Day 3 – His Lord, His Love.

Welcome to the third day of this program which also marks the first day of praying for our husbands. Today we will be praying on two topics. These are the basics of any Beautiful Christian home. They are the main constituents used for building the foundation of any home. When these are in place, the marriage can withstand the storms of Life. It may shake left and right, back and forth but it won’t be uprooted.

I need everyone of us to understand that, “when a man knows his Lord and God and loves Him genuinely, it will be easy for him to love his wife selflessly and easily.” There are men who seem or profess to love their Lord but fall short of doing same to their wives and then you wonder, what is happening? Some run about the business of the Lord but are lagging in the business of their home. In other cases, the husband who was once on fire for the Lord is now complacent in his walk with God and then you wonder what went wrong? Gradually the love which was burning and looked unquenchable during the courtship period begin to diminish in the journey of marriage.

We will be raising our husbands to the Lord. Firstly for his Salvation, if your husband is saved, still pray for his growth in the love of God. If he is not, kindly start there. If he was once, pray for his reawakening. Next we will be praying for his Love. Usually, when you ask your husband if he loves you, he is quick to say yes but then you are taken aback at some things that happen that you begin to doubt his profession of love for you.

Prayer Points:

  • (For Unsaved husbands) Father I bring my husband (mention name) before you today, it was your love for him that caused Jesus to die on the cross. I pray that he realises and recognises your love for him and believe in you so that the eternal life you have planned for him will be his in Jesus name. I put a restlessness within him today and I pray that your love will overwhelm him till he accepts your offer of life in Jesus name. I know that when he loves you as much or even as little as you love him, it would be easy for him to love me all the days of my life. This is my request to you oh Lord.
  • (For Lukewarm Husbands) Father, let my husband (mention name) experience a touch or your refreshing love which will awaken his burning desire and love for you. Whatever the distraction that has brought my husband to this stage, father I ask that you open his eyes, clear every fog of confusion and give him a clear vision of your unfailing Love.
  • (For Saved husbands) Father, give my husband the grace to grow and flourish in love with you. Do not let him outlive his love for you. Let him daily check for pointers so that he will not fall out of love and not know it. When it becomes a struggle to remain in your love, give him the grace to be able to ask for your help alone or together with me in Jesus name.

The bible describes a man who has no love as a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal or the creaking of a rusty gate. Even if he runs about the business of God, he is nothing without love. The bible went on to address it in The Message Bible that he is bankrupt without love. It was by virtue of God’s love for man that he created woman. Immediately Adam saw Eve, he loved her. So many other stories of love exist in the bible.

  • (husband’s name), your love for me will be patient and kind, it will not get jealous or intimidated by my achievements or growth. When you express your love for me, it will be selfless in Jesus name. (1 Corinthians 13:4)
  • As we daily live, there are times when i will step on your wrong foot. (husband’s name), the love of God in you will come through by repelling every urge to become easily angry at me in Jesus name. You will be happy with me and lovingly correct me when i do wrong. (1 Corinthians 13:5)
  • (husband’s name), you will not run out of loving me but as we daily walk this journey of marriage, you will trust me more, you will never lose hope in me. You will not quit even when it looks like your expectation of me aren’t coming through in Jesus name. (1 Corinthians 13:6-7)
  • By virtue of marriage, we became one in the sight of God. Today I ask that Lord (husband’s name) will love me as his body. He will not be harsh to me when i make mistakes nor harm me in Jesus name (Colossians 3:19, Ephesians 5:25, Romans 13:10)
  • Heavenly father, I will not be compete for the Love of my husband neither will he have to fight to love me. I secure my rightful place as his wife in the name of Jesus. I decree that Strange women will have no power over him. As he comes in contact with them at work, in church and in the extended family, the Love for me you have planted within him will blossom even more and displace all lustful distractions in Jesus name. (Genesis 29, 1 Samuel 1:6-8)
  • Father I pray today that no one will come in between us, not family members, not friends, not even our children. The love that caused him to leave his father and mother and be joined to me will ever flourish in Jesus name. We will not grow past loving each other. (Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7-8)
  • Finally Lord,as we walk side by side, hand in hands with you as our Guide, your love will be deeply rooted in us and it will cover all our flaws and present us beautiful to one another in Jesus name.
  • Kindly Pray as led.

