Jen,
Please put your walk with God first! When my husband left, I was obsessed with doing anything I could to get him to forgive me and come home. I used Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian from day one to pray for him. Praying for your husband and for yourself is very important. But you will hear God's guiding voice, thru His word, so much more clearly when you make your relationship with Him a priority. Try using a daily devotional, like Our Daily Bread, to get yourself into a daily habit of Bible reading. Also, Stormie's books contain scripture references. Anything to start building a familiarity with the Word. That familiarity will help you start to recognize what God is trying to say to you. When you put God first, everything else falls into place so much more easily. It's hard I know to focus on anything besides your husband and yourself at times like these, but you will find that your prayers and the energy you put toward your marriage will be more focussed and effective when you are really looking to God, asking for and looking to His word for your guidance.
I hope this advice dosen't seem too blunt or pushy. It's just that your description of your relationship with God sounds just like mine was when all hell broke loose in my marriage. My husband and I wouldn't be together right now working on healing our marriage if I hadn't taken the advice I now feel compelled to pass on to you.
I do hope you find a body of believers who can support and edify you. I only started going to my Mom's church when my husband left. As the WS, I felt ashamed to even be there. But no one asked too many questions, and the prayers and love and acceptance I have received there have been a huge blessing. Perhaps you could at least attend a midweek prayer meeting?
I also would like to share my church's website with you. www.caltab.org My pastor has been doing a series on forgiveness, and it's been wonderful.
I'll be praying for you!
Love in Christ,
Janna

Just bumping this up ^^^^^^^.

Bless you all.

S&C

Hi everyone,

I wanted to post right now for two reasons:
One so that you all know today I prayed for faith, courage and patience for all the prayer warriors (and for everyone else here at MB).

Secondly I'd like to ask for some extra prayers to give me the strength and courage and patience I need to continue to give Trish time to think... While she emailed me very briefly a couple weeks back saying that she was going to call. I never got that call. In fact it has been about a month since we talked.

Part of me wants to reach-out to her, but I feel in my heart, God telling me to just patiently wait and have trust in Him to work in her life - that when she is ready, she will reachout to me. At times I feel like I'm in a state of limbo and it is so hard. And satan is doing his best to send all kinds of negative thoughts and images into my mind...

So if you could, please pray that I can continue to give her the gift of time. And that she uses that gift for the good of "us"... And that if she chooses to end things, that at least she will keep to her word and call me...

Thanks.
God Bless!
Mike

BECOME BURDENED ABOUT DIVORCE

Every day I pray, "What can I teach or say to encourage the ones that are hurting emotionally, physically or spiritually due to their marriage problems?" You have so many different circumstances. The only person who can solve each of your problems is our awesome Lord Jesus Christ. Go to Him. He waiting for you to call on His Name. He wants to show you His power, His love and concern for you!

Bob and I are both deeply burdened regarding the status of marriage throughout the world. Who would have ever imagined there would be a
question regarding same sex marriages? Who would have ever imagined that even if that issue arose, the courts would rule in favor of the
legality of same sex marriages, as recently happened in Canada?

We do not need to travel north of our border to find a mockery being made of marriage. What would your next door neighbor do if they found
out their spouse had been unfaithful? Even beyond that, what would the average Christian do if they discovered their spouse had been
unfaithful? They would separate, divorce, "get on with their life," and probably eventually marry someone else, starting the cycle all
over again. One study showed a 85% divorce rate in second marriages!

Bob and I commend you for standing, because Christians and churches are not being the examples of marriages for the world to look at right now. What can we do to help?

We need to stand up and say wrong is wrong and right is right! Are you willing to make a difference in your family, in your church, in
your city or in your nation? We need to be willing to fight the enemy. Satan is out stealing, killing and destroying our families.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

"He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God pointed as judge of the living and the dead. All prophets testify about him that everyone who believe in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." Acts 10:42-43

Jesus is the answer. He has always been the answer. We need to join God's army and fight the enemy! Yes, you are going to have to go to
War. Someone just came to your home and took your spouse captive. The enemy set off a bomb in your home to distract you! There are
casualties! Your loved ones are in shock, they are bleeding, they are hurting and there may even be more casualties in the near future!
What are you going to do? Let's pray that God will protect our children's hearts from being exposed to a sinful lifestyle because of
a parent. Are you going back into your home and "get on with your life?" Why? The enemy has taken one of your loved ones away! They
are a hostage! They are spiritually blinded and deaf! They are brain-washed! The rest of your family can't believe that it has happened and they do not know what to do! What is God asking you to do? Are you willing to be obedient? Do you think He will allow you to just
say "No?" Read Jonah in the Old Testament.

Recognize who hit and bombed your home! Get mad at the right person, not your spouse. (Ephesians 6:12) How dare the enemy come in and take away your spouse or a child from your home!! Advise the enemy, he hit the wrong house, he is defeated!

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
I John 4:4

Pursue, seek, develop, and deepen your relationship with your Lord Jesus Christ. Let Him become the Commander In Chief for restoring and rebuilding your home. He has more power than you will ever know. Ask Him to start rebuilding your home as He heals your wounded and hurting heart.

