Arise and Shine

Arise, Shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.  "The Lord shall be thy everlasting light and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.   Isaiah 60:1:20b KJV

 by. Kemi Olubiyi

 When we look all around us today, especially at the body of Christ, which we can relate to as believers; we see so much depression, frustration, sadness, anger, distress, and so on. There is so much evil in our society today that it takes the grace of God for us not to get caught up in the affairs of this world. We, as Christian women, try to put our faith in the Lord, daily trusting Him to be the best wives, mothers, daughters, and workers that we can be, and I am here to tell you today that the Lord sees all your hard work and also sees the stress of everyday life that weighs you down. And so, therefore, He is reminding us today in His word, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11: 28 KJV.

 

 Is not our God awesome? He knew there would be times when we will be down and distressed, and we would need His word to lift us right back up. The above verse is one of those words He has provided to comfort us in times of trouble. The Lord has assured us in His word that He will give us rest and ease our pain when we look unto Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

 

 Sisters, arise and shine this day, for your light has come; who or what is this light? It is our Lord Jesus Christ; He is our everlasting light. In Him, there is no darkness, no more pain, hurt, or distress. Allow the glory of the Lord this day to shine in your lives. Let the Lord take away your cares and burdens that weigh you down and let Him be unto you this day an everlasting light. 

 

 The Light of the Lord shall overshadow every darkness in your life as long as you permit Him to do so. I am not saying trying times will not come; they surely will; Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself experienced it while on earth, but He is assuring us this day that He will see us through and our days of mourning, of sorrow shall be over because He shall be our everlasting light that outshines the darkness and destroys everything that tries to steal our joy.

  

To God Be The Glory!!!

The Praying Wife

1 Peter 3:1-7, Ephesians 5:24, 33, 6:18

by Kemi O.

1. Who is the Praying Wife?

She is simply "The woman who communicates with God (i.e intercedes) on behalf of her husband and her home regularly.

The praying wife is a godly woman who values her marriage and would do whatever is necessary for ensuring the peace of God and the joy of the Lord dwells continuously in her home.

The praying wife is a woman that prays consistently for her husband regardless of whether she feels like it or not because she knows the importance of prayer. She is praying at all times with a joyful heart. 1 Thess 5: 16-17

2. Why should you pray for your Husband?

i. We as wives have been given the legal and spiritual authority by God to stand in the gap for our husbands. As long as you are the legally married wife of your spouse, you are operating according to the will of God for your life and that of your husband’s. Eph 5: 31, Gen 2:24.

ii. We are equal partners in God’s gift of new life. 1 Peter 3:7 New Living Translation.

iii. Because out of reverence for our Lord Jesus Christ, We are required to pray for the well being of our husbands.

iv. Because God has made the husband to be head of his wife, the priest of the home as Christ is the head of the church. 1 Corin 11:3, Eph 5:22-23.

v. Because it shows an act of true and genuine love for your husband. There is no greater way of showing one’s love than to pray for him regularly.

vi. Because praying for your husband brings God’s presence into the center of your marriage. As a woman, you recognize that you need God’s grace and strength to build a lasting marriage.

vii. Because praying for your husband brings him good and not evil. His life is enriched by God when you pray for him. Proverbs 31:11-12

viii. Because praying for your unbelieving or backslidden spouse and living a godly life, can win him over or back to the Lord. ( Salvation, Restoration) 1 Peter 3:1-2

3. The Benefits of Praying for your Husband.

i. It causes you to have favor with your husband as you trust God for whatever you desire for your husband and marriage. See Esther 4:15, 5:1-14

ii. You, as the wife, gain your husband’s trust and praise. Proverbs 31:28.

iii. It brings about peace and happiness in the home. I Tim 2:1-2.

iv. It makes your husband feel loved and honored when he is aware that you spend time interceding on his behalf and also to know he can depend on you to lift him up in prayers when he is spiritually weak.

v. It makes your husband feel more connected to you on a spiritual and emotional level. Mark 10:8

( I have to give credit to my husband for these particular points while preparing to write this article, I asked him what goes through his mind when he hears me praying for him or knows that I am praying for him, and the above two answers were his response).

vi. It gives you front row view or first-hand notice of God’s hand at work in his life.

4. What to Pray for in your Husband’s life.

As a wife, you know that what affects your husband positively affects you and your marriage and so it is essential to pray for every area of his life according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The following are some things you can pray for:

i. Pray for his spiritual growth and relationship with God. 2 Peter 3:18, Colossians 1:9-10

ii. Pray for the calling upon his life.

iii. Pray for him to be an effective leader in the home, work, and ministry.

iv. Pray that he will be faithful to the marriage and that the Lord will safeguard his heart from succumbing to the lust of the flesh. Hebrews 13:4, Proverbs 6:32

v. Pray that he will be a good provider and an excellent father to your children. Psalm 127:5, Romans 12:11, Proverbs 23:24-26,

vi. Pray that he will be a good steward of what God has given him and your home. It is important for him as the head of the home to manage your finances wisely.

vii. Pray that he will excel in his job, business, education ( if in school).

viii. Pray that God will use him to speak words of encouragement and wisdom that will build you up to be an excellent wife and mother for him and your children.

ix. Pray that he will be a man of integrity, honor, and humility.

x. Pray that he will live a purpose driven life.

xi. Pray that God will keep him always in perfect health and that he will not do anything to defile his body ( the temple of the Holy Spirit). 3 John 1:2, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

xii. Pray that he will put God first in everything he does. Colossians 3:23-24

5. Praying for your Husband even when it hurts.

Beloved, I must honestly confess that when my husband and I quarrel or let’s just say have " a difference of opinion" or when he has done or said something that profoundly hurts, the desire and thought of praying for him is far from my mind. I do not even feel like being in the same room let alone praying for him. I am confident some of you can agree with me on that.

Nevertheless, we should remember that he is still human and like us, the tendency to disappoint or cause hurt whether intentional or not is possible, there will definitely be times when trials will come, but God is still in control because He is in the center of the marriage. And so, no matter how hurt or disappointed you are, you should not cease praying for him. 1 Thess 5:17. Even scripture admonishes us to love and pray for our enemies, how much more praying for someone whom we love and share our lives with. Matthew 5:44.

Therefore, instead of dwelling on the hurt or pain, do not bear a grudge, but report him to God, the one who made him the head of you and gave him authority over your household. 1 Corin 11:3, James 5:9, Phil 4:6. Never give the enemy the opportunity to gain a foothold in your life by allowing the pain or hurt to consume or overwhelm you, thus leading you to sin with your words and actions, but go to the Lord in prayer pouring your heart out and looking unto Him for healing. And the Prince of peace will begin to work on your behalf as long as you do your part to let go of the anger and bitterness, forgiving your husband and let the Lord take complete control of the situation. Mark 11:25, Exodus 14:14.

In conclusion, I will say the wife that prays is a tool in the hands of the Lord to safeguard her marriage against the devices of the enemy. Sisters, you can choose this day to be a tool in the hands of God or a weapon in the hands of the Devil. See Proverbs 14:1.

Praying for your husband per the will of God can never lead you down the wrong path. For the words that come out of your mouth has life in it to either make or break your husband and marriage. Proverbs 18:21, 1 Peter 3:7

The praying wife is a woman on call 24 hours a day; she is one that is vigilant, always on alert because at anytime she may feel the need to pray for a particular issue according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. She is indeed a woman led by the Lord and is willing to do whatever necessary to safeguard her marriage.

Beloved, may the good Lord empower each of you this day to be " The Praying Wife" in your marriage and the Lord will strengthen and equip you as you make that commitment today in Jesus name.

Shalom.