Modern
Day Samaritan Woman
Update:
Interceding for My Broken Marriage
Reaching
Deep Within…Soaking at Jesus Feet
Part 1 & Part 2
The time has come to update my progress regarding
my mission to intercede for my marriage and I can testify that the past few months
has been the most challenging of my life to date, both personally and spiritually.
Needless to say this challenge has become the key focus of my life and prayer
life…
However, the deeper that I pressed into prayer and
intercession, the deeper Father took me into a time of serious self-reflection
and examination.
While my husband I have at reached a point of
honest dialogue, it is a case of one step forward and three steps back. Like a
dance between two broken people with no co-ordination or rhythm we seem to be
missing the mark altogether. My heart cries out “How Long?” while my spirit
whispers “Be patient…Father is working!”
The following is what
I have learned:
Practical Lessons: Operating in the
spirit versus operating in the flesh
Each dashed hope and disappointment
revealed to me how quickly the flesh rises and wants to dominate. I admit I didn’t
immediately understand what was happening, until I found myself operating in
the spirit on one such occasion and Holy Spirit impressing on my heart to notice
the difference. I believe that this has been a time of “Practical Training” for
me to be able to clearly experience and discern the difference between operating
in the flesh and operating in the spirit. Father wanted me to realise that the flesh
requires justice, justification and vindication, while the spirit merely seeks
reconciliation with no benefit whatsoever. There are greater things at stake
than my comfort, justification or reputation.
I haven’t yet
mastered the spirit controlling the flesh, but I now have a clear understanding
of the difference and am able to step back for a moment or two to compose
myself, hold my thoughts captive, call on Holy Spirit for assistance and adjust
my mind-set to permit the spirit to gain control.
Prayer Lessons: Praying in the spirit versus praying in the flesh
Mr Prayer life has also grown significantly in that
my prayers for my husband alternate between speaking life into his life, his work
and his very existence…… to direct and confrontational warfare on several
fronts. (Thankfully, Father has already
placed Prayer Warriors into my life that I trust and I know support me during
these prayer times). This is a training in progress and as I have asked Him
to teach my hands to war; so has Father revealed to me the necessity of my
direct prayer involvement for the people that He has placed into my life. When
He asked me “How sincere was I when I said my vows?” “How pure was my love for
my husband?” He was forcing me to self-reflect on the answers to those
questions.
I have learned that when I am praying in the flesh,
my prayers, however eloquent they may be
are superficial and for the most part miss the point; however when I am praying
in the spirit my heart taps into the heart of God. I can’t help but weep as I
stand in the gap for my husband and our marriage and that which God had
intended for us. I become aware of other marriages in crises and can weep
openly for bleeding marriages everywhere without truly knowing the circumstances.
I just know that my Father’s Heart grieves these tragic losses and this
motivates me to pray harder.
Personal Growth Lessons: Fathers Will versus my will
I am learning to be patient and to trust in Fathers
perfect timing. There are still times when I fail and then I reach out to my
trusted girlfriends, who immediately stand in the gap and pray for me offering
me strength and understanding. I have learned the true value of genuine friendship.
I have learned that my life is in God’s hands and
that He is in control regardless of the circumstances. His timing is perfect
and He won’t be rushed or “nagged” into a position, but He does require my
active participation. I cannot sit in the back ground and do nothing at
all. If I truly want this then I must pray and participate at all times, I must
intercede when prompted to, I MUST LISTEN to the instructions of Holy Spirit
and I MUST respond to what I hear. The time for passive Christianity, for me
has passed.
When I am instructed to perform some task
prophetically, I am required to perform those tasks physically with no hesitation.
Interestingly, I am always completely aware of “why” specific prophetic tasks
are required. Holy Spirit is an excellent communicator and I cannot say I don’t
understand; therefore my absolute obedience is required.
I have learned to read my bible to seek Gods Will
regarding various issues, as I will not be able to pray effectively in His
Will, if I don’t have a clear understanding of His Will, and purpose and resolutions
regarding the concerns I am praying about.
I have learned that in order to have hands that are
trained to war I have to make absolutely certain that my hands are clean. (Hence
the serious self-reflection and examination mentioned earlier). I have learned that
buried in my own heart and soul are seeds of discontent and strongholds that
require my attention.
I have learned my capacity to love in spite of
opposition and heartbreak. Each broken piece of my heart truly screams out its
love for My FATHER in heaven and in turn for my husband whom I absolutely adore
above all other men on this planet. It is this love that motivates me daily to
pray, to press on, to intercede and to dare to hope.
I have learned that loyalty requires no promise, no
interaction and no justification. It simply is… We are either loyal to the
point of death or we are not.
So my sister and my
brother, if you are in a similar position and are standing in the gap for your
marriage, your children, your parents, or friends…I want to encourage you to
stand strong, press in to Father, go sit on His lap if need be, trust Holy
Spirit to guide your prayers and know and appreciate that it is only because of
the redemptive work of our Precious Lord Jesus that we have the privilege of
bringing our loved ones to the throne at all.
May Psalm 18: 16 – 24 be an encouragement today
“But me he
caught—reached all the way
from sky to sea; he pulled me out
Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,
but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!
from sky to sea; he pulled me out
Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,
but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!
God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
he gave me a fresh start.
Now I’m alert to God’s ways;
I don’t take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I’m watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes."
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
he gave me a fresh start.
Now I’m alert to God’s ways;
I don’t take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I’m watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes."
(The Message)
*Hugs* till next time
Ariete