Bible verse:  1 John 4: 7-12 (MSG) “My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God. My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!”

Confession: (Husband’s name), You will love the Lord your God with all your heart and you will easily love me just as Christ love the Church.

God bless you.

©BLArticles2016

 

Day 2 : The truth about me.

We bless God who began with us yesterday. He has no plans to stop now till we are overwhelmed with his blessings and his true beauty finds root in us.

Today I implore you to be so truthful to yourself. You owe yourself that much. I have observed from my own marriage that there are times I can be the problem and also the solution. My words can be the problems as well as the solution. My actions, body language and attitude can be so too.

Some of us are so quick to disagree with our husbands and compare him to Mr B. We are so fast to talk back and end up saying words that are hurting. We are quick to embarrass him in public by washing our dirty linens and spreading it outside. Then we want to paint the picture perfect couple to the world. If these and more truly describes you, you have to deal with them first. If you don’t you would pray and wonder why there are no results and end up frustrated but you know what there are results, it’s just that cloak of self righteousness that you have put on is obstructing your vision.

Too hard? I am sorry but we need to pray aright. You know yourself better. That picture perfect wife you show to the whole world, is that who you really are? That picture perfect couple you force your husband to play along with you before our eyes, is that who you truly are?

Let’s go on to pray:

  • Father I come to you naked so you can see me as I am. I know you know me but I have come to admit that this is me. I am tired of living a lie and causing my husband to live so. I remove the mask of the perfect wife and ask that you break me and remould me. Trim all of my excesses. (Psalm 139:1-12)
  • Father I confess that in the past I haven’t always chosen my words wisely. I ask that you forgive me and correct all wrong I have caused my marriage as a result of my careless words. (Proverbs 10:19)
  • Father, you created me to be a healthy and beautiful fit for my husband. Where I have been a thorn in his flesh rightfully or wrongfully. Have mercy on me and remould me to fit just right. (Genesis 2:18)
  • Father you associated stubbornness to witchcraft. I refuse to be a witch who sucks on the joy of her marriage. Correct me no matter how hard and inconvenient it is. Let the rod of your love bring me back to my senses. Break my stubborn will Lord and fashion me from inside out to be obedient at all times. (1 Samuel 15:23)
  • Father as I pray for my husband, any hidden grudge against him, I ask that you locate it and dispose of it because I forgive him in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 5:23-24)
  • Father touch my tongue as you touched that of Isaiah. Let every words that proceed out of it be seasoned with salt. My words will add flavour and be sweet to my husband’s ears. Where in the past it has torn him and has been so bitter to him, I ask you go ahead and re-season them for me in Jesus name. From today, my words minister life, my words encourages him and my word blesses him.(Proverbs 16:24, Psalm 119:103, Colossians 4:6)
  • You designed marriage for sweet fellowship. I decree today that my marriage is sweet because I will play my part and will play it well.
  • I (mention your name), from today tell myself no more lies but will always come to you to tell you how I feel because you will hear me without judging me.
  • Finally, this is the last day of praying for yourself. Feel free to pray as you are led. The prayer points are inspired to specifically be prayed about. So please pray for yourself as much as you can.

Tomorrow we begin to pray for our husbands. They will be topical and direct. So please settle yourself so you can flow and pray with joy for him.

Bible Verse: ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28:13-14‬ ‭(ERV) “Whoever hides their sins will not be successful, but whoever confesses their sins and stops doing wrong will receive mercy. People who respect others will be blessed, but stubborn people will have plenty of troubles.”‬‬

Confession: I do not accept the lies of the devil as my truth. I live by the word of God, walk in the parts of righteousness and total submission to God and my husband. This is my truth!

