |David found his hope in the Lord and rose above it. "O Lord, You have brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit" (Psalm 30;3(. "I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my and (Psalm 31:7). Draw near to my soul and redeem it(Psalm 69:18). She felt God surely had compassion for Chad and it sparked hope in her that prayer was the key to his freedom from the grips of depression. She told Chad she had committed to pray for him every day and wanted him to keep her informed as to how he was feeling . From the first day, they both noticed that every time she prayed, his spirit lifted. Soon he could no longer deny the power of prayer and he began to pray along with her. he has been steadily improving ever since. His depression are less frequent now and he is able to rise above them far more quickly. The two of them are committed to seek God for Chad's total freedom.


Anger and depression are but two of the many negative emotions that can torment a man's soul. Often they are only an habitual way of thinking that has been given place over time. Men tend to believe it's part of their character that can't be altered, but these patterns can be broken. Don't stand by and watch your husband be manipulated by his emotions. Freedom may be just a prayer away.

PRAYER

Lord, You have said in Your Word that You redeem our souls when we put our trust in You (Psalm 34:22). I pray that (husband's name) would have faith in You to redeem his soul from negative emotions. May he never be controlled by depression, anger, anxiety, jealousy, hopelessness, fear or suicidal thoughts. Specifically I pray about (area of concern). Deliver him from this and all other controlling emotions (Psalm 40:17). I know that only You can deliver and heal, but use me as Your instrument of restoration. Help me not to be pulled down with him when he struggles. Enable me instead to understand and have words to say that will bring life.

Free him to share his deepest feelings with me and others who can help. Liberate him to cry when he needs to and not bottle his emotions inside. At the same time, give him the gift of laughter and ability to find humour in even serious situations. Teach him to take his eyes off his circumstances and trust in You, regardless of how he is feeling. Give him patience to possess his soul and the ability to take (Luke 21:19). Anoint him with "the oil of joy" (Isaiah 61:3), refresh him with Your Spirit, and set him free from negative emotions this day.

Amen.

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

Proverbs 28:26

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

Psalm 33:18,19

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.

Psalm 40:1-3

I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.

Psalm 23:3

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness. For His name’s sake.

Psalm 34:22

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 21

DAY 21 - PRAY FOR HIS MARRIAGE

Marriage is great when two people enter into it with a mutual commitment to keep it strong no matter what. But often a couple will have preconceived ideas about who the other is and how married life is supposed to be, and then reality hits. That's when their kingdom become divided. You have to continually pray that any unreal expectations out so that you grow together in a spirit of unity, commitment, and a bond of intimacy. Pray that your marriage is a place where two agree so God will be in the midst of it (Matthew 18:19,20).

Praying about all aspects of a marriage keeps the concept of divorce from gaining any hold. So we mustn't reject the major issues, even if we think they don't apply to us. We need to pray that there will be neither no divorce nor adultery in your future. Although there may not be any family history of either, divorce and adultery has saturated our culture that they are almost expected in some circles. Pray that God would preserve your marriage from any such destruction. He is faithful and will answer.

Don't take your marriage for granted, no matter how great it is. "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (I Corinthians 10:12). Pray for your marriage to be protected from any person or situation that could destroy it. Ask the Lord to do whatever it takes to keep the marriage intact, even if it means striking one of you lightening when you think about giving it all up! Pray that God will make your marriage a source of joy and life to both of you, and not a drudgery, a thorn, a dread, an irritation, or a temporary condition.

PRAYER

LORD, I pray you would protect our marriage from anything that would harm or destroy

it. Shield it from our own selfishness and neglect, from the evil plans and desires of others, and from unhealthy or dangerous situations. May there be no thoughts of divorce or infidelity in our hearts, and none in our future. Set us free from past hurts, memories, and ties from previous relationships, and unrealistic expectations of one another. I pray that there be no jealousy in either of us, or the low self-esteem that precedes that. Let nothing come into our hearts and habits that would threaten the marriage in any way, especially influences like alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, lust or obsessions.

Unite us in a bond of commitment, generosity and understanding. Eliminate our immaturity, hostility, or feelings of inadequacy. Help us to make time for one another alone, to nurture and renew the marriage and remind ourselves of the reasons we were married in the first place. I pray that (husband's name) will be so committed to You, Lord, that his commitment to we will not waiver, no matter what storms come. I pray that our love for each other will grow stronger everyday so that we will never leave a legacy of divorce to our children.

