One of the most difficult and yet most important things we HAVE to learn to do as we stand for the restoration of our marriages is taking every thought captive and making them obedient to Christ. No matter how much we read the Bible; no matter how much we pray; no matter how much we fast and no matter how much “good” we do, it won’t help us win the spiritual warfare we’re engaged in right now for the deliverance of our spouses and the salvation of our marriages, unless we learn to take our thoughts captive by making them conform to the word of God. And we know that based on 2 Corinthians 10:2-6 (NKJV), where Paul said But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Since there’s so much “meat” in these verses, let’s take a closer look at them. First, we know this must be an important message, because Paul said “I beg you”, which meant he obviously considered what he was about to say very important, especially since he did not use those words often. In fact, the only other place we find Paul saying “I beg you” is in Acts 26:2-3, when he was on trial, fighting for his life before King Agrippa, and he said “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently. But the best way to truly understand the significance and urgency denoted by Paul’s use of the words “I beg you” is to look at the only other times they appear in the New Testament, as revealed in the following verses (found by searching BibleGateway.com):

Luke 8:27-29
When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

Luke 9:37-39
The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.

Luke 16:23-28
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

Then Paul makes it very clear that it is NOT good to walk or live according to our flesh, because he said “I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.” Walking or living according to our flesh is what we do when we try to figure everything out for ourselves, relying on our own understanding and human reasoning and strength, which the Bible clearly tells us NOT to do. And when we do, we are NOT putting all of our trust in God, and we’re NOT acknowledging Him in all our ways. So according to Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV), we can’t count on Him to direct our paths, because it says Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. And that means we can’t count on him to make our righteousness shine like the dawn or the justice of our cause like the noon day sun either, because Psalm 37:5-6 says Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Even though Paul acknowledges that we are bound to our fleshly bodies and the limitations that naturally come along with that, he says “though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh”. That means we can’t rely on the things of our flesh to win our battles, that we have to rely on supernatural, spiritual weapons. And the following verses make it clear why this was such an important point:

Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Jeremiah 17:5
This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

John 3:6
Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:50
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Then Paul further warned us to avoid giving into our sinful nature in matters of spiritual warfare, because he said “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal”, which is a reference to our natural sinful nature as portrayed in the following verses:

Romans 7:14 (NKJV)
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Romans 8:6 (NKJV)
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 8:7 (NKJV)
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, or indeed can be.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NKJV)
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

And Colossians 3:1-3 (NKJV), under the heading “Not Carnality but Christ” says If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. So we overcome our natural carnal nature, which is a definite challenge when dealing with everything threatening our marriages and families today, by becoming more Christ centered.

And most of us probably don’t fully realize the importance and significance of what Paul meant when he said our weapons are “mighty in God for pulling down strongholds”, because a stronghold is a place of strength and shelter, usually difficult to penetrate because it’s heavily fortified for the safety and protection of it’s inhabitants. So Paul was making the point that the weapons of our warfare are mighty ONLY when we rely on the power of God, who CAN demolish and pull down ANY stronghold Satan has built up in our lives or the lives of those we love, because there’s no stronghold too great for Him, as demonstrated in the following verses:

Psalm 18:44-56
They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds. The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!

Psalm 89:40
You have broken through all his walls and reduced his strongholds to ruins.

Amos 3:11
Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “An enemy will overrun the land; he will pull down your strongholds and plunder your fortresses.”

Micah 5:10-12
“In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots. I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds. I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells.

Unfortunately, what Paul said about “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” is especially important and challenging to us as we stand for marriage restoration in this day and age, because so many churches and ministries have gone way beyond tolerating and accepting the sin of adultery, divorce and remarriage to actually condoning and promoting it. How that must break our Lord’s heart! But as sad as that is, it comes as no surprise to the Lord, and it’s nothing new, which the following verses confirm:

Isaiah 59:4
No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

Colossians 2:4
I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.

2 Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

2 Peter 2:1
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

And right at the heart of spiritual warfare are Paul’s words “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”, because that IS the key to victory over the devil and we have no greater example of how to do that than when Satan tempted Jesus while He was fasting in the desert, as we read in Luke 4:1-13, which says:
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.'”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'” The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ” ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'” Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
And Matthew 4:11 tells us Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. So when the devil tempts us with thoughts contrary to the word, thoughts that are not God glorifying or that take our focus off of the love, power and glory of the Lord long enough to focus on (think about, consider, worry about or try to figure out and understand and make sense of) the things that hurt and disappoint us, we have to take those thoughts captive and make them obedient to the word of Christ. And, in the same way Jesus did, we do that by talking back to the devil (out loud when possible), speaking against him with the specific word of God that refutes his lies and deception. And after awhile, he’ll realize that he’s wasting his time with us, and as hard as it is to believe, the thoughts WILL eventually stop coming. And we can make that process a lot easier and quicker by PRACTICING the excellent instruction given in Philippians 4:6-8, which says Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. When we learn to “practice” those four verses, there’s absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that we will start walking in victory and that we WILL se the mighty hand of God moving in our circumstances!

And finally, Paul said “and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” As I considered that verse, I wasn’t too sure of exactly what it meant, because several possibilities came to mind, but as I started reading it in the various versions of the Bible to see if that would help clarify it, I was surprised with what the Lord brought to my mind, because I don’t think I ever would have thought of the connection, but now it makes PERFECT sense and it certainly applies to ALL of us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages. The Lord led me to Luke 6:37-42, which says:
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
I love it when scripture explains scripture like that! And based on that, it’s pretty clear that an important component of spiritual warfare is dealing with the sin and disobedience in our own lives BEFORE expecting the Lord to deal with it in the lives of our husbands or anyone else!

Then in closing, while studying this topic today, I came across John 6:63, which seems to tie everything together and sum up what we really need to understand when considering the importance of taking every thought captive and making them obedient to Christ, because it says The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. And I believe that’s one of the most important things we need to know as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, because it will lead us to the answer to every question, the solution for every problem, and peace in every situation.

Since I know what a huge difference it would make for everyone standing for marriage restoration to understand and believe that it does NOT matter what our spouses think, plan or propose, because in the end it is God who disposes, that’s what I want to focus on today. First, it’s important to dispel any notion we have that man has “free will”, because there is NOTHING that supports that doctrine anywhere in the Bible, and I challenge anyone to prove otherwise. That’s nothing more than Satan’s attempt to elevate the position and authority of man over God, which is not sound biblical doctrine. But this is not about The False Doctrine Of Free Will, even though it IS important to understand that to make sure we realize that God’s will will be done despite ANY contrary plans and intentions our spouses have. But since we need to avoid being Deceived By Deception, our goal is to find a place of trust and confidence in the written word of God that enables our thoughts, words and actions to bear witness to the faith we claim to have in our Lord and Savior as we stand for the restoration of our marriages.

And, without a doubt, the very first step is determining that the Lord has called us to stand for the restoration of our marriages, because unless we’re certain of that in our hearts, minds and souls, we’re not likely to have the grace, patience, perseverance, wisdom and strength to stand against everything the world and Satan will throw at us to make us doubt what we’re doing. And the only way to answer that question is through studying the Bible for ourselves, devoting ourselves to prayer and seeking the Lord’s direction and revelation through fasting. While I’m sure there are those who have reached decisions to stand for their marriages without doing that, it is an important foundational step we shouldn’t skip, because doing so makes us more vulnerable to the dangers and pitfalls of deception, doubt, and discouragement, which are Satan’s most powerful and effective weapons of destruction. That’s what Jesus taught us in Luke 6:46-49, when He said “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” So successfully standing for the restoration of our marriages requires a strong foundation of faith and confidence that comes only when we know we are doing what God’s word calls us to do.

