Humble Yourself before the Lord to Prosper in Marriage

Good morning, Happy Souls!

Bill Keller wrote a wonderful devotional today
that I highly recommend to you.  He has given
me permission to copy his e-mails, and I'm sure
he would be happy if you would share this with
people you know as well.

You have to work at marriage.  Our spiritual advisor
advised each of us to meet the other person more than
halfway.  That was good advice.  But living in humble
submission God would have been another good piece of
advice.

Please read on.

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL    SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2006
(Galatians 6:9, Mark 9:23)

Encouragement in the midst of the battle.  I have to
admit, the ministry team and I need a bit of a break
today from the intense battles we have been fighting
these past weeks as we have been focused on marriage
and the issues that arise between a husband and wife
when one turns from the Lord.  The topic of the Daily
Devotional drives well over 50% of the 40,000+ emails
for prayer we receive on a given day.  Dealing with
issues like men leaving their wives, how to build a
spiritual foundation to your relationship prior to
getting married, and wives leaving their husbands,
you can only imagine that the warfare has been intense
as we have been praying for and standing in the gap
for tens of thousands of marriages.  So today I wanted
to share with you some encouragement in the midst of
the battles we are fighting and you may be fighting.

We are currently in an all-out war regarding marriage
and God's plan for the family.  Over the past 40
years, our culture has turned marriage into little
more than a legal date, tried to redefine what
marriage is, and openly mocks God's Holy Institution
on television and in the movies.  Satan has done
his best to destroy marriage and thus destroy God's
plan for the family.  The type of Devotionals I
have done in the past have touched major nerves
in those homes and marriages that are in trouble,
and we are praying for God to bring healing and
restoration to each one we have heard from.

I AM NOT GOING TO SIT BACK AND WATCH SATAN TRY TO
DESTROY GOD'S HOLY INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE OR HIS
PLAN FOR THE FAMILY.  THEY ARE THE FOUNDATION OF
OUR CULTURE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO STAND AND FIGHT
AS WE BOLDLY PROCLAIM TO THIS LOST AND CONFUSED
WORLD THAT GOD'S WAY IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WORKS!

Now let me share some words of encouragement with
you.  In these past, I have also heard from
thousands of men and women who have followed God's
plan for marriage and the family and are living
testimonies of His grace.  Marriages that have
lasted 20, 30, 40, 50, even 60 years!  Homes where
the children were raised in the admonition of the
Lord and are living their lives for Christ.  Does
this mean these are perfect marriages or perfect
homes?  Of course not!  There is no such thing.
However, the commitment of the husband and wife to
Christ and to each other allowed them to weather the
storms of life, the problems every marriage and home
encounters through the years, and withstand all of
the attacks of satan and remain standing as a trophy
of God's grace and mercy.

One reoccurring theme throughout the Devotionals I
write each day is that our way doesn't work, God's
way does.  I get 40,000 examples of that every day
in the emails we receive here at Liveprayer.  Those
who have humbled themselves and are doing their best
to follow the Lord and His plan find that peace, that
joy, that abundance in life despite the trials and
tribulations we all face during our journey.  Those
who have chosen to live in rebellion to God and His
Word find nothing but pain, heartache, problems,
and live their lives in constant turmoil as they not
only face the trials and tribulations of life, but
the consequences of their rebellion.  Life can be as
difficult or as enjoyable as we want it to be.  Our
decision to follow God and His Word or live in
rebellion to God and His Word determines that.

Those people I hear from with these great testimonies
about their marriage and family are no different than
anyone else except for one thing, they chose to trust
the Lord and follow His plan.  My word for you today
is that it is never too late to make that decision to
follow Christ.  He is there with arms outstretched,
simply waiting for you.  Every day I get praise
reports from men and women whose marriages were all
but destroyed, some were within minutes of the
divorce papers being finalized.  They testified
that as they and their spouse humbled themselves
before God, He brought healing and restoration to
their marriage.  Every day I get praise reports from
mothers and fathers whose children had been living
their lives in rebellion to God.  They testified how
their children had turned their hearts back to the
Lord.

MY FRIEND, GOD IS A GOD OF HEALING AND RESTORATION!
HE IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS, WHAT HE DID FOR
SOMEONE ELSE, HE WILL DO FOR YOU!!!

I love you and care about you so much.  I know today
many of you are weary from fighting for your marriage,
for your family.  Hear this precious promise from
God's Word especially for you.  "Let us not become
weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will
reap a harvest if we do not give up."  (Galatians 6:9
NIV)  Don't give up on your marriage.  Don't give
up on your children.  Keep fighting.  Our God is a
God of victory and He will give you the strength to
persevere to see that victory.  These battles are
not fought with physical weapons but with spiritual
weapons.  Your number one weapon is prayer.  The
battle for your marriage, for your children is
fought and won on your knees!

Know that I am standing with you in prayer and
believing God today for your marriage to be restored,
for your children to come back to the Lord.  Be
encouraged that God will sustain you through these
difficult days.  He will give you His strength and
His peace.  He is still on the throne and is still
God.  Jesus said, "Everything is possible for him who
believes."  Let the Lord refresh you today with His
hope and encouragement.  Never forget, God will have
the last word.  I am praying for you!

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

***If I can help you in any way you can contact me
through my personal email at bkeller@liveprayer.com

***ARE YOU 100% CERTAIN WHERE YOU WILL SPEND
ETERNITY?  The fact is you will die one day.  At
that moment, you will either spend eternity with
the Lord or be cast into everlasting darkness
forever separated from God your creator.  To know
for certain you will be forever with Jesus, go to:
http://www.liveprayer.com/bdy_salvatn.html

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(C) Copyright 2006, Bill Keller Ministries.
All rights reserved


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May God bless you as you learn from this message!

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2006 Donald W. Mitchell