I also mentioned at one point that we’d discuss listening. I mentioned that on Day 3 and followed up with Day 4 on having fun together. Listening is a huge part of that. In order to know what your spouse wants or what your spouse enjoys, you need to listen to them. 

I struggle with listening and need to work on this. Here’s some encouragement from God on listening.

“The one who gives an answer before he listens – this is foolishness and disgrace for him.”

“My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,” 

“A fool does not delight in understanding, but only wants to show off his opinions.”

“Listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understand;”

“Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent, discerning when he seals his lips.”

To sum up these scriptures as they relate to your marriage: Listen to your spouse and seek to understand them. Be more interested in what they have to say than what you have to say. Don’t be thinking about your response while they are talking. 

Easier said than done but so are most things that are right. Also, with God, all things are possible.

Mainly today, I want to encourage you to do one of the most powerful things you can do together. Please PRAY TOGETHER. Start small. Pray together about one thing. Maybe just pray that you each have a good day. Maybe pray for something you need like a newer car or a certain financial goal. Then grow in that. Right now, my wife and I are praying together for direction regarding where we should live and where our children should go to school among other things. Our faith is able to grow together as we seek God and ask him to move in our lives. We pray together often and hope we will grow in that and pray together more and more often. I hope that will happen to you as well. 

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.”

Tell each other about how you are feeling and what you are afraid of. Tell each other how you got angry and lost your patience in traffic, how you got mad at the service in the fast-food restaurant, or how you struggle with patience and kindness and pray for each other. If you’ve lost your cool with your children confess that to each other and pray for one another. Pray for headaches, hardships, and health for each other and your family.

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Just before bed at night express some of the top worries to your spouse and then pray for those worries and give them to God. Ask God to help your spouse. 

“Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus prayed all the time. Often he withdrew and prayed. I encourage you to pray on your own. When you do, pray for your spouse. I also encourage you to pray together and agree in prayer.

Prayer is so powerful. Prayer together is so powerful! 

Please start praying together and never stop. 

Intend to Live

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven. I want our marriage to be a blessing to you and to bring your name Glory and Honor! I want us to love you and serve you with our marriage. Please help us to pray together more often. Please remind us and draw us to pray together and to pray for each other. Help us be vulnerable and confess our sins and our fears to each other and pray for each other. May you hear our prayer and may we grow closer to you daily as we pray together for you to move in our lives, in our family, and in this world. May our prayers invite you to have your way in this world. May we start with praying for each other and may we end up praying for people to be saved all over the world. May more people know you. Please use our marriage to plant seeds in people that lead them to follow you and believe in you. In your name Jesus. Amen.

The post Marriage, Even When…(Day 5) appeared first on Intend to Live.

Luckily all those other instances I mentioned are easily changed. Marriage should not be so easily changed. A vacation only lasts a short time. A job or even a career can be readily changed with some effort. But a marriage is a covenant. 

“But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.” And He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. Also, if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Jesus speaks about the commitment of marriage and how God is the one who put us together in marriage. 

“In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church since we are members of His body. For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

Ending a marriage should be hard, painful, difficult, and really impossible. Of course, it happens way too often. But looking at Ephesians 5:28-31 and other scripture we see that when a man and women are married as husband and wife, they become one flesh. It would be impossible for you to divide your flesh into two and survive. Similarly, and as often is the case, it should be very painful to divorce.

I’m by no means an expert in psychology, counseling, or even in marriage. I have only been married once and we’ve been through some challenging times. We’ve been married going on 17 years and I would say that it’s better now than it’s ever been. The difficult times we’ve endured have made us better for each other, less selfish, more understanding, more gracious, more loving, quicker to forgive, and in many ways, more like Christ. But I’d say many marriages end in divorce because it’s less enjoyable than what was expected. So I want to visit more about enjoying marriage.

What not to do: Don’t listen to Satan’s lies. Don’t give up. Don’t be a baby. Don’t act like a selfish infant. Don’t react. Don’t sin in anger. And again, don’t listen to lies.

Some things to do: Slow down. Breath. Have fun. Listen to the truth. Believe the truth. Act on the truth. 

Here is some truth:

“A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.”