God bless you!

See you tomorrow.

©BLArticles2016

Day 1: Praying for Me.

Welcome to the very first edition of this challenge. I wish you can see how excited I am as I type this. I was thinking I would do a live video on the Facebook page but I decided to post here instead.

Before we jump into praying, please be admonished that this challenge is to be done selflessly. To be able to pray for our husbands selflessly, We have to pray for ourselves first. Praying from a place of rest and peace plus doing it aright brings about unshakable results. During this period let there be a guard over our tongues and let us be careful with our words.

Having established this brief background we go on to pray.

Prayer Points

  • Father I thank you for Jesus who as a result of your love for me died on the cross that I will be reconciled with you. (John 3:16) I come boldly to your throne today and for the rest 11 days where there is grace, where I receive your mercy and your kindness to help me because I have Jesus as my high priest. (Hebrews 4:16)
  • Scriptures say that I am a good thing the moment I was found by my husband, father wherever it is that I haven’t manifested this good in me, I ask that by reason of this challenge, there will be a manifestation in Jesus name.
  • Father it is almost unavoidable that my husband will always get on my nerves once in a while. By reason of my offering of prayers to you, I forgive every offenses (name them) in Jesus name (Matthew 5:24).
  • Father as much as I want my husband to be the best you have designed him to be, I pray today that you will work on me, breaks my stubborn will, selfish pride and remove every thing in me that will cause me to cause trouble in my home.
  • Father help me to understand my place of submission and not mistake it for something else. (Ephesians 5:22) As I was created a helpmeet for him, I decree that as I raise my voice to you, he will be met with your divine help in Jesus name.
  • Father as I pray for my husband, help me to do this from my heart knowing that you are the ALL knowing God and can read my motive towards my prayer. Help me to pray for him from the depth of my heart with sincere love.
  • Let’s pray for those who are hurting in their marriages but are participating in this challenge that God will give them his peace and love so that they will be able to pray for their husbands.
  • Let’s pray that all prayers raised up to heaven for our husbands will meet with speedy responses in Jesus name.
  • As I use this mouth of mine to pray for my husband, father I will not say or confess anything that will counter my declaration this period in Jesus name. Put your patience within me.
  • Finally, let’s tell the Lord that we come to him with our heavy burdens to exchange them for light one and rest. (Matthew 28:11) if you just got married last month secure your marriage in the Lords hand by handing him every potential heavy load.
  • You know yourself better, pray for yourself addressing those stubborn areas that you and God knows about.

Bible verse: I Corinthians 13:5 (ERV) – “Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it.”

Confession : I will not be rude, I will not be selfish. I will not be made angry because I choose to forgive and forget wrongdoings. I love you hubby (mention your husband’s name) and this is my confession before God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

God bless you.

See you tomorrow.

©BLArticles2016

Usher YOU and YOURS- December Edition

Hello and welcome to the December edition of this monthly program. If you are joining in for the first time, 👏👏👏.

First of all, ALL THANKS to the Almighty God for preserving our lives and that of our family and loved ones to see the end of November 2016. We bless him more for the opportunity to secure the month before we even start it. Thank God for this great insight indeed. I am amazed at the way God does his thing. I am full of praise and I am sure you are too.

When the Lord gave out his blessings, there was a condition. And for the new month we will be choosing what side of this condition we and ours will be standing on. I and all that’s mine choose to stand on the side that brings Life. (Confession)

Without further ado, find specific prayer points below:

  • Father I thank you for the blessings of this concluding month and I also thank you for the blessings of the new month because it will overflow.
  • Father thank you for the power to choose. And today Lord I and my family choose Life and this we do because You are LIFE. We declare that your grace is sufficient for us and we will obey you and never leave you.
  • Father, We choose to operate in this understanding in every area of our lives in this new month and beyond.
  • Father we will live long and prosper because the land you have planted us in is fertile.
  • Father in this new month. Every where I go, everything I come in contact with and every work I lay my hands to do; they all experience an aliveness because I have chosen Life and not just chosen it, I carry it in me. Amen.