Amen.

SCRIPTURE FOR MEDITATION

Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 

Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls,

Malachi 2:15,16

Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. For the Lord God of Israel says. That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.

Hebrews 13:4

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Ecclesiastes 4:11

Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?

I Corinthians 7:10,11

Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 20

DAY 20 - PRAY FOR HIS ATTITUDE

No one wants to be around a person with bad attitude. Life is hard enough without listening to someone constantly complaining in your ear. I know a man who is so in the habit of being angry and miserable that it is his first reaction to everything, even good news. When great things happen, he finds something to be upset about. Unfortunately, this was modeled to him as a child, so it was probably a learned response. Perhaps no one ever showed him how to enjoy life. But allowing the past to control today is still a choice he makes. Because of that, not only will he never be happy, but neither will those around him. We don't want to be that kind of person, nor do we want to live with one.

If your husband allows himself to wallow in a consistently bad attitude, it will make a good marriage miserable, and a shaky marriage intolerable. A habit of responding negatively will adversely affect every aspect of his life. Of course you can't rule over your husband's will, but you can pray that his will lines up with God's. Pray that his heart becomes pure, because the Bible promises a person who has a pure heart will see God (Matthew 5:8) and have a cheerful countenance (Proverbs 15:13). Pray for his heart to be filled with praise, thanksgiving, love and joy because "a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things|" (Matthew 12:35). Even if there are no major changes immediately, he is certain to be softened by your prayers.

PRAYER

Lord, fill (husband's name) with Your love and peace today. May there be calmness, serenity, and sense of well-being established in him because his life  is God-controlled, rather than flesh-controlled. Enable him to walk in his house with a clean and perfect heart before You (Psalm 101:2). Shine the light of Your Spirit upon him and fill him with Your love.

I pray that he will be kind and patient, not selfish or easily provoked. Enable him to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things (I Corinthians 13:7). Release him from anger, unrest, anxiety, concerns, inner turmoil, strife and pressure. May he not be broken in spirit because of sorrow (Proverbs 15:13), but enjoy the continual feast merry heart (Proverbs 15:15). Give him a spirit of joy and keep him from growing into a grumpy old man. Help him to be anxious for nothing, but give thanks in all things so he can know the peace that passes all understanding.

May he come to the point of saying, "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content" (Philippians 4:11). I sat to (husband's name) this day, "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24:26).

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

Philippians 4:6,7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Ezekiel 18:31

Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?

Proverbs 25:28

Whoever has no rule over his own spirit. Is like a city broken down, without walls.

I Corinthians 13:2

 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Psalm 100:4

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 19

DAY 19 - PRAY FOR HIS PAST.

The past should not be a place where we live, but something from which we learn. We are to forget "those things which are behind" and reach "forward to those things which are ahead," and we're to "press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13,14). God is a redeemer and a restorer. We need to allow Him to be both. He can redeem the past and restore what was lost. He can make up for the bad things that have happened (Psalm 90:15). We must trust Him to do those things. We can never move out of the present into the future of what God has for us if we cling to and live in the past.

Your husband's past not only affects him, it affects your offspring as well. More is passed down to your children and grandchildren than just the colour of your hair and eyes. We can leave  a legacy as painful and damaging as the one we experienced ourselves. We can bequeath a heritage of divorce, anger, anxiety,depression and fear, to name a few. Whatever you and your husband can free yourselves from the past, you not only lose some of what God has for your future, but for your children's future as well.

God says we are to cry for deliverance, walk in His ways, proclaim His truth, and then we will find freedom from our past. But sometimes there are levels of freedom to go through. Your husband may think he's gotten free of something and it will rear its head again, leaving him feeling like he's right back where he started. Tell him not to be discouraged by that. If he has been walking with the the Lord, he is probably moving into a deeper level of liberty that God wants to work in his life. Your prayers will surely gird him for the journey to greater freedom.

