30 Day to pray for your husband

When people pray, God listens and works miracles. Praying for your husband does not mean to ask God to fix the little (and even big) things that bug you. Praying for your husband is simply laying his needs and your marriage at His feet and allowing Him to transform your marriage into what God intended it to be.
Take the challenge with us. It is NEVER too late to start. Whether you have been married one day or 50 years, start praying today.

You can find this challenge here.  Reviveourhearts.com has many other great resources as well.

"An excellent wife who can find?

She is far more precious than jewels 

The heart of her husband trusts in her,

and he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good, and not harm,

all the days of her life."

Proverbs 31:10-12 (emphasis mine)

The main focus for this week's prayers is your husband relationship with God. Whether your husband is a believer or not, he is a child of God. He may follow God wholeheartedly or reject Him completely. Regardless of the situation, praying for a right relationship with God is crucial. Not just that but praying for your husband will also ensure that your relationship with God is on track as well.

So join us in this challenge and do let us know if we can pray for you.

What is your relationship status with Jesus?

Are You Intimate With Jesus?

The church is called the Bride of Christ

Rev 19:7- Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

2 Cor 11:2 - I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

    What bridegroom does not want to have sex with his new bride? Especially if she is presented to him as a virgin (and he is a"virgin", too) as is so often not the case in our culture. And let’s not forget the bride. While a woman’s sex drive usually does not match her husband’s, women nevertheless look forward to the intimacy of the wedding night as well.

    Sex is the one act that separates marriage from other relationships. When it is used as God designed it, it is the supreme act of intimacy, drawing a husband and wife together and bringing great pleasure to both partners. Humans were designed for intimacy. With men it leans to the physical, and with women it leans to the emotional, but both of us desire both kinds of intimacy. And we were made in the image of God, which means our desire for intimacy is a reflection of God’s desire for intimacy.

    We obviously are not going to literally have sex with Jesus, but the image of the church as the bride of Christ demonstrates to us that God desires the kind of intimacy from us that comes with a (healthy) sexual relationship. In Genesis, God was found walking in the Garden of Eden during the cool of the day. He came to Adam and Eve to spend time with them. Time is another factor that creates intimacy. While it’s possible to spend time with a person and never become intimate, it is impossible to become intimate without spending time together. That time does not have to be in physical proximity (it could be a long-distance relationship nurtured through letters, phone calls, email, etc.) but it does have to include opening ourselves up to the other person and receiving their openness.

    That is what our relationship to God should be like. When a man and woman meet and find themselves attracted to one another, the first thing they generally do is find a way to spend some time together. She gives him her phone number. He calls. They talk. They meet somewhere and talk some more. They do things together. The more they discover that they have in common, the more things they do together, and so they spend even more time together. Eventually they get married, move into the same house and spend oodles of time together. The only way you can truly become the bride of Christ that you were meant to be is to spend time with him. The more you spend time with him, the more you will find you have in common with him, and the more you will desire to spend time with him.

    Maybe your marriage to Christ isn't what it ought to be. If so, I assure you that in this marriage, you are the problem, not your husband. If that is the case, begin today to reconcile by spending time with him - time in fellowship with other believers, time in the Word, and time in prayer. And if you just aren't feeling it, then start by praying for the grace to desire him again. And in time you will once again find pleasure in your Groom, and He will find pleasure in you.

In Chains and Singing

Acts 16:19-28

    When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”
     The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

