Good morning! Join me as we begin 1 Corinthians chapter seven. In chapter seven Paul is continuing his address to the church.

Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations.^[a] 2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

³ The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. ⁴ The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

⁵ Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ I say this as a concession, not as a command. ⁷ But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.

⁸ So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. ⁹ But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.” – 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 NLT

As we read in chapter five and six, the church had a problem with members living in sin. They were practicing sexual immorality and Paul gave them sound instruction. In these verses Paul continued with the purpose of honoring the body, but also honoring marriage relationships.

Paul mentioned three areas for marriage:

• Husbands fulfill and wives fulfill…(verse 3)
• Wives give and husbands give…(verse 4)
• Do not deprive unless mutual agreed upon for a period of time…and come back together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of lack of self control. (verse 5)

In Paul’s eyes this was an equal responsibility. Paul alluded that this will help curb sexual immorality within marriages and the church. Yet, he also addressed singles and widows.

Sisters and brothers, we are facing the same challenges in the church and in the world that the Corinthian church faced. Follow Paul’s instructions, pray over your situation and the church. Allow God to lead you in your marriage or in your singleness.

Father God, thank you for today. Thank you for your love. Thank you for the opportunity to be right in you. Lord, we ask for forgiveness for the times when we sinned against you and others. Lord, help us to live a life that reflects you actively at work in our marriages or in our singleness. Lord, help married couples to recognize the attacks on their marriage so that they can stand in faith and in prayer, and follow your plan for marriage. Lord, protect marriages and keep them from being defiled by Satan. Lord, reconcile broken marriages, promises and hearts.

Lord, we pray for widows and singles and ask that while they wait for you to bless them with a godly man or woman or in their decision to remain single that you will calm their burning desires/lust. Lord, help them to seek you and answer their prayers. Lord, continue to help those who have been abused or misused sexually, mentally and physically. Lord, restore them and give them peace. Lord, help them to overcome the injustices that were committed against them and set them free from bondage to their past and pain. Lord, help us all to be pleasing to you. Lord, strengthen our faith and our churches. Continue to transform us into the people you have called us to be. In Jesus name, amen.

Keep praying! Keep Trusting! Keep believing!

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