You, me and Him—pt. 2
To recap last week’s blog post: Having devotions as a couple is very important. I’m convinced that Adam and Eve were quite used to God coming and meeting with them. I think it would be odd if God’s first visit came only after they had sinned. God walking with Adam and Eve suggests His close, intimate relationship with His children—which includes us. I got the revelation that God did this often, perhaps daily “in the cool of the day”. Unlike them however, you and I don’t need to be afraid to face the Father because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
Power comes in pairs
Prayer is a very important part of your devotions. God speaks to us through His Word, and He also wants to hear from us in prayer. The Bible teaches us to pray on our own but also together.
Years ago, Gaspar and I were praying individually for one of our children. It was a pretty serious situation, and we had been praying for about a year with no change. This was way before we started spending time with God together. I guess it was out of desperation that we started to cry out to God together. The answer we were believing for came one week later. That convinced to us that there was definitely greater power when we prayed together.
Getting started
If you and your spouse haven’t prayed together before, it may take some time to feel comfortable. Start with each of you spending just a few minutes praying aloud and, before long, your prayer time will increase naturally.
Prayer is also a way to seek God’s wisdom together. As you pray and come into agreement on issues, it builds trust and strength in your marriage. Praying together reminds you that God is the source and center of your lives.
And finally, as with all other spiritual disciplines you’re setting a positive example for your children. Prayer is a learned behavior, and your act of faith and trust in God is one that your children will learn by example. When your kids see their parents reading the Word and praying together, they will see the value you place on it and will practice the same habits.
Sample Devotion
This sample devotion was borrowed from author Michelle Peterson’s #Stay Married: A Couple’s Devotional (Althea Press, 2017) and edited for the purposes of this blog post.
Baggage Handling
Baggage is anything you bring into the marriage that causes damage and conflict between the two of you. It includes past hurts, insecurities, ex-relationships, debt, addictions… any number of things. Often they are issues that have gone unresolved for years. These things need to be unpacked and confronted for the health of your marriage and family. When they aren’t, they bear a heavy burden of destruction.
How To Unpack Your Baggage
- NAME IT. Whether it was abusive parents, a previous bad marriage, abandonment issues, whatever, it’s important to acknowledge this was a part of your life that wounded you and shaped who you’ve become.
- TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. Whatever your baggage is, it’s important to take responsibility for your current behavior and address any sinful reactions.
- SEEK HEALING. It’s for this very reason that Breaking Free Living Well Counseling was developed. Inner healing prayer and counseling can help break strongholds and bring you into freedom, so you can move forward into all God has for you.
Read and Meditate on Hebrews 12:1
What is God speaking personally to you through this verse?
To Discuss:
Dysfunctional and unhealthy behavior is often the result of unresolved issues. Can you attribute any bad habits or sinful behavior, anger, infidelity, emotional problems, control issues… to some baggage you’ve been carrying? God promises He will heal the broken-hearted and set the captives free. If either of you is dealing with baggage from the past, consider Breaking Free Living Well Counseling as a means of receiving the healing you need.
Prayer Points:
- Thank God for accepting us, baggage and all and for His desire to heal and restore.
- Pray that He would give us grace and patience with each other as we work through healing.
- Thank God that He searches our hearts and shows us what is hiding underneath the surface.
- Pray for the people in your life who have hurt you, extending forgiveness and grace to them.
Some recommended devotionals…
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