Love Dare Day 16 LOVE INTERCEDES

Love Intercedes

It's a good challenge here, right in the midst of The Love Dare, to be doing more than nice things for my wife, and to be called to prayer.

Men are instructed by Paul to "love your wives, as Christ loved the church". What did Christ do? He laid down his life for her, and now he intercedes for us constantly.

I pray daily for Liz, of course, as nearly every Christian man would naturally pray for his wife. But the question I have needed to face is: do I intercede? FaithFULLy?

The prayer and the intention is without question. But I have to admit the consistent quality of my intercession waxes and wanes.

I need to always be in prayer, full of faith, doing battle on behalf of my wife and family.

Several years ago I preached a message entitled "Men of Issachar". There is a record that says their strength was that they "knew" the times. They had discernment. They were watchers. That's what I want to be. A watcher, a guardian, a protector for my family. Too many times I have abrogated my responsibility and my children suffered, & my marriage has suffered as well.

I have noticed that when I actually intercede (go to battle in prayer with a serious sense of responsibility and faith) things are better, happier, more peaceful and joyful for everyone at home. When I forget, going through the motions with "a form of godliness" but "lacking the power", my family is more stressed and loses its peace. The same thing happens in the workplace when, as manager, I stop noticing things, stop leading clearly, stop remembering to pray for my team and my shop's business.

See the awesome sense of responsibility an accountability right there! It's a horrible feeling every time I realise, as I notice the family struggling and realise with shock that it's connected with yet another slip I've made into lukewarm prayer.

So I determine (yet AGAIN!) to rise and be a real man of God. It's time for me to be the leader my family needs me to be, in the natural AND in the spiritual.

Pray for me. That I will be strong and consistent.