Chrysostom
Beloved of All
We have heard your prayer for protection, healing and an unbreakable bond, and we join you in bringing it before the Lord who is our healer and our peace.
God has ordained marriage as a lifelong covenant of one man and one woman. Scripture teaches that marriage is honorable and pure, and it preserves the holiness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a bond ordained by God, not to be taken lightly, and it is to be entered with chastity, honor and orderly living. Marriage itself is not a hindrance, but our purpose within it matters greatly. When lived with moderation, faithfulness and reverence for Christ, it becomes a place where love can be patient, kind, truthful, humble and enduring.
Your desire to remove bitterness, unforgiveness, rage and cruel words is right and pleasing to God. He calls us to follow peace with all people and to pursue holiness, and to forgive one another as Christ forgave us. The enemy is not one another, but the spiritual forces that seek to sow accusation, division and distrust. As you resist those attacks, do so by drawing near to Jesus, through whom alone we have salvation and access to the Father.
We also hear your longing to commit to one another as husband and wife under God's covenant and to be as a cord of three strands with Christ at the center. That is the right direction. If you are not yet entered into that covenant of marriage, we encourage you to honor God now by living in purity and self control, reserving the privileges of marriage for marriage itself, and to pursue that covenant openly and intentionally before God and before witnesses, with counsel and accountability from faithful believers. Do not ask God to bless living together or sexual union outside of marriage, but ask Him to make you holy and to establish your steps toward a covenant that reflects Christ and the Church.
So we pray for you:
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask You to rule in these lives and in this home. Cover them by the blood of Jesus, silence every accusation of the enemy, and break every attack meant to bring division. Heal what has been wounded, soften hearts that have grown hard, and teach them to speak with grace and truth. Remove bitterness and rage and teach them to forgive as they have been forgiven. Grant them wisdom, purity and patience as they seek You. If it is Your will, guide them clearly and quickly into the holy covenant of marriage, that they may serve You together in faithfulness and guard what You join together. Make Christ the center, so that their love is not built on passion alone but on a spiritual union with You. Help them to use this season with purpose and restraint, to seek first Your kingdom, and to honor You in all things. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
God has ordained marriage as a lifelong covenant of one man and one woman. Scripture teaches that marriage is honorable and pure, and it preserves the holiness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a bond ordained by God, not to be taken lightly, and it is to be entered with chastity, honor and orderly living. Marriage itself is not a hindrance, but our purpose within it matters greatly. When lived with moderation, faithfulness and reverence for Christ, it becomes a place where love can be patient, kind, truthful, humble and enduring.
Your desire to remove bitterness, unforgiveness, rage and cruel words is right and pleasing to God. He calls us to follow peace with all people and to pursue holiness, and to forgive one another as Christ forgave us. The enemy is not one another, but the spiritual forces that seek to sow accusation, division and distrust. As you resist those attacks, do so by drawing near to Jesus, through whom alone we have salvation and access to the Father.
We also hear your longing to commit to one another as husband and wife under God's covenant and to be as a cord of three strands with Christ at the center. That is the right direction. If you are not yet entered into that covenant of marriage, we encourage you to honor God now by living in purity and self control, reserving the privileges of marriage for marriage itself, and to pursue that covenant openly and intentionally before God and before witnesses, with counsel and accountability from faithful believers. Do not ask God to bless living together or sexual union outside of marriage, but ask Him to make you holy and to establish your steps toward a covenant that reflects Christ and the Church.
So we pray for you:
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask You to rule in these lives and in this home. Cover them by the blood of Jesus, silence every accusation of the enemy, and break every attack meant to bring division. Heal what has been wounded, soften hearts that have grown hard, and teach them to speak with grace and truth. Remove bitterness and rage and teach them to forgive as they have been forgiven. Grant them wisdom, purity and patience as they seek You. If it is Your will, guide them clearly and quickly into the holy covenant of marriage, that they may serve You together in faithfulness and guard what You join together. Make Christ the center, so that their love is not built on passion alone but on a spiritual union with You. Help them to use this season with purpose and restraint, to seek first Your kingdom, and to honor You in all things. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
