Ephesians 5:25-28 NIV
”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.“
INSIGHT
–Marriage is a sacred vow between a man and woman, to become one flesh (Genesis 2:24), through love. Marriage is founded and catalyzed in love. God is the author of love for He is love. Husbands have been ordered to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up as a sacrifice for it. Husbands should love their wives as they love themselves through unconditional love. When a husband loves his wife, she responds through respect for him.
PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus we thank You and praise Your name for You have loved us with unconditional love. You knew us and loved us even before we were conceived in our mothers wombs. Thank You loving Savior for You loved us and died for our sins. May You forgive us our sins, iniquities, transgressions, and wash us with Your precious blood. May You help us to love our wives as You loved the church and gave up Your life to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and presenting her to Yourself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Thank You for Your love and grace upon every marriage. May You reunite every broken marriage by Your power and will. May You reconcile every relationship by Your mercy and kindness. May every promise in our marriages be fulfilled according to Your grace dear Lord Jesus. May You bless all those who are waiting on You for marriage that You may answer them speedily according to Your will. All glory, honor and power belongs to You now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Mark 10:9
1 Peter 4:8 NIV
”Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.“
INSIGHT
-In the spirit of doing everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:14), married couples are expected to overlook and forgive one another’s offenses. Some marriages experience diverse issues and pettiness that can be ignored. Others encounter challenges that warrant divorce but forgiveness becomes inevitable. God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), therefore this thought that may transpire to the actual action must be ignored so that no room can be accorded to the devil. Each one should therefore be responsible in their marriage while seeking the help and grace of God seeking the Lord through prayer, thanksgiving and dwelling in His word.
PRAYER
Your word Lord is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Thank You for the rains that You have showered unto us dear Jesus. We pray for all our school going children that You may protect them and grant them favor as they continue with their education. We pray for all married couple that they will love each other deeply and forgive one another just like Christ forgave us. May You enable us to forgive all those who offend us as You forgive our trespasses too. All glory, honor, power and salvation is Your now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Ephesians 4:29-32
Colossians 3:18-19 NIV
”Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.“
INSIGHT
–These scriptures describe the basic principles of marriage. Wives have been instructed to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord and husband to love their wives. Lack of or abundance of some variable factors like peace, physical and emotional stability, communication, intimacy, financial resources have caused turbulence in marriages, as married couples have forsaken the basic principles. Harshness can be interpreted as lack of love and harsh husbands have catalyzed constant arguments in the family and this is a dominant cause for divorce according to marriage.com. Love and respect therefore go hand in hand and absence of one or both may cause instability in marriage.
PRAYER
We thank You Lord for enabling us to see this day. We know that many people have passed on before us but by Your mercy and kindness we are alive today so as to make a difference in the world. Your mercies are new every morning, we thank You. Lord Jesus You have reminded us that we are more valuable than many sparrows, we thank You for loving us. You have called us to be kind to one another, treat one another with tender hearts and forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave us. May You help us to forgive one another in our homes, marriages and relationships, not seven times but seventy-seven times. May You train all married couples to love and respect one another according to Your divine purpose and will. May You teach us to do Your will always. May You grant us favor before You Lord and before men now and forever. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever more. Amen
Further reading: Ephesians 4:31-32, Matthew 18:21-22
Matthew 1:18-20 NIV
”This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.“
INSIGHT
–Joseph encountered a tough experience as he began his marriage. Joseph knew his betrothed was pregnant, yet not with his own child. Joseph was a just and loving husband and did not intend to shame Mary. He decided to treat the matter discreetly and not to expose her to public ridicule and shame. After the angel’s visit, the couple proceeds with their relationship, showing great trust in the God and His promises even after the birth of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Joseph and Mary took their role as parents seriously and showed love and care for their Son. We are called to show love for our families and treat them with respect and care, keeping the discreet family matters within our homes.
PRAYER
We praise You Lord, God of Israel, because You came to redeemed us Your people. You raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house David and granted us salvation from our enemies to show us mercy and our ancestors. You have kept Your holy covenant, the oath You swore to our father Abraham, to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve You Lord without fear but in holiness and righteousness. We thank You for loving us and choosing us to serve You and do Your divine will. We know that all the promises that You have made to us are yes and amen, and they shall surely come to pass. We trust in You dear Lord Jesus and pour out our hearts to You, for You are our refuge and strength. May You bless all families and give them the desires of their hearts. May You grant them wisdom so that they may always air out their matters to You Lord and not to the public. Those who are waiting on You for spouses may You hear their prayers. Those who are waiting on You for children may You bless them with these beautiful gifts. Those who are waiting You for finances may You come through for them. Those who are homeless may You bless them and reach them at their points of need. Those who are waiting on You for the gift of salvation may Your grace be found in their household to make this possible. Nothing is impossible with You dear Lord Jesus, all our hope and trust is in You. Amen
Further reading: Proverbs 13:3, Psalms 62:8
1 John 4:7-8 NIV
”Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.“
INSIGHT
–Love can be traced to its Source in the nature of God as revealed at the cross. Married couples are called to show that they are children of God by manifesting sacrificial love and actions like Christ.
SUMMARY
Love and marriage are inseparable and as the couple makes the vow to come together as one, they are joined in cords of love. Ecclesiastes 4:12 reminds us that a three-cord strand cannot be easily broken. When God becomes the focal point in a marriage and the center, then love never seems to cease for God is love. God calls married couples to love each other deeply for love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Offenses in a marriage are not so rare in occurrence and forgiveness should be considered first. Several factors that cause divorce including infidelity, lack of finances, poor communication, constant arguments, physical and emotional abuse, lack of intimacy, unrealistic expectations etc., do not consider forgiveness but are acts of vengeance. The Lord reminds us that vengeance belongs to God alone (Romans 12:19). We are called to “owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). Joseph loved his wife Mary, and did not want to expose her to the public in disgrace but chose to divorce her privately. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him and revealed that Jesus was conceived by the help of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-20). Husbands are reminded to love their wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies for he who loves his wife loves himself (Ephesians 5:25-28), and not be harsh to them. Wives are called to submit to their husbands, as to the Lord (Colossians3:18-19).
PRAYER
Almighty Father we thank You and exult Your holy name for Your loving kindness upon us. God You are rich in mercy and have loved us with great love, even when we were dead in trespasses, You made us alive together with Christ, and by grace You have saved us. Thank You for loving us dear Lord Jesus, and when we were still sinners and You died for us. May You teach us to love one another as we love ourselves. May You teach us to love our spouse deeply for love covers a multitude of sins. We repent for every sin, iniquity and trespass that we have committed with our thoughts, eyes, mouths, and entire bodies that You may forgive us and sanctify us full body, soul and spirit. May Your love always be present in our hearts, homes, places of work, communities, churches and nation. May You bless all women and respond to all their needs and prayers. May You bless us and keep us dear Lord Jesus. May You shine Your face towards us and be gracious unto us. May You show Your countenance unto us and give us peace. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen
Further reading: Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 13:13