PICKING AND CHOOSING

ARE we picky about what we want to participate in and are we choosing only those things that stroke our fur? Well, Shelley, I have no fur............really?
"Well, the pastor will not be there, so I am not going either!" "Well, they really are not saying or teaching anything I want to hear, so I am not going to go this Bible Study!" "Well, I think I can do better than they can, so I will not attend this one thing." "Well, I want time away from "them", even though I know I should attend, but..............!!!"
EXCUSES AND MORE EXCUSES..........and it all has to do with the "me, myself, and I"..........and that always stinks, does it not?
I was finding time to go over the regular duty of clearing old emails out...........and I always try to read over them before deleting them forever. But one remained that I thought interesting. It was written awhile ago and it mentions a person's intention of not attending this function at church because of issues with something.........yet, the next thing in their writing, they changed it and made it "their thing" the very next night. Well that issue had to do with the body, a sickness coming on, but in less than 24 hours they were all better and let their "buds" know to be out for their "thing" on the following evening.
What is wrong with being honest? Why can't someone just say, " I did not want to attend because.........." and fill in why they do not want to attend!
Are we dealing with pride, or with a reluctance to be truthful about anything? "Well, I do not want to hurt their feelings." "Well, I.............!" "Well, I.....".

DISCERNMENT!
Discernment comes by spending time in the Word of God. Believer's gain understanding and truth through that Word. In that, we find judging the right course to stay with God, and not follow man!


I always think of this scripture...................

Ezekiel 33:30-33................30 "As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, 'Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.' 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

33 "When all this comes true-and it surely will-then they will know that a prophet has been among them."   NIV


Ever been around someone who tells you that ....."this word was certainly given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit".....but yet....you see them........leave and................go about finding that which brings them only gain?
Now, come on.............be honest with yourself!
In some of the early churches I attended in my youth, no one had a Bible study. I had not heard of one till the 90's. Seriously! I kid you not!
And then, my thought process was one that I could study at home and usually did for I love to read and search things out from scripture. But I found that when I attended, I could have this light of revelation come on some verse we were looking at together. And in spending time with others over the Word of God, I found that study time was a time that culminated into what would be this beautiful tapestry being built together that would glorify God!
So many times, I would volunteer to have a study in our home. Then it became a prayer meeting time. But the study continued, and I was always ready to invite people to come!
In those cases, I would find the two or three gather from maybe the original five............well, the other two had other things to do!
I remember this one time of having a study in April 2007. It was to be a teaching on Deborah, the Prophetess. Snow began to fall, and two came. We still had a party over the Word of God. We had great fellowship and enjoyed some great finger sandwiches. Yes, those two left some two or three hours later in a snowstorm, but God got them home safe and sound!
Yes, there are those who desire to hear the Word............to seek God and then there are those who find one excuse after another of why they should not attend.
Then you will hear of those that will say they will come to a study but later you find them choosing something else because of ...........EXCUSE..........! 
To me, it seems more appropriate to say they are too busy and do not have time for the Word!

The Word teaches us that one day in the courts (house) of the Lord is better than a thousand anywhere else!


Psalm 84:10-12.........10 Better is one day in your courts 
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God 
than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold 
from those whose walk is blameless. 