    Have you ever wondered how Paul and Silas could sing hymns while imprisoned? And what was it about their prayer and songs that kept all the other prisoners from leaving? Whatever these men had, it was better to the prisoners than their freedom! Do you understand the power of this statement? This is not jail in America, with social time in the courtyard, guaranteed meals, latrines in every cell, TV, visits from friends and family and even school available to those who seek it. This is Roman imprisonment.
    The prison in which Paul and Silas were being kept was probably underground, perhaps dug out of rock. Often, the only entrance to such a prison was a hole the size of a manhole, through which both prisoners and guards were lowered. Any light came from a torch or oil lamp making the air smoky. No lights were allowed at night, so you were in pitch darkness. But there were worse things than the darkness. Food rations were half that of a slave ration; not truly enough to maintain life. Friends or family could bring you provisions...if they were allowed and were willing to brave being lowered through that manhole, to be lifted out at the guards' whim. And if they were willing to risk being associated with someone accused of whatever crime you were charged with. Most prisoners were whipped or beaten before being lowered in. Do you think their wounds were dressed? Bloody and in pain, they were manacled and left to suffer. There were no baths or potty breaks, not even chamber pots provided. Rats abounded; there were no beds or blankets, just chains. Prisoners often committed suicide, if they didn't die from the conditions and if they could find the means. Their bodies were piled in a corner to be lifted out later. By the way, female prisoners were dumped into the same prison as the males. No separate facilities here. And prison guards were usually the poorest of soldiers. I doubt they had much love for the prisoners whose crimes had forced them into this terrible place. Do you think they were pleasant to their charges?
    Prison for the Romans was not a punishment as it is today, but a place where you awaited trial or punishment. Punishment, when it came, could be enslavement. It could be a lifetime of working in rock quarries, or perhaps in mines, where you would never again see the light of day. Or maybe you would be made a galley slave, where you lived and slept on a bench, rowing a Roman galley until you died. If your crime was particularly bad your punishment would be death by crucifixion, arguably the most painful way to die. But before you received one of these punishments, you had to have a trial. And your trial came whenever they felt like getting around to it. If they did.
    So what was it about Paul and Silas that kept the prisoners, whose chains had been loosed, from running, attempting, at least, to escape this torture and the punishment that awaited them? What strange inner strength gave Paul and Silas the ability to endure this treatment and rather than cursing the all-powerful God, the worship of whom had landed them here, sing hymns of praise and pray to Him? What do you think you would do if thrown into such a prison for a crime you did not commit? Or even if you were thrown into a modern-day American prison? Could you praise God for allowing you to be falsely accused and unjustly condemned? Honestly, I don’t know what I would do. I think it’s impossible for anyone to say until they are in such a situation. But I believe I have had a taste of the joy that caused Paul and Silas to rise above their circumstances and focus on the eternal rather than the temporal.

    What about you? Have you ever tasted of the joy of the Spirit? I’m not talking about the simple pleasure that we often derive during worship time in church. Or the joy you might feel in the midst of good fellowship. Those are nice, but they generally fade as soon as the music dies or the fellowship ends. I’m talking about a deep inner peace, contentment and fulfillment that causes you to hunger and thirst for more. An addiction that drives you to seek the inducing drug, inciting you to go to extreme measures to get another hit. No drunkenness of wine can compare to the glory of this high. Like a lover’s caress, it’s locked in your memory so that you find yourself returning to it again and again, longing for the next embrace, wondering when it will come, how you can hasten it. Because if we allow him to, God will romance us. He created us with a desire for romance, and He is the best lover Harlequin ever imagined. This, I believe, is what Paul and Silas felt. This is what radiated from them, infecting the other prisoners with a passion to experience what they saw in these two men.
    Would you like a taste of what Paul and Silas had? It’s possible, you know. All you have to do is spend time with Jesus. He loves you. He desires you. Just you. Coming to him openly, unabashedly, wholeheartedly. It isn’t easy, of course. It’s difficult to have that with a flesh and blood person we can see and touch. To develop such intimacy with the Christ will take some effort. But if you try, I guarantee you will never look back. And you will not fail. “You will seek me and find me if you seek me with all your heart.” (Jer 29:13)
    “So how do I begin?” You ask. I cannot give you a fail-safe formula for developing intimacy with the lover of your soul. But I can tell you this: when a woman sees a man she desires, she rearranges her schedule to make time to be with him. She sets up a date, puts him on her calendar, and makes sure she is available when he comes for her. So do that now. If you desire Jesus, look at your schedule; figure out where you can fit him in. He keeps his calendar open for you all the time. He’ll meet morning, noon or night. Whenever it’s convenient for you. Give him an hour to start. An hour would be a pretty short date with a desirable man. Does Jesus deserve at least that? A lunch date? Just a quick break from work to get to know him a little better, to find out if he’s as desirable on the inside as he is on the outside?
    I know the holidays are a busy time, but truly, that is why we need, all the more, to spend time with our Lord. Martin Luther once said, “I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” I’m no Martin Luther, but if a man like him needed much time in prayer, who am I to think I can get along without it? So I challenge you this holiday season, if you have never spent a full hour in prayer, to set aside one hour once a week, at a minimum to spend time in prayer. Plan it like you would a date. Get child care if you need to. But make it a priority. I guarantee that you will be glad you did it.