PRAYER

Lord, I pray that You would enable (husband's name) to let go of his past completely. Deliver him from any hold it has on him. Help him to put off his former conduct and habitual ways of thinking about it and be renewed in his mind (Ephesians 4:22,23). Enlarge his understanding to know that You make all things new (Revelation 21:5). Show him a fresh, Holy Spirit inspired way of relating to negative things that have happened. Give him the mind of Christ so that so that he can clearly discern Your voice from the voices of the past. When he hears those old voices, enable him to rise up and shut them down with the truth of Your Word. Where he has formerly experienced rejection or pain, I pray he will not allow them to colour what he sees and hears now. Pour forgiveness into his heart so that bitterness, resentment, revenge and unforgiveness will have no place there. May he regard the past as only a history lesson and not a guide for his daily life.

Wherever his past has become an unpleasant memory, I pray You would redeem it and bring life out it. Bind up his wounds (Psalm 147:3). Restore his soul (Psalm 23:3). Help him to release the past so that he will not live in it, but learn from it, break out of it, and move into the future You have for him.

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

Isaiah 43:18,19

Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness. And rivers in the desert.

II Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Ephesians 4:22-24

That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

II Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

Revelation 21:4

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 17

DAY 17 - PRAY FOR HIS RELATIONSHIPS.

Isolation is not healthy. We all need the influence of good people to keep us on the right path.  Every married couple should have at least two strong believing couples with whom they can share encouragement, strength and the richness of their lives. Being around such people is edifying, enriching, balancing and fulfilling and it helps us keep perspective when things seem to grow out of proportion. Having the positive qualities of other people rub off on us is the best thing for a marriage.

The Bible says we must "not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers" (II Corinthians 6:14). We must pray against bad influences but it doesn't mean we van never be around anyone who isn't a Christian, but our closet most influential relationships should be with people who know and love the Lord or there will be consequences.

Also pray for your husband to have Godly male friends. And when he finds then, give him time to be doth then without criticism. Those friends will refine him. "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend" (Proverbs 27:17). They will be a good influence.

Pray about all of your husband's relationships. He needs to have good relationships with his parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, coworkers and neighbours. Pray that none of his relationships be marred by his inability to forgive. A husband who is tortured with unforgiveness is not a pretty sight.

PRAYER

Lord, I pray for (husband's name) to have good, godly make friends with whom he can openly share his heart. May they be trustworthy men of wisdom who will speak truth into his life and not just say what he wants to hear (Proverbs 28:23). Give him the discernment  to separate himself from anyone who will not be a good influence (I Corinthians 5:13). Show him the importance of godly friendships and help me encourage him to sustain them. Give is believing married couples with whom we can feel comfortable sharing our lives.

I  pray for strong, peaceful relationships with each of his family members,  neighbours, acquaintances and coworkers.  Today I specifically pray for his relationship with (name of person). Inspire open communication and mutual acceptance between them. Let there be reconciliation where there has been estrangement. Work peace into anything that needs to be worked out.

I pray that in his heart he will honour his father and mother so that he will live long and be blessed in his life (Exodus 20:12).  Enable him to be a forgiving person and not carry grudges or hold things in his heart against others. Lord, You've said in Your Word that "he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and dies not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes" (I John 2:11).

I pray that my husband would never be blinded by the darkness of unforgiveness but continually walk in the light of forgiveness.  May he not judge or show contempt for anyone but remember the "we shall all stand before the judgement sat of Christ" (Romans 14:10). Enable him to love his enemies, bless those who curse him and do good to those who hate him, and pray for those who spiteful use him and persecute him (Matthew 5:44). I  pray that I will be counted as his best friend and that our friendship with one another will continue to grow. Show him baht it means to be a true friend and snake him to be one.

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

Hebrews 10:24,25

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Matthew 5:23,24

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

I John 1:7

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Luke 17:3,4

Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.   And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 18

DAY 18 - PRAY FOR HIS FATHERHOOD

TODAY'S POST IS DEDICATED TO ALL DAD AND ALL THE FATHER FIGURES THAT HELPED RAISE ME.....BOTH DEAD AND ALIVE, I APPRECIATE AND LOVE YOU ALL. TO MY HUSBAND KOFI BOATENG, YOU'RE MORE THAN A BLESSING TO OUR CHILDREN.....IN THEIR EYES, YOU'RE THE GREATEST....WE LOVE YOU DEARLY.

Thoughts of failure and inadequacy are what cause so many fathers to give up, leave, become overbearing from trying too hard, or develop a passive attitude and fade into the background of their children's lives. It can be especially overwhelming to a man who already feels like a failure on other areas.

