on September 30, 2010
Ephesians 22-32 – "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church – for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you must also love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."
Prayer Focus: Today’s Prayer Focus comes from the pastor as a model for husbands to use when they pray for their wife.
Father in Heaven, I praise you for the gift of my wife. I pray that I may live a life worthy of her respect and trust, and thereby make it easy for her to honor my leadership in our marriage and home. May she be blessed and fulfilled as she submits to my role as her husband. Teach me more and more how to love my wife as Christ loved the church. Help me to make the kinds of sacrifices in life that demonstrate the application of your Word to my life and our marriage. May the priorities, values, principles and attitudes that I live out of, bring her to a holy and pure walk with You and with me. May they empower her to shine as a bright and beautiful star in this dark and confused world. Grant that I may demonstrate a love for her that she is as precious and sacred to me as my very own body. Oh Lord, may we experience together the richness of the mystery of the same oneness and union that Christ has with the church and that is shared by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Help me to so love my wife that she will richly satisfy me with lavish respect and affection. I believe this would honor You and bless my wife and our marriage. Amen.
Thursday:
- Praise God for the gift of marriage and family and the rich potential for fellowship and love in these unions.
- Join our 6:00pm Thursday night prayer team (in prayer if not in person).
Friday:
- Thank God for your spouse and family. Give thanks especially for the ways they are sacred and precious in your sight.
- Pray for the Good News families of the week: Matt & Megan George (?), Pete & Laurel George (Annabeth, Luke), Pastor Dave & Cindy George.
Saturday:
- Pray for the men of our church and community to be men of the Word, who bathe their wives with it and lead their households by it.
Sunday:
- Pray for the women of our church and community to be women of the Word, who gladly receive its discipline and guidance and promote it in their homes and neighborhoods.
Monday:
- Ask God to strengthen Christian marriages in a world that is hell bent on destroying them. Pray that husbands and wives will keep their first love alive and fresh as they cherish one another.
Tuesday:
- Pray for those marriages that are in trouble, that they might have a revival of what is sacred and precious. Pray that they would come to a fresh reality of God’s purpose and plan for marriage.
Wednesday:
- Ask God to help you remember that marriage is holy because its creation is like unto the eternal holy union and fellowship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and like unto the relationship of Christ and His Church. May the mystery and wonder of such unity and love captivate our hearts and secure our relationships with Him and each other.
Faith Challenge: Find ways to do the Lord’s work and express what you really believe (serve in a weekly ministry, a ministry project, and spontaneous opportunities for ministry). Share your testimony with someone this week. Invite them to Sunday School, Worship, The Truth Project or Power Team!