NOTE: That didn’t say, “A man who finds another wife finds a good thing…or a better wife or a younger wife or a different wife or a less annoying wife, etc. The truth is a wife is a good thing! Keep that in your head and believe it no matter what your deceitful heart tells you or what Satan tells you.

“Marriage must be respected by all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled because God will judge immoral people and adulterers.”

“A husband should fulfill his marital responsibility to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband.”

It says, “should”. That means that yes you should and so should your spouse. But it doesn’t mean they HAVE TO! It says they should. It’s a good idea. 

“Do not deprive one another sexually – except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”

So now we are getting to the fun stuff and that’s mainly what I want to talk about today. So let’s list stuff to do to make marriage FUN.

Have sex. God made sex fun and it is fun and you might have to be intentional about making it fun. Don’t be selfish. Be considerate, loving, and do some stuff that is fun not just for you only but for them too. 

That carries over to other stuff. Let’s say your wife doesn’t like camping but you want to go camping. If she doesn’t want to go camping in a tent and sleep outside, compromise and go to a cabin in the woods, rent or buy a camper, or see if she might want to go glamping and find a fancy campsite with the glamour. It might be the other way around where the husband doesn’t like the outdoors but the wife and children do. Step up and do something the other person enjoys. 

Basically, do fun stuff together. Compromise and find some common ground. 

Maybe you hate canoeing because you don’t like to chance of flipping. Maybe go rafting! It is much harder to flip a raft.

Let’s say you like to bicycle but your spouse hates that. Maybe get a recumbent, get an electric bike, or get a tandem bike, or maybe just a bike that’s easier to use and more comfortable and go slower and don’t leave your spouse a mile behind you when you both go out for an enjoyable ride together.

You may have to really think ahead and use some enormous amount of intentionality and preparation, but it’s worth it.

You like to fish but your spouse doesn’t. Find a friend to fish with or maybe find a comfortable day when you can both go out and your spouse can read on the canoe or boat while you fish.

You like it 65 degrees and your spouse likes it 72 degrees. Let them have the 72 degrees and get a fan to help keep you cool.

You like the beach but your spouse likes the mountains or skiing. This one is hard but find some middle ground. But for sure go on vacations together. If you hate the beach but enjoy fishing or golfing, then go to the beach but while you are there, go on at least one morning or afternoon of fishing or golfing so you can enjoy the trip more. Maybe your spouse goes with you or maybe not but either way you both find enjoyment and are there TOGETHER HAVING FUN. If you spend a short time apart you can look forward to dinner together that evening where you can catch up on what happened while you were apart for a bit. 

Don’t get stuck and believe lies. Be free, have fun, and enjoy life together. 

This can be really hard and you will likely have times you will endure, but it’s better to stay committed and have fun and follow God’s Truth and instructions and wisdom. Your spouse is part of you. You are ONE flesh. Your wife is a good thing! 

I hope you will Intend to Live and make your marriage FUN. If you aren’t having fun in your marriage, go to a counselor. Go to a counselor together if that’s helpful or if it’s not, go to a counselor on your own and talk to them about how you feel and maybe they can help you process things and point out where you are being selfish and how you can be more considerate. Preferably go to a Christian counselor.

One challenge:

Ask your spouse about going on a date night or a weekend trip that is solely for them. Whatever they want to do, you’ll be up for making it happen. If they want to go to a spa and you hate massages, still, go and do it FOR THEM. Find a way to compromise if you need to BUT don’t do anything for yourself. Choose to serve them and enjoy making them happy for the entire experience

Have fun, talk, and take time to enjoy each other more.

Intend to Live

Prayer: God help me to love my spouse better! Please show me where I am selfish and where I need to improve. Help me to be a better helper for my spouse. Would you please help us have more fun together? Please help me to listen more and talk less. Please help me slow down, breathe, and understand them more. Mainly, today please help me and us start enjoying our marriage more than ever before and enjoy spending more and more time together. Reveal to me more shared interests and help me do more fun things with them to make them happy. I realize that we are not the same person and that we have different interests. That’s some added flavor and experience for my life. Help us to find hobbies, vacations, dates, exercise, and other activities to enjoy together. In your name and for Your glory, Amen.

The post Marriage, Even When…(Day 4) appeared first on Intend to Live.

