by Maria Nancy (Florida USA)
Heavenly Father, I place my son in your loving care. Only you know him and the difficult life he was living with his wife. You know how he tried to keep the peace. Lord, please be merciful to him, I know he has failed at times to ask you for the graces and help, but he now turns to you asking your help to have his divorce settled peacefully.
I ask you to soften the heart of his wife, who now is seeking vengeance, she has risen against him, making this divorce bitter and painful. But Lord I believe if You are with us, who can be against us. Nothing is impossible for you. Mold her into your peaceful ways and instill, love and peace within her.
I ask Our blessed mother and all the angels and saints, especially St. Jude, the patron of the hopeless to intercede for me. Lord please let this matter settle peacefully without malice and hatred. I make this prayer in the holy and powerful name of Jesus. Amen
www.praywithme.com
Divorce doesn’t have to be the crushing end to all Christmas traditions. Hope does not have to fade as the picturesque view of a familiar life wanes. Christmas is the celebration of the hope Jesus brought into the world with His infant cries.
Hope lives in Jesus-filled hearts.
1. Don’t Let it Define You
Both Christian and agnostic folks have an opinion about the right or wrong of marriages that end in divorce. The holiday season brings them all together and sits them down right in front of you with a stage to speak their truth. Don’t be defined by it.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
SEE ALSO: A Prayer for Those Spending Christmas without Their Kids
When God says He loves you, He loves you. There’s no “if” or “unless” attached.
2. Let it Go
God is pretty clear about the simplicity of Christianity. Accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior. That’s it. But we are really good at adding stipulations to be worthy of the title. Focus on God’s truth, which says if we confess our sins and repent of them, we are forgiven.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
SEE ALSO: A Prayer for Those Who Cannot Afford Gifts This Christmas
Our mistakes will continue to accumulate until we meet God in Heaven. Become habitual about forgiving yourself, as God forgives you.
3. Keep Moving
Gifts, Christmas parties, family visits, volunteering… before the motion of each day’s to-do list, sit in the quiet morning and spend time with God. He is there in His Word waiting to apply His love to broken places. Divorce can rub emotions raw. Keep moving towards Him, and he will strengthen your motions, one day at a time.
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.” (Psalm 28:7)
SEE ALSO: A Prayer for When Christmas Has Lost its Sparkle
Pray with me:
Father, praise You for your powerful love. Beyond my understanding, You are there. When the chill of winter takes my breath away, I am reminded of the power of Your Creation. Before the icy air hits the North, You signal the birds to fly. Knowing they are too delicate to survive the harsh freeze, You beckon them South. Divorce threatens to steal my hope, but You are there waiting with Your arms open… calling me to come to Your warm embrace in exchange for the chill of worldly reason.
This Christmas is hard. I don’t want to keep moving. I don’t want to let go. Who was I before two became one? I’m drowning, though I sit in a chair. They will all gather around this Christmas, and wonder if I’m falling apart. They will all want to share a piece of their broken heart, but I fear mine has no room left to receive… nonetheless give. There’s an emptiness in the traditions I once looked forward to. Yet, in the emptiness, I remember Jesus. Though blurred by tears of sorrow, I see my Savior. A tiny baby in a manger. And He is enough hope to hold onto.
Thank you, Father, for Your protection and blessing. For the things that I only sense in the still of the morning, but cannot always see. My heart hurts, but I know you are there. Thank you for your grace, forgiveness, and love… for new beginnings out of the ashes of old dreams, and warm memories to sweep over the darkness.
Father, you tell us that we are to confess and be forgiven. That all sins are equal in your eyes. Yet, in this world, it does not always feel that way. I confess the tendency to look around for answers before I look up to You for direction. Father, may your forgiveness wash over my heart and cleanse my soul as I let go. May I obediently follow your guidance through the pain of a marriage once full of hope, and now broken to pieces.
Bless and heal my heart, in the places that I don’t even realize need attention. Pull out all bitterness, envy, malice, and strife. Soften both of our hearts as we separate what once brought us so much joy. It’s hard to understand how I ended up here, and I accept that I may never truly know why. I trust you with my heart and my life. My hope is in you. Send the power of Your Spirit… Your Son… to bring the fresh hope of Christmas into my life, so I may keep moving as a witness of Your love to those placed around me. Thank you for reminding me that I am ever-loved, and never alone. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Megs is a stay-at-home mom and blogger at where she writes about everyday life within the love of Christ.
Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com
Publication date: December 20, 2016
www.thekidsbible.com
So You are a Believer…Who has been through Divorce…
What does Jesus look like going through a divorce?
This is the question I was faced with, in the summer of 2001, as a marriage to which I had devoted much effort and many prayers finally drew to an end.
As a Christian, I have set a life goal of learning to be conformed to the image of Christ, of trying to remember to face each life circumstance as Jesus would face it. Although I frequently fall short of the goal, my constant prayer is for God to change my heart, helping me to see each situation through His eyes, and to act accordingly.
As a father, I want to be the sort of father to my children that God is to us. As a husband, I want to love my wife as Christ loves the church. As an employee I want to serve my employer as Christ has served us. As a friend, I want to be the sort of friend that Jesus is to me.
Do I fall short of the goal? Of course I do! But, I come a lot closer than if I didn’t set the goal and prayerfully pursue it. Our Heavenly Father seems to derive great joy in giving His children a new perspective, and is quick to respond to sincere prayers asking for a godly view of a given situation.
So, in finding myself facing divorce, I went before the Father, in earnest prayer. “Lord,” I prayed, “show me what Jesus looks like going through a divorce. Please, help me to live my life, through this divorce, as You would.”
No sooner were the words out of my mouth, than a rebuke sprang to mind, “Jesus would not be in a divorce!”
Oh, I cannot express how much that self-rebuke stung, or how disoriented it left me feeling! I had made it my life goal to try, in all circumstances, to learn to be like Christ. Now, I found myself in a life circumstance which I had never expected to be in, a circumstance in which I simply could not (at that time) picture Jesus ever being. How could I gain a godly perspective to act as Jesus would, if I was in a situation which Jesus would never be in? How could I invite God into a situation that I saw as ungodly?
Not knowing what else to do, I simply continued to pray, “God, please show me the way! Please help me to live my life the way You would want me to live it. Please, God, somehow, in the midst of this darkness, shine the light of Your glory, through my life.”
The above text is an excerpt from my book, So You are a Believer…Who has been through Divorce… in which I discuss God’s heart toward His children who have experienced divorce.
Regardless of how each of us may feel about divorce, or how we may interpret scripture regarding marriage and divorce, divorce is a reality that affects the lives of many devoted Christians.
How is a Christian to face divorce? How are we to reflect God’s glory as we traverse the path through divorce and beyond?
A chance for you to win a free e-book!
I would like to invite each of you to leave a comment with your response to the opening question, “What does Jesus look like going through a divorce?” From the people who leave a comment to this post, and are also subscribed to this blog, I will select three to receive a free e-book version of So You are a Believer…Who has been through Divorce…
For all of you who have been reading Redeemed! but not leaving comments, consider this a personal invitation to participate in the discussion. For those of you who occasionally read posts on this blog, but have never subscribed to Redeemed! consider this a personal invitation to subscribe. And you get a chance to win a free e-book!
So, here are the rules:
- You must be subscribed to the blog. If you’re not already subscribed, you can do this by selecting the “notify me of new posts by e-mail” option as you leave a comment.
- You must leave a comment on this post. The comment does not have to be particularly inspirational or intellectual. Preferably, the comment should be your response or reaction to the question, “What does Jesus look like going through a divorce?” However, if that question does not inspire a response for you, then just leave a comment stating why you would like a copy of my book. To leave a comment, just scroll to the bottom of the post and use the “Leave a Reply” text box. If you are on the website Main Page, you must first click on the comment balloon to the right of the post title.
- If you would also like my FaceBook page, that would be greatly appreciated, but is not a requirement.
- The chance to win closes at 11:59 p.m., on Tuesday, March 13, 2012. On Wednesday, I will choose three winners, who will each receive a free e-book copy of So You are a Believer…Who has been through Divorce… delivered to the e-mail address associated with their subscription to this blog .
So, please share with us, from your perspective, what does Jesus look like going through a divorce?
josephjpote.com
