Satan tries to destroy everything, including our marriages. Fighting for our marriage, especially when hope seems lost, is crucial to fighting off Satan in our churches and in our nation. It seems like we’ve gotten to a point where if a husband or a wife has done x, y, or z, then it’s okay to cut them off and move on. Fighting for our marriages and our souls is so important, even when our spouse has done the worst things we could imagine.
Please do not think I am getting all holier than thou. I am not. I have seen first hand what divorce can do and the destruction it has caused in my husband’s life. His parents were divorced and he himself is divorced. He married at 19 and sadly was divorced five years later. I’ve seen how it has affected him as the child and a spouse. My heart hurts for what he’s been through. Divorce was never in God’s plan.
Hope Where There Seems to be None
I truly believe God can reconcile anything. Look at how he reconciled us to himself, when it seemed like there was no other hope.
I’ve seen marriages that NEVER should have survived be REVIVED and made so much better than anyone could have imagined. With God all things are possible.
And that’s why I recommend Richard and JeannaLynn May of What God Has Joined Ministries because they have been on the brink of divorce themselves. They understand what it’s like to have no hope and to see God not only restore their marriage but deliver it from the place it was and turn it into a beautiful new creation. God can do that even when it seems like there is no hope. Even when the rest of the world including the churched world says “It’s okay to walk away.”
Waging War Against Satan
When marriages are on the brink of divorce, there is a lot of pain, anger, fear and there will be a lot to work through. But it is possible.
We as a church body must wage war against Satan for our marriages. We have to encourage each other to persevere through the worst of times, to lean into God, to trust God’s faithfulness even if a spouse has been unfaithful. We must fight along side the couples that satan is attacking. Because satan will attack all our marriages and when that happens, don’t you want the church to fight alongside you!
Physical Marriage is an Image of a Spiritual Truth
Our marriages are a representation of our covenant with God. He loves us no matter what we do, no matter how unfaithful we have been in our relationship with Him. He is always there for us, no matter what.
We can’t ignore scripture that calls us to a higher standard.
James 5:19-20 says:
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
And then there is the book of Hosea, which has been the hardest one for me to accept over the years. I want to say, “Isn’t there a limit? Over and over and over again this “wife” (can we call her a wife) leaves her husband and commits adultery.
“The Lord said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cake.'”
We are living examples of God’s love here on this earth. We are called to love like this, even when our hearts are breaking and someone has sinned against us. Love that person as God has loved us, a sinful and adulterous people.
A Different Approach
The What God Has Joined Ministries‘ approach is different. The Mays use a coaching/spiritual formation approach that goes to the hearts of the matter–the hearts of each individual. It is powerful and effective. I’ve seen it in my own marriage and so many others.
It doesn’t matter where you are located on this planet, they can help. Don’t let location or finances stop you from contacting them. Satan does not need to claim victory over your marriage. Our Lord is the Ultimate Redeemer, and He has the final say.
From working one-on-one with couples to partnering with churches, Richard and JeannaLynn work from a Christ-centered perspective, fighting for marriages, especially when hope seems lost.
Living a Holy, Proactive Marriage
Every marriage needs encouragement at one point or another. Although there to serve all couples, WGHJ Ministries emphasizes the power of holy, proactive marriages. Richard has an M.A. in Bible and Ministry. JeannaLynn is an RN and a certified Life Coach. Follow Hooked on Marriage on Facebook to find ways of encouraging your heart and your spouse throughout your marriage. Also, check out their resource page for tools you can start using in your marriage today.
Prayer Over Our Hearts
Lord, we praise you for loving us like you do. We praise you for forgiving us for every single thing that nailed your hands to the cross. You took all our sin and shame and forgave us completely, holding nothing against us even after all we have done to you. It makes no sense and yet that’s what you do.
We lift up our marriages to you, praying protection over them. Help us lean into you and cling to you even when heartache is great and fear and anger try to overcome us. Help us fight for each others marriages.
Lord, you know all that is going on. Nothing is hidden from your sight. You know how the devil has been working and trying to destroy marriages. Some seem beyond repair. We pray for your love to break the chains of sin that bind them and destroy marriages.
You are the God of the impossible. Father, we pray that Satan would not win this fight. We pray for changed hearts, restoration, forgiveness, and that new life be breathed into those marriages that now look dead.
We know your power and believe it to be true. Only you can take dead bones and bring them to life. We pray for new life and hope…a hope that is founded in you. In the only One who could bring hope to all of our situations and who has the power to change hearts – Amen!
I am a mother of 5 crazy, homeschooling children ages 10 & under, wife to an amazing man, and daughter of the King of the Universe!I enjoy reading, making my kids laugh, cooking, all things natural, learning to play guitar and dusting off my piano skills.One day I hope to run again, but until then I’m learning patience.
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Thank you for your heart and insight to this topic. You didn’t sound “holier than thou” but you were straight forward which is refreshing. Hosea is one of my favorite books of the Bible, showing us restoration in marriage and in the hope of God restoring the church. Thank you for the book recommendation as well.
Awesome article, Kristi. Thanks!
So very true that satan wants to destroy marriages. And yes, marriage is a picture of our God’s covenant to the church and He would never break that. God IS the God of the impossible. We must truly help this generation fight for their marriages.
Great topic and great discussion! The divorce rate even in the church is about as high as the unsaved world isn’t that the sad part! We so often forget that our struggle isn’t against flesh and blood but against the rulers and cosmic forces of the darkness and the spiritual forces evil. I have been made very much aware this last year into the New Year how often we forget as believers that Satan is real and prowling around looking for those to deceive and devour, my prayer is that the Christian people and church body become more alert and… Read more »
This comes at the perfect time. My husband’s best friend is on the verge of divorce! These resources could be really helpful to them!
This sounds like a great resource Krisit! Thank you for sharing it. Divorce is hard on everyone. My parents got divorced when I was 13 and my husband’s parents got divorced when he was 17. I agree, that marriages can find hope in all situations but it certainly is a heart matter. The only thing I would add is that this does not include physical abuse.
So true that with God all things are possible even in troubled marriages. The prayer section is great btw
There is power in marriage. They have the power to show the world how mighty God is. Which is why satan likes to attack marriages especially. Thank you for sharing some ministries designed to help all marriages. It’s important to keep up the work, even when there isn’t anything wrong. It makes those trials that come, a little easier! <3