Jesus, help me realize that it doesn’t really matter what kind of marriage issues I have or what is causing them; Your procedure is the same for dealing with all kinds of marriage issues. You want to help me DISCOVER what it is going to take for me to be set free. Help me understand that this DISCOVERY course is designed to help me look over some concepts about marriage issues so I can see where You are taking me. If a particular comment or concept doesn’t apply to me, help me just ignore it and move on. Help me understand that there are certain aspects of my marriage struggles that are somewhat unique to me. Not that I am the only one who is going through this struggle. It is just that in this study You have to cover a lot of different types of marriage problems.

Jesus, help me understand that the most difficult thing about being helped by You is for me to accept the fact that Your principles are often general. You will be helping me with my marriage issues while using principles that You would use no matter what my problem is. Help that not cause me to feel like You aren’t REALLY addressing my specific problem. Help me keep in mind that in the previous “Finding The Right Relationship” series, You went over some specific aspects of marriage difficulties with me. But, that was only because I needed to understand where You and I are going. As You and I looked and and continue to look at the problem and the solution, help me see that I will need to allow You to point out some of the characteristics of the marriage problem that I may not be familiar with.

Jesus, it is true that it is me that is having problems with marriage; but, help me see that, that doesn’t make me an expert on the marriage subject. Help me give up my own opinions and procedures. Teach me that since You do things in a very different way, I have to start looking for a pathway into miracles. Help me see that this different approach can cause me to be somewhat resistive to Your methods. However, help me realize that You know what You are doing. You are taking a problem that I am facing and haven’t been able to win over and bringing me the solution.

Jesus, show me that faith and trust in You must be developed, if I am going to get Your help. Help me not forget that You honor my God-given free will all the time. Teach me that the MOMENT I resist or interfere is the moment You back off. Show me that things can be going really well for You and me, then all of a sudden it all stops. Empower me to quickly pray and ask You to show me why my progress stopped. Teach me that there is probably some kind of world training, personal philosophy, accepted belief, or a human opinion I have that is in conflict with what You are teaching me. After I have prayed, help me wait and see if You cause an idea to pop up in my mind that helps explain what is going on. If You do, help me always take it to You and ask You to help me with it.

Heb 11:6 (NIV) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Jesus, empower me to ALWAYS believe that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Help me believe that all this study and prayer are going to pay off so it won’t be impossible for me to please God. Make it clear to me that it doesn’t matter how many times I have tried and failed. It doesn’t matter how many times I have prayed and lost the battle. It doesn’t matter what all I have tried and it didn’t work. Help me always believe that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Let me allow all this study and prayer help me to allow You to speak faith into me. Empower me to believe that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Jesus, teach me that this is how I can know I have faith that God is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him:

• Empower me to have faith that never, never gives up. Gal 6:9 (NIV) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we WILL reap a harvest if we do not give up.


• Empower me to have faith to NOT use my past to set the standard for my future. Phil 3:13-14 (NIV) Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.


• Empower me to have faith where I fix my eyes on You and wait for You to speak faith into me so I can believe that God is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him. Heb 12:2 (NIV) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.


• Empower me to have living faith where I take faith-action and start living my life on the basis of the fact that God is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him. James 2:17 (NIV) In the same way, FAITH by itself, if it is not accompanied by ACTION, is dead.

Jesus, empower me to forget the failures, losses, defeats, and impossibilities of the past. Help me press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.