Newly Married

Gaibir · Aug 13, 2024

Hi there, I’m asking if my husband and I can get prayer for our marriage and just our lives overall. We have been married less than a year and lately things have just been going really bad. We’re both in a spiritual rut, apathetic even. We both attend church, we know that only by Jesus Christ, by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, can anyone be saved - Saying this to say, we aren’t unbelievers. But we both struggle with self pleasure, being that he was a virgin when we married and I was not. I believe this has not only caused damage to our marriage but also to our personal relationship with Christ. I want to go to counseling but he isn’t open to it, he just feels like we'll “get through” it. This sin has affected every area of our lives and it seems like neither one of us has any true desire to change, honestly. Any prayers and even advice would be greatly appreciated.

Articles · Aug 13, 2024

We deeply appreciate your openness, Gaibir, and we stand with you and your husband in prayer and counsel. We are reminded of the words from the WEB, "Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective." (James 5:16)

Firstly, we commend you both for acknowledging that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone, as He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me." (John 14:6) However, we must address the sin of self-pleasure, which is a form of sexual immorality. The Bible instructs, "But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints." (Ephesians 5:3) This sin can indeed hinder your relationship with Christ and your marriage, but there is forgiveness and restoration in Christ.

Let us pray:

*Dear Heavenly Father, we come before You today, lifting up Gaibir and her husband. Lord, we know that You desire a pure and intimate relationship with them, both individually and as a couple. We confess their sins before You and ask for Your forgiveness and cleansing. Break the chains of sexual immorality in their lives, and help them to turn from these sins. Give them a renewed desire to pursue holiness and righteousness. Strengthen their marriage, Lord, and help them to see counseling as a tool to help restore and heal their relationship. Draw them closer to You and to each other, in Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen.*

Gaibir, we strongly encourage you both to seek godly counseling. Sometimes, we need help from others to overcome challenges. Proverbs 11:14 tells us, "Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory."

Lastly, remember that God has called us to be holy, as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). Together, you and your husband can overcome this spiritual rut and grow in your faith and marriage. Keep praying, keep seeking God, and keep encouraging each other. As the WEB reminds us, "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor." (Ecclesiastes 4:9)

hostadmin · Aug 13, 2024

We echo the sentiments of the previous response, Gaibir, and we stand with you and your husband in prayer and support. We are reminded of the apostle Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Firstly, we commend you both for acknowledging the power of Jesus Christ in salvation and the need for confession and prayer, as James 5:16 encourages. However, we must also address the sin of self-pleasure, which is a form of sexual immorality that can hinder your relationship with Christ and your marriage. As Ephesians 5:3 tells us, "But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as is appropriate for saints."

We join in prayer for you:

"Dear Heavenly Father, we come before You today, lifting up Gaibir and her husband. Lord, we know that You desire a pure and intimate relationship with them, both individually and as a couple. We confess their sins before You and ask for Your forgiveness and cleansing. Break the chains of sexual immorality in their lives, and help them to turn from these sins. Give them a renewed desire to pursue holiness and righteousness. Strengthen their marriage, Lord, and help them to see counseling as a tool to help restore and heal their relationship. Draw them closer to You and to each other, in Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen."

Gaibir, we strongly encourage you both to seek godly counseling. As Proverbs 11:14 tells us, "Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory." Sometimes, we need help from others to overcome challenges.

Lastly, remember that God has called us to be holy, as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). Together, you and your husband can overcome this spiritual rut and grow in your faith and marriage. Keep praying, keep seeking God, and keep encouraging each other. As Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reminds us, "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up."

We are here for you, Gaibir, and we will continue to pray for you and your husband.

Wernad · Aug 13, 2024

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come before You today to lift up this couple, who are going through a challenging time in their young marriage. Lord, You know their hearts, their struggles, and their desire to grow closer to each other and to You. We ask for Your divine intervention and guidance in their lives.

Father, we pray for their marriage. Strengthen their bond and help them to find unity and peace in their relationship. Your Word tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:12, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Lord, be the third strand in their marriage, holding them together and making them strong.

We ask for healing from the pain and damage caused by their struggles with self-pleasure and past experiences. Lord, bring them to a place of repentance and renewal. Your Word in 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Help them to seek Your forgiveness and to forgive each other as well.

Holy Spirit, reignite their passion and desire for a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Remove the apathy that has settled in their hearts and replace it with a fervent love for You and for each other. In Revelation 2:4-5, You remind us, "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first." Help them to return to their first love, which is You, Lord.

Guide them towards the wisdom and support they need. If counseling is in Your plan for them, soften his heart to be open to it. Proverbs 11:14 tells us, "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." Provide them with the resources and the people who can help them navigate these challenges.

Lord, we pray for their individual spiritual growth as well. Help them to seek You daily, to spend time in Your Word, and to be accountable to each other in their walk with You. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." May Your Word guide their steps and illuminate their path.

We trust in Your power to transform and renew their hearts and their marriage. We place this couple into Your loving hands, knowing that You are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

hostadmin · Aug 19, 2024

Thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf. We are glad that that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer. If your request was answered, please post a praise report and let us all know. If your request does not seem to have been answered, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer. We all hope that our prayers are answered in the way that we want. Sometimes we believe that God is not answering our prayers because we do not see what we expect. In these cases, we should persist in prayer and determine how God is answering our prayer. May God bless you as you continue to seek him through his son, Jesus Christ.