The Protection of Prayer

For all the times that Christians look at life, look at their faith and consider just how often we wish God would reveal things to us... like we are having a hard time figuring out the mystery. Then there are those moments where it's pretty hard to miss.

Take this timeline, since about 9:30 or so, Saturday night.

The kids and my wife all have been hit and miss with the weather the past few days, so everyone is tired and just attempting to plow through. It's been frustrating and a little on edge. In talking with my wife that night, I simply shared my frustration... life just gets hard. And I mentioned our schedules and the importance of praying together.

I point out the last four words, as come Sunday morning, both kids still don't sound too great... so I'm flying solo to church. Pastor gets up and preaches a stand-alone sermon, titled Marriage Matters. (funny, God)

So, we all know divorce is high. Somewhere between 1 in 2 and 1 in 3 marriages, end in D.
However...

For those that attend church regularly, the odds drop... considerably. 1 in 155.
For those that attend church regularly, AND Pray Together regularly... how's this? 1 in 1155

Well, if that didn't put an exclamation point on things. Then fast forward a few hours. Taking the oldest to urgent care, to get her ear looked at. Two guys in a front of us, one with two young kids.
The first pharmacy across town is closed, so we head back to the 24 joint. Of course, there's one on both corner... I pick the one I frequent more often anyway. The guy with the two kids is also there.

In a moment of discussing life, and my frustration with sick kids and how this week may go, God drops a bomb on my parade. The man shares that he's getting a divorce. After 16 years, it's "going down fast". And here, essentially, I was complaining. Not anymore. My broken heart sank.

In the back of my mind, I can hear pastor. My wife and make it a priority to pray together every morning before we go our ways and on Mondays we have an extended time of prayer, sometimes as much as an hour to an hour and half, for our families, the church and your families.

Reducing the risk... the odds are favorable when prayer is involved. Not so much, when left out of the picture.

So there you have it. This #seniorPastorMonday, will you join me in prayer over marriages. For this stranger, pray God would strengthen him during this time and that God would sovereignly intervene for he and his family. Pray for pastors, that the demands of ministry would not take priority over their marriage and their home. May God place protection of their relationships and their children, than in spite of difficulty and challenge, they would resolve to come together and commit to prayer and seeking the face of God together. Pray God would accomplish the miraculous in the lives as the approach the throne of grace, as one. For those pastors whose marriages and home life is in trouble, may God grant them strength and wisdom; bringing healing and restoration as they work through the troubles they face. What Satan meant to destroy, may God work in them and through them to bring about good, for His glory and honor.

That God would fortify those whose hearts are set on Him;
Strengthen those who have committed their lives to ministry.
Though life is hard, may it not overtake and consume us.
That we would arise victorious;
As the hand of God, leads and directs in the plans He has ordained.
For His glory and the cause of Christ.

- PNC

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