Pray as led.

God bless you and Happy New Month.

©BLArticles2016

Am I Shadow of Myself?

While Bambie’s Papa and I were returning home from a busy workday, discussing all the efforts my baby Sister has been putting in to babysit Bambie, I told him I wanted to give everyone a treat to some delicious Frozen Yoghurt and he was excited and obliged. There is this place in the estate where we live which we patronized so much we could be shareholders. We pulled into the one of the parking slots and noticed few cars and were taken aback as this is one place where sometimes we have to queue to park in the past. 

We walked in and were immediately put off by the fact that we could not get anything in addition to the offensive smell that welcomed us. We went on to ask and we were told the machines weren’t working and Papa said, lets go get some ice cream instead. 

Why this story? As we drove home, Papa said he couldn’t believe that place was now a shadow of itself and it clicked within me how so many of us have become a shadow of ourselves now.

You who always went out of your way to try new things while single but now that you are married, you are complacent. Hmmmm. The part I want to address the most is the attitude of so many Christian wives like me. Simply because we know Mr Hubby would not look outside and will be faithful to us because He is a Christ follower does not give us any reason to be a shadow of ourselves.

I remember the day someone made this statement to me, “ah ah, don’t you know you are now married, you should be wearing clothes that make you look like a married woman”. Usually I don’t respond to such statements or try to even make them understand. All I say is thank you and I leave. This was a young wife like me who also just got married. It’s a pity her idea of being married was that. As much as this is a common scenario, it’s not limited to dressing alone.

  • You who was so prayerful that you won’t take a step without asking God’s leading while single. Why relax now that you are married?
  • You who was so neat and organized, what happened? 
  • You who will take time to prepare yourself in advance for events, now you go so late. (I am sometimes guilty here)
  • The list is endless. So go ahead and find where you have failed.

The amazing thing is that, if we should go ask these Mr Hubbys, they are not happy we are now a shadow of ourselves. Beyond prayers, there is something they saw that attracted them. But now they are having to stay contented with what we have now become. 

As we enter the month of December that has been tagged on BLArticles as our “Month of Love”, brace yourselves up because we are coming back in full force. I am so excited about the month of December because God has chosen to start with US. 

Like our page our Facebook Page and join in the Beautiful Wife Prayer challenge. Invite friends and loved ones. Feel free to share the event with them.

God bless you and Mrs O loves you big.

©BLArticles2016

A Christian Wife’s take on the “Virtuous Woman”

The Proverbs 31 Woman! The Virtuous Woman!! The Perfect Wife!!!

“Every” Christian woman if I may say has at one point or the other dreamt of being a virtuous woman. Some have been tagged Virtuous women and some call themselves so too. OKAY, ME TOO!!! In fact, I dreamt of it, prayed to be one and even worked towards being one but despite all these, I AM NOT ONE. So before you label me a Virtuous woman, hear me out and you too before you say what you should not say, read till the end.

For every time I read Proverbs 31, I never paid attention to verse 10. Maybe because I was so familiar with the phrase and could almost recite it off-hand. I had never read in between the lines and taken my time to understand who she was. Hence, my desire and prayer to be her. Recently, while I read it, I discovered that it was a question which the very wise King Solomon asked and then went on to answer for himself. Looking at the detailed description of this virtuous woman (perfect woman), I remembered my Dad’s message to my husband and I when we had our introduction. Though miles away, distance was not a barrier to pass across this all important message to us. (Thank God for Skype)

Verse 10:
Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. (NLT)
A competent wife, how does one find her? Her value is far above pearls. (CEB)
How hard it is to find the perfect wife. She is worth far more than jewels. (ERV)
A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. (MSG)

More than Rubies and Diamonds were used to define the quality of this woman. These are hard minerals. Listed among the natural gems, their hardness are in the ranges of 9.0 and 10 respectively. Wow!!! These are very expensive minerals indeed. They can withstand every painful treatment and enhancement. Hmmm, can I bear such heat without complaining or even saying “issshhh”?