The best way for a man to be a good father is to get to know his heavenly Father and learn to imitate Him. The more time he spends in the Lord's presence, being transformed into His likeness, the better influence he will be when he spends time with his children. He will have a fathers heart because he understands the Father's heart.

Pray that your husband grows into a greater understanding of his heavenly Fathers love and be healed of any misconceptions he has in his heart and mind about it. Where his father failed him and he has blamed God, ask the Lord to heal that enormous hurt. The Bible says, "Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in deep darkness" (Proverbs 20:20). Unless forgiveness happens in his heart for his dad, he will be in the dark as to how to be the best father for his children. His father doesn't have to be alive in order to right that relationship, because it's what is in his own heart regarding his dad that matters. Pray that he will gain a right attitude towards his earthly father so nothing will stand on the way of his relationship with his FATHER GOD.

PRAYER

Lord, teach (husband's name ) to be a good father. Where it was not modeled to him according to Your ways, a hunger I'm his heart to really know You as his heavenly Gather.  Draw him to close to spend time in Your presence so he can become more elite You and fully understand Your Fathers heart of compassion and live toward him.  Grow that same heart in him for his children.  Help him to balance mercy, judgement and instruction the way You do. Though You require obedience,  You are quick to acknowledge a repentant heart. Make him that way too. Show him when to discipline and how. Help him to see that he who loves his child disciplined him promptly (Proverbs 13:24). May he never provoke his "chide to wrath, but bring them up on the training and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). I pray we will be united in the rile we set for our children  and be in full agreement as to how they are raised. I pray that there will be most rife or argument over how to handle them and the issues that surround their lives.

Give him.skills of communication with his children. I pray he will not be stern, hard, cruel, cold, abusive, noncommunicative, passive, critical, weak, uninterested,  neglectful,  undependable or uninvolved. Help him instead to be kind, loving, soft hearted, warm,interested, affirming,  affectionate, involved, strong, consistent, dependable, verbally communicative,  understanding and patient. May he require and inspire his children to honour him as their father so that their lives will be long and blessed.

Lord, I know we pass a spiritual inheritance to our children. Let the heritage he passes on be one rich on the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. Enable him to move clearly a walk of submission to Your laws. May he delight in his children and long to grow them up Your way. Bring a good father is something he wants very much. I pray that You would give him the desire of his heart.

Amen.

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

Proverbs 17:6

Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.

Proverbs 3:12

For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

Proverbs 23:24

The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise.

Proverbs 29:17

Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad.

II Corinthians 6:18

And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. ”

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 16

DAY 16 - PRAY FOR HIS PRIORITIES

Men have many different ideas about what their priorities should be. But every wife feels she should be at the top of her husband's list, right there under God. If a wife wants her husband's priorities to be in that order, she has to make sure hers are in that order as well. In other words, if you want your husband to place you as a priority over work, children, friends and activities, you need to do the same for him. If God and spouse aren't clearly top priorities in your life, your husband will have less incentive to make them so in his.

For women, there is usually the struggle to keep a right order of priorities, especially if there are little ones in the picture. Children's needs are immediate and urgent and you're the one to take care of them. A husband, after all, is an adult and hopefully can take care of himself. Even if there are no children, it's possible to be consumed by work, home, friends, projects, interests and activities. It's hard, int he midst of everything that occupies your time and attention, not to allow your husband to fall down on the list or at least feel as though he has.

Fortunately, priorities don't always have to do with the total amount of time spent on them, otherwise anyone with a forty-hour work week would be putting God second to their job unless he or she was praying at least eight hours a day. And there is no way a wife can give as much time to her husband as she does to a young child without neglecting the child. When it comes to your husband, it's not so much a matter of how much time you take, but that you do take time to make him feel he is a priority.

If you want your husband to love you more, you need to love him more. It always works, especially if you're praying about it as well. If you feel that you just don't have the time and energy to put your husband first and still do all that's expected of you, ask God for a fresh filling of His Holy Spirit. Seek Him first and He will help you get your priorities in order. Pray for your husband to always put God first, you second and children third. then no matter what else is going on in his life, his priorities will be in order and there will be greater peace and happiness ahead for both of you.