Just before you were married and early on in your marriage, what were your expectations and how does that compare with where you are now? For me, I have a much different perspective. Marriage is a much bigger deal than I thought it was. It lasts a long time. I got married when I was 25 and now I’m 40. If God delays His return or His calling me home, I’ll have been married as long as I was single when I’m 50. Then, for the rest of my life, most of my life, I will have been married. I also had a lot of expectations of how good marriage was going to be for me. That was and is still very true. But my expectations when I was younger were it was going to be good ice cream. It would be all pleasure and no discipline. Now I see it more like tomatoes (or insert the healthiest food you eat that you really love and enjoy: pears, apples, grapefruits, pineapples, peaches, strawberries…etc.). Marriage isn’t just fun and enjoyable but it’s also good for you. It’s not just going to make you fat and happy, although those things can be true! But it’s also going to sharpen you, tune you, and make you better.

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things.”

1 Corinthians 13:11 HCSB

This verse is within a chapter that is all about love and how great love is.

Here’s some more insight into what is childish and what isn’t…

“Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 HCSB

Basically, to be unloving is childish but to love well is to be grown up. I have some room to grow as I know I’m not loving as well as I should be. But the great thing is I also see where I’ve made some great progress. Marriage has helped with that. Not only do I feel I am able to love my wife better now than I did 10 years ago, but I also feel like I can love my children better, my parents better, and others in my life better. I also can see how much more I need to do to show love as I look forward and think about it.

Childishness consists of being unkind, being envious, being selfish, being easily angered, etc.

Look to grow in Christ and become more like Him. Look to grow in your marriage to love your spouse better. If you are married, you aren’t a child!

Let’s act like adults. Let’s love well, really well. Let’s improve in our love even after we love really well.

Early on in marriage, I wanted to go hang out with my friends way too often. Now that I’m older, I still want to hang out with friends. A difference is that I wish I had hung out with my spouse much more often and spent more time with her both before we had children and just after we had children. I regret no befriending her more during those times. If you are newly married, are about to have children, or have a new baby, make sure to sweeten those times by making many memories with your spouse and spending extra time with them during those short and sweet times. I think friendships with others are important for sure but your relationship with your wife and mother of your children is of greater importance and should take up more time. Communicate together and come up with a good balance that works best for each of you and is healthy. Consider each other’s needs, desires, and expectations more than your own and increase your empathy and desire to do more of what they want and less of what you want. Your marriage and your future self will thank you.

Those of us who are further along in marriage, it’s never too late to grow up! The next day’s reading will be on listening because that’s an area where I need to improve and maybe you could too.

Grow and be productive!

Intend to Live

Prayer: God, help me to put away childish emotions, reactions, and actions. Help me to love and love really well. Help me to grow in love! Create in me a new heart and new mind. Renew my heart and mind. Soften my heart toward my spouse. Not only did You create them to help me; You created me to help them. Please make me a better helper. Help me encourage them, listen to them, be kind to them, be gentle to them, be considerate of their feelings, expectations, perspective, and desires. Help me find ways to be helpful to them; new ways that I don’t currently do. Please make me into a better spouse. May I be more like you Lord. For Your glory and in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.

The post Marriage, Even When…(Day 3) appeared first on Intend to Live.

Marriage, Even When…(Day 2)

In Day 1 we talked about how God first loved us and gave Himself up for us by coming to Earth and being among us and dying for us. May we be encouraged by that and lay down ourselves for our spouse.

Satan wants to kill, steal, and destroy our lives, us, and our marriages. One of the main ways he looks to destroy is by attacking the family and lying to us. He knows we are defensive and emotional so he preys on our emotions with lies. He tells us things that are not true but might be close to the truth to deceive us and motivate us to do things that are wrong. He does this in marriage by telling you lies like, “You would be better off if you weren’t married.”, “If you had married someone else, you would be happier.”, “You and your spouse aren’t meant to be together.”, “Your children would be better off if you got divorced.”, “You would be able to reach your goals quicker alone.”, “If marriage is supposed to be so good, why is it so bad?”, “If he/she loved me, they would treat me better so this isn’t a healthy relationship.”, “Divorce is the best option.” …and so many other similar lies.

Marriage can be hard but do not let our enemy, God’s enemy, hurt or destroy what God has put together.

“Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.”

