Prayer for Anger & Conflict Resolution
Lord, you give us permission to get angry, but you do not give us permission to sin. Help us to remember: 1 quick and 2 slows - be quick to listen, slow to anger, and slow to speak! Please give us the wisdom to know when and how to speak the truth in love with one another. Please help us listen and receive constructive criticism with an open mind and heart. Help us put away all bitterness and wrath and learn to truly apologize and forgive one another when we have not treated each other well. Help us learn to resolve our conflicts in a way that is pleasing to You at all times. Again, help us to replace our fleshly desires with Your Holy Spirit so that our desires will align with Your will and Your way for our lives. Father, You are not the author of confusion and because of that, we seek to keep confusion and "messiness" to a minimum in our lives. Help us not go to bed angry and remember bring the issues we face to You for knowledge and understanding. Help us get through the rough patches in order to have a lasting, loving marriage the way You intended. We love You and thank You in advance for answering our prayer. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Verse of the Day
He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly. Proverbs 14:29
Food for Thought
I admitted to my bible study group that I had an issue with my tongue at times and asked for prayer in how I speak to my husband when I'm angry. Surprisingly, a number of other group members admitted to having the same issue. It was bittersweet. It was nice because I was not the only one who had this 'challenge'. But, of course, it was bad because we all had issues with our tongues!
In one of our heart to hearts, my wonderful mother gave me a great way to remember a very important strategy to control my tongue in my anger - "1 quick and 2 slows" - be quick to listen, slow to anger, and slow to speak! Taken from James 1:19, this has been key to me learning how to guard my tongue and control how I respond in my anger.
Conflict is inevitable. No relationship is immune. When managed biblically, conflict can serve as a catalyst for change and an opportunity for spiritual and relational growth. ~Mary J. Yerkes, Focus on the FamilyI've learned that God is not opposed to our anger. It is how we respond in our anger. As stated above, we are going to have conflict. No man is an island and no marriage is perfect. However, we can learn how to manage our conflict in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. Learning how to listen effectively and compromise, sometimes sacrificing what we want, for the greater good of our spouse and our marriage is how we begin to change our attitudes and grow spiritually when it comes to resolving conflict in a godly way. Our marriage relationship can get better when we learn how to speak the truth in love but also accept the truth in love.
As we approach the New Year, I am committed to putting the godly wisdom I've been given regarding anger and conflict resolution into practice. What about you?
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