Creation Roles: Paul Washer "Are You Ready for a Relationship?"

Last week we shared a message from Paul Washer entitled "What a Man is Not." I hope you found it thought provoking and informative.  This week we want to share another message from Mr.Washer titled "Are You Ready for Marriage?" This message addresses men, but as a woman I found it very enlightening and it challenged my thoughts on dating and marriage. What I gained from the message as a whole is that everything we do in life we must without a doubt do it for the glory of God and no other reason. Yes we have preferences of what we want in a mate as far as physical features,  background, education, finances and how you feel when you are with that person. But all of those things are fleshy desires.  I am not saying that you are sinning because you want those things but are your motives pure and in line with what the Word says.
One example that the Bible shows us is Jacob. Jacob was a trickster and a manipulator (Genesis  27:36).  He had to flee his father's, Issac, house, because he stole his brother's, Esau, birthright (Genesis 27). As he was entering into his Uncle Laban's compound he noticed Rachel, his uncle's daughter, and fell in love with her beauty (Genesis 29). Jacob didn't know one thing about Rachel's character or personality traits. He just loved the way she looked. If Jacob would have gotten to know her he would have discovered that she was a liar, full of malice, jealousy, spite and vanity. Jacob went through many years of trails with his family full of children from different mothers. Maybe if Jacob would have looked for a wife with godly characteristics instead of the surface, his life would have been less stressful.
I encourage you to take the time to watch this video or listen to it. It will definitely challenge your outlook on marriage and relationships.

Faith: It Can Happen! Beautiful Proposal and Wedding of Young ChristianCouple

As I was doing some research yesterday, I came across this article about a young man that proposed and married his wife on the same day! Ryan Leak, for over a year, planned the wedding using his then girlfriend's, Amanda Roman, Wedding Pinterest board that had over 200 pins. The background story is that he overheard Amanda speaking to one of her friend's that she wanted to get engaged and married on the same day. Ryan executed his bride's dream wedding successfully without her knowledge.

I wanted to share their story because it was a answered question that I posed to God. I will not expose the question but I will tell you that the answer is that "It Can Happen". God is willing and able to do above and exceedingly all we could ever ask for (Ephesians 3:20). If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ please believe that He loves you and wants the best for you. Amanda, I am sure, never saw this coming and waited 5 years to hear Ryan say "I Love You" and propose. I will allow Ryan to explain why in the video. 

The Lord is always working out things in the spiritual realm for our benefit because He and only He will receive the glory. The Lord was gloried in their wedding and because of their story it has edified and encouraged me to believe that God is able. No prayer is too ridiculous, small or big for Him. Please believe that it can happen. To read the full article and to watch the mini documentary of the proposal and wedding here is the link to theGrio website. You can also watch the video below:

A Must Read!: "Broken Church Homes"

Last month we read an amazing post from Pastor G. Craige Lewis of Exministries. It is called "Broken Church Homes" and Pastor Lewis expressed his deep concerns about the state of marriages in the body of Christ. It is a thought provoking article that addresses the many issues that Christian marriages are facing today. The Enemy is really attacking what God has ordained to be sacred and holy. We urge everyone to pray and intercede for the marriages in your local church, your families, friends, church leaders and pastors. The devil is doing a work and we need to counteract. Prayer is our most valuable and powerful weapon against this spirit of divorce, infidelity, division and confusion. To read the article click here or copy and paste the link below.

http://gcraige.blogspot.com/2011/08/broken-church-homes.html

"But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸ and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Mark 10: 6-9

The 8 Prayer Watches: The 3rd Watch

This week, I am going to discuss the third hour of prayer. 3rd Watch 12MN-3:00am The Third Watch of the Night (The Breaking of Day Watch):

• It is time for Spiritual Warfare during this watch. A lot of spiritual activities occur during this time. Pray against Satanic attacks on your life, family members, marriages, churches and communities. We are most vulnerable to the devil’s attacks because at this time we are asleep. In Matthew 13: 24-25, Jesus tells the parable of the sower and how when the men slept, the enemy came and destroyed their wheat.
  
• Pray for divine protection and declare it! Psalms 91: 5-6 states “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.”
  
• This watch hour will strengthen your faith. It is the same time that Peter denied Christ 3 times. Matt. 26: 34, 74; Mark 14: 30; Luke 22:34; John 13: 38
  
• Dreams flow during this hour. For many this is how God communicates with them. The devil can also attack you in dreams (nightmares), so always pray before you go to sleep and ask God to keep you from the enemy’s devices.
  
• Deliverance occurs at this time. God delivered the Israelites from bondage during this time and Samson carried the gates of the city, Judges 16: 3-4. During this time the wicked are destroyed and there is angelic intervention.
  
• This is time to pray for marriages and to be married. Midnight is when the bridegroom came for his bride, Matthew 25:6, and this is the time Boaz found Ruth at his feet asleep, Ruth 3: 1-10.
  
• This is the perfect time to make your case in prayer unto the Lord. Wakeup and pray against every distraction and destruction that is robbing you of God’s blessings and provisions on your life, Luke 11: 5-13.
  
• Daniel broke through in prayer for 21 days at this watch hour for a principality to let go of the revelation God was revealing to him. Daniel 10: 13-14 If you are going through a pressing situation, doubt, unbelief or not sure what direction you should be going through, pray like Daniel did for 21 days and ask the Lord to give you a revelation.
  
  Please remember all for these prayer points during these hours of prayer. It will strengthen you and allow the Lord to continue to do a mighty work in your life. Also for more on the third watch, please visit the National Prayer Watch website.