12 O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.   NIV

In that one day God can save us years of work and more work. He can show us ways to get that new job, how to gain favor at work (and not through the flesh thing), He can show us how to know that He seeks our good and will bring to us honor and favor that we never dreamed we could have in our lifetimes. In His presence, we find answers to things that may have plagued us for years. In that time of receiving a teaching on a passage from the Word of God, we can move quickly through something without even pausing for a breath of air! God can show us where to go for the best prices in town when shopping for our children's back to school items. He can show us the best place to purchase a home and which neighborhood to live or He can show us the best place to rent and live far out in the country and enjoy the beauty of what He has created. He is God and He is great and His thoughts for us are wonderful!
But many times, people choose "to skip" it today because we are really "busy". Today I cannot get to church or that study because............."EXCUSE". WHAT MAKES IT SAD, IS THAT GOD, HIMSELF, COULD BE WANTING TO GIVE YOU A GOD-IDEA FOR A NEW INVENTION SO YOU MAKE ALL THE MONEY YOU NEED AND STILL FULFILL HIS PLAN FOR YOU IN MINISTRY!!!! HE COULD BE SHOWING YOU HOW TO STILL MAKE A LIVING BUT WORK LESS HOURS A DAY! HE COULD BE TRYING TO GET INTO THAT HEAD AND HEART OF OURS, THAT HIS PLAN IS A PLACE OF EASE, WITHOUT STRESS AND WE COULD SEE GREAT BENEFITS FROM FOLLOWING WHAT HE DESIRES FOR OUR GOOD.

Characteristics of discerning people are this:
Proverbs 1:5-6.....
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-- 
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.    NIV

People become the wise to listen and add to their learning.........gaining discernment in being guided into the affairs of life...........making decisions that must be made!

Proverbs 15:14-15..............14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.       NIV

Discerning heart is the one seeking knowledge about God, His truth, and His way of doing. Again, He can certainly save us time and energy when we seek His plan. AND all our days are to have the look of the continual feast with a happy heart. We are to have a feast always on the word of God and having the happy heart knowing He is with us today!

Proverbs 17:24..........24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.    NIV

A Discerning man will keep wisdom in view. THAT look is one that is steadfast, and not wandering. One who is wandering is "unsettled" and is restless! People sometimes think that by connecting with some family member is keeping the communication lines open, but in reality, the part being played out is the one thinking that by reaching for "that family member" is trying to bring to the present something the two had together in the past.....(the said family member may not even keep in contact now, not by phone, email or otherwise)............AND THAT DOES NOT WORK OUT FOR THE GOOD FOR ANYONE! Some people are resistant to change. They like things the way they are and desire for no change to take place. But if you are fifty and are still acting like a 5 year old, wow, something needs to change.
IF both hearts are on the same page, let's say like serving the Lord, having gladness in their heart, they certainly can and will connect. But if one tries in their own effort to reach one who is far from God, and wandering, the saved one may now be connecting with the wandering one and his wandering eyes and not with the "family member" but only what they remember from the past.

Again, if we say, this person (man or woman) is trying to connect with "family member" who is far from God and who lives a lifestyle that is on the pretty wild and crazy....side of life.........the saved one may continue to try reaching and many times it is like trying to drive forward but looking back in your rear view mirror all the time.  That person without wisdom of God is fluttering around from place to place all the while restless ...........ALWAYS WANDERING.........SEARCHING.......LOOKING BUT NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE. They cannot keep their mind on the "one important" thing in life. That is God!
It is good for butterflies to flutter from place to place, from flower to flower, but when a man or woman wanders it's because of a restless attitude.
You have seen them. They are the anxious, the agitated, and ill-at-ease around you. That driving forward while continually looking back, will "wreck" you.

Our son-in-law did this teaching with the "compass" a few weeks ago for the entire group attending the church service. It was awesome for the youth to see how the direction from the compass would steer them! They read the directions of the compass to get from point A to point B and so on.  I thought of that today, and how many people really need that compass of God's word to steer us in the right direction. He wants to help us avoid overworking something.  When the person is not fixed on the "one thing" but rambling about, only viewing that they need like the paycheck, a need to please mommy dearest, and keep family together, we can certainly come up short in the wise department.

God desires us to aim at that which He has placed before us. He desires us to keep that focus and not look back at "the past". And that applies to our job, our ministry, if you have one, and applies to raising our children. If you were raised without God while growing up, the best thing for your children is to bring them to God and have them hear about Him, day in and day out, week in and week out! But if we are raised in the church, and take on that holier than thou attitude, that stinks to high heaven. We may certainly quote the Word of God and still tell lies, AND what does that make us? 

