The following was submitted to share here today by a FAM Fellowship member who wishes to remain anonymous, and since it addresses many of the issues discussed in FAM Chat Friday night so well, I know it will be a very special blessing. And I give thanks, praise, honor and glory to the Lord for sending such dear and precious men and women to FAM Ministries, who so obviously share the burden to see us all grow in our walk and relationship with the Lord as we stand in faith and obedience to Him for the restoration of our marriages and families. So be blessed and encouraged!

The Lord led me to Psalms this morning and really opened my eyes to the need to praise him; to call on him with faith. I really believe in my spirit that he wants each of us to honor him more with praise and acknowledgement of his power and in light of that praise and faith in his power-to boldly require and ask for his help. I found Psalm 67:5-7 very encouraging and it is in the prayer below (last 3 sentences):

I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He sends from heaven and saves us; God sends his love and his faithfulness. Let my heart be steadfast,
then I will sing and make music. Awaken my soul to the obedience that comes from faith. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations. O my Strength, I watch for you; you are my fortress, my loving God. God will go before me. I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love. You have been angry-now restore us! You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking. You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger.
But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled. Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. Give us aid against the enemy. With God we will gain the victory and he will trample down our enemies.
I call to you as my heart grows faint, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
May we abide in your presence forever! Appoint your love and faithfulness to protect us. Then will we ever sing praise to your name and fulfill our vows day after day.
My soul will find rest in you alone O Lord, my hope comes from you. Trust in him at all times, O peoples, pour out your hearts to him for God is our refuge. Because your love is better than life Lord, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live and in your name I will lift up my hands. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. Hear me O God as I voice my complaint. Protect me from the threat of the enemy. O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! Answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, having armed yourself with strength. Those living far away fear your wonders; bring them close to you so that they may also call forth songs of joy and praise. You care for our land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf!
He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you O God tested us, you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. We went through fire and water but you have brought us to a place of abundance.
We will come to your temple and fulfill our vows to you. Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us. Lord we ask that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the people praise you, may all the people praise you. Then the land will yield its harvest and God, our God, will bless us and all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Amen and amen. (Taken from Psalms 59-67)

Something else the Spirit shared was Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Also, Galatians 5:6; “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Paul explains that in Christ we were made free and we are to use that freedom to serve one another in love. Verse 15 of the same chapter says “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” If we do not refrain from judging our spouses, we breed a self-righteous, critical attitude in our own hearts which hinders us from “faith expressing itself through love”. It also brings us back into the yoke of slavery to sin. We must examine our hearts daily and ask God to reveal and weed out any such attitudes. We are all guilty at some time or another of having a critical spirit. But verse 24 promises us that those of us who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature. Verse16 says “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” We are encouraged to live by the Spirit so as not to become conceited, provoking or envying of one another.

Lord, though we are fearful of what you might find, we acknowledge that our prayers and your promises are hindered when sin remains. Holy Spirit, search our hearts and gently convict us of those attitudes and beliefs which are an offense to God. Give us the courage to yield ourselves to you and grant us a daily willingness to submit to you and be changed. Create in us a pure heart and renew in us a steadfast spirit.
Forgive our sins and cover them with the precious blood of your son, Jesus. In our lives Lord, let your glory shine forth. May we lead lives that are pleasing to you as we allow our faith to express itself through love. Lord, may your fruits of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control be made manifest in and through us. May our spouses and children also bear such fruit.
We dedicate our households to you Lord. Let everything be consecrated to your purposes and plans. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Posted Monday, February 5th, 2007 at 2:56 pm in Seeds Of Faith.