Genesis 2:18 HCSB

The truth is that God said it wasn’t good for us to be alone. It’s better for us to have a helper. Alone we are weak but together we are stronger. We see this in many areas of life including business, sports, fitness, school, and church. When we pool our resources, talents, perspectives, abilities, and experiences together, we can do better.

“God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”

Genesis 1:28 HCSB

God made us to multiply and pool our resources together to make the Earth fuller and better. The way He created that and the system He put in place for that is marriage and family. From that, we multiply and create more of us to pool other resources together for commerce, business, community, productivity, and progress.

Your life is better because of your spouse. That is true if you are both seeking God and seeking Truth. The Bible tells us this and even speaks to when only one of you is following Christ!

Don’t believe the lies. Believe the Truth!

“And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12 HCSB

One person can be more easily overpowered. Two people are stronger in marriage. With God in the marriage, that is hard to break. Keep God in your marriage as much as possible. Pray together! Pray for each other. Pray for your marriage! Resist Satan and his lies together. Seek Truth and talk about Truth together.

“For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm?”

Ecclesiastes 4:10-11 HCSB

Keep each other warm.

There are also great truths in the Bible about how marriage can be made difficult.

“Better to live in a wilderness than with a nagging and hot-tempered wife.”

Proverbs 21:19 HCSB

That’s a true proverb for sure. An impatient and hot-tempered husband is likely worse or at least just as bad. But while that is true, the bigger truth is that God made marriage so we can help one another and be better for it. If your marriage is not fun and making you better, pray about it and seek counsel from a Pastor of a good Bible-teaching church around you or go to a professional Christian counselor who specializes in marriage. There are also many great Biblically based books about marriage that will help you gain understanding, empathy, and progress toward a GREAT marriage.

The truth is that Marriage should be entered with great fear of God and respect for Him and His system.

Jesus Christ says, “But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.”

Mark 10:6-9 HCSB

So that is the main Truth for us to keep at the front of our minds. God put us together with our spouse in marriage. Let’s not allow that to be separated because of our selfishness.

There is a point where it’s healthy and productive to consider divorce because of infidelity, physical abuse, or other EXTREME scenarios. But don’t get a divorce or even consider divorce because of the lies about your being unhappy, less successful, or LESS SATISFIED, because of your marriage. In your marriage God wants you to be and you can be most satisfied, joyful, and productive!

Marriage is of God and from God! It is great and it makes you better.

Cherish and cultivate your spouse and your marriage,

Intend to Live

Prayer:

God, please help me see the Truth. Please protect me from lies and reveal more and more of You and Your Truth to me. Help me to be my spouse’s greatest helper! Help me to give them strength, encouragement, and pray for them more than anyone else does. Help me to keep them warm, comfort them, and bring them peace and joy. Help me to satisfy their needs, wants, and desires. Ultimately, all that comes from You but please help me do my part and fulfill the role you have given me in this marriage. Please bless our marriage, our friendship, give us unity that only comes from You. In Jesus Christ’s name and all for Your Kingdom and Your Glory, Amen!

The post Marriage, Even When…(Day 2) appeared first on Intend to Live.

Marriage, Even When…(Day 1)

“For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person – though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!”

Romans 5:6-8 HCSB

God speaks to us about marriage in many scriptures. We will explore more scriptures in this devotional. Today, I wanted to really focus on love.

There are so many challenges in marriage. God made us to help each other. That doesn’t mean that life will always seem easier and better because of marriage. But it does mean we will help each other. How? We can help each other by sharpening each other, challenging each other, and learning from each other to be more like Christ.

When I’m less like Jesus Christ in my marriage, my marriage suffers. When I put myself, my needs, my wants ahead of my wife’s, my marriage suffers.

Even when you weren’t living for Jesus, even when you made choices that contradicted what God wants for you, even when you directly offended God, He still did the ultimate thing and came to earth and died for you. Jesus Christ loves you so much. Even when we were/are helpless, unfaithful, lying, selfish, impatient, unforgiving, full of lust, envious, slandering, angry, quarrelsome, prideful, mean, nagging, and just do the opposite of what He asks and wants us to do, He still died for us. He was unselfish and gave His life, His authority, His position, His power, His passion, His faultlessness, and died for us!

