Prayful (Bear with me, this might be a long post...),
I know how it feels to have a marriage break apart with no hope of reconciliation.
I am now working my way in a brand new marriage with the SAME woman. Yes, it turns out too late wasn't too late for GOD.
We were on the brink of divorce and there were days we couldn't stand the sight of each other because it reminded us of the ugly fights, abuse, lies and hurts we put each other through. We tried to reconcile with each other on countless occasions but it always ended in a fight. It came to a point where I had moved out and she had gone to the lawyer to get the divorce papers drawn up.
I prayed for restoration but saw no improvement for more than half a year, each conversation seemed to drag us further towards divorce. Finally, I had a revelation and learnt some truths that made me a better child of GOD, a better husband and a better spiritual head of my household. I am here to testify to you-
1. Our GOD sanctioned marriage.
2. HE does not condone divorce.
3. HE can restore ALL things, it is NEVER too late for GOD.
Let me clarify these points with the Word. (Please do understand, I believe that the Word of GOD is absolute. It makes no mistakes and it does not contradict itself. I write this for your restoration and as a testament to my Saviour's unending faithfulness and grace to my family. I have no interest in arguing doctrine nor morals with any of the brothers and sisters here, Everyone is entitled to their own points of view...)
1. Our GOD sanctioned marriage.
Genesis 2:18
Then the LORD GOD said, "It is not good that the Man should be alone, I shall make him a helper fit for him."
We were meant to be married, GOD decided that Man was not meant to be alone.
2. HE does not condone divorce.
Mark 10:2-12
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"
"What did Moses command you?" he replied.
They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."
"It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation GOD 'made them male and female.' '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. Therefore what GOD has joined together, let man not separate."
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."
The Bible writes that Jesus states that divorce is caused by the hardness of our hearts. If you examine every divorce carefully, you will realise that divorce always happens because one or both parties gave up and closed their hearts and thoughts to each other. This, I believe, is what Christ meant by "the hardening of hearts".
Let's not kid ourselves- We invented divorce to give us an easy way out of our marriage vows when the going gets tough. Just because there are many people doing the wrong thing doesn't automatically make it right. No matter what the world says about divorce, it was never GOD's plan.
3. HE can restore ALL things, it is NEVER too late for GOD.
Joel 2:25
"And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you."
Time has no hold in the face of GOD's power. He can reverse and restore any situation. I claim this for you and your marriage.
Precious Abba Father,
I pray for this brother and his wife, I believe you have kept count of their tossings and put their tears in Your bottle. I ask for Your divine hand on their marriage and protect them from the attacks of the enemy. I pray that You remind them of their marriage vows and remind them that You and only You, are the First and Last Word in their situation.
Remind them of Your loving kindness to them, teach them to be slow to anger and grant them favour in each others eyes. Hold their tongues that they may not speak hurtful words against each other in moments of anger, calm their hearts and teach them to release their hurt to You. Give them peace and wisdom in their hearts, that they may hear Your voice and move in Your direction.
Protect their ears from advice that does not come from Your Word and send your angels to defend them from temptation in this turbulent time. LORD Jesus, soften their hearts to each other, that they may remember that the husband is to love his wife like Christ first loved the Church- never abandoning her in her unfaithfulness of word and deed, always forgiving. Remind them that as the submission of the wife is not a position of subservience in fear, but a simple acknowledgement of his special place in her heart.
Remind them that the man is to love, provide and protect his family as the spiritual head of the household, while the woman is to gently and wisely lead her husband when he goes wrong. For a man may be a stubborn old mule, but he will always have a soft spot for the woman he loves. And a woman may grow into a sour cow, but she will always see in her husband shades of the dashing young knight who pranced in on a white horse to steal her heart away.
Father, I commit this young family into Your hands. Teach them to be patient and give them the desire to change their hearts for each other. Only You know the root causes of this rift between them, LORD, I ask that You lift them up and destroy the cause of the plague upon this marriage.
I pray all this in the name of my LORD and Saviour, Jesus Christ,
Amen.
