Everywhere I look I'm seeing attacks on marriages, especially within the church. When I say church, I'm not saying a building, but rather I'm going back to the early days where the church was the local body of believers. So..if you look around at the body of believers you are associated with, it's safe to say there is an attack on marriages today. I have had the immense privilege of crying out to God for friends' marriages and marriages within my extended family along with my own marriage. What is so tough to me, is the idea that we can pick and choose from the scriptures what we will apply to our lives to live out, and what we will just leave by the wayside so as not to be changed by the living and active word of God (Heb 4:12). As I say that, I am very very well aware of my own sinfulness..and ever so thankful for a God who in His kindness leads me to repentance...and Who daily pursues my heart and holds me to the standard of Christ and not the standard of men, and sees me through the redeeming blood of a PERFECT Savior!!

Reading God's words in Matthew 19, it clearly states that Moses granted that men could get a certificate of divorce because of their hardness of heart! God's word says, "they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." Matthew 19:6. For some those are harsh words because their marriage is riddled with trouble. Maybe you think your spouse is mean to you, maybe you think you made a mistake...maybe your spouse has changed...maybe your spouse is struggling with an addiction...or here's an eye opening thought...maybe you are struggling with pride and self-centeredness and not willing to open your heart to the Lord to allow Him to show you where you need to change and where you are at fault in your marriage.

Early on in my marriage I read a quote by Kay Warren, "Marriage isn't meant to make you happy it's meant to make you Holy." I do not know why that quote was so eye opening to me, because God's desire if for us to be holy even as He is holy, and most certainly the Creator of the universe can use any and everything to make us holy. But at that point in my marriage it was...that was a huge turning point for me...a day of self examination. I knew I wasn't perfect and I knew I seriously needed the Lord to change me and mold my heart to be the helpmate that Micah needs. God has been so gracious in growing our marriage since 2002 (when we began this journey). Some months have definitely been more fun than others, but overall..I completely trust God's sovereignty in pairing me with my spouse. Trusting that erases the doubts of what if I made a mistake? They are no longer valid doubts to even be entertained...but rather sinful thoughts of distrust in God's complete and utter Sovereignty. The Lord allowed me to have this view of marriage after bringing healing and restoration to our marriage early on, my commitment in this marriage is not to my spouse..in fact it has little if nothing to do with him, but rather has everything to do with my faith and trust in God and my commitment to Him. I trust God. It's that simple. My "choice" of a spouse was written even before my days came to be..Psalm 139:16

God is so graciously teaching me be it in my marriage, or doubt or sinful distractions...that in whatever He desires to draw me to Himself, He desires for me to pursue Him in His word and in prayer, and He desires to create in me a pure heart that I may be holy even as He is holy (Psalm 51:10, , Mathew 6:33, 1 Peter 1:16)

Ladies God's desire for us is clear...that we would be in a right relationship with Him, which He alone can do and has done if you call upon the Name of Jesus as Savior you have unlimited access to God the Father to beseech Him on behalf of your marriage and the marriages throughout this world...beg the Lord to pour out His mercy upon marriage...not because of anything we have done but solely because of His great compassion (Daniel 9:18-19). As the Lord brings friends to your mind throughout the day, briefly pray and ask God to strengthen their marriage. Pray for your family for your loved ones, for those within the walls of your church...ask God for revival in marriage. That believers would rise up and accept the Word of God for what it is, the Final Authority, and that as believers we would take seriously each and every word.

We are so incredibly blessed to have God's word WRITTEN! It is written in several versions and formats, we even have it on Cd's now so we can listen to it all day if we wanted! It is truly amazing the blessings we have because the Lord has allowed them, and yet we fail to take advantage of what God has given us. We fail to beseech the Lord so often in prayer. God is so clear, pray without ceasing 1 Thes. 5:17.

Be a woman of the word and a woman of prayer...ladies do not fall into the temptation of world and become a weak woman who is led astray by every temptation being weighed down by sins (For among them are those who enter into the households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins... 2 Timothy 3:6a) Pray! Pray that we would not fall into temptation, but the we would be fervent in our desire for God! Pray that God would captivate our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Pray for your sisters, your friends, your parents...your neighbors...pray...whoever and whatever...just pray!

As I reflect on the importance of prayer, having come from a family of unbelievers...knowing only that after I came to Christ, my paternal grandfather and grandmother were the only two believers in my family...I know that God's hand was upon me since birth as He ordained the day of my salvation, but that as my grandmother cried out to God daily for both my sister and I, I can only imagine how sweet and persistent her prayers were as my sister and I were in the midst of an unbelieving "dysfunctional" home! And I'm thankful that the Lord has allowed me the privilege of knowing that my grandma prayed for me! What an immense blessing. I think the foundations of a marriage and a friendship need to be deeply rooted in prayer that your spouse, family and friends know before asking you..that you are praying for them. That is the heart I long to have..one in a constant state of prayer not just for the family the Lord has given me, but for the precious sisters in Christ the Lord allows me to call friends and family, that they would know I will in a heartbeat lay them before the throne of grace and seek our God on their behalf!

I recall as Moses cried out to the Lord, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" Ex. 33:18 Ladies lay your equests before the throne of grace and pray that the Lord would show us His glory in bringing His healing and restoration to homes across our world!!