Making Marriage Work (41 page)

1 Peter 1:18-25

Our lives should be full of reward — full of testimony of God’s power in our lives. Peter went on to testify in his first letter to the church, chapter 2:15 (
TLB
), that,
It is God’s will that your good lives should silence those who foolishly condemn the Gospel without knowing what it can do for them, having never experienced its power
. God is wonderful. He is awesome, and it is the greatest thing to know God, to be saved and to enjoy the benefits of living within His divine order and grace. He didn’t just save us from dying and going to hell; He saved us from having to live in hell while we’re here on the earth.

The testimony of your and your spouse’s love for each other can be used by God to win others to Himself.

The testimony of your love for each other can be used by God to win others to Himself. The mystery of how God causes you and your spouse to become one flesh in perfect agreement through marriage is great, but within your testimony of how God makes this happen lies a revelation of God’s love for you and the world.

God is the Author of life’s greatest love stories. Let Him finish writing the one you have begun.

God didn’t just save us from dying and going to hell; He saved us from having to live in hell while we’re here on the earth.

PRAYER FOR A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD

God wants you to receive His free gift of salvation. Jesus wants to save you and fill you with the Holy Spirit more than anything. If you have never invited Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to be your Lord and Savior, I invite you to do so now. Pray the following prayer, and if you are really sincere about it, you will experience a new life in Christ.

Father,

You loved the world so much, You gave Your only begotten Son to die for our sins so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

Your Word says we are saved by grace through faith as a gift from You. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation.

I believe and confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is Your Son, the Savior of the world. I believe He died on the cross for me and bore all of my sins, paying the price for them. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead.

I ask You to forgive my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord. According to Your Word, I am saved and will spend eternity with You! Thank You, Father. I am so grateful! In Jesus’ Name, amen.

See John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 10:9,10; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; 1 John 1:9; 4:14-16; 5:1,12,13.

ANOTHER BLESSING AVAILABLE TO YOU

There is one more very important thing you need to know.

The Bible calls another blessing available to you the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:4-6,11 tells us that John said when Jesus came, Jesus would baptize people with the Holy Ghost and fire. John had been baptizing people in water, and they had been repenting of their sins, but this baptism was in the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 1:5-8, Jesus talked about this Spirit baptism. He said they would receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and this power would cause them to be witnesses to Jesus.

When you received Jesus, you received the Holy Spirit into your human spirit. But the baptism of the Spirit is a filling completely. He fills you, and you are placed into Him. It is like asking the Spirit to fill you through and through with the power and ability to live the Christian life and serve God according to His will.

If you need power, ability, strength, and miracles in your life, you need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

HOW TO RECEIVE THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

Ask God to fill you and to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. Simply pray,
Father, in Jesus’ Name, I ask you to baptize me in the power of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

Be relaxed and at ease in God’s presence. He loves you and wants you to have His best. Wait on Him quietly and believe you are receiving. Believe before you feel any change. You may feel a change taking place, but you may not. Do not be led by your feelings; be led by God’s promises.

To speak in tongues, open your mouth, and as the Spirit gives you utterance, speak forth what you hear coming up out of your inner man. This will not come out of your head. Remember, your mind does not understand this.

That is why it is so hard for many people. We are accustomed to our minds running our lives. This whole book is about spiritual life and learning to live spiritually, not naturally.

You will hear or sense syllables, phrases, groanings, or utterances that are unusual sounding or foreign sounding to you. Take a step of faith and utter them; speak them forth. Acts 2:4 (
KJV
) says,
they … began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

You may now use this language (which will grow as you grow and as you exercise the gift) anytime you pray or just to edify yourself. Do not speak in tongues around people who do not understand. Tongues brought forth in a church setting should be interpreted or explained.

Enjoy your new life in the Spirit!

ENDNOTES

Chapter 4

¹
“marriage.”
Merriam-Webster OnLine:/WWWebster Dictionary
. 2000.
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary.htm
(7 August 2000).
(back to text)

Chapter 10

¹
James E. Strong, “Greek Dictionary of the New Testament” in
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(Nashville: Abingdon, 1890), p. 10, entry #283, s.v. “undefiled,” Hebrews 13:4. (Abbreviations have been spelled out in this and in all other endnotes from Strong.)
(back to text)

Chapter 14

¹
Strong, “Greek Dictionary,” p. 58, entry #4139, s.v. “neighbour,” Romans 15:2.
(back to text)

²
“neighbor.”
Merriam-Webster Online
. (7 August 2000).
(back to text)

Chapter 15

¹
One available test: C. Peter Wagner,
Finding Your Spiritual Gifts: Wagner-Modified Houts Questionnaire
(Ventura: Gospel Light Publications, 1978, 1985, 1995 by C. Peter Wagner).
(back to text)

Chapter 16

¹
“cleave.” Based on definition in
Merriam-Webster OnLine
. (7 August 2000).
(back to text)

²
Strong, “Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary” in
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(Nashville: Abingdon, 1890), p. 29, entry #1692, s.v. “cleave,” Genesis 2:24. Based on this definition.
(back to text)

³
Strong, p. 10, entry #259, s.v. “one,” Genesis 2:24.
(back to text)

⁴
Strong, p. 10, entry #258, s.v. “one,” Genesis 2:24.
(back to text)