And even though it is an unpleasant experience, for those of us who are standing for something other than our first marriages, I actually suggest reading the opinions and rationales of those who think we have no biblical grounds to do so, because that’s the best way to test what we’ve received in our spirit to confirm that we have heard from the Lord. That was a very painful and emotional experience for me personally, because it made me doubt and question everything I had felt led by the Lord to do for so many years. But in the end, it was the best thing I could have done, because once I had the inevitable questions settled in my own heart, mind and soul, once I knew without a doubt that I am doing what the Lord called me to do, NOTHING could move me from the stand I’ve taken for my marriage. Unfortunately, that’s a step many standers won’t take, because they’re afraid of finding out that God might not be calling them to stand for the restoration of their marriages, which is very sad, because it means that obedience to the Lord is not their motive for standing, and they will never have the grace and strength to stand in peace with total trust and confidence in the promises found in the word of God. And Satan will always use the unanswered questions in the back of their minds to torture them with doubt and uncertainty, and James 1:6-8 tells us But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

That’s why it’s SO important to seek the answers we need in the written word and then seek the Lord through prayer and fasting, and THEN LISTEN to hear His answer. With her permission and without giving too many details, one of the FAM members has recently had to come to terms with this in her own situation. She’s standing for what is her first marriage, and her husband’s second; they have a young child together, and she has no reason to believe he had biblical grounds to divorce his first wife and remarry. So she’s been up and down on an emotional roller coaster trying to figure out what she is supposed to do. Then every time she makes a logical decision that she’s NOT supposed to stand for her marriage, the Lord always seems to bring her back to it, which she can’t understand and I can’t explain. Despite his recent remarriage to a third woman, the Lord seemed to be giving her pretty strong confirmation that He’s still calling her to stand for her marriage, which has led us to discuss the issues involved in a lot more depth and detail. And the only explanation I can offer is that we do not know everything God knows and we can’t expect to understand what He’s doing based on our limited human understanding. But she took one last trip around that mountain a few days ago by calling another ministry that makes no exceptions for the recognition of ANY marriage but the first, and she was told that she was never married and that she should go back to her maiden name. Understandably, she was crushed and devastated, but it was the best thing that could have happened to her, because she was finally forced to face and work through the apparent conflict between the written word of God, circumstances as they exist based on her understanding, and what she felt sure in her spirit the Lord was telling her to do. That made her cry out to the Lord even more desperately than before and she now has no doubt that the answer He gave her was to stand for her marriage, so those questions were finally asked and answered and Satan can no longer use that doubt and uncertainty against her. Since she’s absolutely certain she’s heard from the Lord, the only thing for her to do now is to go about living her life as a single mother to the best of her ability, doing what the Lord puts in front of her to do every day, and then leave everything else up to Him. Since she’s a new Christian, my advice is to focus on growing in her walk and relationship with the Lord, being obedient to what she knows the Lord has called her to do and trusting Him with the when, how and wy. For obvious reasons, I often remind her of Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV), because it says Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. The fact is that God knows things we can’t possibly know and if He has called her to stand for her marriage despite the circumstances that seem to indicate she shouldn’t, there must be a reason beyond our ability to understand or explain. She certainly has biblical grounds for release, even without considering her husband’s first marriage, which I’ve actually encouraged her to give a lot of thought and consideration to, but God is telling her something totally different, and that’s what she has to do. Even though the Lord has given me a word of knowledge for women in similar circumstances, He never gave me anything when it came to this woman’s situation. In fact, with one woman, I felt certain she was to stand for her marriage, and then with another, the Lord told me the first time I talked to her that she was standing for the wrong marriage AND that I had to tell her so in that conversation! And that was tough! But she’s now happily raising her kids, with no interest in restoring her first marriage, at peace and content with her life. And, yes, as amazing as it is to believe, she still calls and talks to me even though you’d think she would never talk to me again after telling her that the first time we ever talked! In fact, she called last night to catch me up on how she and the kids are doing. She was able to receive what I told her when we first talked, because what the Lord revealed to me bore witness in her spirit, and she knew it was a word from God, and that’s what gives her the grace and strength now to live her life as a single woman and mother until or unless the Lord brings about some very unexpected changes. So even in the circumstances of these two women, we can see how the Lord worked to lead them into doing something very contrary to their own will, understanding, desires, plans and intentions. And just as with them, most of us can look back at our lives and where we are today and see how the following verses are so true and just confirm that even though man proposes, God disposes!

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Proverbs 20:24
A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?

Proverbs 21:2
The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.

Then once we are convinced that the Lord wants us to stand for the restoration of our marriages, we’ve got to decide once and for all if we really believe the word of God enough to base our eternal lives and hope for salvation on it; to put our hope and confidence in it; and to let it guide and direct us in our daily lives, especially as we take a stand against Satan for our marriages. That means we have to decide whether or not we believe God’s awesome promise in Isaiah 55:10-11, where He said As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. And Isaiah 1:19-20 tells us If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. And Isaiah 40:5 promises And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” So when we know the Lord has called us to stand for the restoration of our marriages and we’ve decided to put our faith and confidence in the power of God’s word and His faithfulness to bring it to pass, one of the most encouraging verses for all of us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages has to be Proverbs 16:1, because it says To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. And when we believe that, we’ll have the foundation we need to withstand the floods Satan will bring against us, because we’ll be standing on the rock of Jesus Christ, and the solid foundation we build ONLY by practicing His word.

“Peace in the midst of the storm” is a message the Lord has repeatedly brought to my attention since early Saturday morning, and since I’m not aware of a need in my life for that particular message, I feel it must be an important message for someone else. So I started thinking more about it from that perspective and asked myself exactly what peace in the midst of the storm is. And the only possible answer is faith; faith that no matter what is going on in our lives, our Lord and Savior is there with us and that we have no reason to fear or fret, because He WILL defend, protect and provide for us; that we know His plans for us are for our welfare and NOT for evil and to prosper us, and that He WILL cause EVERYTHING in our lives, even the storms of life, to work together for our good because we love Him and are called according to His purpose.

First, I want to share the amazing way the Lord has been bringing the message “peace in the midst of the storm” to my attention, because it’s something unlike I’ve ever experienced before, which is why I know it must be very important for someone in particular. My husband had sent me an email message Friday night that he was having a garage sale the next day, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but one thing I know for sure is that I’d MUCH rather GO to a garage sale than have one! So when I got up early the next morning, it wasn’t too surprising that God put it on my heart to send my husband a quick note in which I prayed for Him to be blessed with “a calm and fruitful day”. But soon after sending that message, the thought “peace in the midst of the storm” was VERY strong in my spirit and I couldn’t shake it or figure out what it meant, which is pretty unusual. So after it wouldn’t go away, I just sent my husband another short message saying that was very strong in my spirit, thinking he might need it during the day. Then I just let it go. And the next day I was talking to one of the FAM Fellowship members when that exact same phrase came up, so I told her about how the Lord had put that in my mind the day before and said it must have been for her. Then the NEXT day, Monday, another one of the members called late that night to share what a wonderful work the Lord was doing in her heart and life, and she used the exact same phrase! I couldn’t believe it; no one was saying “peace in a storm” or even “peace in the middle of the storm”…it was always “peace in the midst of the storm”…not even “…in the midst of a storm”, or “…the midst of my storm”! So this was getting even more interesting and it definitely captured my attention and sparked my curiosity! So I told that member about what had happened Saturday morning and said maybe it was for her too! Then I just about fell out of my chair yesterday morning when I read how in response to one of our member’s request for prayer, another member responded by using the EXACT same phrase, and asked the Lord to bring her “peace in the midst of the storm”! So I thought I must have told her about the Lord giving me that word Saturday morning, even though I didn’t remember it! But when I talked to her later in the day I asked her and she said we hadn’t talked about it! That’s when it FINALLY dawned on me that this must be an important message for someone and that the Lord must want me to write about experiencing “peace in the midst of the storm”, and resisting and overcoming the attacks of the devil and the world’s opposition as we stand in faith and obedience for the restoration of our marriages and families.

