Happy Monday! It is so wonderful to wake up and know the Lord is still in control, faithful to promises and is gracious enough to restore our souls. I want to thank Dora Lozano again for being our guest writer last week. This week we will pick-up where we left off on August 8th in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, with Paul addressing the Corinthian church and the behaviors of the congregation. . Have a wonderful day!

“¹⁰ To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. ¹¹ But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

¹² To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. ¹³ And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

¹⁵ But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. ¹⁶ How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” – 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 NLT

In verses 9-10, Paul was reminding the church what Jesus said in Matthew 5:32 and Mark 10:2-12 in regards to divorce. Paul was emphasizing the need for resolution and reconciliation, instead of divorce.

Another area that Paul addressed was marriage to an unbeliever. Marriage to an unbeliever can occur in several ways, an unbelieving couple enters into marriage and later one becomes a Christian and the other does not or a Christian marries a non-believer. In the old testament, there are scriptures that warn against marrying unequally yoked (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). or divorcing from pagan spouses (Ezra 10:11). Yet, Paul is saying in these verses, if you are married to an unbeliever you shouldn’t simply divorce them now that you see their unbelief as a hindrance. Paul is saying, let your belief in Christ Jesus be the example in your marriage and in the rearing of your children, so that they may see Christ in you and in your home. That your belief will become their belief because you are displaying an attitude of Christ in your home, praying for your home, and covering your spouse and children in daily prayer.

I know many readers who have gone through divorce for reasons known and unknown to me. I also know readers who are married to unbelievers and they are trying to make their marriages work. Yet, I also know some readers whose non believing spouses have left. What I want for you to take away from this is, God knows the details surrounding your life, your marriage and your family. God can transform broken marriages and homes. God can give you strength and peace as you seek Him in your marriage and in the case of a divorce that may have occurred. Time and time again, I’ve heard, read and seen God make all things new in marriages. I’ve also seen restoration in broken marriages and couples who divorced and remarried. God is a miracle worker trust His plan. However, I also know that there have been times when marriages were not restored and pain continues. Sisters and brothers, if this is you, God has not forgotten you. God has not written you off. God can heal and restore the broken piece of your life and make you whole again. Trust Him.

He is a God who makes all things new.

Father God, in the name of Jesus we come in prayer asking for healing in marriages. Lord, we ask for restoration of brokenness that has occurred in so many homes. Lord, we pray for children and adults who have been impacted by the choices that their parents made. Lord, we pray for mental, emotional and spiritual healing for all parties involved. Lord, we know you can remove mountains/barriers that the enemy has set-up in homes, in hearts, in relationships and in Christian beliefs. Lord, we ask that you remove those mountains that hinder us from following you with our whole heart, that you release the chains of the enemy that has us bound to our past and the failures of others, and remove the veil from our eyes that keep us in fear and unable to see you at work in our lives. Lord, many of us have come from broken homes and relationships and are not sure how to navigate through marriage or relinquish trust to another or trust you to work all things out for our good. But, Father we know you are good, we know you are mighty in power and that our healing is found in you. Today Lord, we lay our past at your feet and ask for your forgiveness of our sins and the parts that we have played in self destruction of our relationships. Lord, we want to be better. Lord, help us to be examples of Christ/You in our lives, in our singleness, marriages, as widows or divorcees. Lord, we know you can and will change us, our spouses and families. Keep working in us, our unbelieving family members and our nation. In Jesus name, amen.

Keep praying! Keep Trusting! Keep believing!

Do you have a prayer request? We would love to pray for you. Send your prayer request to:

prayerrequest@maryewhiteministries.com

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