I remember this lady..........some years ago, she desired to do something and had great ideas, and they would probably work well at that time. She said wanted to clone some certain people who she had known from her past, but the best thing for us today is to embrace those around us now.

Who has God placed around us that we should embrace? Too many times, people really liked their past better than their present. But if one keeps looking back to the past how can they be effective in this day which the Lord has given them?

Too many times, we are trying to make yesterday work for today and that will not work and is not a good thing to do. You can look at some ministries TODAY, many are trying to make today work out of yesterday's or last years ideas!

Next time you attend a church service, a Bible study or even a Prayer Meeting, consider this. From Ezekiel 33......ask yourself..." Am I interested in God and all that He has for me?" " Am I shallow in my thinking less toward.....Sister......"so and so"........in her teaching or her leading in this area that I desire?" Lord, " Am I just being superficial about Sister...."so and so"?

"Is my enthusiasm lacking life to it?"  "Am I loving more earthly things and avoiding those heavenly ones that I should be cherishing?"

"Am I judging pastor........."so and so".......or Sister........"so and so" because of their manner of teaching or delivering a message from God? 
" Am I Lord, seeking my favorite past times and those indulgences that come when I do my "own thing?"
"Is my interest a distraction that needs to stop right now?"

"Or do I just want my say that has no wisdom of God, but certainly carries things from the world?"

Proverbs 17:7.....7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a prince.   NKJV


A common truth: if you have a despicable man and he appears to speak as the educated man,  the elected official, a scholar, or say even an administrator of a hospital and no one pays attention to him because of his character, how much more so will the same thing apply to say the "believer"....who knows the word of God, and still tells lies so blatantly . Will someone heed the hateful (the despicable) man when he tries to appear......as the reputable, the kind and the worthy?
In the verse below, we find the child is known by his actions.............by looking at his conduct!


Proverbs 20:11.............11 Even a child is known by his actions,
by whether his conduct is pure and right.   NIV

Is the child behaving as he ought to behave? Is he being disciplined by the Lord?  Because whatever he speaks comes straight from the heart.  How he acts at home, he will act in public! Not sure why some seem so surprised when their child throws a hissy fit at the grocery store or the mall, for they evidently have been brought up that way. (But right now we are looking at why we choose to avoid church and some pastors or teachers. )


Psalm 101:1-8......I will sing of your love and justice;to you, O LORD, I will sing praise. 2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life--when will you come to me?
I will walk in my house with blameless heart. 3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing.
The deeds of faithless men I hate;they will not cling to me. 4 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me;I will have nothing to do with evil.
5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,him will I put to silence;whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,him will I not endure.
6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,that they may dwell with me;he whose walk is blameless will minister to me. 
7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house;no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.
8 Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land;I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.   NIV

From the above scripture passage, the blameless life is one that has a blameless heart, that has no vile, and they have their eyes on the faithful in the land. Who is the faithful in the land? Who surrounds them? Are they the faithful? Are they in church, and leading? They are those that are the faithful and who are to minister to you and me!

The action of not presenting truth is telling lies, but does not lie fully on that "lie" itself, but on the character of the man or woman and with the harmony of each as that character plays out in their speech.

AM I speaking and doing...........do I have action to what I write? 

In closing: God loves the faithful, and He is ever-present in today. Are we ready to face the day with His Word and to heed those teachers and pastor or pastors He has provided for us to hear?

From what we have seen in scripture, that perfect way, that walk is sincere. It is not being masked either before God or with our fellow believers. If we truly have the Word of God and live by it, then it should rule........and will be........ bringing all the glory to God.............and in that we see the "perfect heart".

Behaving ourselves wisely, is walking without any pretense toward anyone. We are to be those who are as wise as serpents. If you correct a child, you have him look into your eyes while you speak. If you do not do that, he will not hear, but just be active in what he was doing before the discipline started as pertaining to his behavior. I know some ladies who live up north, who attended the same church as we did for many years, and if they desired not to hear.........they would simply lift their hand up to you and say "speak to the hand". Yikes!

