The Triangle of Marriage

Saturday 13 May
READ: Eccl. 4: 9 - 12
MORE LESSON: Matt. 19: 4 - 6

The Bible says that two are better than one. Scripturally, one chases a thousand, two chase ten thousand. Furthermore, in marriage, they actually chase more than ten thousand. This is because marriage is not merely a union of two; it is a union of three. God is the third Person in the marriage. A successful marriage is the man, the woman inside God. It is the threefold cord that will not be broken (Eccl 4: 12). The marriages of many in the world are merely two fold cords; a man and woman trying to work things out. This is the reason why things are not working out. When the man, the woman and God are united in holy matrimony, the marriage will not fail. The man and the woman may not have the strength to pull it through, but God will pull it through for them. God will not allow anything He is involved in to fail.
Marriage is like a triangle; a triangle has three edges, two at the base and one at the peak. Each edge represents the person in the marriage; the man and the woman at the opposite points at the base, God is at the top point of the triangle. The purpose of marriage is oneness in spirit, soul and body. The man and the woman start out at opposite edges because they are two different people and they want to work at a meeting point. They have two options, they can try to cut through the base and meet at the center of the base. To achieve this, they will have to drill through the triangle and meet at the center at the same level of the base. This is what many people are doing and sweating in their marriage. The second option is to each climb to the top of the triangle and meet at the peak. To achieve this, they have to both go up.
There are a lot of problems in marriage because the man and the woman are trying to work out a meeting point at the natural level and leave God out of the equation. However, if they both will grow up spiritually and become more and more Christ-like, they will naturally achieve oneness. This entails that the man and woman keep looking up and climbing higher in God. As they go higher, the distance between them is actually reducing. In a triangle, if two objects start from the opposite edges of the base and climb up along the slants to the peak, the higher they go, the less the distance between them. Therefore if marriage issues must be resolved and oneness achieved, each party has to grow spiritually and become more and more like Christ.
They will definitely meet at the top because the power to become one is made available by God Himself who keeps drawing both. It is for this reason that the Bible says, Two are better than one...: v9, because as they move up the triangle towards God, they get better and better for it.

Prayer/Action
* I declare my home is established in Christ Jesus, nothing shall be able to break it, in Jesus’ name.
* My home will grow to perfection, in the mighty name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
No matter what the devil does, I shall not end my year in shame, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Who you Should not Marry II

Friday  12 May
READ: Gen 24: 2 – 4
MORE LESSON: Prov. 19: 14

The issue of getting into marriage is a destiny decision. Making the right choice is possible and very easy when the principles of God are followed. This is why we started yesterday to give the description of a person not to marry based on the Scripture and the spiritual wisdom that God has graciously given to us.
You should not marry a person who doesn't submit to leadership. Do not marry a rebel in the house of God, who defies all the authority so that you will not partake of the curse upon his life. When you see a man/woman who doesn't submit to spiritual leadership, stay away from such a person. Such people claim that they are the alpha and omega of their own lives. That means if he is intent on doing wrong, there is no man anywhere that can tell him to stop and he will obey. Several marriages have collapsed because there is no authority to report to.
Do not marry a person who wants to marry you just because he/she 'likes' you. It surely takes more than 'like' to have a successful marriage. A person who likes you can also like someone else. Admiration is good but it is not the basis for marriage. A man can 'like' the way a lady looks now but after giving birth the shape changes and he doesn't 'like' her anymore. A woman can like a man because of his looks, job or money now and something happens that takes those things away and she doesn't like him anymore. Just because he/she 'likes' or even 'loves' you is never enough for marriage. There must be a spiritual conviction that both of you can hold on to.
A lot of people react against this when we say that the fact that a person loves you or you love a person is not enough ground for marriage. They say 'Why shouldn't I marry the person I love, are you not saying that I should marry the person I don't love?' There is nothing wrong with love. Love is good. In fact God Himself is love. So you should love the person you want to marry. God will never force you to marry someone you don't love. In fact when the leading is truly of God, the first evidence you notice is that evidential love starts to flow from your heart to the person. However, this love is not circumstance-driven or flesh-motivated but God-based. The truth is that many who profess love for people they want to marry are victims of mere infatuation and emotional stirrings. The love is based on looks, family pedigree, possession or other external attributes. But the love that will last long and weather the storms is that which is built on the altar of God – who is love Himself; not the many things people call love. It is only the agape love of God that can stand the test of time.

Prayer/Action
* I receive grace to follow God’s principles no matter how unpopular the path may be, in Jesus’ name.
* O God, rescue everyone that is heading into wrong relationship, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
As Joseph, Esther, Daniel, and others were selected to office in foreign land that even indigenes envied them, so let me be remembered for divine selection to great places this year, in the name of Jesus.

