Modern Day Samaritan Woman

Family Defenses

I haven’t been here for a while. Life got too busy and although I never stopped writing in my heart and note books, I haven’t had the time to sit and type something for my blog; however the following has been on my mind for some time so I am making the time to share because this is very important.

Have you noticed that the family unit is being attacked with an intensity never seen before and it begins with simple complacency? 

The strategy employed by the enemy is so transparent and simple, yet we miss it. Perhaps the very reason we miss it is the simplicity of it all.

Enemy strategy:

The father sees that all is good in his family and lets his guard down gradually. Slowly and without much fanfare attacks come in the form of finance, minor irritations, disobedience from children, extended family interference, etc., and each one creates a small hairline fracture in the family structure.

When the pressure starts to mount the enemy then goes for the father, because he knows if he can take out the family "strongman and authority figure", the rest of the family will be easy pickings. So brother, your family depends on you standing up, putting on your "armour" again and fighting for your family in prayer on your knees and running your family with the godly principles as taught in the Word.                                                             

Defence:

Ephesians 6 : 11 – 18 “¹¹ Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

¹² For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

¹³ Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].

¹⁴ Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,

¹⁵ And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.

¹⁶ Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].

¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.

¹⁸ Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).

Once the enemy has taken out the father or weakened him, he then targets the mother in the family who is usually very preoccupied with her home and her children’s education and after school activities, as well as working outside of the home (in most cases). The enemy then simply wears her down with too much to do so she neglects to pray for her husband and cover him.

Sisters, you are your husband’s helper and for your families sake you have to stand in and pray for him, as he faces the pressures from without the home, as well as those within because with each onslaught from the enemy those hairline fractures become huge cracks....

Your children will be next in the line of attack...This is YOUR family...You built it from scratch. Don’t allow the enemy to bring it to ruin.

Brothers in Christ, with each prayer you are symbolically re-plastering your families stronghold. Each prayer closes and seals those tiny hairline fractures before they become cracks.

Sisters in Christ, when you see your husband go on his knees to pray for guidance, join him. There is mighty power in joint intercession for your family. When your children see your example they will not only be covered in the Blood of Jesus and strengthened but will know how to face their own struggles now and in the future when they have homes of their own....

The enemy knows that if he can take out the family unit, he can take out the community and from there the city....

This can all be nipped in the bud if each family resists him and closes their own breeches... 

Nehemiah 1: 5 - 11 "⁵ And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, ⁶ please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. ⁷ We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. ⁸ Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; ⁹ but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ ¹⁰ Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. ¹¹ O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

*Hugs* till next time.

Ariéte

Modern Day Samaritan Woman

Update: Interceding for My Broken Marriage

The unnatural calm after the storm –

Maintaining the nest in the absence of your mate.

Several months ago I embarked on a mission to “stand” for my marriage versus moving on and building a new life. At the time it was difficult, my circumstances seemed impossible and the only option I had was to turn fully and completely to God.

I had to allow Him to open up the mantelpiece of my heart and unpack everything in it. Sifting through everything bit by bit until all the broken pieces were either restored, revamped or discarded. It was a difficult time because it wasn’t always pleasant having my character and motivation examined by Holy Spirit, but despite the discomfit it was an amazing time of growth in God.

However, although I ended up quite comfortable in my own skin while waiting for my prodigal to return and trusting God with the impossible, I soon understood that there were things I could do while waiting for God to perform my miracle and preparing my home for my husband’s return.

Filling the vacuum left by his departure.

The first thing was the vacuum created by my husbands “missing” presence and possessions. It was my natural inclination to fill up those empty spaces with everything and anything. However, I also realized that in filling up the gaps left by his possessions with my own things I wasn’t really leaving an “open invitation” to welcome his return. If he first had to remove my possessions from his wardrobe and bedside table it would not convey to him the true welcome of my heart…I wanted him to understand that his place at my side, his bedside table, his wardrobe and all his other “spaces” around the house would remain as they were until he returned to fill them with his possessions and presence again.

Get on with my life.

Waiting was one thing and depending on your point of view either very noble of very stupid. “Yup!!!! The jury was out on this one”. Some believed I should move on while others encouraged me to “stand”. There were also a few on the side-line waiting to see if I would succeed or fail. Would my marriage be restored or would I spend my time in vain waiting for a prodigal who never returns?

At this time I realised that whatever the future held one thing was absolutely certain. I also had a life and it had to go on. I couldn’t sit around just waiting. So I started to pick up hobbies I had set aside, contacted friends I hadn’t seen in a while and pressed into my bible study even deeper. The more I picked up my routine and my life, the happier I became. Yes. I missed my husband and I mourned for our marriage that had started with such high hopes, yet I also noticed that I was gradually healing to a point of being quite independent and functioning quite normally. Although I thought about my husband every day, I was no longer obsessed with what he was or wasn’t doing. I no longer worried about him meeting someone else or doing something irresponsible. I knew I had to simply get on with my own life, find my healing and my joy apart from him. (This mini-makeover had a dual positive effect that I only discovered later on).

a) I actually became quite happy and in my happiness became prettier and healthier without going on any specific diets.

b) When my husband returned he expected to find a whiney, clingy wife and was pleasantly surprised to find that I was no longer anything near the woman I had become when our marriage broke up.

Pressed on upwards and inwards.

I found my evening filled with bible study and prayer. I loved it. Loved delving into the scriptures and chewing on the stories and versus. I would spend hours doing bible study and hardly noticed that I was alone in the evenings. Father truly had become my “husband” keeping me company, comforting me and teaching me.

Joined support groups with “like minded” people who could empathise in my struggle, loneliness and pain. People who were walking the same road of “standing” as I was.

Standing for a husband or any other prodigal can be a very lonely business. For one thing, everyone else simply gets on with their own lives and loved ones and don’t have the same sense of loneliness and urgency you have to have your prodigal home.

Secondly, the prodigal spouse doesn’t really help much, as they are so blinded by the enemy that they move on at an alarmingly quick pace and don’t even look back in their pursuit of pleasure. This leaves you feeling even more alone and isolated.

Being a part of a support group that prays with you and empathises with you and who has members that you can support strengthens your resolve to be steady and to overcome. If not for your sake alone but for them also. The mutual support is incalculable.

Have you received an instruction from our Father to stand in the gap for someone?

Decide today to be obedient. He does not disappoint. There is no telling what your prayers will mean to your loved one. I am here to tell you that it is possible and that with Father at your side, guiding you, you can be an overcomer.

Join us on face book – Come encourage and find encouragement in a group of like-minded people with similar struggles and hopes.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1682277278697741/?ref=bookmarks

*Hugs* till next time.

Ariéte