From the previous blog, THE FALLEN, we looked at Saul and how Jesus came to change his attitude toward those who lead in the church. In the following is an excerpt from that blog:

If we run from church to church and trying to destroy those called by the Lord for the purpose of bringing the Kingdom of God to others, we too become like a "Saul". Are we complaining of the teaching or preaching from the pulpit? Are we trying to bring shame on one who is called by God to deliver the message of salvation to the world?

If you or I treat others with lies, then what does that speak about us?  Our duty to our neighbor is to be truthful. And in that duty, people will see our character .......and how will they see us?

Father, we pray in Jesus' name, and seek what are we disposed to , what do we have a tendency toward that will bring us to defeat. What do we conceal or keep under pretense in dealing with pastors or teachers You have sent our way?
Father, our desire is to be truthful all the days of our lives. We are examples to our children and their children. We desire to bring edification and life to those we minister life to on a daily basis. Help us to not be the liar, the grumbler, or even the complainer. Help us and remind us daily to use those words we have been disciplined by from YOUR Word of truth.
Your Word says a man who desires a long life must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit (Psalm 34:12-13). Show us where we may be missing the mark on that word.
 May Your Spirit of Love reign in the words we speak so that we do not  have a miscommunication or wound one another. Help us to show each other respect, speak words that encourage, share our feelings openly; and come to mutual agreements without strife. Help us to be honest!
Show us what we may be indulging in that is bad for us and show us the right place to be in hearing and doing Your Word. And Father, let your face shine on us Your servants, and thank You for Your unfailing love. Let us not be put to shame, for we have cried out to You today. Let lying lips be silenced who may speak arrogantly against the righteous. (Psalm 31:16-18). Amen and Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV 

Loving by Subduing, What?

Psalm 115:16-18..................16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
17 The dead do not praise the LORD,  Nor any who go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the LORD
From this time forth and forevermore.        Praise the LORD!    NKJV

The LORD God gave us the earth to subdue. In thinking on scripture I had thought on it for awhile. I took it to heart. I found some teachings on it. And then prayed over it..........wow, Lord, subduing!

Well, the years have come and gone and still I meditate this word.

Oh, well, I have to get down to business here:

WAS thinking on what I needed to do for the day. I like to plan out the week in regards to cleaning THE HOUSE, LIKE ONE DAY FOR THE LIVING ROOM, ONE DAY FOR THE OFFICE, ETC.
Was working on this project today and it really wore me out! Seriously, all that moving of the rugs and wiping and cleaning! But we just cleaned in here and it needed it again. Yes, it is something that must be done.
We had done some spring cleaning awhile back, but I sensed we needed to clean the carpets again. So I started moving one thing out, and the next, and the next!

We could see the weather warming up, and that triple number in measuring the heat, is more than I want to think about. Today, seemed like the best day because of the cooler temps. Okay, let's get moving here on some carpet cleaning and furniture moving. As I was moving things around, and wiping the dust, I had this thought. Or I should say, I know the Lord gave me the thought. This is how you love each other! SUBDUING!

SERIOUSLY, LOVE IS SUBDUING THE EARTH, REALLY?

Now, I had never thought of it in those terms. I always thought of it as just doing "my duty" for those of my family and those I know. But it is more than that according to what I am hearing from the Lord. Every time I killed a spider in the bathroom, and every time I shampooed the carpet I was expressing love. What? Well, our grand-daughter does not like spiders, not in the house or in the bathroom she chooses to use! Every time I wiped a spill off the floor or removed a light bulb that burned out was an act of subduing.

Well. that seems simple, right? And then He talked more about every time we move a piece of furniture, every time we clean up a mess, every time we prepare something for others, as in food or sewing or repairing, we are expressing love to another. Every time we make a pitcher of ice tea, or a pot of soup, we are subduing!  It is not just about eating or washing dishes, but actually doing something for someone and not expecting to receive anything back. As the Lord spoke to me while I was cleaning and doing, I saw the magnitude this represents in His kingdom. So I gained wisdom from God and see with new eyes.  It is something to me that gives me a smile on my face  and  that my family will have a sanitized home tonight!

