PREPARED FOR MARRIAGE 3

SPIRITUAL PREPARATION : Marriage is primarily & institution created by God & as such it would be foolish to enter into it without him in the equation. Before you get all excited may I say that spiritual preparation is not about binding demons, thinking about your enemies and going on a 40 day fast.? While these are spiritual activities which I have nothing against, I think it's high time we viewed things from a different point of view. Many of us are so focused on others that we lost sight of who the real enemy is - YOURSELF. We are our greatest enemy, our greatest obstacle & most of our problems are hand made -a result of our ignorance. Marriage as we all know is a journey & if I may add, a journey where self is discovered. Those who enjoy marriage the most are those who understand the requirements well ahead of time & have positioned themselves for what the future brings. Spiritual preparation here can vary from your ability to pray  , wait on God, hear his voice & every other thing that connects you to source - God. God has given us everything we need to live a life that pleases him, (2 Peter 1:3-5) including our marriage but that would be impossible without his Spirit. The most prized possession a woman can accquire is the cultivation of "the fruit if the Spirit " Your marriage can never be better than you are & if you're to make the best of it, it must start with you. If you allow the Spirit of God to mould you while you're yet single, you'll be amazed at the finished product he will deliver in your marriage. "God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle & self controlled." Gal 5:22-23(CEV) LOVE: The first fruit if the Spirit,  refers to God's kind of love. It teaches us to love as Christ loved us. He loved us when we were yet in sin, & he loved us unconditionally. To love your partner is not only when you feel good,  God's love calls you to love even when you don't feel like it or your partner has wronged you. Maintaining this kind of love is no easy task, but if you can your relationship will be better for it..... HAPPINESS / JOY : This fruit of the Spirit is an antedote for dealing with though situations. When challenges occur in your marriage, the natural thing to do is to become sad, & gloomy ; an atomosphere that fosters the more attack from the enemy.  The Bible says "In the presence of God,  there is fullness of JOY." (Psalm 16:3) God will not dwell in an oppressive or moody environment & trust me you don't want to miss what the presence of God can do for you. Psalm 114 tells of what happens in God's presence : the sea flees (the sea represents that situation that seeks to drown you) the mountains skip like rams (the mountains represents those situation that seem like stumbling Blocks) the presence of God turns Solid rock into flowy waters (God does the impossible to a possibility) . Thirdly Isaiah 12:3 says that "it with Joy that we draw water from the well of victory " thus without Joy /happiness there's no victory. Marriage has its trials & if the devil can't break your Spirit with the challenges he throws your way, he can't break your marriage either. PEACEFUL & GENTLE : Being peaceful does not mean you're foolish, but its only in your peaceful state you can hear the voice of God; a requirment for divine direction. (1Kings 19:11-13) Being peaceful also means you don't go about provoking your partner. PATIENCE :Patience is a virtue & an essential in marriage. Ask any married woman & she'll tell you that the best in marriage comes over a period of time & you must be patient enough to wait for it. KINDNESS & GOODNESS : Showing kindness & begin good to your spouse is not an action for only when it has been earned. You must learn to act outside your emotions & conform to God's standard. FAITHFULNESS: faithfulness must be in our thoughts and action. SELF CONTROL : self control is the ability to restrain or keep yourself from acting without reasoning ; an action that has ended most marriages. Self control is keeping quiet when you want to respond ; it is the act of not returning insult when insulted; self control is the process of refining your emotions through the fire of God's word. These are the gifts you should ask from the Holy Spirit to make a better you. It's an everyday choice you can make until it becomes a lifestyle ... God's lifestyle ..... Follow me on twitter @homebuilders012 or @temmynikan Visit our blog at www.eyitemithehomebuilder.blogspot.com or our facebook page : Home Builders Support Network If you would like to ask a question,  need guidance or would like to share an experience,  email me @ homebuilderssn@gmail.com ® Home Builders International (Preserve, Prepare & Build) To get a copy of my e-book, "A WISE WOMAN BUILDS " send me a mail & I'll give you details on how to receive it.