    Are you wondering how you could possibly spend an hour in prayer? I’ll share a plan that has helped me. Spend five minutes praying in each of the following areas. Set a timer if you need to, but don’t feel like you have to be bound by it if you do. Don't feel confined by the order, either. Let the Spirit lead you.

• Waiting on God. You can put this after praise or before. It is a time to be silent before the Lord and wait for him to come to you. It is also a time to prepare your heart to meet with the maker of the universe, the Holy God.

• Praise. The more time I spend in praise, the more joy-filled I find myself to be. If you struggle with praise, here are some psalms you could use:

Psalms 8, 9, 24, 29, 33, 47, 50, 65, 66, 76, 92, 93, 95-99, 104, 111, 113, 139, 147-150

• Confession. Examine yourself. Think about your day, or week. Look for sins in your life and talk to God about them. Open your heart to him and let him show you things you may not have already seen.

• Prayer for the world. This may involve some preparation work as you look into what events in the world need praying over. It could include things like praying for persecuted Christians, for the poor, the disadvantaged, for ministries like World Vision, YWAM and Wycliffe. It could be praying for the Syrian refugees or the people in the Philippines who are so greatly affected by the recent storm. Open yourself up and let God lead you in this.

• Intercession. This is prayer for people you know. People at church, friends, neighbors, your country and city, etc. Again, you may want to prepare by having a list. Once you start writing things down you may feel five minutes is not nearly enough time. Remember, it is not our many words but the simple act of lifting a thing up to God. The Spirit prays for us, too!

• Petition. This is a time of prayer for personal needs and family. Resist the urge to tell God what he should do. Rather, lift people up. Here is an excellent list of the prayers of Paul, arranged topically. http://www.regent.edu/lib/research/divinity/divinity-paul.pdf

• Thanksgiving. If you’re going through a tough time right now, this may seem difficult. If so, think of anything good in your life. Do you have a vehicle that works? Clothes to wear? A house? A beloved pet? Food? Health? Even partial health? Do your eyes, ears, nose, mouth and nerves work? Do you have two arms, two legs? There are many who do not have these things. Learn to appreciate the things you do not lack.

• Singing. Take some time to sing a song of praise to God, or listen to one if you don’t like to sing. It is a wonderful way to lift up praise to him.

• Read the scriptures. Just a chapter or two. Whatever you can read in five minutes.

• Meditate on what you have just read. Does it talk about a sin you should avoid? Does it give you an example to follow? Does it speak of a command or promise God gives us? What lesson can you take away from it.

• Listen to God. What does he have to say to you. This is one of the most difficult things to do.  Simply sitting silent, waiting to hear from God. Maybe he will speak, maybe not. You will never know if you don’t stop to listen, though.

• End your time with more praise. Praising and glorifying God is, after all, what we were created for. And it is where we are closest to him.

If you commit yourself to God and give him this time, I promise that you will find yourself wondering where the hour went and wishing you could spend more time with the Lord. And you will begin to taste that joy and glory that made Paul and Silas sing in prison.

Advent Family Ideas and a challenge

With all the focus on shopping and having the right kind of decorations and the perfect gift, it is easy to forget what Christmas is really about. 

THE perfect gift was given to us on a Christmas morning over 2,000 years ago. Yet not all of us have opened that gift and lived a life worthy of that gift. 

"But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment. Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness." 2 Peter 3:10-11 MSG

 Do we live like He is coming back today? Or are we too focused on the world? Are we putting up a Christmas tree or are we going with the new cultural norm of Holiday tree? 

So here is our challenge to you: worship the King this Christmas. Center the season with your family around the manger. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started.

And a challenge that I encourage you to download, print and keep in your Bibles, post on your fridge.

How do YOU keep Christ in Christmas? Share with us!

Truth In the Tinsel. Download the book here.

This website has ton of ideas for free Christmas activities for your family.

Click here!

Family Worship 2013 by murielgregory

Week 3: Wisdom

I have found it difficult to ponder wisdom. The topic is so wide and I am not wise. Then I remembered this quote by Dr Seuss "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

What is wisdom?

According to the Hebrew culture, "Chokhmah (wisdom) is a response to the teaching (torah) of the personal God (YHVH), who is holy and just, and who expects those who know him to exhibit His character in the affairs of life."

Wisdom is a response to the teaching of God. 

From the NIV version there are 219 mentions of wisdom and 189 mentions of the word wise.

This seems like a good place to start.