"...Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's." 2 Chronicles 20:15

Start praying and praising the Lord. Prayer and praise defeats the enemy.

"As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated." 2 Chronicles 20:22

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power, that is at work within us."
Ephesians 3:20

Be burdened about all separations and divorces that are happening all around you. God is. He hates divorce!! Pray every day that all
divorces will never go to court. Pray they will be blocked by your Mighty Lord God, who can do anything!

Pray for a mighty harvest this week. Whether your spouse is at a church service or sitting in a chair at their home, the Lord does speak to His lost sheep. Pray for a mighty revival around the World for our mighty men of God to boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ daily. Pray the Men of God will proclaim the Truth and the Truth will set our captives free!!

"I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth--everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf... "I, even am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." Isaiah 43:6-8,25

God bless,
Charlyne Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries

cajunky,

Just wanted to let you know you will constantly be in my prayers and thoughts during the week and this weekend.

Keep your faith strong, trust God's plan and be refreshed in His comfort. E-mail me if you want.

Bless you my friend.

S&C

<small>[ June 25, 2003, 04:11 PM: Message edited by: steadfast and committed ]</small>

Hi Jen, I would strongly recommend you to visit the website that janna-m-r posted. I have known pastor Parsons since 1988-89 when he moved to Vestal Ny. He always keeps his sermons intresting and is very good at teaching the Bible. Check it out and see what you think. Smiaj

gentle, thanks for the encouragement.

I am trying to learn how to forgive. I did forgive my WH for the A, but it is more difficult to forgive the things he has done and said in the months following. He has never even said he was sorry and I never told him directly how much he hurt me. He was gone too fast. Told me one day and gone the same. Wouldn't talk to me, and still won't. I think that is part of the problem. I want him to know how much this hurts and how much pain he has caused not just me, but our family and friends. He doesn't seem to understand that. He keeps saying that everyone will move on with their lives and forget all this and by him living so far away and not contacting any of us, he is able to go on with his life and feel no pain, no shame and be happy with his new life and his new family. He tells me that he is the emotionally healthy one, and that I am not because I want to save our marriage when he has already moved on to a new relationship.

So tired, I will pray for you and your wife.

Lady, thanks for posting.

I can't tell you how much I needed to read those words. I am so tired and discouraged right now. It will be a year next month that my Wh moved in w/ow and nothing has changed. It it hard some days to feel any hope and even though I know that my marriage is under attack, it seems more and more that I want to give up. I know that I have to trust in God, and I am learning to do just that, but I don't have much support except for what is on this board and my financial situation is getting worse. With everyone else, I try to keep up a stong front, but just needed to tell someone how I really feel. Thanks for being here.


Thanks for all those here who prayed for me and my WH, Dan. I really need your prayers right now to help me get through this next month.
Cajeanie

Steadfast....Thanks alot for all the prayers and thoughts. Saturday is the day and as it approachs I get sadder that she does not see me now as so many others see me. I guess I am really sad too about my kids and the fact that someone else is going to be in their day to day lives.

I know God is going to bless me(he already has in so many ways) but I have prayed so long for my "former" wife to share the blessings with me.

All of you are in my prayers for restoration.

Love in Christ
cajunky

Steadfast....what was your e-mail address again.

Here ya go. sandc_mb@hotmail.com

S&C

I would like to ask all of you to please pray for me and my WS. I know I need God in my life and that only through him will I be able to survive and grow from the pain I have been dealt. I want so badly to be able to forgive as I know forgiveness is the ultimate key to healing. Please pray for my husband, that he will see that he already has someone who loves him more than anything. And please pray that God will help me to be the person he wants me to be. Pray for my children as well, they need his divine guidance too. I am so lost... please God help me to see that you are always with me, I just have to open the door and let you in. May God bless each and every one of you.

Susan

As you all can read from my previous posts, I have been "lamenting" a lot lately about losing hope. Last night I opened my Bible to read, and it fell open to Lamentations.
Here what I read on the page, I know it was for me, but maybe it will also help someone else. Praise God!

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
This is Lamentations 3:19-26

I have been asking for God to give me hope and patience, and that is exactly what I found.
Thanks, I know someone was praying for me last night. I was so thankful, I prayed for all of you here last night, again, too. I spent a lot of time meditating on this, and realized I had been focusing my hope on my M and my Wh instead of God. Hope you will all help me keep my focus in the right direction.
Cajeanie

Hey, Cajunk,

I hope you read this. I hope you know we are all praying for God's touch on you today, my brother.

"May God Bless and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and keep you..........."

Amen

I would appreciate prayers... My husband moved out last November - was depressed. He since appears to be recovering from that, is on medication, but recently served me with divorce papers. Many have been praying for him.

I feel so hopeless sometimes. I have repeatedly offered to make changes. He says he can't go back to the pain we had in our marriage (I don't think we have to go back to pain if we make changes). I need wisdom how to move on from here. I know begging won't help, but honestly feel that with work on both sides we can have a restored and healthy relationship.