Chapter 17

¹
Gary A. Smalley with John T. Trent,
The Language of Love
(Colorado Springs: Focus on the Family Publishing, 1991).
(back to text)

²
“Shooooppping” in “Why Can’t My Spouse Understand What I Say?” “husbands & wives.”
http://www.family.org/married/ comm/a0009640.html.
(back to text)

³
Strong, “Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary” p. 87, entry #5828, “help meet,” Genesis 2:18. Based on definition.
(back to text)

Chapter 18

¹
Strong, “Greek Dictionary,” p. 51, entry #3626, s.v. “keepers,” Titus 2:5. From p. 51, entry #3624, “keeper,” Greek origin of the word.
(back to text)

Chapter 19

¹
W.E. Vine,
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1984), “An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words,” p. 401, s.v. “MEEK, MEEKNESS,” B. Nouns.
(back to text)

²
“in-wrought.”
Merriam-Webster OnLine
(6 August 2000). Based on the definition, “2: worked in especially as decoration.”
(back to text)

³
Vine, “New Testament Words,” s.v. “MEEK, MEEKNESS,” B. Nouns.
(back to text)

⁴
David W. Augsburger,
Caring Enough to Confront
(Ventura: Gospel Light Publications, 1980).
(back to text)

RECOMMENDED READING

LaHaye, Tim.
Spirit-Controlled Temperament
. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1993.

Littauer, Florence.
Your Personality Tree
. Nashville: Word Publishing, 1991.

Smalley, Gary A. with John T. Trent.
The Language of Love
. Colorado Springs: Focus on the Family Publishing, 1991.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JOYCE MEYER
has been teaching the Word of God since 1976 and in full-time ministry since 1980. She is the bestselling author of more than seventy inspirational books, including
Approval Addiction, In Pursuit of Peace, How to Hear from God
, and
Battlefield of the Mind
. She has also released thousands of audio teachings as well as a complete video library. Joyce’s
Enjoying Everyday Life
® radio and television programs are broadcast around the world, and she travels extensively conducting conferences. Joyce and her husband, Dave, are the parents of four grown children and make their home in St. Louis, Missouri.

To contact the author write:

Joyce Meyer Ministries

P. O. Box 655

Fenton, Missouri 63026

or call: (636) 349-0303

Internet Address:
www.joycemeyer.org

Please include your testimony of help received from this book when you write. Your prayer requests are welcome.

To contact the ministry

in Canada, please write:

Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc.

Lambeth Box 1300

London, ON N6P 1T5

Canada

or call: (636) 349-0303

In Australia, please write:

Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc.

Locked Bag 77

Mansfield Delivery Centre

Queensland 4122

Australia

or call: (07) 3349 1200

In England, please write:

Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc.

P. O. Box 1549

Windsor

SL4 1GT

United Kingdom

or call: 01753-831102

O
THER
B
OOKS BY
J
OYCE
M
EYER

Battlefield of the Mind*

Battlefield of the Mind Devotional

Approval Addiction

Ending Your Day Right

In Pursuit of Peace

The Secret Power of Speaking God’s Word

Seven Things That Steal Your Joy

Starting Your Day Right

Beauty for Ashes Revised Edition

How to Hear from God*

Knowing God Intimately

The Power of Forgiveness

The Power of Determination

The Power of Being Positive

The Secrets of Spiritual Power

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

The Secrets to Exceptional Living

Eight Ways to Keep the Devil Under Your Feet

Teenagers Are People Too!

Filled with the Spirit

Celebration of Simplicity

* Study Guide available for this title

The Joy of Believing Prayer

Never Lose Heart

Being the Person God Made You to Be

A Leader in the Making

“Good Morning, This Is God!”

Jesus—Name Above All Names

Making Marriage Work

(Previously published as
Help Me—I’m Married!
)

Reduce Me to Love

Be Healed in Jesus’ Name

How to Succeed at Being Yourself

Weary Warriors, Fainting Saints

Life in the Word Devotional

Be Anxious for Nothing*

Straight Talk Omnibus

Don’t Dread

Managing Your Emotions

Healing the Brokenhearted

Me and My Big Mouth! *

Prepare to Prosper

Do It Afraid!

Expect a Move of God in Your Life … Suddenly!

Enjoying Where You Are on the Way to

Where You Are Going

The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make

When, God, When?

Why, God, Why?

The Word, the Name, the Blood

Tell Them I Love Them

Peace

The Root of Rejection

If Not for the Grace of God*

J
OYCE
M
EYER
S
PANISH
T
ITLES

Las Siete Cosas Que Te Roban el Gozo

(Seven Things That Steal Your Joy)

Empezando Tu Dia Bien

(Starting Your Day Right)

B
OOKS BY
D
AVE
M
EYER

Life Lines

Achieve the Marriage of Your Dreams with the Power of God’s Word!

“We want our marriage to be a triumph, not a tragedy,” reveals bestselling author Joyce Meyer, who’s been married for more than thirty years and understands firsthand the challenges. “But Satan wants a tragedy, and we need to be increasingly aware of the subtle ways he tries to destroy our marriages and home lives.”

Whether you’ve been married for thirty days or thirty years, the time is right to discover how God can transform your marriage to be all He intended it to be. If you’re a newlywed or single person, you’ll want to read this book to be prepared. Whether you are suffering through a marriage crisis or simply want to improve your marriage, you’ll find hope and courage in God’s promises of healing and restoration.