Prayer Focus

Ask God to fill you with wisdom James 1:5

Ask God to reveal to you times when you have been wise in your own eyes Proverbs 3:7

Pray that when making decisions you will fear God more than men Psalm 11:10

Ask God to reveal to you how you react to heated situations Proverbs 29:11

Thoughts to Ponder

"knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in your fruit salad." Miles Kington.

Ray Ortlund Jr. wrote that "Wisdom is more than brains. It is more than morals. We could memorize the whole Bible, and mean it from the heart, without wisdom. Wisdom is skill, expertise, competence that understands how life really works, how to achieve successful and even beautiful results." (Click here to read the rest of this article)

What wisdom do I speak? Proverbs 10:19

Do I rely on the wisdom of men or on the power of God? Proverbs 19:21

Do I walk in wisdom? 1 John 1:7

Do I think wisely? Luke 6:45

Action Steps

Pray, pray, pray and when you are done pray some more. 

Fear God in everything you say, think or do.

Look up all the verses on wisdom and memorize the ones that speak to your heart.

Read Job 28 and meditate on it.

 Memorize Job 28:28

Watch and sing along :)

Week 3 of "7 Weeks to a Healthier Heart" series

Week 2: Surrender

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be they name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done...
Matthew 6:9-10

                                                                                                                                               

I have been crucified with Christ 

and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. 

The life I now live in the body, 

I live by faith in the Son of God, 

who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:1-2

Prayer focus...

Pray for a spirit of repentance, asking God to make you "faithful and true". 

Spend time in quiet prayer  examining your heart/mind for areas of  disobedience, disbelief, anxiety, rebellion, idolatry, unforgiveness...

Ask God to show you, to teach you, to empower you to "surrender" all to Him.

Ask for FAITH to believe.

Thoughts to ponder...

Have I surrendered my life to God and received eternal salvation?

Do I TRUST God? 

Am I following the ways of the world? Or am I following the way of God?

Am I faithful with my money, my time, my resources, my family....?

What do I need to surrender  today, right now?

Action Step...

One day or every day this week - physically “open your hands”, kneel, or lay down in position of surrender to the LORD asking Him to help you to trust Him fully.

Listen to praise and worship music and meditate on what it means to "surrender"

 SONG - Lead Me to the Cross

Share "your story" of surrendering to CHRIST with your family & with a friend this week.  

Pray with someone this week concerning these things. Be real & be specific as you pray.

Memorize: Galatians 2:20

Week 2 of "7 Weeks to a Healthier Heart" series

Sanctification Challenge week 4

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

Our only goal in life is to emulate Jesus and to reflect more of the character of God. If we are a new creation in Jesus then we became the righteousness of God. It is time to show it more.

If you have been faithful in doing each and every weekly challenge you are one step closer to where you need to be. And I pray that we will all be able to continue to challenge ourselves to keep those new habits.

Here are the links to the past 3 challenges:
week one
week two
week three

We started our journey at the foot of the cross and we are ending our journey at the foot of the cross. On this Good Friday, let's spend some time there and reflect on what would make any person suffer so much. Let's reflect on His character.

There are no shortcuts on learning more about God's character. We need to read His word, His promises, His warnings and make it our own. For the purpose of this challenge we are going to focus on just a few characteristics.

God is just.

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18

 God forgives

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Psalm 130:4

 God is good.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8

 God is love

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

God is patient

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

God is slow to anger

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8

God is faithful

May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

So for our final challenge we will display those qualities each day.
Here is a printout to help you keep track of your progress.

We would also LOVE to hear from you and how this sanctification challenge has motivated you to become a better person.

Sanctification Challenge Week 4

Sanctification week 3 Challenge

When I look at a baby I smile.
When I look at the ocean it brings me peace.
When I look at my husband I am filled with love.
When I look at the cross I am filled with awe.
When I look at refugee camps I am filled with sadness.
When I look at torture camps I am frightened and cringe.

 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. Luke 11:34

What we look out influences how we feel and what we think. The movies we watch, the books we read, the company we keep. Jesus warned us that our eyes are the lamp of our body. How much sadness, depression could be avoided if we choose to look at something positive. How many sins could be prevented if we choose not to read that book or watch that TV show.

