It's "Marriage Prayer Friday!"

It's Friday once again, and we're praying for marriages — our own and for those we love.

A prayer for your own marriage—

SOVEREIGN GOD, You stand in authority over our hearts. Thank you for your grace that softens even the hardest heart (like the Apostle Paul’s). I want to have a soft heart too — toward You and toward those I love, especially my husband/wife. Lord, I confess that my faith grows cold sometimes and my heart gets hard. This bitterly affects my marriage. Sometimes, it’s only for a moment or one bad day. But even cancer grows from one tiny bad cell. Help me to do my part in nurturing the “good cells” in my marriage. I know that you desire my marriage to strengthen me and my spouse both individually and together. I want to be a Christ-like encouragement to my husband/wife. I want to be more empathetic and truly understand his/her perspective. I want to see my spouse through Your eyes. Even when it seems necessary for us to correct or guide each other, I want Your help to do that graciously and tenderly as Christ would do it. Please stand in authority over my heart, God. Thank you for the healing and growth that is to come in Jesus’ name! AMEN

Something to pray for a friend's marriage—

SOVEREIGN GOD, You stand in authority over our hearts. Thank you for your grace that softens even the hardest heart (like the Apostle Paul’s). Please make my married friends receptive and soft-hearted — toward You and toward their spouses. Lord, I know that cold faith and hard hearts bitterly affects a marriage. Sometimes, it’s only for a moment or one bad day. But even cancer grows from one tiny bad cell. Help my friends to nurture the “good cells” in their marriages. I know that you desire them to be strong both individually and together. Help them to give Christ-like encouragement to each other. Help them to be more empathetic and truly understand each other's perspectives. Help them to see each other through Your eyes. Even when it seems necessary for them to correct or guide each other, help them to do that graciously and tenderly as Christ would do it. Please stand in authority over their hearts, God. Thank you for the healing and growth that is to come in Jesus’ name! AMEN

FINDING GLORY Wednesday

Today’s scriptures and discussion question are, once again, taken from the Finding Glory in the Thorns: Group Discussion Guide. Please join the discussion. Share your comment below and invite others to join these conversations. The more the merrier!

"No one has ever seen God; but if we love each other, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us." 1 JOHN 4:12-16

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." EPHESIANS 2:19-22

How does the idea of being part of that Body (Christ's sacred Body) inspire and challenge you to embrace joy, practice gratitude, and share in the ministry of the Holy Spirit by loving one another?

For more information about Finding Glory Groups, visit http://www.findingglory.com/findingglorygrou.html.

Today's reflections are copyrighted excerpts taken from Finding Glory in the Thorns: Group Discussion Guide.

My Top Three (more on Walking Partners)

When it comes to having someone come alongside me in life as a valued friend, what are the three most important things I look for in a relationship? I think this is an important question to ask and it’s one I’ve asked myself many times. This is where I keep landing — I need encouragement, exhortation, and empathy based on Biblical principals that keep me pointed back to Christ. Authenticity is right up there too but, because it weaves through these first three, I’ll make it a topic of another week.

For today, I’ll share some examples of three things I value highly in my marriage relationship and the friendships that are most treasured in my life. Perhaps they can serve as an inspiration, challenge or guideline for some of our readers.

ENCOURAGEMENT — I was terribly bullied during middle school and heard a lot of messages that wore away at my confidence in myself and my trust in others. For that reason and others, I grew up craving advocacy, affirmation and affection. The Samaritans were not a well-liked people either. That’s one reason why the Samaritan woman was so shocked when Jesus talked to her at the well. I appreciate friends who value me for who I am, love me unconditionally, and are willing to help care for my deepest needs. In John 4, the woman came to the well thirsty for water. Jesus gave her so much more than that. In fact, He offered her a kind of friendship that poured out and satisfied the needs of many other Samaritans from her town too!

The world’s encouragement is fleating and based on superficial things.

Biblical encouragement means we hold unswervingly together to the hope we profess in our faithful God and “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:25).

EXHORTATION — There are some things I don’t like very much about myself so I frequently ask God to purify and re-shape me. But there are also times when I am blind to things that need re-molding in me and it can take a wake-up call from someone I trust and respect who will lovingly correct me. I can hang out with people who will tell me what I want to hear or I can choose friends who want to grow with me and won’t be afraid to rebuke me when necessary (2 Timothy 4:1-5). Together, we can help each other become an ever-increasing reflection of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

The world says, “Stay out of each other’s business.”

Biblical friendship stretches us through a faith that asks, “Lord, keep me grace-filled, hungry for, and increasingly wise in handling Your Word which is powerful and effective for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

EMPATHY — Our daughter, Carly, was knocked down at day camp last week while dancing and her two front teeth were severely chipped. I was so thankful she had one of our own PCAs (personal care attendant) with her so she could be quickly comforted by someone she knew. Nobody likes to go through crisis without a friend alongside. Even Jesus brought his friends with him when He was distressed. Mark 14:32-41 describes Jesus’ expectation about how friends should stand together in the face of challenges.

Example of a common response: “You deserve to feel sorry for yourself sometimes.”

Example of a Biblical response: “In your situation, I might feel the same way. Can we pray together about this this right now?”

LORD, please plant me in relationships that are genuinely and courageously characterized by encouragement, exhortation and empathy that reflects Christ. Thank you, Jesus, that friendships like that will bless us and honor you too! AMEN