31 Days of Prayer for your Spouse {Day 6 :: Purpose}

Purpose

“For we are God’s workmanship, Created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

The theme of today’s prayer for your spouse is PURPOSE. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is writing to the Church in Ephesus (most likely from his prison cell in Rome) hoping to encourage the believers in that city to see God’s design in their lives as well as their mission as a church. That body of believers was once trapped in ways of the world – most of them were gentiles and foreigners to the covenants of Israel. Paul wanted these new followers to see their new identity in Christ as a radical part of God’s plan to share the Gospel with the whole world! In short – Paul wanted these men & women to see that their life was – and had always been – aimed with a PURPOSE. Our marriages sometimes get like the church in Ephesus. We get wrapped up in the world – we get busy, we pile expectations on each other and ourselves… we struggle with sin. But Paul’s encouragement to the Ephesians applies today in our homes as well. As husbands & wives, we were all once dead in our transgressions and sins, but by grace we who believed have been saved through faith – not from ourselves, but as a gift from God! All of our good works didn’t earn our salvation in Christ, and none of us should boast about being good enough to sit with the King in the heavenly realms. Today, as you pray for your spouse, remember that at a time you were separate from Christ. Are you at peace with your Savior? Jesus is our peace, and his PURPOSE in saving you was to create in himself a new man/woman out of you to do good works, which He prepared in advance for us to do. Pray today that both you and your spouse would seek first the Kingdom of God as you commit each day to forgive each other (as Christ has forgiven you), and seek his PURPOSE in your lives. Paul had a prayer for the Ephesians as well – it went like this: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long, and high and deep is the love of Christ… and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us – to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph 3:14-21)    

To see a list of all of the devotions for 31 Days of Prayer for Your Spouse, click here. Make 2014 the year that you add the most important ingredient for a wonderful and fulfilling marriage…grace! Dr. Kimmel’s new book Grace Filled Marriage is a great place to start! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google +. Subscribe to our blog!