King Solomon goes on to describe this woman from verses 11-29 and I am dazed at the detailed description. Well bringing it back home; looking at myself in the mirror I asked myself from each verse if I meet up to it and oh my, truthfully and sincerely from the depth of my heart, I am so very very far from meeting up.

I ask myself, this questions:

  • Didn’t this woman have off days? She works so late and wakes up early. I would have fallen sick from exhaustion and stress.
  • She doesn’t worry during cold season because every one is prepared well for it. How many times have rain beaten my husband and I because I didn’t remember to put Umbrella in the car?
  • When she buys a land, she plants a vineyard. Me that hate earthworms, how will I survive running a garden not to talk of a vineyard?
  • She is strong and able to do all her work. Hmmm, My husband helps me oooo. In fact, there are somethings, he wont allow me do because I don’t have the strength to do it.
  • What? She is a seamstress, a business woman, a cook, a gardener, a landlady, a helper, an accountant, a teacher, a home maker, and so on and she is serving all these duties FULL TIME. Huh??!!! God help me. I’m sorry, that’s all I can say.
  • So she didn’t ask for help? Not me. I can ask for help for Africa. Especially from my husband.
  • Did she ever sit down with her husband to watch TV or gist? Hmmm my husband is my gist partner, my watching TV partner, my shopping partner, my cooking partner and my driving partner. Our partnership has got no part 2.

Then coming to verses 30-31, King Solomon must have realised that all he described was an angel and angels do not marry (Matthew 22:23-30) – My dad’s message to US. Hence ending that chapter so. The woman described above was a perfect one but here I am, I still get angry and I have days when I am very very lazy. I have days when my husband is awake late to see that I am okay. He still does my smoothies and helps pack my bag sometimes.

Verse 30-31
Grace and beauty can fool you, but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised. Give her the reward she deserves. Praise her in public for what she has done. (ERV)
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises! (MSG)

King Solomon concluded that chapter by telling us about the Woman who fears the Lord and he advised that she be praised. She should be credited for whatever she does and that publicly – not necessarily with a megaphone or in a public place but open your mouth and tell her genuinely. Don’t just say it in your heart. Now I wonder how many work I have done and I am praised publicly? I pass through my husband’s office to drop his lunch and I am praised. I take care of the home and I am praised. I prepare meals and I am praised. The list goes on.

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I am far from being the perfect wife but you know what? God has helped me to grow over the years and thanks Honey for praising me publicly despite my short comings. Thank you for weighing me and finding so much good in me to outweigh the bad. I can’t promise I wouldn’t ask for your help because I will definitely ask. I can’t promise you that I won’t disagree with you sometimes, I will most likely and I know we will both come to a place of understanding and learning and move forward with God’s help and I am confident we won’t make any mistake.

Finally, I know we all have our own definition of who and what the qualities are of the virtuous woman but my manual is the Holy Bible and based on this, I AM NOT ONE, I may have some of the qualities but not all and hence can not brag I am one. After all one does not brag of being a graduate when he/she has some more courses to do. Anyways, please if you see one or know one that is as described in Proverbs 31, I want to meet her. I have a lot of questions to ask too.

Until we get to heaven and ask King Solomon if Mrs Proverbs 31 ever existed, I remain your imperfect wife, a work-in-progress wife who is redeemed, saved and kept by a PERFECT GOD. Walking with him and having him as our Captain and Shepherd for all eternity.

God bless you and thanks for reading.

©BLArticles2016

DECEMBER: Our Month of Love

February is a month tagged as the “month of love” all across the world. Here at BLArticles, “The Christian Wife’s Diary” has ours tagged to December because it is a memorable month and we would want it to be for you as well.

In the month of December, we have a lot of lovely things happening and I invite you all to participate. This will be our maiden edition, first of its kind and will be an annual program going forward. God has helped us to have the whole month filled with Beautiful activities that are not time consuming but packed with all the beauties of Life.

