Do you find yourself afraid love will never return to your marriage? Harsh, angry words can leave us longing and vulnerable. Unresolved marital issues often cause us to focus on our pain and the imperfections of our spouse. Panicked, we look for solutions to quiet the pain and Satan is ever ready to suggest someone else.
The burden of what is missing in your marriage may be weighing heavy on you today. Instead of despairing, let your faith rise up.
You may lack love in your marriage today, but God is offering you His perfect love. You may ache from a lack of faithfulness in your marriage, but God has always been and always will be faithful to you. The best thing that can come out of your difficult days of marriage is a bold assurance that God is everything you will ever need.
The Bible is magnificently alive and holds the power to reveal, heal, and deliver husbands and wives who are thirsty for love. Let His promise from Isaiah 41:17 nourish your hope and strengthen you to withstand the temptation to look to a human to satisfy your dehydrated heart.
“When the poor and needy search for water and there is none,and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the Lord, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.”Isaiah 41:17
In the Psalms we learn to pour out our desperation to God. David modeled for us the freedom to talk openly with God about heartbreaking situations. He also shows us how to declare our faith in God’s promises in the midst of those hard days. The psalm-like prayer, declaration and personalization exercise below, an excerpt from Hope for Your Marriage: 31 War Room Prayers, will guide your conversation with God when you are longing for tenderness and acceptance.
A Prayer of Hope for Your Marriage
God, I never expected to feel this empty and desperate for something different. My soul is so connected to my spouse, but our minds and bodies are very disconnected. This war between us leaves me thirsty for love.
With my own voice, I vowed to be faithful in every way. How can I resist this unrelenting desire to connect with love when none is evident within our marriage? My heart cries out for affection. My soul tells me I deserve better than this. My mind suggests that I should find someone who does love me. This temptation to pursue another is fierce.
Here is my heart, Lord. I’m in great need of Your perfect love. Help me believe that You will supply all of my needs, even this one. I reach for You to satisfy my soul. (Philippians 4:19,Psa 143:6-7)
I choose to honor and cooperate with the righteousness of Jesus by keeping our marriage bed pure. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, I will deny myself what the world offers, so I can receive all that You have to give us. Please help my husband do the same. (Hebrew 13:4, Titus 2:12,Psa 5:12)
You are the river of living waters. My soul is refreshed by You and the good gifts You give. I will wait in the shelter of Your wing for love to overflow between us. (John 7:38, James 1:17, Psa 91:4, Philippians 1:9)
Declaration of Faith
God meets my needs with His love. He empowers me to wait for love to return to our marriage.
Make it Personal
Search the Bible for evidence that God can satisfy your need for love. Start with Psa 103:5and Ephesians 3:18-19. Write a prayer to God expressing your need for love and inviting Him to meet it.
[written by Jennifer O. White]
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