Yes, how much do we love those closest to us?
Well, how much clutter do you see around you? Is the place spotless? How about that office space at work or in the home? Does it look like someone moved in and is setting up housekeeping with things that belong in a "kitchen"?
How about the rest of the house....does it look like a bomb went off in it?

The earth has been given to you and me. This small piece of reality is located on a block, on a street, in a town. Within all this I (we) have a car, a truck, and a small pet! Although our pet is family, we regard her care as we do ours.
Yes, this ruling in the earth is an exact place where I reside. It has been given to me since birth. When I was given life, I had a room that I shared with a sister. My mother was prompting us always to dust, to keep our clothes picked up and and keep the bed made up. Yes, we got the idea pretty fast and our mother was one who would look at the drawers of the dresser and make sure every thing was neat and in its place. In regards to cleaning, we always saw our parents cleaning the vehicles we owned. That outside of the vehicle was as clean as the inside was! Those white walls on those tires looked like showroom beauty!  You could give it the "white glove test" and it would win 1st place!
As a rule, we could not eat in that vehicle unless at a drive-in movie. Can anyone remember those?  Then each of us were responsible for whatever mess we made. That is one teaching that has carried me through life. WHAT MESS HAVE I MADE? How much do I love my husband or my neighbor?

In regards to their dressing, my parents looked like they stepped from the cover of magazines. Seriously, my mother reminded me of a model. She cared for herself and she looked good doing it. My dad looked like a "Country Style" theme. He wore the nicest western shirts and jeans. Anyone who knew him, knew he would have on Tony Lama boots. He did not own a faded pair of jeans nor a faded shirt or wore out boots. His wear for the barn certainly looked better than some I have seen in the past. Their shoes had a shine whether they just came from the store or were three years old. They cared for everything they had bought.
Our home was one that was remodeled and it look wonderful and was kept in immaculate shape. Yes, I had many examples to follow when I was growing up.

IN writing this, I think of so many who go places to rule and they cannot clean their car! I always think of Pigpen from the Charlie Brown cartoons.
HOW many want to rule in other places and their car looks like the dump ground or their bathroom looks like hurricane Andrew went through it? Well, Shelley, I was not here when Hurricane Andrew went through Florida! Well, you are here right now.  And you have now heard of Hurricane Andrew. And you are responsible to subdue the earth, right?

Genesis 1:28-31.................28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

29 And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.    NKJV

And God blessed them.........."be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
SUBDUE!
Be fruitful and produce! I believe that means more than children. I believe it means we are to care for this earth as God did when He created it in beauty! I believe the more we care for something............that means "KEEP IT CLEAN" AND "TAKE CARE OF IT", THEN fruit is multiplied on that one thing. The more we work in caring for our pet "poodle", the more God brings to us in information in caring for her. The more we put into caring for our bodies, the more God brings information on good foods and those which bring energy and long life to them. The more I focus on the Word of God, the more Word He gives me pertaining to life, and godliness.



Genesis 2:18-25...................18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." 19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23 And Adam said:

"This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man."

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.  NKJV

In scripture we find God assigning men to have a "helpmate". Her worth was to be his help, assist him in accomplishing goals in subduing the earth.......to encourage him, and partner with him in producing children to populate the earth they would subdue.
God did not want Adam to be alone.
Is the man subduing, as to working in the field, the place he is called? If he is taking his role seriously about being the man God created to be, then are you and I, as women, taking our role seriously and filling it?  In working alongside our husbands, we find a relationship and not only that, but we find a man who leaves his mother and father.......joins with his new wife, his partner for life in the grace of God and fulfill the assignment given to them. They join forces! They join together what God had always planned to do. He does not bring along all the ideas or thoughts his folks had...........no, he joins forces to find what God planned for him and his "helpmate"...........they join together. He knows his wife and her family. THE HUSBAND LEADS LIKE JESUS LEADS!