So next time your spouse has the A/C in the truck turned up or down too much, next time they give you less than a full stick of gum, next time they don’t show you love in a way that makes you feel loved, next time they don’t touch you, don’t hug you, don’t say something that makes you feel appreciated, say something that hurts you, don’t kiss you, or don’t have sex with you, try to remind yourself of all the things you did against God and how even still, He loves you enough to die for you, to give up His Son, Jesus Christ, who was faultless and sinless to die for you. Next time we try to justify our feelings, our actions, our rights – yes even when the Bible justifies what you think is right, remember that Jesus is who you need to be like.

Jesus Christ is the picture of success. Jesus Christ is the vision of who you should be like. Instead of the next step on the ladder at work, we should seek to build relationships. Instead of seeking fame and fortune, we should seek to be alone. Instead of looking out for ourselves, we should have compassion for our spouse and others around us. Instead of being too busy, we should take the time to see others, care for others, and love others really well.

Next time your spouse does something that is offensive, hurts your feelings, makes you feel alone, misunderstood, and unappreciated, remember that God loves you so much, even when you treat Him so much worse.

If we can take the hardships we face through marriage and learn from them and use them to become more like Christ, to act and react in love, to be angry and not sin, to flee from temptation, we will be successful! Then we will have a good, Godly, enjoyable, enduring, improving, intentional marriage.

Marriage can make us more like Jesus Christ.

“And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”

Ephesians 4:32 HCSB

I pray that 1 John 4:15 will not only be true with you and Jesus but will also be true in your marriage.

“We love because He first loved us.”

1 John 4:19 HCSB

May your spouse love you because you first loved them!

Intend to Live

Prayer:

God, I pray for my marriage. Would you please be with me as I strive to be more like you? Help me be an example of you to my spouse. Would you please fill me with your Power? Would you give me love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Please help us be united. You put us together and we are one. When I’m hurt they are hurt and when they are hurt I’m hurt. Please help us to be best friends, great lovers, and help us to be selfless daily, laying down our agenda, our needs, our feelings, and consider theirs. Help me to slow down, open my eyes, open my ears, see and listen. Help me be slow to anger, slow to speak, quick to listen, and quick to understand. Please make me a better helper for them. Help me to have understanding and compassion! May I be my spouse’s greatest admirer, greatest prayer warrior, and most encouraging Christian friend. All for your honor and your glory. May our marriage be a light to the world pointing people to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen

The post Marriage, Even When…(Day 1) appeared first on Intend to Live.

PRAY, PRAYER, PRAYEST

I have been in Matthew a lot lately. I’ve really enjoyed it and I can’t move on until I feel like I have completed my reading, studying, meditating, and learning. I feel like God is marinating me in Matthew for some reason. I love the Sermon On The Mount. I love the Beatitudes. I love the teachings and the matter of the heart. I love the idea of living life in a flourishing way.

Recently I read Matthew chapter 14. Look at verse 13.

“When Jesus heard about it, He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed Him on foot from the towns.”

Matthew 14:13 HCSB

Jesus had just heard about John the Baptist’s death. What a thing to find out about. The way John’s life was taken. I’m sure this brought Jesus all sorts of emotions. He had to go through some things. He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. He needed time to spend in prayer. He needed to hear from and talk to God, our Heavenly Father.

Then again in verse 23.

“After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone.”

Matthew 14:23 HCSB

Jesus went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. He was there alone.

There are times when we need to get alone, away from others and busyness, and pray. We need to spend time alone with God, Our Heavenly Father.

Look at the power of God in Jesus. Look at the power of God in His disciples. Jesus spent time with God. Jesus is God. The apostles spent time with Jesus, with God!

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us how to pray among other things. He says…

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him. “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:5-13 HCSB

“Our Father”. He is our Father. We are one group of people who have accepted Jesus, have been reconciled to God, and have been adopted by Him, our Father in Heaven.

God wants to give you good things. God wants to work more and more in this world. We must pray. Please spend time in prayer. I really enjoy journaling some of my prayer life. It creates a great record of my prayer life that is kept very private and personal. I also verbalize prayer and I pray silently talking to God in my thoughts asking for His presence, power, wisdom, love, and life. I ask Him for help in many areas of my life. Without God in my life and without me asking for His help, my life would be less full, less productive, less enjoyable, maybe unenjoyable! My life is better because of Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, and God our Heavenly Father!

