Pray For Your Wife: 31 Day Challenge—Day Eleven

Mike Leake 7 Comments

Day Eleven: That she would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing she would have life in His name.

“but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” –John 20:31

Today let us dedicate ourselves to praying for our brothers that are married to an unbelieving spouse. If your wife is a believer, thank God for His rescue of your wife. If she is not a believer, plead for her today before the Lord that He would “cause the light of the knowledge of the glory of Christ to shine in her heart” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Let’s beg of the Lord today to cause every man in this group to be married to a woman that believes in Jesus, is growing in Jesus, and find her life in His name.

Father, I thank you for salvation. I thank you that you have never given up on me and that you reached me in the darkest of places. There is no sin that is too powerful for your grace to overcome. Lord would you continue your work of rescuing my wife. Lord, save her to the uttermost and help to find her life in your name. Lord, I also pray for the other brothers in this group. Rescue their wives through the powerful work of Jesus. Would you call them out of darkness with your mighty hand? May this be a day of salvation. In Jesus name, Amen.

Pray For Your Wife: 31 Day Challenge—Day Ten

Mike Leake 6 Comments

Day Ten: That she would not be anxious or fearful

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. –Proverbs 12:25

Our wives can be weighed down by anxiety and fear. In a fallen world there are many things to fear and become anxious about. And in the long run many of the things that we fear are a reality. We will die. Those that we love will get sick. If our wives want to be consumed by fear and worry they have plenty of fuel for the flames of anxiety. Yet in the midst of a fallen world God calls us to cast all our anxieties and fear upon Him. Let’s pray that our wives would trust in the Lord and not be overwhelmed with fear and anxiety.

Father, I know that there are many things that can cause my wife to be fearful or anxious. I know that we live in a fallen world. But I also know that we live in a world where evil, death, and all things in opposition to you, have been dealt a decisive death blow by our Lord Jesus. You are making all things new. Help my wife to trust in your redemption and not the temporary truths that fear and anxiety tell her. Rescue her from fear and anxiety. Amen.

Pray For Your Wife: 31 Day Challenge—Day Nine

Mike Leake 6 Comments

I apologize that I am posting this so much later than normal.

Day Nine: That she would passionately love the Bride of Christ

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” –John 13:34-35

Let’s face it, the church can be messy. Our wives can get caught in the crossfire of petty church fights. She’s also not immune to being directly involved in them. As such our wife can grow bitter towards the bride of Christ. Over time her passion can dwindle and her love for the Bride of Jesus will grow cold. Brothers, the love our wives have for the bride of Christ is proportional to her love for the Lord. Let us pray that the Lord would cause our wives to “love one another deeply from the heart (1 Peter 1:22)”.

Father, I thank you that you have purchased a people for yourself. I thank you that you are redeeming people from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue. You are taking away hearts of sin and unbelief and replacing them with hearts of passionate worship. This is your church. And on the way to redemption we are messy. I pray that the messy of church might cause my wife’s heart to stir in deep love instead of bitterness. Sustain her with your love for her, and your love for the church. May she love your Bride the way that you love her, so that all may know your greatness. Amen.

Why Is It Always Revelation(s) That They Want to Study?

Mike Leake

So, this unchurched guy comes in my office and tells me that he has started reading the Bible. I’m excited but I almost know what he’s going to say next.

I pause and wait for him to articulate what I know is coming…

The silence is broken. And my assumption is correct. He has chosen to begin his study in Revelations. (It is of course mandatory that you call it Revelations instead of Revelation when you pick this as your first book).

And I sit and wonder why anyone would begin with arguably the most difficult book in the entire canon of Scripture to begin his study. I assume Hollywood, coupled with our fixation on the world blowing up, is largely to blame. Yet I wonder if there isn’t another, not so obvious reason, why folks choose difficult Old Testament passages or Revelation to begin their study. Perhaps a hidden Jesus is safer and more attractive.

Deal With Jesus Directly

So, I counseled this confused looking fella as I normally do. I told him to stop his reading in Revelation and take up the Gospel of Mark. That probably sounds like I’m saying that Mark is better than Revelation and that I’m encouraging people to be red-letter Christians only. Not the case.

Let’s be honest and confess that this dude is doing everything backwards anyways. It shouldn’t just be him and Jesus alone in a room with an open Bible. He needs the church. He needs to study God’s Word alongside of God’s people. That’s ideal.

But he’s likely to insist on continuing as a lone ranger; and this largely because He hasn’t yet been reconciled to God and henceforth other believers. So if he must study the Bible on his own I want him to deal with Jesus directly. Not through shadows. Not through allegory. Just the bare Jesus of the Gospels.

Let him deal with Christ and be haunted by the Nazarene. Let him figure out how Mary’s son can calm a raging sea with the word of His mouth. Cause him to be confronted with the screams of the crowd saying, “Crucify him”. And leave him with the centurion’s confession, “Truly this man was the Son of God”.

He must be confronted and transformed by this Jesus. Then maybe he’ll get his tail in church and gather with other believers where we can start working through the Old Testament and Revelation.