Relationships

How Should We Pray as a Couple?

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This then is how you should pray:
Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name Matthew 6:9 NIV

God is our loving Father and is not only majestic and holy, but also a personal and loving God. God is in Spirit everywhere and to all people all the time. When we become believers, we are making a personal commitment to honor His holy name in everything that we do. It is not our achievements but the workings of God in us.

Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Matthew 6:10 NIV

How Should We Pray as a Couple? Read More »

Dealing With Difficult In-laws

Question: My father in law and I differ. I have on numerous occasions held my tongue and not said anything when he rants about the way I say things, where I am going, why I exist, and everything else that I can even breathe. He never says anything positive and is always filling in my words and others too. I think he thinks women are small and insignificant. I also feel he does not and has never liked me. I am mainly concerned when he mouths me that my children will notice and learn that from him. I don’t think confronting him would do a thing, because he is overbearing and will hear only what he wants. I love my husband, but not being able to be around his father.

Dealing With Difficult In-laws Read More »

Love Is Forgiveness, Compassion, Submission and Respect

A healthy marriage is made up of compassion, submission, respect and forgiveness. Did you notice that I didn’t even use the word “love”? That’s because all of the above constitutes love. When you demonstrate these character traits with others you are essentially turning these words into loving action. Love is being submissive, compassionate, respectful and forgiving.

Forgiveness is Love

Love Is Forgiveness, Compassion, Submission and Respect Read More »

Why It’s Important To Respect Your Spouse

As a husband your purpose in marriage is to respect your wife, even when you don’t feel like it. When a man gets married he takes on the added responsibilities of marriage, which include being respectful and caring. A husband is to love his wife as he would love himself.

In the 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 he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church. (Ephesians 5:28-29)

Why It’s Important To Respect Your Spouse Read More »

Our Motives are Important

Proverbs 22:26-27
Do not be one of those who give pledges,
who become surety for debts.
If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should your bed be taken from under you?

God is just as concerned (perhaps more so) about why we do something than about what we do. Behavior which appears righteous on the outside may be sinful if done for the wrong reasons. Paul wrote an interesting description to Timothy:

Our Motives are Important Read More »

Alcoholic Spouse Verbal Abuse and Mind Games

Ask Angie: My spouse abuses alcohol on a nightly basis and then uses verbal abuse and mind games which upset me greatly. When I arrive home from work tired and ready to rest, my spouse is ready to drink, argue and fuss. I do not remember the last time I was able to get a full night of rest. My spouse is bitter, chooses not to forgive and blames me for the drinking. I pray constantly for God is my only refuge. We go to church and it used to be that my spouse would not drink the day of services but now that doesn’t seem to matter. My spouse finds something negative each day against me in order to have yet another excuse to stop and pick up the alcohol she abuses the remainder of the evening. Thanks for any assistance and for your prayers.

Alcoholic Spouse Verbal Abuse and Mind Games Read More »

Stop Talking and Start Praying

Proverbs 22:10-14 NRSV
Drive out a scoffer, and strife goes out;
quarreling and abuse will cease.
Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech
will have the king as a friend.
The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he overthrows the words of the faithless.
The lazy person says,
“There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!”
The mouth of a loose woman is a deep pit;
he with whom the Lord is angry falls into it.

Stop Talking and Start Praying Read More »

Sharing Our Treasures

Proverbs 22:9 NRSV
Those who are generous are blessed,
for they share their bread with the poor.

Robert Fulghum wrote, in his book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, “share everything.” For the Christian, sharing should be second nature. We should never fail to reach out our hand to someone, even when we think they are undeserving.

Sharing Our Treasures Read More »

Why Jealousy Hurts So Much

Jealousy is a very powerful emotion and if left unattended it can literally wreck havoc in our relationships and marriage. Why do we get jealous of our spouse? Why does jealousy hurt so badly? Jealousy hurts because we feel this emotion usually after our spouse has harmed us in some way. But sometimes we feel jealous for no reason whatsoever and this is very harmful to our relationships.

Why Jealousy Hurts So Much Read More »