Take time to pray. This week we have the United States National Day of Prayer. How exciting for so many of us Christ-followers to pray to our Heavenly Father in unison, together, as one. God is moving in this world in so many ways. One major way you can join Him and do His will is to pray for His Kingdom to come to Earth and for His will to be done. One way for you to hear Him is to be still, know He is God, and listen. Just be still and listen. If you don’t know what to pray, just sit and see if He gives you something to pray about or tells you a way He wants you to pray that day. Or He may give you something to do. Get away, pray and obey.

“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalms 46:10 AMP

“Attention, all! See the marvels of GOD! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, Bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”

Psalm 46:8-10 MSG

“Stop your fighting – and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”

Psalms 46:10 HCSB

The heart of your prayer really matters. Are you praying for something that is originated to make your name great or is it to make God’s name hallowed? Is it to give you glory or God glory? Whatever you do, do it for Him and His Kingdom. Believe. Expect Him to move, speak, act, do!

“And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21:22 HCSB

“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.”

Colossians 4:2 HCSB

I pray God does amazing things in your life and that your prayer life becomes more like that of Jesus’ prayer life!

Intend to Live

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It’s Easter weekend. We honor God today because of what He did for us. He gave His only Son to die for us on the cross. This is a historical fact. Many people saw Him die and many people saw Him alive again after His death. Please read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I love reading God’s word. I love reading about Jesus.

I urge you to look at Jesus and his life in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Look to find out more about him through the entire Bible. The Old Testament all points to Jesus. The Old Testament has prophets and kings who look to save God’s people but none of them are good enough. Prophecies about Jesus are all through the Old Testament and so many saviors or leaders pop up. But none of them are good enough. When Jesus comes along, HE IS GOOD enough. He is born of God, perfect in every way. He lives a sinless life and faces every kind of temptation. Notice how different He is. He doesn’t seek attention. He avoids it in so many cases. He leaves the crowds. He tells people He has healed not to tell anyone. He doesn’t look to make Himself known but He is known and God makes Him known. He leaves all of that up to His followers and His Father in Heaven.

Jesus is so great! He loves us so very much. He could have bowed out and not saved us at any moment. There’s a real tension there.

“Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

Matthew 26:39 HCSB

You see Jesus praying to the Father to let this cup pass away. There is an internal struggle to look to find another way to save us. He doesn’t want to go through with the gruesome horrific death that He knows he’s about to experience. Even more, He knows that all of our sins – all of the world’s sins – are about to be cast on Him. That’s the worst part I’m sure. In Jesus’ mind, He could handle the natural part of death but going to separation from God the Father and taking on the world’s sin is something difficult. But Jesus is obedient, submissive, up to the task, and full of love for us, all the people of the world. Those of us who accept Him and those of us who won’t. He died for all of us. He loves everyone one of us. That in itself is mind-blowing and inspirational.

“Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

Matthew 26:42 HCSB

He wants God the Father’s will to be done. He knows what’s coming.

After being arrested in the dark of night under false accusations instigated by the religious leaders, he is speaking with the Governor who had the power to let Him go.

“Now Jesus stood before the governor. “Are You the King of the Jews? ” the governor asked Him. Jesus answered, “You have said it.” And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He didn’t answer.”

Matthew 27:11-12 HCSB

He remains silent and makes no defense. Again, accepting His Father’s will and looking to be killed in our place. He’s the Lamb of God, taking on our death and our sin.

“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Matthew 27:46 HCSB

Upon His death, God forsakes Him. Once all the sins are upon Jesus, God has to be separated from Jesus. Because of that, when we choose to believe, we can be reconciled to God. Jesus is separated so we can be reconciled!

In Matthew, the next thing Jesus says to His followers after His resurrection is, “Good Morning.”. I like that! And “Don’t be afraid.” That phrase is something God says to us often in His word, DON’T BE AFRAID.

“Just then Jesus met them and said, “Good morning! ” They came up, took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him. Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see Me there.”

Matthew 28:9-10 HCSB

Jesus was murdered through a judicial system with false accusations but He did it all for you and for me. He could have easily gotten out of it by arguing His innocence naturally. He could have easily gotten out of it by calling on legions of angels to help him.

“Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about Me? ” “I’m not a Jew, am I? ” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done? ” “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here.” “You are a king then? ” Pilate asked. “You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”

John 18:34-37 HCSB

I love this interaction. Jesus explains the situation pretty clearly.

Again, Jesus is clear and in authority even in his moment of death…

“Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about Me? ” “I’m not a Jew, am I? ” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done? ” “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here.” “You are a king then? ” Pilate asked. “You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”

John 18:34-37 HCSB

Jesus is so awesome.

Read what he has to say. Compare your life to His. Live life like His as much as possible. A life lived loving God, serving God, and loving others and serving others.

He laid down His life for you and not only did He do that but He took on your sins so that you could be reconnected to God.

Please pray to him today. Pray a prayer like this…

“God, please help me trust You. God, I have sinned. I have done other people wrong in my life and I have also done things that were wrong to you. I want to do better but I also want your grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Would you please forgive me? I believe that Jesus, your only Son, died on the cross and took on my sin so that I could live eternally with you so that I could have life and have it in abundance! Thank you, God! Thank You for Your power to raise Jesus from the dead 3 days later and for Your promise for eternal life for me. I give my life to You and I accept You as my Savior. Would You please be King of my life? I choose to believe in You!”

If you prayed that prayer and believed, you are a son of God and a friend of Jesus. Please tell others and even tell me if you want at davin@intendtolive.com.

I pray your life is flourishing. Read Matthew and John and keep reading God’s word. If you abide in it and in Christ, you’ll fall in love with God’s Word and will be like a tree planted near water.

Intend to Live!

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Life can be hard, dark and cruel. This world can be hard, dark, and cruel. We can’t rely on ourselves, luck, or hard work. While life around you generally may seem good, try to get out of your normal circles and see how others are living outside of your neighborhood. Think globally about all the people, poverty, hunger, and oppression. Not only is life hard and requires hard work, knowledge, and sometimes a little luck, but there are barriers to success. There are barriers to a fruitful, joyful, and productive life.

First of all, there’s yourself.

We are sinful and selfish by nature. This can lead to some successes if you are strictly talking about one area of life such as business or finances. It won’t lead to true success or a fruitful and flourishing LIFE. A sinful and selfish life also will not lead to eternal life.

God says,

“The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable – who can understand it?”

Jeremiah 17:9 HCSB

Our heart is deceitful. Our feelings can deceive us and we can be selfish and look to put ourselves ahead of others. That’s our natural bent.

Secondly, if we learn to master our hearts and our feelings, there is still our enemy, Satan! He is out to destroy us.

“Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”

1 Peter 5:8 HCSB

Satan wants to devour us.

“For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word.”

Ephesians 6:12-17 HCSB

As we can see in this verse from Ephesians, Satan has tactics he uses against us. God tells us about this armor of God! Truth. Righteousness. Readiness for the gospel of peace. Faith. Salvation. Sword of the Spirit, God’s word!

Satan wants to destroy us. He wants to destroy you. He wants to destroy me. He wants to destroy marriage, yours and mine. Satan wants to destroy our unity, our love, our joy, our wealth, our mercy, our forgiveness, our sanity, our success, our momentum, our energy, our fun, our family, our future, and our life. He wants us to think we are good and he wants to trick us so that we don’t trust in Jesus for our eternal life. The result is that we die and get thrown into Hell with him. He wants us to suffer with him where God made for him to suffer.

Let’s not let him destroy us, our life, other’s lives, marriages, families, relationships, and futures.

Satan uses lies as one of his main tactics. He is the father of lies. He’s really good at it! Let’s watch out and be on guard. 1 Peter 5:8 says “Be Serious!” And “Be Alert”.

Your feelings lie to you all the time. Satan lies to you strategically to destroy you ALL the time. Don’t listen to your feelings or to the lies. Seek out truth. Think about the truth. Believe the truth. Seek wisdom.

Don’t let Satan destroy your marriage. Don’t let Satan destroy your family. Don’t let Satan destroy your future. Don’t let Satan destroy your life and take your eternal life. Trust in Jesus!

Don’t trust your feelings. Trust the truth. It’s hard to do. Our feelings lie to us and Satan does too. We must immerse yourself in God’s word.