PRAYER

God, I proclaim You Lord over my life. Help me to seek You first every day and set my priorities in perfect order. Reveal to me how to properly put my husband before children, work, family, friends, activities and interests. Show me what I can do right now to demonstrate to hi that he has this position in my heart. Mend the times I have caused him to doubt that. Tell me to prioritize everything so that whatever steals life away, or has no lasting purpose, will not occupy my time.

I pray for my husband's priorities to be in perfect order as well. Be Lord and Ruler over his heart. Help him to choose a simplicity of life that will allow him to have time alone with You, Lord, a place to be quiet in Your presence every day. Speak to him about making Your Word, prayer, and praise a priority. Enable him to place me and our children in greater prominence in his heart than career, friends and activities. I pray he will see You first and submit his all to You, for when he does I know the other pieces of his life will fir together perfectly.

Amen

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Philippians 2:4

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Matthew 6:24

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Matthew 13:45,46

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Matthew 4:10

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)

Wise Quotes - POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE 15

DAY 15 - PRAY FOR HIS REPUTATION.

A good reputation is a fragile thing, especially in this day of rapid communication and mass media. Just being in the wrong place at the wrong time can ruin a person's life. A reputation is not something to be taken lightly. A good name is to be chosen over great riches (Proverbs 22:1) and is better than the "precious ointment" (Ecclesiastes 7:1). It's something to value and protect.

A person who doesn't value his reputation may someday desire credibility and not find it. Our reputations can be ruined by wrong things we do, by the people with whom we are associated, or by disparaging words spoken about us. In all three cases, evil is involved. One unfortunate course case, a significant round of gossip, an evil influence, an unflattering newspaper article, or fifteen minutes of notoriety can destroy everything a man has worked for all his life. Prayer is our only defense.

A vitreous wife, the Bible says, has a husband who is respected.  He is "known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land" (Proverbs 31:23). Does that just happen?  Is every vitreous wife guaranteed a husband with a good reputation? Or does she have something to do with that? It's true that a man gets a certain amount of respect for having a good wife, but I believe one of the good things she does is pray for him and his reputation.

Prayer for your husband's reputation should be an ongoing process. However, keep in mind that he has a free will.  If he is not sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, he may still choose to go his own way and get into trouble. If something like that happens or has already happened to tarnish his reputation, pray for God to redeem the situation and bring good out of it. He can do that too.

PRAYER

Lord, I pray that (husband's name( will have a reputation that is untarnished. I know that a man is often valued "by what others says of him" *Proverbs 27:21), so I pray that he will be respected in our town and people will speak highly of him. You've said in Your Word that "a curse without cause shall not align" (Proverbs 26:2). I pray that there would never be any reason for bad things to be said of hum.  Keep hum out if legal entanglements. Protect us from lawsuits and criminal proceedings. Deliver him from his enemies,  O God.  Defend him from those who rise up to do him harm (Psalm 58:1).  Fight against those who fight against him (Psalm 35:1). If You are fur us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

Your Word says that  "a good tree cannot beat bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into he fire" (Matthew 7:18,19). I pray that my husband will bear good fruit out if the goodness that is within him, and that he will be known by the good that he does. May the fruits of honesty, trustworthiness and humility sweeten all his dealings so that his reputation will never be spoiled.

Preserve his life from the enemy, hide him from the secret counsel of the wicked. Pull him out of any net which has been laid for him (Psalm 31:4). Keep him sage from evil gossiping mouths. Where the has been ill spoken of him,  touch the lips of those who speak it with Your refining fire. Let the responsibility of those involved be revealed. Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion who seek to destroy his life; let them be driven backward and brought to dishonour who wish him evil (Psalm 40:14). May he trust in You and not be a raid of what an can do to him (Psalm 56:11). For You have said whoever believe in You will not be put to shame (Romans 10:11). Lead him,  guide him and be his mighty fortress and hiding place. May His light so shine before men that they see his good works and glorify You, Lord ( Matthew 5:16).

Amen.

SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION

Psalm 64:2,3

Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,

Psalm 31:17,18

Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You; Let the wicked be ashamed; Let them be silent in the grave.Let the lying lips be put to silence, Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

Matthew 5:11,12

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Proverbs 25:8-10

Do not go hastily to court; For what will you do in the end,When your neighbor has put you to shame? Debate your case with your neighbor, And do not disclose the secret to another; Lest he who hears it expose your shame, And your reputation be ruined.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Stomie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife(2006)