December 16, 2014

12 Days of Fasting & Prayer for Marriages - Day 4





















Prayer for Blended Families

Lord, I know you have a heart for blended families. So much so that You allowed Your Son, Jesus, to be born into a blended family! Thank you for your compassion towards us, because although we don't always get it right, with your help we continue to strive.  May you bring peace to the families who are struggling. Please give them wisdom and bring them to people and/or ministries who have compassion towards them to help them grow together in unity.  For those who are finding their way or who have found their way through the challenges so many blended families face, please help them remember to help those who are just starting out by mentoring and praying for them consistently. Thank you for providing a home for children without biological fathers and/or mothers in the home to train them up in the way they should go. Help those "bonus" parents and children accept and love each other in order to glorify you. Continue to bless and protect their homes from the seen and unseen. In Your Son's precious name, I pray. Amen.

Verse of the Day
By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. (Proverbs 24:3-4)
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:7)

Food for Thought
Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what. - Unknown

I was a single mom for over 10 years.  I thought when I finally remarried, the road of life would be less challenging.  After all, my husband and I were friends for many years, I knew his kids, he knew mine, WE were in love...what could possibly go wrong? If you only knew!

Honestly, I really didn't know what I would write today. I just knew that I wanted to pray for blended families during this time because I know from experience how difficult, yet, how rewarding having a blended family can be. It's been a blessing to watch the kids grow up and come into their own. It's been great to share in their good and bad times - together as a family.  I was just thinking about how much I love when the holidays come around and I hear kids are coming in from college and I have to figure out who's sleeping where and how much food will we need... All that good old stuff.  Then I think about the rough patches we had and some that we still struggle with... When it's all said and done, the good really outweighs the bad.

In the midst of it all, God has directed and redirected our family and our marriage - when we have aligned ourselves with Him. THAT has been the key to making it through the journey because without Him, NOTHING would be possible. Without Him, I probably would've thrown in the towel a long time ago.  Trust me, I was on the brink of no return at one point.  I KNOW my husband would've been finished!

But God! 

Through prayers and mentoring of other couples, spiritual growth classes, counseling, meeting with our ministry leaders and our lead shepherd, we have traversed the wilderness of our lives headed toward the promised land of blended family bliss. :-)  I say again, we're nowhere near perfect. We still have some mountains to climb, but, with the Lord by our side, I trust and believe things will work out for the best. Like the quote says above, we may not be blood, but we're still a family.  We may not like each other sometimes, but that doesn't erase the love we have for each other. We have been blessed with a "bonus" family.

If you are part of a blended family, or are thinking about becoming one, please pray for wisdom, and read up on the issues you may face and pray together as a family to guard yourselves against being a statistic. If you find yourself struggling, find a mentor couple or a blended family ministry and get counseling to help guide you through the ups and downs. Your family is worth it!

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