In addition to the obvious incredible thrill and excitement of seeing a marriage and family restored, the most rewarding experience for me personally as I minister to the ladies the Lord brings to FAM Ministries is witnessing the transformation in their hearts and lives when they learn to rely on the word of God as they walk through this storm; because I know what they learn now will carry them through EVERY storm that comes their way in the future! And that’s because, just like me, for the first time in their lives they have REALLY made Jesus Christ and obedience to His word the foundation of their lives, which is total confirmation of what Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-29, where He told us:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
And that’s confirmed in Philippians 4:9, which says Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. It just doesn’t get any clearer than that! The way we withstand the storms of life, including everything coming against our marriages and families right now, is to PRACTICE the words of Christ as we find them in our Bibles; that’s when we have “peace in the midst of the storm”. And the reason we DON’T experience peace in the midst of our storms is because we’re NOT practicing what the Lord tells us to do in His word. So HEARING the word WITHOUT PRACTICING the word does NO good, because we’re just deceived into thinking we know something we obviously don’t. Because when we KNOW what we hear, we’d DO what we hear, and as harsh as it sounds, that’s confirmed in 1 John 2:4-6, which says The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. And when Satan tries to tell us that is not possible, we need to TELL HIM what Jesus told us in John 15:5, which says “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. And then tell him what Philippians 4:13 says , which is I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.And there’s absolutely NO situation we face that we can’t find the wisdom to deal with in the Bible, so if we look for our answers there and practice what we learn, we WILL always have “peace in the midst of the storm”!

And an interesting and amusing observation I’ve made while seeing women transformed as they learn to rely on the Lord and the wisdom and power of His word, is how amazed they ALL are when they first start experiencing the peace that inevitably comes with doing that! I can’t tell you how many women have asked me if something is wrong! They’re actually afraid the peace they’re experiencing means they’re no longer interested in the restoration of their marriages or that they don’t love their husbands anymore! I just tell them to praise the Lord for that protective shield He’s placed around their hearts, that it’s like Holy anesthesia, but that when the time is right and it’s necessary, all of the love they have for their husbands will come flooding back at a moment’s notice! It’s just like the Lord puts a protective shell around our hearts to protect us from all of the pain and disappointment we experienced before we learned to put all of our faith, confidence and trust in Him and His word. And NOTHING but the love, power and grace of our Lord and Savior could do that!

The following passages of scripture are just a few that help us find that awesome place of “peace in the midst of the storm” when we truly understand and believe them and learn to rely on them as we walk in faith and obedience by submitting to the word and will of God as expressed in the world’s GREATEST love letter, the Bible!

Isaiah 41:10-13 (NKJV)
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ “ Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them—Those who contended with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (AMP)
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Romans 8:28-35 (NKJV)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 37, particularly verses 4-8
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.

Philippians 4:4-8
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 119:114
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.

Proverbs 16:1
To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.

Isaiah 55, particularly verses 8-11
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

And the following passages of scripture are especially encouraging as we stand for the restoration of our marriages:

Hosea 2 (NLT)

Luke 15

Malachi 2:10-17 (AMP)

Dear Lord, You know better than anyone else that the storm we find ourselves in as we stand against the gates of hell and the ways of the world for the restoration of our marriages is probably one of the most difficult we’ll ever endure, so we give you all praise, honor and glory, and thank you for your promise that you will never leave us or forsake us and that you’ll walk through this storm with us. So, in the name of Jesus, I ask for everyone reading this to receive the grace and understanding through the power of the Holy Spirit that’s necessary to supernaturally experience “peace in the midst of the storm”. Therefore, I send forth the power of the Holy Spirit to open our ears and eyes and our hearts and minds as you pour your heart out to us and make your thoughts known to us. Be Thou glorified in all that we say and do, and let us live our lives so that others will see your love and goodness in us. In Jesus’ name we pray and give thanks. Amen.

The Lord has really impressed on me lately how TOTALLY dependent we all must be on the power of the Holy Spirit as we stand for the deliverance and salvation of our husbands and wives, and the restoration of our marriages and families. We already know the Holy Spirit is a very important part of our walk and relationship with the Lord, but sometimes it’s way too easy to lose site of just how VITALLY important He really is. We need to realize that without the power of the Holy Spirit we are nothing and we can do nothing, because it is through the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus lives in us and we in Him, which is why John 15:5 says “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

So many conversations with FAM Fellowship members in recent weeks have been about the importance of understanding 1 Corinthians 2:13-14, because it says This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. So we would save ourselves and our spouses SO much frustration and aggravation if we’d remember that instead of getting upset when they’re totally blinded to the things we see so clearly. It’s only by the grace of God that we are not in their shoes and that we see the truth because of the power of the holy Spirit at work in us, and the above verses make it very clear how wrong and misguided we are to expect our spouses to see and understand what they’re not capable of understanding without the work and power of the holy Spirit. I’ve even seen that at work when ministering to someone standing for marriage restoration too, because I can say the same thing over and over again, and no matter how it seems to sink in, we always end up right back at the same place again. And then one day I’ll say the EXACT same thing one more time, and it’s like they heard it for the first time; like a light bulb came on! So if the Lord doesn’t give us a word through the power of the Holy Spirit, we don’t have the grace and strength we need to walk it out. That’s why the first step in standing for marriage restoration has to be a clear word from the Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit that He wants us to stand for our marriages, because that’s the ONLY way we’ll ever be able to do it. That’s why it’s a mistake to insist on talking about our stand to someone who doesn’t understand it. They didn’t get the word so they don’t have the grace or ability necessary to understand it.. And if the Holy Spirit is not at work, it isn’t going to register and we won’t get it or see it. So that tells me that it’s often a matter of timing, and the same thing is true about our spouses seeing the truth. When the time is right, according to God’s plan and not ours, the power of the Holy Spirit will move in their hearts and minds, and they’ll see what they were blinded to before. So it’s very important for us to pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to move in our husbands’ and wives” hearts, minds, situations and lives. And it’s easy to send forth the power of the Holy Spirit to work on our behalf for their salvation and deliverance, and the restoration of our marriages with simple prayers like “Dear Lord, please send forth the power of the Holy Spirit to work in my spouse’s heart and life today.” And we could do that many, many times a day, with that simple, but powerful prayer and others similar to it, which is something we all should make a much greater effort to do. How often do we say, there’s nothing we can do about it? Well, I’ve said it myself, but that’s wrong, because even though there isn’t anything we can do in our own power and might, we CAN pray and release the power of the Holy Spirit to make possible everything that looks impossible to us. And we need to remember that John 6:44 tells us “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. So we have to remember that NOTHING we do will work or cause our husbands and wives to get saved, because that only happens when the Holy Spirit draws them through His supernatural power. And since it’s so important for us to have a better understanding of the work and power of the Holy Spirit, the following verses will help us learn a lot more about that:

Jeremiah 31:3 – The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

Isaiah 11:2 – The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD –

John 14:26 – But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Zechariah 4:6 – So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.

Acts 1:8 – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

1 Thessalonians 1:4-6 – For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 – I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Then another verse that should help make it easier for us to release our spouses to do whatever they’re determined to do; no matter how wrong we know it is and no matter how much it hurts, is 1 Corinthians 5:4-5, which says When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. That seems to confuse some people, but I have no doubt it’s just the Lord telling us to take our hands off of our spouses and get out of the way so HE can do what needs to be done to change their hearts and get them to turn to Him and back to us!

One of the most rewarding things as I minister to other women standing for marriage restoration is seeing the changes in their lives when they finally reach the point of surrendering EVERYTHING to the Lord! What a glorious and awesome experience it is to witness that, especially since I know that our Father in heaven will be so faithful to reward and bless it, and usually in ways far beyond our greatest and wildest imagination! So it meant a great deal to me to see the following testimony from one of the FAM Fellowship members in Judy Rousseau’s email message today, especially since it ties in so well with the post I had already planned about putting God first, and which she has graciously given me permission to share here. So be blessed and encouraged!