Church is a huge part of our faith. It’s a community that points us to Truth, to God’s Word, to righteousness, to readiness to the Gospel of peace, faith, and salvation.

At church recently, our Pastor talked about James 3:13-18.

“Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.”

James 3:13-18 HCSB

The truth Pastor Nick shared is that bitterness, jealousy, and selfish ambition are all earthly (natural), unspiritual, and demonic. They are from your deceitful heart or your destructive enemy. Choose wisdom, Godly Wisdom, which is pure, peaceable (peace loving), gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere. If we choose wisdom from above, we will live fruitful, productive, flourishing lives that bless those around us. This can only be done with Jesus.

Be a blessing to others. Be a blessing to your spouse. Be a blessing to your family. Be a blessing to your employer. Be a blessing to your co-workers. Be a blessing to the world. Be a blessing to your friends. Be a blessing to God. Be a blessing to others.

Choose Jesus Christ. He is The Way, The Truth, The Life.

He loves you and wants you to have an abundant life. Trust Him.

Fight for your life,

Intend to Live

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We all fight temptation. When our expectations aren’t met, it’s easy for us to feel attacked, angry, undervalued, unseen, trampled on, etc.

Here’s a couple of quick examples of how I’ve experienced this recently. I have a membership that I’ve purchased. This membership is supposed to give me advantages in getting into the venue without the hassle or wait and other advantages. However, I’ve had several experiences that have not met the expectation I was given when I purchased the membership. Another example of this is with a business I’ve dealt with. Externally, they presented a good front so my expectation was to have an easy experience. Instead, they’ve been difficult to deal with.

One thing is for sure, me getting upset and angry wouldn’t help either situation. It was much more helpful and encouraging to those around me for me to keep calm, wait with patience, and let things get worked out.

We must master the emotions, temptations, fleshly desires, and responses. If we are members of the Kingdom of Christ, chosen people of God, Brothers, and Sisters of Jesus, the first fruit of the resurrection, then we must be the master over our world, our body, our emotions. No one can make you feel a certain way. You can choose to let their actions make you feel a certain way but ultimately, the way you reacted was your choice, not theirs.

“Time passed. Cain brought an offering to GOD from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. GOD liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn’t get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.

GOD spoke to Cain: “Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if you don’t do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it’s out to get you, you’ve got to master it.”

Genesis 4:3-7 MSG

God told Cain “you’ve got to master it.” Speaking about his temper, anger, and attitude.

I took my daughter bowling last night. We had a great time. At one point she was getting very frustrated because she wasn’t doing very well. Her frustration made the moment less fun and made her performance worse. She was throwing gutter balls and her frustration was growing. She ended up gaining her composure, having a great night, and bowling better. We can often be like her and ruin an event, a relationship, or an experience all because we don’t “master it”.

We must not only look and act like we have it mastered on the outside by having a good face and a good filter. We must do everything we can and pray for God to help us be good, loving, kind, and patient on the inside. It’s what’s inside that comes out that makes us clean or unclean.

Let’s pray and ask God to help us master it.

Pray with me in this way: God, please help me to take hold of my anger, my disposition, my temptation, and master it. Please fill me with your truth, your word, and your power. I can do it with your help. You are powerful and I am week. Please fill me with your power today. Amen!

Intend to Live

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Look at these two versions of the same passage:

“As for me, I am going the way of all of the earth. Be strong and be courageous like a man,”

1 Kings 2:2 HCSB

OR

“When David’s time to die approached, he charged his son, Solomon, saying, “I’m about to go the way of all the earth, but you—be strong; show what you’re made of! Do what GOD tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you’ll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go. Then GOD will confirm what he promised me when he said, ‘If your sons watch their step, staying true to me heart and soul, you’ll always have a successor on Israel’s throne.’”

1 Kings 2:1-4 MSG

I like, “Be strong and courageous, like a man.” Or “be strong; show what you’re made of! Do what GOD tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you…”

Better than “Be a man.”

But what my take away is that I should strive to go after stuff FOR GOD. I should not sit idle and dragging but I should be on the move. I should not be still with fear but acting in courage. I should not be weak and defeated but strong and expecting great things!

Be light and salt for those around you. Your spouse. Your children. Your co-workers. Your friends!

Do something for God!

Intend to Live

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