Love Dare: Day 16

Love Dare: Day 16

LOVE INTERCEDES

Many people marry thinking they can change their spouses after the wedding band's slipped on. It doesn't work that way though.

We aren't God. We can't mould and make our spouses into something else. Don't burn time, energy and joy doing that.

So what can we do about our mate? We can choose to be a "wise farmer."

A farmer can't make a seed grow into a fruitful harvest. But he can plant it, water it, fertilise it, pluck out weeds and leave it up to God. Not all seeds sprout but majority will with proper soil and care.

There's no guarantee that these Dares will transform your spouse. It challenges you to love your spouse radically though. It will very likely cause a heart transformation in you though. :)

As you carry out each Dare, you can be sure your spouse will notice the changes and your marriage will turn from a parched desert into a watered and fruitful land. This may not happen overnight, but as you keep walking out God's grace in your marriage and practicing the various values discussed here, keep expecting success and depending on God, not yourselves, for that victory.

You have an important tool to help you in this walk- effective prayer.

Scripture tells us that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful when it is effective (see James 5:16). Prayer works. It's a supernatural tool to unleash God's limitless, creative power in our lives. See Luke 18:1, Phil 4:6-7, Acts 12:1-17. Expect amazing outcomes. This does not always mean instant gratification; believe in God's perfect timing for your situation.

God is sovereign. He does things His way. He is not your personal genie in a lamp, but rest assured that He's promised that His blessings bring with them no sorrow. So trust Him to know what's best for you and to give you the gold, not the bronze or silver.

Prayer also forges a closer more intimate bond between God and us. When we come from a humble heart, and are in a right relationship with Daddy God and fab other, our prayers become powerful.

Why has God given you the ability to see our spouse's hidden faults? Is it so that we can endlessly nag them? No! It's so we can practice effective kneeling. No one knows better how to pray for your mate other than you. Has nagging or scolding been working? No. Why? Because they don't cause heart transformation. Just face transformation- from smiles to grimace.

You'll find that God fixes your mate better than you. When you cover your spouse with prayer, it's a happier way to live.

So turn your complaints into prayers and watch your Heavenly Daddy cause the change whilst keeping away your ammo of less than tactful words. Your spouse is an unbeliever? Well, you know what to pray for then. :)

Beyond this, the Kendricks encourage us to pray exactly for our mate's needs. Pray for their heart, attitude, responsibilities before God. Pray for them to have the gift of discernment so they can tell what's from God and what's of the devil. Pray for forgiveness to take away the bitterness. Pray for a genuine breakthrough in your marriage. Pray for your heart's desires- for love and honour and respect to become a day to day truth, for romance and intimacy to deepen.

One of the most loving things you can ever do for your spouse is to pray for them, says the Kendricks. See Matthew 7:7- ask, seek, knock to have a situation to open up and so you can get your desired outcomes.

TODAY'S QUOTE-

3 John 2, Luke 18:1, Phil 4:6-7, Acts 12:1-17, James 5:16, Matthew 7:7

TODAY'S DARE-

Begin praying today for your spouse's heart. pray for 3 specific areas where you desire for God to work in your spouse's life and in your marriage.

TODAY'S REFLECTION-

Have you experienced the power of prayer in the past? What did you choose to pray about? Was it easy for you, or did it feel foreign to you?