I am new to this group and I would like to say that your messages just
seem to come at the right time, Gods time. I believe when I am wondering
what He has in store, it comes to me in an email from FAM ,RMI or
Doreen’s Daily or You. Every time. I agree with Kristi that I have had
many revelations about why God has taken my family on this journey with
Him. I know that He has even touched my kids life, none of this would
have happened without this journey. I have met new friends and been able
to encourage people in the same situation. He has a plan.
I always believed in the Lord but He was not a big part of my life. I
didn’t have a personal relationship with Him. When my husband told me he
didn’t think our marriage was a real marriage much to my shock I was
crushed but I felt that something was telling me not to give up. I tried
all the begging, pleading and stuff that just made him move farther away
from me. One day I was trying to find something to help. I was guided to
marriage restoration and RMI, I didn’t know what standing for our
marriage was. I found the help I needed and I gave my life and family
and marriage to God, I have had times where he has told me in dreams
that my husband was coming home and 2 times I’ve seen an image of my
husband with his wedding ring on, God is awesome. I have slipped into
doubt for short times but only for a moment as I give it to the Lord and
He lifts the burden off and gives me peace. After I gave everything to
the Lord it was almost instant peace, when my life that was so good to
everyone including me is so messed up and I feel love and peace it is
strange to the world.
We need to get the Word out. God’s Word that He is able to restore and
heal marriages. The world’s way needs to stop and people have to be
shown the way is to stand and not move on. My husband believes he will
be happy giving everything up and moving on. I know that the peace and
happiness he is looking for will come from The Lord and not someone new.
He will restore our family and marriage. As I wondered sometimes what
was missing in our marriage, I believed that if I got closer to my
husband, did more with him, we would be great. I had a revelation the
other night that what was missing in my marriage was Jesus and now I
have put the Lord in the rightful place, first in my life and I have
what was missing
Thank you for your messages they always encourage just when we need it.
We live in a disposable world and we tend to think that way about
marriages, there is always another one out there,but God has other plans
for us if We believe and have faith. Thank you I felt I needed to tell
you thanks for everything. I sent you an email to thank you and
something I forgot was in finding the RMI and FAM sites and from all the
encouraging of sites like yours the thing that helped me alot was
reading how the spouse that leaves says the same things, doesn’t love
you, moving on, takes the ring off, and never coming back. It seems to
be the same thing they all say. It did help to read and even though it
hurts if you see they all say it and it is the devil speaking through
your loved one it makes it easier. Thought this might help someone out
there that thinks their spouse is the only one to ever say the words
they do. thanks and bless you and your family…(name withheld)

One of the most important aspects of marriage restoration quite often overlooked is what God expects us to do during what feels like an endless time of waiting for the restoration of our marriages. But we need to pay a lot more attention to that, because it does determine how the Lord works on our behalf, and even what He CAN do for us. Mark 6:4-6 (NKJV) says But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. So there’s no doubt that our failure to honor the Lord or our inability to believe in His power and willingness to restore our marriages CAN prevent Him from performing the mighty work of marriage restoration we want and need in our lives.

That means the FIRST thing we need to focus on when disaster strikes in our marriages is restoring our walk and relationship with our Lord and Savior, so that our faith and confidence in Him is strong enough to withstand all the fiery darts of deception, doubt and unbelief the devil will attempt to use to discourage us and make us give up. And since Romans 10:17 tells us Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ, the one thing we should make a top priority is spending quality time reading and studying our Bibles. Yet, if we’re all honest, very few of us probably spend even 20 minutes a day reading and studying the word of God. And that’s very sad considering that Ephesians 6:16 (NKJV) tells us above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, indicating that acquiring faith through the power of God’s word is one of the most important things to do in order to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and to put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, according to Ephesians 6:11-12 (NKJV).

Then Psalm 119:105 tells us Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. And Psalm 119:114 says You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. So it’s very important for us to understand that without putting our hope in the word of God and relying on it as a light for our path, it’s doubtful we’ll understand that He IS our ONLY refuge and shield which means we’re not likely to experience the awesome peace and power of the promise found in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV), which says Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Obviously we have to KNOW the ways of God before we can acknowledge them, and it’s just not possible to trust in Him with all our hearts without knowing and understanding His ways and nature. That’s why we have to study the word of God to have the knowledge and faith it takes to withstand the power of the devil for the restoration of our marriages. And that’s the awesome promise the Lord gives us in Psalm 37:5-6, which says Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Then when our marriages are restored, we will be able to testify to the truth and power of 1 John 2:14, which says I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Having faith and confidence that our prayers will be answered is another very important reason to focus on our relationship and walk with the Lord, and reading and studying His word, because Matthew 21:22 tells us If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” That means if we don’t believe, we shouldn’t expect the Lord to hear and answer our prayers, as confirmed in James 1:6-8, which says But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. But Mark 11:24 goes even further, because it says Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Wow! That says we have to believe we’ve ALREADY received it, and that takes SOME kind of faith, which is something we wouldn’t know without reading and studying the Bible. And that explains what Colossians 4:2 (NKJV) means when it says Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; And one of the most powerful examples in the Bible of persistent prayer is The Parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18:1-8, which says:
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Ouch! That last line really hurts, because the truth is that He probably doesn’t find the faith in most of us that we should have in Him, and WOULD have if we had even a little understanding of His great power and enduring love! I especially love the way this parable ties into the need to seek justice, because it reminds me of God’s promise to make the justice of our cause shine like the noon day sun!

Even though it would be easy to write a book about what we should do while waiting for the Lord to restore our marriages, Which I obviously don’t have the time or space to do here, another important point to make is the Lord’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 7:15-16, which saysBut if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? While this tends to be controversial and it’s often used as an “escape clause”, anyone taking the time to study the meaning of the original text understands that this is not a reference to being released from the marriage covenant, and therefore free to remarry, because the word used here for bondage is the same word used for slaves or servants elsewhere, and it does not use the same word used everywhere else in the Bible for the marriage “contract” or the bond of marriage. The only way to be sure of the meaning when controversy or conflict appears to exists about a verse or passage of scripture in the Bible, is to find confirmation of its meaning elsewhere, because the Bible never contradicts itself, and the true meaning is always confirmed or explained by other verses or passages. And 1 Timothy 2:1-4 leaves little doubt of the true meaning of the above verses, because it says I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. So there’s no doubt that the Lord expects us to live in peace with our husbands even if they leave us, and that doing so can lead them to salvation, as further confirmed in 1 Peter 3:1-6. And ANY husband who does not believe in honoring the covenant made by his marriage vows is an “unbeliever”, and the following verses help better understand what the Lord means when He tells us to live in peace with our husbands and everyone else:

Proverbs 16:7
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

Isaiah 32:18
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.

Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind,
live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

Hebrews 12:14
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

So despite the claims otherwise, the Lord was NOT saying that He just wants us to be happy and at peace in our minds and spirit since we know He always expects that of us anyway, based on Philippians 4:11; Ovviously He meant that we are called to co-exist peaceably with our husbands and everyone else, and that in so doing we could lead them to the Lord and save our marriages and restore our families.

