“You are God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved. So, wear these garments of grace all the time: Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Deal with your grievances—don’t deny, dance around, or demonize them. Forbear and forgive each other as Jesus relates to you 24/7. Wear the love of Jesus as your primary, unifying, beautifying reality”. (Paraphrase of Colossians 3:12-14)
Dear Jesus, as Darlene and begin leading a couples encouragement weekend in Fernandina Beach today—I pray for us, the 40 + couples who’ll join us, but just as much for those who pray/read these daily prayers.
No relationship on earth has greater power to reveal your grace and expose our brokenness, tap into our longings and frustrate us beyond measure. And there’s no other relationship Satan is more determined to hurt and harm, crash and burn. All of us need you, Jesus—married or not.
You’ve made us for yourself, period. That’s why our deepest, most powerful, most insatiable longings for relationship can only be met in you. Jesus, you are our Ultimate Spouse, and no human spouse can take your place—or even be a close 7th.
Once again, inundate all of our hearts with the only love that is better than life, the only love that will never let go of us, the only love that is enough—your lavish, life-giving, liberating love for us in the Gospel.
Precisely because we are “chosen, holy, and dearly loved” by you, fill our hearts and marriages with these 5 grace-realities: “Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Until the day you take one of us home, help us to encourage one another and build each other up daily. Help us to outdo one another in kindness and repentance, servanthood and understanding, life-giving words and heart-nourishing presence. So Very Amen.