This week we are challenging you every day to make a list of the following things:

• something true
• something noble
• something right
• something pure
• something lovely
• something admirable

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. ^{Philippians 4:8-9}
 

You might be wondering how you can avoid looking at things that do not fall in those categories and I do agree that it is not always possible. However more often than not we can choose to look at things that are good. It will not come easy at first but with time it will become second nature. 
Part of the sanctification  process is to turn away from sin and choose better things to focus on. 

Take the challenge and change your life!

^{Below is a document that you can print out and use to write down what you choose to see.}

Sanctification Challenge Week 3

Sanctification Challenge Week 2

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

(Romans 13:11-14 ESV)

It is time dear Christian to wake up. It is time to do what God has been calling you to do. Some of us know what it is and are running from God...playing with sin. The lie is “this is just a little sin it doesn’t really matter” or maybe “no one will find out”. The truth is “all sins bring separation from God. When we are separated from God we can’t recognize His voice. We begin to slip away. The next thing we know that “little sin” has spread like a wild fire and we are enslaved. 

What if there wasn’t much time left?  None of us know our hour. None of us know the hour of the coming Kingdom. What if you waste your time and life here? We were meant for more...

Wake from sleep for salvation is nearer than when we first believed....

“for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light."  Ephesians 5:14

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. 

So then let us cast off the works of darkness...

NOT in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.

Our world, our nation, OUR CHURCH is filled with sexual immorality among other deeds of darkness. It is one thing to be caught up in sexual immorality as a non-follower of Christ - one without the light (that is CHRIST John 14:6) walks in darkness. But it is heart breaking to see God’s own beloved children & bride - His very people - to be enslaved in sexual bondage. The truth will set you free!  Dear sister, if you are hiding sexual sins or other dark secrets - SHINE LIGHT in the darkness. Confess what is true to your God and Father who is full of love and mercy before it’s too late. Also, confess to another believer. 

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16

And confess to those who you need to seek mercy and forgiveness from. Be strong and courageous for this is the will of God. He will be with you. Though it may be frightening and things may not go the way you hope, you will be free. In the end, being faithful and true to God is what matters. He will carry you and give you words. He does immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine...He brings LIFE out of darkness. 

and put on the armor of light...

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
        “I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me...”    Galatians 2:20He is with you and for you. (Romans 8, Psalm 139) Obedience and surrender brings sweet joy, peace, freedom, and sanctification...

FLEE TEMPTATION!  RUN RUN RUN and keep running from ANYTHING  and ANYONE that will trigger or tempt you to fall, especially if you have been entangled in addiction. Know your limitations, seek accountability, and put healthy boundaries in place. (1 Cor. 10:13)

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness

will find life, righteousness, and honor. Proverbs 21:21

Challenge:

What do you need to purge out of your life?  

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Throw of the sin that easily entangles

This week make a commitment to face your fears and be set free. James 5:!6

Who do you need to talk with this week - confess, forgive, and pray with?  

If you cannot think of anything for your personal life, please devote yourself to pray for HIS people. 

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,

“and my servant whom I have chosen,

that you may know and believe me

and understand that I am he.

Before me no god was formed,

nor shall there be any after me.

Isaiah 43:10

Here is the link for week 1 challenge

Sanctification Challenge Week 2 by Muriel Gregory

Sanctification Challenge Week 1

In our search for sanctification, where do we start?

We start at the foot of the cross.

We start where it was made possible for us.

And we linger there.

Until "God himself, the God of peace sanctify you through and through." 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Our challenge this week is very simple yet crucial to any Christian life. Every day this week spend time at the foot of the cross and allow God to sanctify you.

Every day do the following (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18):

• Be joyful always
• pray continually
• give thanks in all circumstances

Every day

• Test everything
• Hold on to the good
• Avoid every kind of evil

Remember Romans 12:1 "Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering."

Every 

day

life

We have a tool to help you plan this challenge because if you do not have a plan you plan to fail.... So here is a link to a document that will allow you to check your progress throughout the week. Print it out, put it on your fridge or by your bathroom mirror, inside your Bible, share it with a friend or two.

Do not worry or give up if you missed a day. Life happens. Just continue where you left of. 

Be 

Blessed 

today!

