Praying Couples...

If you knew a secret, that would fortify and strengthen your marriage against divorce, to such a point, that it would "divorce-proof" your marriage, would you want to know about it? 

Well, I read about some research that George Barna did to see how many Christian couples who were married, prayed, and of those couples that prayed, what was the divorce rate for them? He found that only 8% of Christian couples prayed on a regular basis. Sad. But the divorce rate for those who pray on a regular basis was less than 1%! When you consider that for those who don't pray, it has stayed around 50%, whether they are Christians or not, this is amazing! 

I would say "this is a no brainer!" If we don't pray with our spouse, we need to start today! I think, just like any discipline that we embrace, such as working out, or eating right, we need to just come up with a plan and work it into our daily routine. At first, it may seem like a "duty", but just like working out, it can turn into something fun! 

For Faith and I, we like to pray in the morning, after we've had a time to just talk over a cup of coffee. I feel like it's important to just pray a Blessing over her. I like to just start out by thanking the Lord for her and thinking of all that she may be burdened about, and seek to lift her burdens to the Lord. We usually pray for health, protection, provision, for our children, our grandchildren. We like to pray for wisdom and guidance in decisions we're making. Once we get started, we find so many things to go back and forth praying about. Afterward, I always feel more connected with her. I feel like prayer unites us more and includes our Loving Father in our relationship in a beautiful way. 

If you're not praying with your honey, start now! Don't beat yourself up with condemnation, but start right where you are, with "baby steps". Pretty soon, you'll see powerful answers to your prayers and you'll wonder why you didn't start sooner!

Overflow

Recently, we had a time of 24/7 prayer in the Chapel at Church. It happened to take place, the week before the Thrive Men's Adventure. On the Tuesday morning before, I came into the room that was decorated with many stations to help us focus our prayer. As I sat before the Lord and sought Him, I heard the word "overflow" and felt that the Lord wanted me to just be filled with His Spirit and learn to let Him Overflow in my life. Right then, I looked over at my left, and there was a big oil drum with a little drum on top, which was painted beautifully. The smaller drum had water flowing over it's rim and it spilled continuously into the big drum. 

Paul said "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2Cor.9:8) Here, the word "abound" means "to be in excess," "abundance,". God has such an ocean of Grace available to us! He is Able to make that Grace overflow towards us, so that in every situation, and at all times, we have all the resources we need to overflow in every good work! 

Jesus put it this way... "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive."(John 7:38-39) 

When we spend time with Jesus, He Fills us to overflowing with His Spirit, until it begins to flow like a stream from within us. As you take time with Him today, ask Him to fill you. Ask Him to let His Grace and His Spirit fill you till you spill out on others. He has a "good work" that He planned ahead of time for you to do and you need to be ready for all He has for you!

"Presence Driven"

"Presence Driven"

-There used to be a commercial for potato chips, that had the slogan "I'll bet you can't eat just one"! I have to admit, if you give me a bag of chips, and you leave it with me, I may just about polish off a big bag myself.

-I've had the same feeling about experiencing God's Presence lately. Once I "get a taste" of His Glory and Power, I want more! 

-At Thrive, our Men's Retreat, there were times in our worship, when over 400 men were lifting up Jesus with thundering voices, that I could sense the very Presence of God, Moving among us. I could tell that I wasn't the only one! 

-We know that Jesus said "Lo, I Am with you always", but there are times when The Holy Spirit Is Poured out and it is a life-changing experience. In fact, where His Spirit Is, there is Liberty. Chains fall off and wonderful things happen.

-Well...I want more. I'm hungry for His Spirit to Flow like a Mighty River again. When I look at Psalm 27:4&8 in the Amplified Version, David seems to have the same yearning for God's Presence. Here's what he said -"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for,  and  [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold  and  gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider,  and inquire in His temple. Vs 8 "You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for,  and  require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word]. 

David narrowed his desire to one thing. It was what He thought about and yearned for. He wanted God's Presence and required it as his vital need! He wanted to behold God's Beauty there and experience His Power. 

-Moses felt it too. As he interacted with His Mighty King,  "The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. (Exodus 33:14, 15 ) 

-May this be your "one thing" too. May you stay hungry for more of Jesus and His Presence in your life, in your church, in your family.