Finally, it’s very important to use this time of waiting to serve the Lord, being busy about doing His business. He puts something in front of us to do every day and that’s what He expects and requires us to be faithful to do; and He strongly disapproves of idleness, gossip and being busybodies, as the following verses make very clear

2 Thessalonians 3:11
We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.

1 Timothy 5:13
Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.

Titus 2:4-5
Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

And the following verses give us a better idea of what the Lord ALWAYS expects from us in service to Him as we minister to others:

Romans 12:11
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Luke 4:8
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’ “

Romans 14:17-19
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

1 Peter 4:10
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

Revelation 1:5-6
and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

It doesn’t take much time in marriage restoration ministry to understand how important faith is and that the ONLY way we’ll have the faith we need for the lasting restoration of our marriages is to get serious about reading and understanding God’s word. We have to really know and understand the ways, nature, character and promises of God before we can commit to His way or acknowledge Him in all of our ways, much less trust Him with all of our hearts. There’s no way to overstate the power and importance of prayer, so it’s important to know that the effectiveness of our prayers greatly depends on the depth of our faith and persistence. And the Lord ALWAYS calls us to live in peace with others. In fact, Psalm 34:14 tells us Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. And that doesn’t just mean for us to refrain from doing evil ourselves, but it also means that when we’re on the receiving end of someone else’s evil or hurtful behavior, instead of retaliating, we should turn away from it and seek peace, even to the point of pursuing it. And the only way we’ll be able to humble ourselves sufficiently to do that is through the grace and power of knowing God’s word and a lot of prayer! But the greatest way to move the hand of the Lord on our behalf is through obedience to serve Him; to be the ambassadors He calls us to be. We all have a ministry of some kind, and it’s up to each of us to find out what that is, and then to do it to the very best of our ability. We can’t waste our lives and the precious time the Lord gives us each day drowning in a pool of self-pity and unhappiness. There’s NO glory for the Lord in that! God has a purpose for this time in our lives, and it’s always meant to bring us into right relationship with Him, where we learn to put Him first. God will not settle for second place in our lives. He wants to be first. He wants us to love Him more than anything or anyone else and He wants us to want our relationship with Him more than the restoration of our marriages. And in the same way we wouldn’t tell a child to do something, and then reward them even if they don’t do it, God can’t and won’t reward us when we fail to do the things His word tells us we must do for salvation, deliverance and restoration, so we need to put this time of waiting to good use as we learn more about the Lord and what He’s calling us to do.

What a blessing it is to start out the day by finding that one of our ladies has written something so awesome and shared it on the FAM Fellowship website, just as I did this morning! And how wonderfully it ties into the recent post about being “doers” of the word and not hearers only! Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Jenn, and for your permission to share it with all of the visitors to FaithAndMarriage.com!

However, before sharing what Jenn wrote, I want to share two verses that came to my mind as I read what the Lord put on her heart this morning. The first was Philippians 4:6, the meaning of which Jenn certainly makes an excellent point of as she shares how she had to literally walk it out, because it says Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the other was Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV), which says ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ And I can’t help thinking of how much more peace we’d all have if we’d learn to rely on the counsel and promise of these awesome verses! Now here’s what the Lord placed on Jenn’s heart this morning:

Listening and obeying. I know for a fact that for me, that was an area that was especially hard early in my stand. However, God laid it on my heart this morning to share from Proverbs 1 (which by the way, if you are not already doing so, I really suggest that you read a Proverbs every day. It’s very simple, if it’s the 10th day of the month, you read proverbs 10). While reading Proverbs 1 this morning, the passage from verses 24-33 really spoke to me and immediately put fear in my heart for what God will and won’t do if we are not obedient to him. It says:
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me,
29 since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD.
30 Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

I personally want God to be there in my storms. I NEED him in time of distress and trouble. I know that I would not be where I am today, had it not been that I finally put my life in God’s hands. I could not imagine now not having Him in my life. Just as verse 33 states, if we listen to him we will be at ease and without fear of harm. He wants to protect us. God does not want us to be anxious about anything.

If we are trying to control our husbands; if we are not obeying the scriptures and not letting go of the circumstances, then we are not listening to what God is telling us. Let me give you an example. The other day, I was falling into the flesh. I had received an email from my spouse that seemed very discouraging to me. I could not stop thinking about it and it was tearing my insides up. I was feeling sick. This went on for about 3 or 4 hours. All of a sudden, God laid it on my heart that I was not being obedient by getting down on my knees and praying. I grabbed my bible and hugged it tight as I called out to God. Then after praying and giving it to God, I asked God to show me in his word that the circumstance was ok. He led me to Galatians 6:1 where in the NIV, God told me “if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. “ I immediately received God’s peace for being obedient in prayer and listening to him. Then just a couple days later, I was again attacked by Satan and my flesh was anxious about not hearing from my spouse that day. While driving with my son, I was praying silently and all of a sudden on a road that is not normally traveled by many semi trucks, what drives right in front of me at an intersection, but a Covenant Transport truck! I have only seen one of these trucks in my entire stand and the first one was in Florida while on a trip visiting my oldest son. I immediately started to smile, giggle and thank God. My son was trying to find out why I was laughing. I told him it was between me and God. Do you see how the obedience of going into prayer really does work? I honestly fear NOT having God be there for me. I called on God and he listened. Call on him, ladies, in everything you need, say and do. We need to Fear God, because that means we are putting him first in our lives and that is exactly where He wants to be.

Have a blessed day. Jenn

In addition to the above message from Jenn, I hope today’s Small Straws message from Marsha Burns will bless someone as well since it really ties into the message God placed in Jenn’s heart this morning!
“December 1, 2006: As you draw close to Me, says the Lord, I will release a joy that only comes when you know Me and trust Me to bring you through every situation in victory. Do not fear or be dismayed at the things that seem to work against you. All things indeed work together for your ultimate good. I say again, do not be afraid, and do not worry. There is nothing that I do not know about your circumstances. There is no reason for you to feel alone or abandoned, for I am with you, and I am for you.
Psalm 139:7-14 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”
You can read Small Straws by Marsha Burns (including archived messages) at this link, where you can also sign up to receive her daily messages by email. Be blessed and encouraged!

Since fasting is a very powerful and effective weapon at our disposal as we stand against the gates of hell for the restoration of our marriages, and since many Christians have very little idea of what the Bible actually teaches about a spiritual fast, it’s very important to study so we can understand exactly what we’re doing when we fast. Not only do we need to know what a fast is and how to do it, but we also need to know what it is not, and we especially need to be familiar with and understand the reasons and occasions for fasting as they’re described in the Bible.

Matthew 6:17-18 (AMP) tells us But when you fast, perfume your head and wash your face, So that your fasting may not be noticed by men but by your Father, Who sees in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. So understanding fasting that pleases God is very important to us, because we certainly want the Lord’s promised reward! And one of the most instructive passages to help us understand fasting that pleases God and the awesome blessings it brings forth is Isaiah 58, which in The Amplified Bible says:
1 CRY ALOUD, spare not. Lift up your voice like a trumpet and declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins!
2 Yet they seek, inquire for, and require Me daily and delight [externally] to know My ways, as [if they were in reality] a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God [in visible ways].
3 Why have we fasted, they say, and You do not see it? Why have we afflicted ourselves, and You take no knowledge [of it]? Behold [O Israel], on the day of your fast [when you should be grieving for your sins], you find profit in your business, and [instead of stopping all work, as the law implies you and your workmen should do] you extort from your hired servants a full amount of labor.
4 [The facts are that] you fast only for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Fasting as you do today will not cause your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is such a fast as yours what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself with sorrow in his soul? [Is true fasting merely mechanical?] Is it only to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him [to indicate a condition of heart that he does not have]? Will you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 [Rather] is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke?
7 Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house–when you see the naked, that you cover him, and that you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the morning, and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily; your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you
[conducting you to peace and prosperity], and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, Here I am. If you take away from your midst yokes of oppression [wherever you find them], the finger pointed in scorn [toward the oppressed or the godly], and every form of false, harsh, unjust, and wicked speaking,
10 And if you pour out that with which you sustain your own life for the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in darkness, and your obscurity and gloom become like the noonday.
11 And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.
12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of [buildings that have laid waste for] many generations; and you shall be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
13 If you turn away your foot from [traveling unduly on] the Sabbath, from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a [spiritual] delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor Him and it, not going your own way or seeking or finding your own pleasure or speaking with your own [idle] words,
14 Then will you delight yourself in the Lord, and I will make you to ride on the high places of the earth, and I will feed you with the heritage [promised for you] of Jacob your father; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.
Obviously, fasting that pleases God is about a LOT more than not eating or drinking, either completely or partially for a short period of time or a long period of time. Even though that’s a very important aspect of fasting, because it demonstrates to the Lord that we’re so concerned or burdened about something that we’re willing to deny the natural need and desire of our flesh; that we’re willing to set aside a particular time for the purpose of allowing our spirit to dominate our flesh so we can enter into a time of closer communion and relationship with Him. BUT if we don’t have an attitude of humility, a genuine desire to seek the Lord and be obedient, and if we’re not living with consideration, peace, love, and charity toward others, or if we harbor ungodly motives or attitudes of self-righteousness, fasting is in vain. So before starting a fast, it’s important to seriously consider the above passage to make sure we have the right attitude and motivation so we will be blessed with the awesome rewards and blessings fasting for the right reasons and with the right attitude produces. And it’s very important to understand that fasting is ALWAYS accompanied by prayer, because while it’s possible to pray effectively without fasting, it’s not possible to fast effectively without praying.

