WILL YOU FAST & PRAY FOR YOUR SPOUSE? - Part 2
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Romans 7:15-25
How often have you read the scripture above and say that sounds like me or that sounds like my husband or wife who was a leader in our church or taught Bible Study and now they are living with another person?
For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:19-20
If you have not read the book of Romans, may I suggest you put that on your list of books in the Bible to read early this year. Read the Gospels first (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and then you could read Romans. Paul was writing this letter in Corinth as he dictated it to his assistant Tertius. This is Paul’s longest, most theological and most influential letter as he was a guest in the home of Gaius and was talking to the believers at Rome as he was planning to visit them and his future mission trip to Spain. The book of Romans has many powerful verses that are well known such as Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23 which are both regarding salvation. If you have read many of my devotionals, you have read that I suggest you read Romans Chapters 6, 7 and 8. Romans 8 is the most complete chapter in the Bible on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.
What happened to your spouse is explained in those chapters. Did they ever really know the Lord? One possibility is that they really never did accept the Lord and surrender their heart and life to the Lord to be filled with the Holy Spirit. As it says in many different chapters in the Bible, the Lord was commissioning His disciples to go and make disciples, but they had to wait and be filled by the Holy Spirit first.
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. Luke 24:49
I know from personal experience that I had never fasted before Bob and I were divorced. I was often embarrassed to think that I had been a Christian for years but never fasted even during our divorce. But that was another trick or scheme from the enemy because if I had learned this powerful truth, Bob and I would have had less marriage problems. I thank the Lord that He did not give up on me like I gave up on Bob and on God. I thought due to Bob's circumstances and sin, God could never change Bob's heart. I obviously did not know my Lord very well at that time or was blinded and deceived by the enemy! I think the latter.
The main reason that I started fasting was that I felt Bob was headed straight toward Hell. I did not know what else to do. I feared God's justice as well as knowing His mercy and grace. The truth was that in spite of all that Bob had done, I stilled loved him very much. Our children needed their father and I needed my husband. I finally realized, as my Lord revealed to me, that our problems were due to the enemy, Satan, coming to steal, kill and destroy our marriage and family. (John 10:10) I felt I had to fight the enemy with as much power as the Lord taught me in His Word. I then starting fasting for Bob and for our lost loved ones, wanting to see victory in their spiritual lives.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Please do not judge your spouse only in love, but I challenge you to pray for them to turn their heart to the Lord in repentance and then salvation. Can you speak to them and warn them? I believe you could accomplish more by praying and fasting and allow the Holy Spirit to speak conviction to them or He will send godly messengers.
Remember that the reason you are fasting is to be closer to the Lord and to hear His voice for directions in your life. Believe in His mighty power, that He can loose the bonds of wickedness and set the captives free! There is power in fasting. You can read throughout the Bible, about people fasting, praying and seeing results.
My prayer is that you will join our ministry in fasting for your spouse, teenagers and loved ones who may be in the far country of sin. (LINK) I pray that you will start fasting, praying and believing for your spouse and all prodigals to repent and turn their hearts to their Heavenly Father and come home, suddenly. Just imagine if thousands of standers would fast and pray for a spiritual breakthrough in thousands of spouses' hearts. We could have a revival of marriage restoration around the world!
“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.†Isaiah 42:6-7
Have a blessed day,
Charlyne Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Romans 7:15-25
How often have you read the scripture above and say that sounds like me or that sounds like my husband or wife who was a leader in our church or taught Bible Study and now they are living with another person?
For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:19-20
If you have not read the book of Romans, may I suggest you put that on your list of books in the Bible to read early this year. Read the Gospels first (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and then you could read Romans. Paul was writing this letter in Corinth as he dictated it to his assistant Tertius. This is Paul’s longest, most theological and most influential letter as he was a guest in the home of Gaius and was talking to the believers at Rome as he was planning to visit them and his future mission trip to Spain. The book of Romans has many powerful verses that are well known such as Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23 which are both regarding salvation. If you have read many of my devotionals, you have read that I suggest you read Romans Chapters 6, 7 and 8. Romans 8 is the most complete chapter in the Bible on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.
What happened to your spouse is explained in those chapters. Did they ever really know the Lord? One possibility is that they really never did accept the Lord and surrender their heart and life to the Lord to be filled with the Holy Spirit. As it says in many different chapters in the Bible, the Lord was commissioning His disciples to go and make disciples, but they had to wait and be filled by the Holy Spirit first.
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. Luke 24:49
I know from personal experience that I had never fasted before Bob and I were divorced. I was often embarrassed to think that I had been a Christian for years but never fasted even during our divorce. But that was another trick or scheme from the enemy because if I had learned this powerful truth, Bob and I would have had less marriage problems. I thank the Lord that He did not give up on me like I gave up on Bob and on God. I thought due to Bob's circumstances and sin, God could never change Bob's heart. I obviously did not know my Lord very well at that time or was blinded and deceived by the enemy! I think the latter.
The main reason that I started fasting was that I felt Bob was headed straight toward Hell. I did not know what else to do. I feared God's justice as well as knowing His mercy and grace. The truth was that in spite of all that Bob had done, I stilled loved him very much. Our children needed their father and I needed my husband. I finally realized, as my Lord revealed to me, that our problems were due to the enemy, Satan, coming to steal, kill and destroy our marriage and family. (John 10:10) I felt I had to fight the enemy with as much power as the Lord taught me in His Word. I then starting fasting for Bob and for our lost loved ones, wanting to see victory in their spiritual lives.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Please do not judge your spouse only in love, but I challenge you to pray for them to turn their heart to the Lord in repentance and then salvation. Can you speak to them and warn them? I believe you could accomplish more by praying and fasting and allow the Holy Spirit to speak conviction to them or He will send godly messengers.
Remember that the reason you are fasting is to be closer to the Lord and to hear His voice for directions in your life. Believe in His mighty power, that He can loose the bonds of wickedness and set the captives free! There is power in fasting. You can read throughout the Bible, about people fasting, praying and seeing results.
My prayer is that you will join our ministry in fasting for your spouse, teenagers and loved ones who may be in the far country of sin. (LINK) I pray that you will start fasting, praying and believing for your spouse and all prodigals to repent and turn their hearts to their Heavenly Father and come home, suddenly. Just imagine if thousands of standers would fast and pray for a spiritual breakthrough in thousands of spouses' hearts. We could have a revival of marriage restoration around the world!
“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.†Isaiah 42:6-7
Have a blessed day,
Charlyne Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.