During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:7-10
Somehow, reading these verses, I feel strangely uncomfortable and comforted at the same time. I don’t know about you, but it makes me feel uncomfortable when I read that God let His son go through trials and problems so much that He offered up prayers and petitions to his Father. I mean he WAS God, why did He have to go through that? On the other hand, I find myself comforted knowing that He went through trials, just like me! And now I can send up prayers and petitions, too. I don’t think He, Jesus, actually had to go through them; he could have been born and gone through life without one problem or trial. But He chose to be like us, to show us how to pray and be an example of how God wanted to prepare us for our own battles.
I love this paragraph in our study that Dineen wrote: “In our trials, we can look to Jesus and see the pattern of preparation, and perhaps therein lies our joy-in knowing that the Father loves us as much as He loves His Son and is preparing us for the destiny He has planned for each of us, and for our husbands.”
What trials are you going through, or have gone through, in your life and marriage that you can look and see the hand of God in the midst? Perhaps God has asked you to stay the course in your marriage through very tough and heavy circumstances. Maybe He’s asked you to show love to a man who acts unlovable, maybe he’s defensive and angry. Maybe you don’t feel loved by him, but God has called you to love him as He has loved you.
God has equipped us for these and any other situations that might be presented to us on a daily basis. Let’s look at some scriptures that bear out this very thing:
* 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man and God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (NAS)
* 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (NIV)
* Ephesians 2:10 We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works which God prepared us in advance to do.
If we read these verses, and apply them, we know that not only is God preparing us, but He is equipping us for the battle, sometimes way ahead of it! Stay in the word, learn His way, and apply it to life. God does not say He won’t give us trials in this life. He said we will have them, but He will help us and provide a way for us. If the battle is short or long, He will be there for us.
We know that God hears us from the verse Dineen shared, Psalm 17:6 “I am praying to you because I know You will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray” (NLT), but do we really believe it? Sometimes it seems as though God is not listening. We pray and plead and send up our petitions and it seems we’re hitting a wall. We worry that He doesn’t see our situation or hear us, but because of His word, we know He does. So we wait….
I know I’ve talked about my son and his addiction to drugs and alcohol and rebellion before, but let me just expand on it for a moment. Tristan’s rebellion started when he was 12. He suddenly became this angry, unhappy person I didn’t know. It went on a downward spiral of drugs, alcohol, and girls. He was soon more interested in partying than school, or life. He ran away a few times, screamed that he hated me on daily basis and moved out for a time when he was 17. He only came back because he was hungry.
During this time, we prayed and prayed and prayed. God probably got tired of hearing my voice!! But hear me He did! When Tristan turned 19 things started to change. He admitted his addiction and got help. He tells me everyday that he loves me, whether in a text or by mouth. He is 21 now and a productive member of society. He hasn’t come back to the Lord yet, but I’m still praying for that. But because we were in the word and had an active Christian life, God prepared us ahead of time for the battle. I can look back and see how God prepared me and listened to me in the heat of the battle. It was part of His plan for us. God heard me! His timing may not have been my time, but He was faithful. I know He is hearing my prayers now; He’s proved it to me. He is hearing you, as well! Rest in that.
In Christ,
Donna
Let’s Pray:
God thank You for hearing our prayers and for preparing us for the battles You allow to happen in our lives. Help us to hear You, as well . May we stay as ever faithful to You, as You are to us. In Jesus’ name we pray-Amen
Your Assignment:
Let us know the battles you are facing in your marriages and let’s us be privileged to pray for you as we all face the battlefield.
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Our next Women’s Online Bible Study
“Crazy Love” by Francis Chan
Begins January 6, 2013.
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About Donna Day
Thank you for sharing your heart, Donna! I can look back at many circumstances in my life and in my marriage where God had prepared us before hand. And praise Him for doing that or I know we would've never made it through!!
God is so good Sarah!!
Many things in my own marriage could have been reason to walk away, but praise God He was right there with us in the midst of it all, and we made it through that ugliness!! Awesome post Donna!
This is a great post, Donna. Two main points for me: I remember a time I actually prayed to leave, seprate myself from the premises, but God said "No". I see now so many good things that came from his "NO" to me, and are still coming.. The second thing I want to say to you is that, while you have a Christian husband, you have been able to apply these principles to other areas of your life throughout the course. Blessings to you!
Martha you are so right. God will uses any trial to get us closer to him and his ideal. Thank God you listened to Him! He knows our outcomes and we just have to obey and trust!! Hard to do sometimes but it is all worth it in the end.
Christi That is so awesome! The key is to keep God the center of our marriages and he will keep us centered!!
My pastor talked about prayer this past Sunday. He discussed how God *can* change our circumstances, but His ultimate purpose here is to change US; to change our HEARTS. Prayer draws us closer to Him because it is through prayer that we open the lines of communication with the Father. He helps us to refocus our minds and our hearts on His Will for us and not on our fickle feelings, needs, and desires. It was a really powerful message that made me rethink how I pray! Great post today, my friend!
That is powerful Jennifer! Thanks for sharing that!
many, many good points here, donna! and i love that you shared 1 Corinthians 10:13 with us! it is a verse i cling hard to, reminding myself that this is the Truth!!! "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man and God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." <3
Coleen I love that verse too! We sometimes hear the first part and are upset that we think God just dumped something on us we can't handle. We need to always remember the second part of that verse that He provides a way out! He is always with us!!
Oh has it been heavy but I too put him thru heavy. Gods been here all along. That's why we are together still.
Keep at it Kim!! God will honor your commitment! 🙂
Donna, love this blog! I don't have that great of a prayer life, for starters I hate the way I sound, I sound wimpy or something, I don't have the right words to say and plus I am like what you posted, does he hear? Sometimes I don't feel like he hears so instead of praying for hubby I take it in my own hands and we all know where that gets me! If I pray for hubby and I don't see answers in the next day or two I just want to give up! I know it's not the microwave answers, get it right now! I would so love to be the woman of God as so many of you ladies, just so strong maybe one day I will!! So yes I fit in there, I get so frustrated cause I question if He is really there. Alot of times I don't feel His presence!
The only way to have a great prayer life Patti is to keep on forging through on a daily basis. And then trust that God is there and hears you, He says he is and does and God is a truth teller, he does not lie. It is hard to wait but God always answers. It may not be what we want at the time, but he sees the future and knows whats best. TRUST. That is the key. And when you can't feel his hand, trust his heart. he says numerous times He will never leave you nor forsake you, he is with you always. Hugs for you today!!