Some of the scriptural reasons we might be called to fast as we stand for the restoration of our marriages include: grief and mourning, repentance, the need for protection, seeking divine revelation, direction and guidance, supernatural intervention, and overcoming demonic strongholds and forces in matters of spiritual warfare. So reading and studying the passages of scripture at the following links help us gain a more thorough understanding of biblical fasting, its proper use, and what it can accomplish, especially the kind of fasting that might be required as we stand for the restoration of our marriages.

Ezra 8
Ezra 10
Nehemiah 1
Esther 3-7
2 Chronicles 20
Psalm 69:1-20
Psalm 102
Daniel 9-12
Joel 2
Exodus 34
Deuteronomy 9
2 Samuel 12
Matthew 4:1-11
1 Corinthians 7:1-9 (KJV)
Jonah 3
Acts 9:1-19
Matthew 17:17-21 (NKJV)
Mark 9:24-29 (NKJV)
Luke 2:33-39

And a much deeper and thorough study of Biblical Fasting, is available at this link from WayOfLife.org. And for more detailed information about how to fast and what fasting is and is not, this article, Fasting, from NewLife.net, provides a lot of additional interesting information and insight.

Since fasting while standing for marriage restoration appears to be getting more popular, I hope and pray that the information provided in this post will help all of us get a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about it and how to use it most effectively, because it is without a doubt a very powerful tool when used in accordance with what the Bible teaches.. And I’d love to encourage everyone who has personally experienced the power of fasting to share their testimonies to encourage those who haven’t fasted before to do so. Be blessed and encouraged!

The Lord has really impressed upon me lately the importance of being doers of the Word and not hearers only, especially if we’re serious about the restoration of our marriages. If we don’t “DO” the Word of God; if we don’t commit to His way and acknowledge Him in all of our ways; if we don’t seek first His righteousness and His kingdom; and if we don’t trust and love Him with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength, what do we have? Nothing…because we can’t count on the promises in God’s written Word if we can’t even walk out these basic biblical principles in our daily lives; much less live in accordance with what the Bible teaches us about marriage restoration.

That point can’t be made any more forcefully or any more clearly than it is in James 1:22-24, which says Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. Unfortunately, there are a lot of deceived Christians walking around, and even a lot of deceived husbands and wives standing for the restoration of their marriages. Sadly, a lot of men and women standing for marriage restoration read everything they can get their eyes on and sign up to receive every marriage restoration resource known to man, and they can even recite the principles of marriage restoration backwards and forwards, but when it comes to actually DOING them, they don’t even come close! So what good does all of that knowledge do if we can’t put it to good use? Not a bit! Yet James 1:25 tells us But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. So the best analogy I can think of is something I often tell the women I talk to. I tell them if I offer you a hundred dollar bill, it won’t do you a bit of good until you take it. But even if you take it, it won’t do you a bit of good until you use it by spending it. And that’s the same way it is with the Word of God, it won’t do us any good until we learn to use it through its application in our daily lives. So I pray that ALL of us will start focusing a lot more on how we’re “DOING” the Word to make sure we’re not deceived and being hearers only. So let’s experience the awesome power of simply standing in FAITH and OBEDIENCE on the power and promise of God’s written word because we’ll most assuredly be blessed and encouraged when we do!

This is just a quick post to give praise and honor to our most awesome Lord and Savior and to thank Him for His ever lasting faithfulness! I received a message from one of the FAM members this morning saying that her husband had very unexpectedly moved back home the day before Thanksgiving! He just came home without any notice or explanations and she’s been wise enough not to ask any questions; when he’s ready, he’ll tell her. But in the meanwhile, she really needs our prayers as she does her best to walk out the principles of marriage restoration all the time now instead of just those times when she would see her husband, and she says the devil is already on the attack, but she has been able to resist and remain quiet and loving! And this is another testimony we all need to pay very close attention to, because not many days before moving home, her husband had been telling her he didn’t love her and he just wanted to be happy and he didn’t think he could be happy with her! She had absolutely no warning and certainly had no idea he was coming home, so we ALWAYS need to be prepared for the unexpected and never forget that God does indeed act SUDDENLY!

And perhaps everyone else will be as blessed as I was by Small Straws from Marsha Burns yesterday, which says:
November 27, 2006: In a vision I saw six angels flying low above a road. They were
in a similar “v” formation to that of geese. They had long flowing robes of white,
and each blew a long, silver trumpet. I sensed that this was a very joyful occasion,
and on the road was a lone individual walking on the road and leaping and dancing
and praising God because the way has been opened with God’s angels leading the way.
As I watched this journeyman expressing his joy, there were people coming out of
the forest from both sides of the road to join him in praise. These people had been
hidden in the obscurity of the forest, but were now coming out into the open because
they knew that way had been made for their long-awaited promises to be fulfilled.
Soon I saw an entire company of people leaping and dancing and praising God for His
goodness.
You can read Small Straws each week day at this link, or you can sign up to receive it by email each day.

Be blessed and encouraged! And NEVER give up on God and ALL of the miraculous things that ARE possible with Him, because He will NEVER disappoint you or let you down!

One of the saddest and most frustrating things continued time and experience in marriage restoration ministry reveals, is that the greatest obstacle to marriage restoration is without a doubt the inability or unwillingness to forgive, because the ones who struggle and suffer the most are those who find it so difficult to let go of the terrible sense of betrayal, and the pain and anger long enough to experience the healing miracle of restoration God ALWAYS wants to work in our hearts and in our marriages and families. I sure wish I understood or knew how to explain what makes it SO difficult for some of us to let go of the negative emotions and energy, and release all of the pain and disappointment to our loving Father in heaven, who has so much more to replace it with if we’d just allow Him to. But maybe that’s just something very unique to each person, and why there seems to be no simple answer..

No matter how difficult or challenging the act of forgiveness may seem, there’s ABSOLUTELY NO doubt about how important it is when it comes to restoration, both in terms of our relationship with God and with others, especially when it involves someone who has hurt us so deeply. One of the passages I find women most resistant to when discussing forgiveness is Luke 6:27-42, which says:
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Ouch! That really nails us, because it is so difficult in our flesh to do, yet it is a VITALLY important passage of scripture for ALL Christians to REALLY understand, but most especially to those of us standing for the restoration of our marriages. And it’s a passage ALL of us who find it so difficult to stop judging, criticizing and complaining about the behavior of our spouses need to read every single day, and maybe even several times a day, because when the Bible tells us to acknowledge God in all our ways or to commit ourselves to HIS way, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS whether we like it or not! And if we want the blessings, protection and provision of God as we stand for our marriages and to experience His awesome promise of restoration, we had better get serious about learning what it means to walk in the grace and power of His spirit so we can CONSISTENTLY walk out passages like this in our daily lives, because when we do, WE WILL SEE THE RESTORATION OF OUR MARRIAGES! Otherwise, God would be a liar and it would make a mockery of His word, and we know that’s not true and that He wouldn’t let that happen!

