Continued from September’s article :
PRAYERFULNESS:
The Bible calls men to be the head of the family and to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. This means providing spiritual leadership for the home and initiating a regular and an intentional spiritual connection with their spouses. A man of God describes the Christian husband as the parent, pastor, priest, prophet and protector of the family, and to successfully discharge these duties, he must be a man of purposeful and powerful prayer.
Defending the Home on your Knees:
Satan, the archenemy of Christians, and his cohorts constantly and consistently assault the home on all fronts. To ensure your home is safe and secure, you must defend it against his onslaught.
The Bible says that “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”Ephesians 6:12 KJV.
While some of the challenges and problems in homes are not directly caused by the devil, he is the architect of most calamitous happenings in families and breakups in marriages. His sole aim is to undermine God’s glory anywhere, anytime. Hence, He goes all out to destroy the marriage union. Since he is a spiritual force, we need a spiritual weapon to conquer him, and there ‘s no spiritual weapon more potent and powerful than the weapon of prayer.
As the spiritual and physical guardian of the home, you must be spiritually sensitive and defend your wife and family against Satan’s wiles and attacks.
How do you do that?
1. Teach your family the LORD’s way. The Bible has a great deal to say about the way the Christian husband can successfully defend his family against evil and marital problems. The first thing you must do is to lead your family to Christ. It is assumed as a Christian man that your wife is also a Christian because God commands that you shouldn’t marry a non-Christian. But if for any reason your wife is not born-again, lead her to the LORD. That’s your spiritual duty. Lead your children to the LORD too.
After their conversion, teach or instruct them in God’s Word. Along with loving God with your whole heart and modelling the Christian life before them, you need to heed the command of Deuteronomy 6:7-9 regarding teaching your children (and your spouse) to do the same. Teaching them God’s Word should be done at all times – at home, on the road, at night, and in the morning.
“ And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”Deuteronomy 6:7-9 KJV
However, when you instruct your children, and even your wife, you are not simply present a list of rules to follow. You’re letting your “actions speak” by showing them good examples. Show your family the way they should go by moving in that direction yourself. Let your favourite Scripture be: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”Joshua 24:15 KJV.
2. Pray before you leave home. This involves you taking the opportunity to have a family devotion with and pray over your family before you walk out of the door for the day. This is the best way to protect and provide for your family while you’re not physically at home.
3. Pray before you sleep. As you end the day, pray over your family before you go to sleep. Pray for what has gone on through the day. Pray for protection for them even through the night and through their dreams. Pray for the LORD to continue to do a Mighty work in all of them. Pray and read the Word with them in the family devotion.
4. Always remember your family in your prayers. Whenever you pray either in your personal morning or night quiet time, family devotions, all night prayers or your personal retreat, remember to pray for your family.
As a man, you have the tremendous opportunity and privilege to lead your family. Praise God that He has provided you with a family and seek to be obedient in the way you care for them and help draw them closer to the LORD one day at a time.
TO BE CONTINUED:
Dear readers,I thank God Almighty for His Faithfulness. If you have been observing a family devotion, well done and don’t relent; if you are not doing it yet, don’t lose heart, you can start now and the LORD will fill your life with daily victories in JESUS Mighty Name Amen 🙏.
Our family devotion that holds every morning and night time is very important, God Almighty desires our fellowship, He waits there each time for our appointments, whenever we fail to show up and, He calls out to us… “Where art thou?”
“And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?”Genesis 3:9 KJV.
Be sure to keep the appointment with God 🙏.
Shalom
Mrs Angelinah Olubunmi PetersMy LORD JESUS Is Alive In me