A heartbreak reprieve

Are you concerned about your marriage or an unsaved loved one? 

Luke 21:36 says "Watch and pray always”.

Are you tired of waiting on the Lord to move in your spouses heart or intervene in the life of your unsaved loved one?

Luke 22:40 states, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation".

Are you just utterly heartbroken?

You are not alone, Jesus was there. In the Garden of Gatheseme He was in agony before the Cross. Luke 22:44 states, "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground". And even in his state of heartbreak Jesus Christ himself, the Son of God pleads for reprieve with his disciples in Luke 22:46 saying, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."

Jesus found the best reprieve for pain in prayer. That is why we too can talk to the author of prayer in prayer for the pain we are experiencing. The following are some different ways we can turn to prayer when its so painful:

-We can ask God to strengthen our faith and draw us closer to Him. In Colossians 1:9-10, Paul writes, "We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way."

-In the emotional and mental turmoil we may be experiencing, we can give our worries to God to find hope because the bible says in Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

-We can pray for reconciliation and healing, asking God to work in both our heart and our loved one's heart to bring restoration. In Jeremiah 29:11-13, God says, "For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

-We can pray for strength and perseverance as sometimes marriage restoration or other relationships that need salvation can be a long, difficult process. In Philippians 4:13, Paul writes, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

-We can also pray for God's will to be done like in Matthew 6:10 where Jesus teaches us to pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Although we know God wishes none should perish and all come to repentance and that He is for marriage because of Mark 10:9, His way of going about salvation and keeping a marriage from being destroyed by man doesn't always look like the way we think.

Ultimately, we can stand on God’s promises, put our trust in His faithfulness to bring healing, restoration, and reconciliation. Remember, as 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reminds us, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."