As I often say, I NEVER cease to be amazed with the way the lord so faithfully confirms things to us over and over again, and this weekend was no exception. On Saturday, I talked to three women who were struggling with questions of unforgiveness, and wondering why they see God answering the prayers of others, and why they don’t see Him working in their lives and situations. I used something out of the above passage from Luke in response to each of their questions, because as it almost always does, it comes back to issues of unforgiveness and our natural tendency to judge our spouses; expecting them to act in accordance with OUR expectations, standards and values, and the resulting and inevitable disappointment and frustration experienced when they don’t.. As I shared with one of the women this weekend, many years ago an older and wiser woman once told me that I shouldn’t expect people to treat me the same way I’d treat them, because as long as I continued to do that, I was just setting myself up for disappointment. Well, she was right, and one of the important things we have to realize as we stand for the restoration of our marriages is that we can’t afford to place any expectations on our husbands (or wives), because ALL of our hope and expectation MUST be in the Lord and HIS ability to make the changes we and He desire in our mates! We CAN NOT convince or convict them of the sin in their life or the error of their way, but the Lord can and that’s where our prayers come in! But we also have to understand that harboring unforgiveness in our hearts toward our mates or anyone else, no matter what they are doing or not doing, is sin, and ANY kind of sin separates us from God, and He can not be in fellowship with us when we have unrepented sin in our lives. And repentance means we acknowledge and confess our sin, ask God AND our mates to forgive us, and then STOP sinning! So imagine my excitement and amazement when I saw Charles Stanley’s TV broadcast message Sunday morning, He Forgives Our Sin, which is an AWESOME message about forgiveness! It’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone discuss the difference between the forgiveness of sin that occurs when we’re saved and then the need and requirement for forgiveness of sins committed after we’re saved, and the consequences of unrepentance. If anyone still struggles to understand that old familiar saying “once saved, always saved” (as one of the ladies and I actually discussed and disagreed about Saturday), Dr. Stanley answers that question too. And he makes it very clear why we can’t afford NOT to forgive or husbands and wives as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, because as I said earlier, we MUST rely on our prayers to move the Holy Spirit to convict our spouses of the sin in their lives, bringing about the repentance and changes we want, but God can not hear or answer our prayers when we harbor unforgiveness of any kind in our hearts. This is a VERY important message for all Christians to listen to and understand, so please take the time to listen to it several times if necessary, and take notes. And take time to seriously read and study, line by line, the above passage of scripture from Luke, because when we learn to walk that out in our lives, we will truly begin to experience the peace and joy we long for! As Dr. Stanley says in his message, no amount of prayer and fasting will do us any good if we have unforgiveness in our hearts, because it separates us from God, which often explains why so many women say they don’t feel the Lord’s presence in their lives the same way they used to. And just to help make the point, here are a few verses about forgiveness we all need to understand and MEMORIZE as we stand for the restoration of our marriages:

Matthew 6:12
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Luke 7:47
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

Romans 4:7
“Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

2 Corinthians 2:7
Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

Hebrews 10:18
And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 2:12
I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

And if we still have any doubt how serious the Lord is about forgiveness and how seriously He takes it when we fail to forgive others as He has forgiven us, just read Matthew 18:23:35!

When I began working on this post earlier today, my intention was to find a few verses to go along with a link to an awesome online praise and worship website I just discovered, but as I started looking at some of the passages of scripture about the power and importance of praise, I realized that this is a topic that really deserves and needs a lot more time and attention than I can give it right now. So for the time being, I’m just including some of the verses that make it abundantly clear that we should NEVER stop praising the Lord. They also teach us some of the things to praise Him for, how to praise Him, and what happens when we do. One of the most important things I tell women when I first speak with them is to keep praise and worship music on all the time, because it’s virtually impossible to be depressed or discouraged when we’re lifting up the name of Jesus, and singing His praises. So this morning I decided to see if I could find something on the internet that offered around the clock praise and worship music, and I was thrilled with what I found! So you can listen to AllWorship Praise & Worship Basic Stream here, and more information about it, including additional options, is available at this link.

And the following passages of scripture are really just a few to give us a much better understanding of the importance and power of praise and worship:

Psalm 100:3-5
Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 34:1-5
I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Psalm 18:47-49
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.

Psalm 96:1-3
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Isaiah 42:10
Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them.

Psalm 149:1
Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.

Hebrews 2:12
He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.”

Psalm 135:3
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

Psalm 147:1
Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

Psalm 30:4
Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.

Psalm 33:1
Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

Psalm 47:7
For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.

1 Chronicles 16:9
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

Psalm 68:32
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah

Romans 15:11
And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.”

Psalm 66:2
Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!

Psalm 63:5
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

Psalm 71:8
My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

Psalm 145:21
My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

Psalm 75:9
As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.

Psalm 104:33
I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Psalm 7:17
I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Psalm 9:2
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

Psalm 21:13
Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.

Psalm 59:17
O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

Psalm 71:22
I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 71:23
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I, whom you have redeemed.

Psalm 101:1
I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.

Psalm 66:4
All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.” Selah

Psalm 68:4
Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds — his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him.

Jeremiah 20:13
Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.

Jeremiah 31:7
This is what the LORD says: “Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say, ‘O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’

Psalm 150:2
Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Revelation 5:13
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

Daniel 2:19-20
During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.

2 Chronicles 5:13-14
The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.

2 Chronicles 20:20-22
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

Dear Lord,

There’s SO much to be thankful for today, but most of all we give thanks for your amazing love and your willingness to demonstrate it by sending your precious son to die on a cross for us so we could be forgiven for our sins and spend eternity with you in heaven! We thank you for your presence in our lives every day and for the power of the Holy Spirit and the work He does in and through us. We thank you for your word and the wisdom and understanding we gain by reading and meditating on it. And we thank you for all the angels you send to guard and direct us and all the ways they assist and minister to us at all times. We thank you for the people in our lives that we love and who are very special and significant to us in so many ways. And we thank you for those who love us and that you’ve allowed us to be significant in their lives as well. We thank you for your infinite mercy and grace and for the capacity you give us to forgive and love unconditionally. We thank you for peace that passes all understanding and that we can be content in all circumstances, because we know you work EVERYTHING out for good when we love you and are called according to your will and purpose for our lives. And we even thank you for the difficult times in our lives when you taught us what it means to be fully reliant on you, and for the many things you teach us in such times and that they’ll ultimately be used for your glory. We thank you for our abundance of material blessings, and we ask for your forgiveness for our lack of gratitude for how truly blessed we are in comparison to those who suffer from lack of things we consider essential, like clean drinking water and nutritious food, good health and a roof over our heads. We truly are blessed beyond belief, but we often fail to realize just how blessed and fortunate we are and to give you thanks for all that your hand has provided.

There are SO many things to give thanks for in my personal life, Lord, that it’s hard to know where to begin! But first, I have to thank you for the call you’ve placed on my life for FAM Ministries and the most awesome sense of joy and fulfillment it’s brought to my life. And I thank you for the tremendous growth I’ve experienced in my own walk with you and for the opportunity and ability to study and be blessed by your word. I thank you for each of the women (and men) you’ve brought to the ministry as I pray for your most awesome blessings to be poured out into their lives today and always. I pray that they will continue to draw closer to you, Lord Jesus, because I know that when we’re in right relationship with you, all of our relationships are right. So please lead them into the righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit you told us your kingdom is all about. And I thank you for the special blessings each of the ladies are to me personally, because they’re all such special and unique women, and I treasure each and every one of them. So I pray for YOUR wisdom, patience and guidance in all that I say and do, and pray that it ALWAYS leads us back to your word and a greater reliance on your power and love. I pray for your special blessings in the homes that are missing dads or moms this year and thank you for the work we know you’re doing in the lives and hearts of the absent husbands and wives to bring healing and restoration to their families. I thank you for the work I’ve already seen you do in the lives of so many of our ladies, Lord, and thank you in advance for all that I know you will be faithful to complete in the coming year, and for the many more families that will be restored by this time next year!

