Worrying Is A Joy Stealer

Welcome back to Week 3 of Wife Army ‘15! There is no formal blog today, but I wanted to give you an Action Point, our week's Prayer Point, a scripture-based encouragement and a Scripture Prayer for your husband’s heart. 

Scripture Encouragement

I appeal to you, my dear Chosen and Crowned friend. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreements with your husband. If you cannot work it out between the two of you, seek help from a Christ-following friend, pastor or counselor. If your husband is not willing to seek outside help, be brave and go alone. Do not let destructive patterns go on any longer. There is work to be done in God’s kingdom, and God needs you strong and healthy!

As you face trials and storms in your marriage, know that you can always be full of joy in the Lord. No one can steal your joy. No one. Know today that joy is rightfully yours as a Chosen and Crowned daughter of God. You can only lose your joy if you allow someone or something to steal it from you. Here is how you hold tightly to joy:

Don’t worry about anything. Worrying is fruitless and has no power to change your circumstances. It is a joy stealer. Instead, keep praying about everything! Prayer powerfully moves God’s fingers to mold, press and shape your heart, your husband’s heart and your marriage into a breath-taking masterpiece. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything you can understand. His peace will be a shield over your heart and mind as you continue to press forward. You can persevere, my friend. You can. You are a warrior. Stop wallowing in worry and keep fighting in prayer for your marriage.

And now, dear friend, one final thing. Remember that life is found in truth. So fix your thoughts on what is true. Seek and pursue truth. Fix your eyes on Jesus who is Truth. Seek and pursue him. Keep putting into practice all you have learned and received. Then the God of peace will be with you. May God abundantly bless you, your husband and your marriage as you continue to follow hard after him. Make sure you come back tomorrow! I’ll have a few final words to close out Wife Army ’15 and an invitation for a new adventure together!

– Anna Frye, based on Philippians 4:2-9; written for Wife Army ‘15

Prayer Point 3: Press on in prayer and in spiritual training to take hold of that which Christ took hold of you.

Action Point: Write Philippians 4:6-7 on a dry erase board or notecard, and put it in a place where you will see it often. Meditate on it and pray it next time you are tempted to worry about the things you are facing in marriage.

Scripture Prayer

God, forgive me when I succumb to worrying, instead of praying. Your word tells me to tell you what I need. Lord, I humbly bring my needs to you now. (Tell God what you need for your heart and your marriage.)

I thank you for all you have already done and for all you are doing now. I thank you for the things I can see and for the things I cannot yet see. For those things I cannot see, I will have faith that they will soon come into being. I will persevere in hope because you are on the throne, God. You are more than able. I pray that both my husband and I will cooperate with your Spirit as you work in us.

Lord, as I bring my requests to you, help me experience your peace, which exceeds anything I can understand. Let your peace be a shield over my heart and mind, guarding me from worry and doubt. Help me fix my thoughts always on what is true, and honorable, right and pure, lovely and admirable. Help me think about the things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Help me put into practice all you have taught me so that your presence and your peace will always be with me.

In Jesus’ powerful name, I pray. Amen!

Philippians 4:2-9; Hebrews 11:1

If you missed the intro to Wife Army '15 and the first three prayer points, read

Let The Fight Begin,

Finding Freedom From An Ugly Side Of Marriage,

Your Biggest Struggle To Fulfilling God's Purpose For Your Marriage, and

Can A Dead Marriage Be Brought Back To Life. 

For all other Wife Army '15 posts and prayers, visit Anna's blog. 

This post is part of a blog series hosted by Anna Frye, founder of Chosen And Crowned Ministries. Anna's heart is to raise up a growing army of women (#WifeArmy15) who courageously pray scripture over their marriages and expect mind-blowing results. This series runs from Oct. 19-Nov. 13. Join the Wife Army and invite your friends at www.ChosenAndCrowned.com/blog.