PRAYING SO I DON'T SLIP!!

"When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.   Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.  Whom have I in heaven but you?   And earth has nothing I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.  But as for me, it is good to be near God.  I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds."  Pslams 73:21-28 (NIV)

The hardest thing to do, in my opinion, is to pray for someone that you feel has hurt you or betrayed you.  In our human/flesh state, we don't feel that the person deserves our prayers and if we're honest, oftentimes we want the total opposite of blessings for someone that has caused us pain.  The pain is deeper, the closer that person is to you or the more value put on the relationship.  There are many relationships that can cause pain in our lives, familial, friendships, even work relationships; but the one that can hurt the most is the marriage relationship.  Why?  It's because our spouse is the one person to whom we're most vulnerable.  Accordingly, our spouse is one person that can hurt us like no other.  So when that happens, our natural inclination is not to pray for them.  However, if you don't want to find your foot slipping and yourself headed for a fall; you must pray for them!  When we do good, despite the wrongs done to us; "...the Lord shall reward thee" (Proverbs 25:22).  Now when you read that scripture, it's talking about an enemy and I'm not saying your spouse is your enemy.  I AM saying that satan will have you believe your spouse is the enemy and that's why it's even more important that we combat the REAL ENEMY with the proper weapon.

Lord, I know that Your love is for everyone.  I know that even when/if I don't feel like loving my spouse; You still love them!  In my bitter and broken state, it is easy for me to yield to my flesh and not Your spirit.  If I'm honest Lord, I'm tired of going through the motions, but You have not given up on me, so I won't give up either.  You continue to hold me close, so I will continue to hold on.  I give You all my hurts and fear.  If pain is weakness leaving the body, as I am weak in your presence; I now know that You are taking the pain away and strengthening me.  Your word says, "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12).  Thank You Lord for never letting me go...never letting us go.  Amen!