Sanctification Challenge Week 1 by

Love your Husband Challenge week 4

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails

The love verse..... Most of us are familiar with this verse. We have heard it at Church, we have read it in our Bibles or on Hallmark cards. This verse might have been read at our wedding ceremony. It is a verse that makes us feel good and all gooey inside. Is this a verse that calls you to action? Well it should. This month we are challenging you to love your husband, the way God wants you to love your husband. For the next four weeks we will take one verse and challenge ourselves to do what it says.
click here if you missed week 1
click here if you missed week 2

click here if you missed week 3

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails

Has someone you cared about ever let you down?  Maybe you were lied to, cheated on, abandoned by, deeply hurt, or abused?  Possibly even betrayed by the very person who was suppose to love you?  

If so, it may be especially difficult to imagine a love that never fails.

Oh, Taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8

This never-failing Love is God Himself (1 John 4:8) . He created you in your mother’s womb and knows you by name (Psalm 139). He longs for you to surrender to His plans for He loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). 

 It is heartbreaking the terrible things that happen every day in this broken and cursed world. 

Those things will either break us making us hard, angry, and bitter people 

or 

they may catapult us into the arms of Love. His heart breaks too with the sadness and pain in this world. But praise God! For He is able to bind up the broken hearted, proclaim good news to the poor in spirit, and He sets the captives free. (Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:18)

 We as Christians must abide daily in Christ so that though us these things would take place! 

 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

But the fruit of the Spirit is love... Galatians 5:22

He is the author and source of love. True followers of Christ will be known by their love.  May we, the church, rise up in His Love to finish the work He has for us! Prepare the way of the LORD!  He is coming. 

 Love never fails. 

Challenge:

How can I be all that God created me to be?

1. Pray & plan a time/date for a personal spiritual “retreat”.

 It could be for as short or as long as you can pull off. The purpose is to “get away”  and be still to examine your life making sure your goals & focus are aligned with God’s word & match your actions. Come back refreshed and be intentional in doing something extra special for your spouse!

Love is the most important spiritual act!  It’s worth taking the time with God and yourself to re-energize and re-focus your life. We all need to do this from time to time.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and posses all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. (1 Cor. 13:1-3)

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26

2) Grow in love.  Put your name where “love” goes to examine areas in which you can grow.

______ is patient and kind. ______ is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. ______ does not demand their own way. ______ is not irritable, and keeps no records of wrong. ______ does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices in the truth. ______ never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. ______ never fails...

Pray that your love for your husband would be pure & deepen. 

Over all, let the Truth of God’s love - He has rescued you from death & redeemed your soul! - fuel the love you have for others, particularly those difficult to love/forgive. Listen and obey. With HIM all things are possible...

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:1-2,38-39

Love your Husband challenge week 3

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

New International Version (NIV)

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails

The love verse..... Most of us are familiar with this verse. We have heard it at Church, we have read it in our Bibles or on Hallmark cards. This verse might have been read at our wedding ceremony. It is a verse that makes us feel good and all gooey inside. Is this a verse that calls you to action? Well it should. This month we are challenging you to love your husband, the way God wants you to love your husband. For the next four weeks we will take one verse and challenge ourselves to do what it says.
click here if you missed week 1
click here if you missed week 2

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

The mind can be a very deceiving tool. We spend a lot of time there and thoughts can go round and round and drives us crazy. At the end the original thought has nothing to do with the ending thought. Why? The devil loves to play with you mind. That is how he deceived Eve “do you really think....”. 

Do you really think....... Those are dangerous words because they can easily take us down an evil path.

Love does not delight in evil my child,

I know God but do I really think.....

There are six things I hate,

    seven that are detestable to me:

        haughty eyes,

        a lying tongue,

        hands that shed innocent blood,

        a heart that devises wicked schemes,

        feet that are quick to rush into evil,

        a false witness who pours out lies

        and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

oh how quickly my train of thought can lead my heart to devise wicked schemes or pour out lies. Lies to myself....

I am sorry Lord......

Love rejoices with the truth.....

What is truth?

Jesus in the book of Matthew repeats more than 10 times “I tell you the truth”. The truth is whatever the Bible says, the truth is the Word of God and I will rejoice in the truth!

 Finally, my child, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Yes father I will.......

Here is the challenge for this week ladies. How to love your husband by taking every thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5) and replacing evil thoughts with the truth.

Make a list of attributes concerning your husband in those areas:
What is true about your husband (be positive)
What is noble about him
What is right 
What is pure
What is lovely
What is admirable

Praise your husband in your mind, with your words, when you talk to him, when you talk about him.

Join us next week for our last Love your Husband challenge.

How has this journey been for you so far? Share your thoughts with us! We would love to hear from you.