Praying for What Makes Marriage Work

I’m reading Timothy Keller’s new book, The Meaning of Marriage. I’m not too far into it, but already I can say that its message is excellent (and so is Keller’s writing—as usual!).

 

A key truth in the book forms our prayer points for this week, anchored in Ephesians 5:21, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

 

Keller calls this verse “the introductory statement for Paul’s famous paragraph on marriage,” pointing out that men and women must walk in the Spirit to have the servant heart of love that makes marriage work.

 

Submitting to one another means placing the needs and interests of the other person above our own. It goes against the grain of our natural self-centeredness and our society’s self-focused view that marriage is about having a person completely fill, satisfy and serve me.

 

A Spirit-empowered servant mindset is not only a requirement for a healthy marriage, but for any healthy relationship, whether it’s a long-term friendship or a short-term  encounter with someone we hardly know.

 

Self-centeredness can not only erode and destroy marriages, it can prevent them from happening in the first place. This week, let’s pray for both married and single people to walk in the Spirit with a heart to serve others.

 

Pray for:

•      God to reveal any self-centered mindsets and behaviors to Christians struggling in their marriages

•      God to reveal selfishness to single Christians in any of their relationships

•      A renewed awareness of our need as believers to walk in the Spirit and renew our minds with His love and His Word

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