Who you Should not Marry I

Thursday 11 May
READ: 2 Cor. 6: 14 - 18
MORE LESSON: Gen 27: 46 – 28: 1

God is interested in the marriage of His children. This is why He has outlined certain rules that you must follow so that you will not partake of the sorrows and woes that befall the disobedient. Many times, singles ask questions on how to know God's will in marriage and how to know who to marry. One good way to know who to marry is first to know who not to marry.
The first commandment of God is that you should never marry an unbeliever. Child of God, don't marry the child of the devil so that you will not have the devil as your father-in-law. Anyone that Jesus Christ is not the Lord of his/her life is not yours to marry. Whether the person is a staunch unbeliever or an unbeliever-church-goer, just stay away from anyone whose salvation experience is not sure and evidential.
You should not marry a person who doesn't have a church that he/she belongs to. Even if he claims to be born-again and ardently follows television preachers, don't marry him. A man/woman who has no local church but only follows online and television preachers will give you untold problems. If you marry him/her, you will realise that in the day of trouble, there is no authority that he/she is answerable to. The television preacher doesn't even know both of you exist, so you cannot reach him when you need a counsellor for your affairs. A lot of so-called Christians do not believe in accountability to a local church or pastor, they only watch religious channels and claim they are born again; don't commit your future to them. Don't make that mistake of tying your life to a man/woman without an authority over his/her life. He/she will soon become a law to him/herself and all you will be able to do is cry. Crying will not be your portion, in Jesus’ name. The way out is to obey now and stay away from a person who is not answerable to a church or pastor over his life.
Don't marry someone who doesn't do anything in the church where he belongs. Here is someone who comes to church, but does nothing whatsoever as a contribution to the church, then he/she corners you unknown to the church and wants to marry you; don't marry him/her. You are to marry someone who loves and has passion for God. Nominal church members don't show passion for God. So the man/woman who comes to church for years, no one knows him/her, doesn't do anything and when the church service ends is already out before anybody is not a marriage material. The reason is that such a lifestyle doesn't denote a sense of responsibility. You need to marry a responsible husband/wife and a person who will be responsible at home will be responsible in the church.

Prayer/Action
* Lord, give grace to the unmarried to submit to God's will in marriage, in Jesus’ name.
* Ask God for a godly home, in the mighty name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
By the blood of Jesus, I decree that regular, repeated tragedies shall not be my portion this year, in the name of Jesus.

God's Will for the Home

Wednesday 10 May
READ: Mal. 2: 14 - 16
MORE LESSON: Isa. 62: 4

God has never done any great thing on earth outside of the home. The family is God's only access point to the world. God is very interested in the family and loves the home. Satan equally hates the home. Why do you think there is so much propaganda advocating divorce, abortion, same sex marriage, homosexuality, adultery, multiple partners, premarital sex and all kinds of immorality? It is the devil's hatred for the home.
Each time God needs a tool, He will first look for a home. When God created the first man, He created a home for him. It is a man and a woman in a godly union that makes a home. When the whole earth was corrupt and God needed to destroy the corrupted seed from the earth, He looked for a home and saved the family of Noah so as to preserve the human race (Gen 7: 1 – 24). God is always looking for a home to use. When Israel was in slavery and God needed a deliverer, He looked for a family that would not be afraid to defy the laws of Egypt and believe God. God found Amram and Jochebed and used them to bring Moses to the earth. When God wanted to raise a great judge and prophet for Israel, he went to the home of Elkanah and Hannah. Even though this home was not perfect, God used them to bring forth Samuel. Your home may not be presently perfect but if you start to allow God, He will use your home. To raise the mighty man called Samson, God went to visit Manoah and his wife. Samson came through that home to deliver Israel. When God needed to save the world, He looked for the home of Joseph and Mary. Your home will be the next in God's agenda.
The home is of God and it is a good thing to desire to have a family. If you are single and you desire to be married, you have desired a good thing. Pray to God to settle you maritally and He will. Psa. 68: 6 (TLB) says, He gives families to the lonely.... As a single person, do not allow anyone to discourage you from getting married. Some people are in the ministry of discouraging people who want to marry by telling them how their own home failed and marriage was hell for them. The fact that the person failed in marriage doesn't mean that God has deserted marriage. Godly youths should keep dreaming and trusting God for a godly home.
Jesus loves the home; He came from a home and His first miracle was at a wedding ceremony (John 2: 1 – 11). The Bible also encourages young widows and widowers to marry (1 Tim 5: 14). They don't need to worry about what their family or the family of the deceased partner will say. It is the will of God for them to remarry.

Prayer/Action
* I submit my home to God, Lord fulfil Your purpose for us, in Jesus’ name.
* Pray that your home will be a positive example, in the name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I violently uproot any tree of backwardness and stagnancy planted in my destiny by the enemy, in Jesus' mighty name.