We love you and give you all praise, honor and glory. So please lead us to live our lives as yielded and willing vessels so that your work can be accomplished through us and others will be able to see your love and goodness in us. Be Thou glorified in our lives today and always. In the most awesome name of Jesus Christ, we pray and give thanks! Amen.

Here’s a very appropriate message from Joyce Meyer for today, A Thankful Attitude. So let’s all remember to give thanks to the Lord for all the wonderful things He has blessed us with, and remember that Colossians 4:2 says Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. May you all be blessed this Thanksgiving Day and always!

It’s always SO exciting when we’re blessed with a greater understanding of something in God’s word, as I was this morning concerning angels and how our words affect their ability to minister to us and work on our behalf! All week Joyce Meyer has been teaching on one of my favorite topics, which is the power of the spoken word, and particularly the power released by speaking the word of God out loud. But this morning she focused more on the power our words have concerning the activities of angels, and like so many things once she pointed it out, I couldn’t believe how I ever missed something so obvious!

Most of the FAM Fellowship members are very much aware that I’m most impatient when I hear them speak negatively about their husbands, situations or futures, but that’s because I know the power such words have to bring the very things we don’t want into our lives, and it literally makes me cringe when I hear them. However, I also remember how difficult it was for me to learn the same important principle, even when others were trying to teach it to me, so I understand how difficult it is to grasp. But once we start focusing on it more as we read the Bible and listen to messages about it from preachers and teachers like Joyce Meyer and Creflo Dollar, we’ll never be able to speak negatively again without being convicted, and that will change us and our lives very significantly!

Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV) is probably one of the most often quoted verses when it comes to the power of the spoken word, because it says Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. And when we put that together with Luke 6:45, which says The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. along with Proverbs 4:23, which says Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life., we start to see the connection between the things we speak and the issues affecting our lives. That’s why understanding the power of our spoken words is SO important.

One of the verses Joyce used about angels in her message today was Hebrews 1:13, which says Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? When we first begin studying what the Bible teaches about angels, we’re usually surprised to learn that their role is to serve and minister to us, just as we see they did for Jesus in Mark 1:13, which says and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. And according to Exodus 23:20, we see that angels very specifically guard and direct us, because it says “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. And we see the amazing power of angels to guard and protect us confirmed in this awesome passage from Psalm 91:9-16, which says If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge-then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.” And what an AWESOME example we find of exactly how that works in this passage from Acts 12:4-11, which says After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”

While there’s so much to learn about angels and how they function, one of the MOST important verses for us to fully understand concerning angels is the one Joyce used in her message today, Which is Psalm 103:20 (NKJV), because it says Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. That tells us that they excel in strength, that they DO His word and they HEED the VOICE of His word, which tells me it’s pretty important to SPEAK His word, especially since John 6:63 tells us The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

Here’s Joyce’s awesome message, The Power Of Words, which I strongly encourage everyone to take (or make) the time to listen to. And here are links to The Secret Power Of Speaking God’s Word – Part I from Monday and, The Secret Power Of Speaking God’s Word – Part II, from yesterday. It is my most sincere hope and prayer that listening to these messages will finally help all of us realize the importance of avoiding speaking negatively about our situations as we stand for our marriages, but even more the importance of literally speaking God’s word into being in our lives and the lives of those we love!

The following is an excerpt from Judy Rousseau’s email message today, in which she included this message from Tom, who kindly gave me permission to share it with our visitors as well. It’s something he posted on another marriage restoration website, and it’s definitely something we can all benefit from the wisdom of, because totally surrendering and trusting God is not just the ONLY thing we can do…it’s the BEST thing we can do! Here’s Tom’s message:

“Hi All,

My own marriage is facing divorce, so I am not trying to make myself out to be an expert. I’ve been fasting and praying for nearly 5 months for a breakthrough, for the miracle of restoration back to what God intended marriage to be. I participate at this website and a few others, both asking for prayer and of course praying for others and their needs. One thing I see common to most of them is that we are looking for a quick
fix from God. I know I was, especially the first few weeks.

Through reading His Word, praying, reading other books and the wise counsel of many from these sites as well as true Christian friends I’ve learned one thing. Our God is a God of miracles, but in His Timing, not ours. What does that mean? You have to persevere in prayer. The battle is His, absolutely, but He wants more from us than an emergency prayer of help. He wants us completely and wants our own personal walk with Him restored. I feel my time in the wilderness, like many of the people who post here, is a “gift” from God. One that causes pain, but is for my good and I pray for the good of my wife and all others involved. I keep a list of marriages in trouble who’s names I get from sites like this one. The problem is, many of the people posting the prayer requests never return. And I for one wonder if it is because their prayers were answered or was their turning to God a one shot attempt at reconciliation, financial needs met, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I’m praying for you either way. But if you are serious about obtaining God’s help one prayer may be all it takes for Him to complete the miracle. In fact He could do it without that prayer. In Him nothing is impossible. But He wants and deserves more.

He wants our obedience, worship and many other things, but most of all He wants our love. He’s already shown His perfect love for us. And His Promises are perfect, but if you really seek Him you’ll see there are conditions to His answering. One is demonstrating faith that He can do it. Another is persisting in your requests, not giving up even when your “worldly” wisdom says you should. A miracle, which is what most of
us are praying for, is exactly that, miraculous. Something we don’t deserve, a gift from a loving Father. Pray His Word to Him, keep asking, but make sure you are asking is within His Will. Marriage restoration is, winning the lottery isn’t. He has promised us to meet our needs, so praying for a specific deliverance from a financial problem certainly is in His Will. I’m still a relative babe in the Word so I am also asking for what we all need, His Wisdom to discern His Will, revelation of it for my life and marriage, etc.
I could go on, but I’m afraid I’m sounding critical as it is and that’s the last thing I want to pass on. What I’m saying is, in our brokenness He finds us and heals us. Only through Him is that possible. It’s not always easy, He never said it would be. But I believe it will be worth it and every day He tells me it will. I’ve “heard” His voice enough to recognize it in my heart when I’m deep in prayer. And He’s answered specific questions through emails who’s subjects in the morning address a question I prayed about in no uncertain terms the night before. He speaks to us in ways we will understand. And it truly is that quiet, still voice that you hear and feel peace from. But as I have found, you have to listen in order to hear.

Beyond prayer I can do nothing to save my marriage. But I am thankful for it because that is the only hope anyway. I can’t and don’t offer advice on marriage or finances, I’m completely unqualified. I’m even more unqualified to give any kind of spiritual advice beyond relating my own experiences. But if you are having problems and really want the Lord in your life so you have a rock to turn to I am happy to provide you with the places that have helped me in my relationship with Him and have provided so much for me. It’s up to you after that, but like this website, there are a lot of wonderful resources out there where you can really be led to Him if you’re willing to go and give you the encouragement you’re seeking regardless of the mountain you’re facing. Until my wife and I separated I would not have believed it myself. I thought I could handle anything on my own. Now I know, and I’m thankful for the fact, that I can handle nothing without Him.

He once clearly spoke to me while I was fasting and praying. I was done praying or thinking for the day and was reaching for the light switch to go to sleep. I wasn’t thinking about anything except getting up for work on time the next day. I had been praying a lot in His Word for my marriage to be restored and felt much better than I had when I’d started. But as I reached for that switch I heard Him in my heart,
unmistakably Him, and all He said was “Trust Me”. We both knew what He meant. And that’s all I’m really trying to say to anyone else facing their own mountain of circumstances, Trust HIM!
Tom”

Judy’s reply: “Thank you, Tom, I pray that the Lord will use your letter to deeply minister His heart and desire for relationship to those who will read it. I pray that they will not give God a deadline in which to work but rather give their lives completely to Him. (Tom, you’ve got such a gift for writing. May the Lord continue to give you opportunity to use it. To God be the glory!)”