Consecration Keeps A Marriage
Last week we talked about how Carnality Kills a Marriage, how when our focus is self, we will never become one. This week I want to share with you how Consecration Keeps a Marriage!
Consecration
Consecration is a word you don’t hear much in the world today, and sadly not in most churches. Consecrate means to be set apart as sacred, or to dedicate solemnly to a service or goal, to be sanctified, according to the free dictionary. This means we need to be set apart in word, and deed. 2 Corinthians 6:17 says, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” To love our spouse means to dedicate solemnly to the goal of being one. We can become one with our spouse through consecration.
Becoming One
Becoming one takes time, effort, and patience. It also takes us putting God first, and consecrating ourselves to God, to prayer, to separation. Then, and only then can we consecrate ourselves to marriage and become one. Think about it, if you are consecrated, you will be dedicated to a higher goal and purpose of God in marriage! You will become one as you start putting away things that kill your marriage, and Consecration will keep your marriage. Fasting is a way to consecrate and separate ourselves unto the Lord. Daniel 9:3 says, “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” We turn toward a holy God, and turn away from a fleshly life.
Fasting
Fasting is so imperative! If Jesus, the God of the universe fasted, why would we not! Luke 4 tells us that Jesus fasted 40 days and nights. We need to push away food, media, our phones, anything that keeps us from God. When you fast, God moves! You gain ground that you couldn’t have gained by just praying. Jesus takes us places when we pray and fast that we could never have imagined! Fasting is the putting away of our flesh in order to walk in the Spirit. We can hear God more clearly when we clear our minds and stomach! Because we mourn and we weep, we will be hungry for the things of God.
Being Hungry vs Being Full
When you are hungry you look for something to eat, to satisfy, to fill you up! We need to feel that feeling of being hungry so we can humble ourselves before God and look to Him to feed us! Taste and see that the Lord is good!! Give us this day our daily bread! We see the Lord high and lifted up, and in His rightful place when we fast! We pray, weep, worship and taste of a heavenly manna! I don’t want to be full with the things of this world, I want to be hungry for the bread of Life!!
My Marriage
How can this help my marriage you ask? Because there is a profound truth and principle that if you draw close to the Lord, put Him first, and in His proper place, you will draw closer to your spouse. You will see them differently, you will hear them differently, you will respond instead of react. Your love for your spouse will grow, it will flourish my friend! Marriage will become a spiritual endeavor. Oh how blessed we are when our marriages are spiritual!!!
Spiritual Marriage?
Yes!!! You can have a spiritual marriage, and it is better than any fairytale! Movies, fairytales, shows, Hollywood… it’s all fantasy. It’s not real life! It is make believe. But a spirit led marriage, that is real! When you walk after the spirit you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Why would we go to church on Sunday, maybe Wednesday, and not be spiritual through out the week. Our whole lives revolve around Jesus, why would I compartmentalize my relationship with my spouse or children.
What’s That Look Like?
Consecration keeps a marriage. We pray together, read devotions together, pray and fast together before making a big decision. Our lives and marriage are built around the church. We are involved, we don’t miss unless we are sick or on vacation.. it’s not optional. My husband and I teach bible studies together, we pray with people together, we pray for our children together, we go to the prayer room together. We keep each other safe, pure, and healthy by being consecrated to God. We hold each other accountable, not by commanding something of the other, but by prayer, love, and loving communication.
The Alternative
The Alternative is a loss of trust, unity, and ultimately our marriage. I am brokenhearted to see couples young and old forget why they got married, what this sacred covenant with God means, and quit on the blessing God bestows upon us in marriage. We can fill ourselves to the full with our own desires and be miserable. We can give up, have an affair, check out, focus only on our children, and ruin our marriages by not being consecrated.
The Answer
The answer is always Jesus! He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! We are only truly happy in Him. You can Not find happiness in your spouse, you CAN share the joy only the Lord can give with your spouse, through consistently consecrating our marriages. When we spend time consecrating our lives to Jesus, then we will keep our marriage. We need Him more and more each day! His mercies are new every morning! We can have a spiritual marriage that lasts.. we can have a happily ever married!!
Prayer Today
Our hearts have been burdened by marriages all around us in this world! No, we aren’t perfect and we don’t have it all figured out, but we do have an amazing marriage! We are blessed by God! We have learned to work on it daily. Our prayer for your marriages today is that you would spend some time asking God to help you consecrate your marriages and lives to the Lord. Marriage is not something to just throw away when things get tough. Your marriage is sacred! We vow before God to love, honor, cherish, in sickness, in health, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, til death do us part, and Consecration keeps a marriage!
Scriptures:
Monday: 2 Corinthians 6:17 says, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” We serve a holy God and we need to walk the way of holiness inside and out. These are the results of consecration.
Tuesday: Joshua 3:5 says, ” Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.” What amazing things God does when we Consecrate ourselves unto Him and His ways! Our marriage will see miracles if we trust Him in consecration!!
Wednesday: Daniel 9:3 says, “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” Pray and fast for your marriage, and your walk with the Lord. You can do this, and God will take you deeper in Him!! Deep calleth unto deep! Psalm 42:7
Thursday: Luke 4 is an example to us! We not only need to fast like Jesus did, but after we fast we have power to overcome in our marriage! He is the bridegroom and we are His bride, this is an example of a Spiritual marriage.
Friday: 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Psalm 101:3 says, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:” We must protect that which is precious to God! Pray for God’s help to keep your body, mind, eyes, and spirit from anything that would harm your marriage.
Saturday: John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” He is the only answer we have today! Pray for Jesus to show you the way, the truth of His word, and to speak life into your marriage!
This Week
Read the scriptures this week and take some time to consecrate yourselves unto the Lord, to your marriage, and build it to last by setting aside time for prayer and fasting. This will only strengthen your marriage! You can do this!! God is for you and your spouse!! He wants you to succeed! Jesus will help you! He is Faithful and Just!!
Share
Think of someone this could help today! We want our marriages to be strong so we can have strong churches, children and communities. It starts with us, and takes us sharing what we have learned with another. Discipleship is what we are called to do. If this blessed you today, maybe it could bless your neighbor, friend, or loved one. Thank you for reading and wanting a stronger marriage! We can all have a happilyevermarried!!
Contact
Feel free to contact us at janene@happilyevermarried.org or share and post this at http://happilyevermarried.org Remind others to check their email to confirm and check spam if they don’t receive it right away! Thank you and praying for you all today!