For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. — Hebrews 4:12
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A few months ago Scott and I were in a really hard season. Parenting was hard. Work was hard. Ministry was hard. And marriage was hard. We were both trying to deal with all the demands on us. We were both exhausted in every possible way. We were both consumed with the expectations and realities of life swirling around us.
When Scott is stressed or worried, he tends to get even more quiet. When I am stressed or worried, I tend to get even more emotional.
Can I just tell you that isn’t the best mix?
We weren’t doing a good job of communicating with each other. We really weren’t connecting at all. And eventually it caught up to us.
Late one night neither of us could take the strain anymore. We spent a couple of hours talking—sharing what was going on inside us and discussing how to move past what was going on between us.
About two days before “the conversation,” I’d written this prayer in my journal as I listened to the song, “Word of God Speak”
Lord, that’s the answer, isn’t it? To soak in You, to be in the midst of You, to be with You and hear Your voice. Draw me — and Scott and Casiday — into Your Word.
God works through His Word!
I think we lose sight of that sometimes. We get so busy trying to fix everything and everyone and we fail to trust His Word, to soak in His Truth, to be in His Presence. But I can’t fix anything or anyone. And when I try, I usually mess it all up even more.
When I turn from my wants to His Word, when I lay down my demands and lean into His desires, when I stop working it out myself and start worshiping Him, He does the most incredible things!
Maybe your marriage is in a hard season right now. Maybe all the demands and pressures of life are pressing in on you and you can’t breathe. Maybe you can’t even look at your spouse without thinking about all those ways he or she hasn’t measured up, all the times you’ve been hurt. I understand. Really. I’ve been there and, the truth is, I’ll likely be there again.
The thing is, we’ll all be in those situations. The question is, how will we respond? Will we keep fighting against each other or will we pick up our sword and fight the real enemy? {Ephesians 6:10-18}
For me, the key to keeping my heart focused on the real enemy is time in the Word. It’s the cornerstone of my day, every day. And Scott feels the same way. When we slip away from our personal quiet times of Bible study, meditation, and prayer, we inevitably slip away from each other as well. But when we are faithful to time with the Lord and in His Word, we are stronger, more united.
You can’t make your spouse read the Word or do what it says. But you can make it a priority for yourself. And watch what He does in and through you as you grow closer to Him!
~ Teri Lynne
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Today’s Prayer
Lord, in the middle of all the hustle and crazy of our lives we are often guilty of neglecting time in Your Word.Of all the books about building a marriage, we know the Bible is the very best guide. Forgive us when we allow the distractions of the world to deter us from You. Help us encourage one another to invest time in study and meditation. May Your Word move in us and draw us closer to each other as we abide in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
#MarriagePrayers: Fill us with a desire for Scripture, an abiding love for the truth of Your Word. (Hebrews 4:12) Share on X**********
Thank you for joining us for #MarriagePrayers: 31 Verses to Pray for Your Marriage. Scott and I will be sharing a new verse and prayer every day throughout May, leading up to our 20th anniversary on June 1. You can find every day’s post indexed here. We pray you will be encouraged and challenged as you pray God’s Word for your marriage.
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