Take a look at our activities and you will find that there is one just for you and if it’s all you would be participating in, why not.


Stay connected here and through our other social media accounts and don’t miss out on anything at all.

Have a beautiful December with all the beautiful lots that come with LOVE!

“Living Life God’s way is Living the Beautiful Life.”

God bless you!

©BLArticles2016

Go with SPEED!!!

moving-vehicles-3-1548421-639x424As much as speed has been termed bad, there are a lot of scenarios where speed is good and not just good, beautiful. It gives peace and happiness too. On a lighter note, it gives gold too. Just ask Usain Bolt. Now before you say, “what do you mean?” Read on.

There is this particular route I ply from my office to my home. Along this route there is a bridge I have to ascend and descend from. Gradually the first expansion joint began to expand (after all that’s why it’s there) but no one seemed to care about it. It expanded to a level where it looks like you have to enter a 100-millimetres wide longitudinal pot hole (forgive my professional terms).

One day while driving through, hurrying home, I forgot that there was this place where I have to slow down and uncomfortably meander. After I had descended, it clicked that I had passed there. I told myself it had been fixed that’s why I didn’t notice it. Next day came and while some people were ahead of me, I was wondering why the slow movement. One, two, three, it was my turn and oh my. It was still there and it was so annoying and so uncomfortable.

The day after, while I was at the foot about to ascend I slowed down, waiting for all the cars to leave that spot and I accelerated, giving the engine some work to move at its fastest possible pace and I sped over it and barely felt a thing. Ah ha, (dancing the victory dance) I have found a solution. “Go with speed and you won’t feel it.” Back when I was pumped and could barely drive myself to work anymore, my boyfriend (if you are new here, I’m talking about my husband) usually come to pick me up at close of business. Immediately we are approaching the foot of this bridge, I will start shouting, “Baby go with speed. Baby go with speed”. This way I didn’t have to feel uncomfortable with my little bun in the oven.

Now yesterday, I passed as usual and while some new drivers didn’t know the solution to this expanding joints, I coming from behind them sped off over that joint leaving them dancing over it. Right then it hit me, how many times do we spend time meandering through a problem, through a hurt, through a situation when we should move on as fast as possible. Instead we stay there, digesting it, analysing it and going about it on and on and on which only make it’s so uncomfortable and painful and annoying and frustrating. But moving speedily right past it, puts us ahead, gives us peace and less or no annoyance whatsoever.

While you wont wait, to analyse the teeth or biting capacity of a Lion when it comes after you. So also should be your attitude towards sin and its look alike, hurt and other situations. Ask for God’s help and move past them speedily – Phebe Olaniran

What is that that you are meandering through, dissecting and analysing back and forth. It would only cause you discomfort. I encourage you to just move past it and be happy. Bringing it home, why spend time trying to analyse sin and it’s look a likes. Why trying to justify your reason to want to check if it will drown you or not. We must decide to “flee every appearances of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Stop checking it out. Don’t say, “I just want to check it out to see if it’s actually evil or not, maybe they just look alike“. Eh eh… hmmm.

  • If it’s hurting you too bad while you put your mind to work, thinking about it. Trust God and through his help move past it speedily.
  • If it’s causing a strain in that relationship because you want to keep checking if it will end up like the initial one. Move past it speedily before it drowns your relationship.
  • If it’s going to cost you your integrity and salvation, why stay checking it out. Move past it speedily.
  • If it’s going to cost you your joy and happiness, why keep at it? If it isn’t God’s will, move past it speedily.

Just like Joseph, imagine if he was still trying to hold onto his clothes. Would we have been hearing about him so much? Maybe what we would have heard was, “Don’t be like Joseph, don’t hold on to it.” But bringing us back to real time, Joseph fled, he didn’t spend time at all analysing or thinking, he moved away from his masters wife speedily and became a great man we would always tell our children about.

What is it that you need to move past speedily?

Have a terrific Tuesday and God bless you.

©BLArticles2016