Proverbs 31:10-11............10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.  NIV

A wife of noble character........who can find?

She is not the woman found on a "stripper pole". She can be found at that Bible study, that prayer meeting, or in church worshiping God.

Where are you the, man looking? Do you have your "helpmate"?

Then give thanks for the helpmate of noble character! If you do not see that "noble character" then profess and confess that you will see it. We must always remember that everything in life begins with us. Life and death are in the power of our tongues!  We have to make the effort, take that step into following God and His commands.

We take those little steps at first and see them grow. We grow and become those men and women of God that follow His instruction and hear His voice when He speaks.

In perseverance, we prove our appreciation to God and for His saving grace.

1 Corinthians 15:56-58............56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. NIV

Our character is revealed the more time we spend with God. We gain strength the more we hear Him and obey. In that intimacy, like the husband and wife, our intimacy with God proves our faithfulness to do all that He commanded from the beginning. It is in that intimacy and connecting, that we find we can speak and be heard. But if I walk around just speaking and not hearing, then I miss everything God is speaking to me. If I think I am right, and just keep mouthing my opinions or thoughts, then I am going to be in a big mess!

I believe that in marriage, we should always reflect on the day we said, "I do", and remember that it is about a relationship of people and of a God. If we understand that the love displayed for all to us came at the darkest time of history, should not our light shine at this darkest time as well?

We can think we have all the answers, but ONLY GOD HAS THEM! OUR faith cannot be in ourselves. It has to be placed in God! His leadership demands us to obey to eat the good of the land.

 Isaiah 1:19-20................19 If you are willing and obedient,

You shall eat the good of the land; 20 But if you refuse and rebel,

You shall be devoured by the sword";  For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.     NKJV

So where you stand today, in a house, on a block, in a town or city, what are you doing to subdue the earth? Have you gathered the clutter and removed it to the trash or the "recycle"?

As the wife, are you available to your husband? Do you seek peace and pursue those things which make a place of comfort for him to come to? (or are you just hot and bothered by everything? ....and just speak your mind?) Remember God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours!

As the wife, do you hear and listen and communicate daily with God and your husband?

As the husband, do you seek that peace with your wife?

Do you hear her and listen by communicating with her daily?

As a couple, a team, do you work together to overlook each other's faults and weaknesses?

Are you goal setters?

Are you together, those worshipers of God?

Are you walking together in unity? Do you look good and sound like God speaking?

If you cleaned the house, take a look at the garage, since that is his domain! What will you find?

If your garage looks great, but your house looks like something from "Gone With the Wind"......then some changes must occur!  As for our family, my husband easily moves from the garage to the house at will. He certainly helps in the cleaning of the carpets and moving furniture. I have always said, "you can eat off the floors in our garage"....... as my husband is meticulous about keeping everything spotless. I have to work at it! Yes, I do. I am a work in progress, indeed! 
I better check the office again, and make sure it does not look like a second kitchen in this house!

Where you rule begins at birth? Have you or I graduated yet? 

Take this time to reflect on your marriage or maybe your future marriage. Take into your heart all that needs to be in your heart to receive a good thing. Consider the marriage with no distractions, but quiet time together. Expect to laugh and talk and remember every anniversary. As a person looking to marriage, think on what you desire that this woman/man of noble character would look like. Speak out loud about what you desire today in that godly new wife/husband. Profess those words of life in God for this marriage, whether a future one or an existing one. Profess to the importance of it and ask the Lord how to care for it. Talk about the disappointments you may have had in the past, but remember that you are not ruled by past hurts. Give thanks for your wife/husband or future wife/husband!

Consider these points: should consider to spend time together talking, where it is quiet with no distractions…………just two people…..to laugh and talk, a time to get acquainted again

        To have every anniversary together and remember why you married in the first place and give than always for all the memories you have together as a couple For each to know the kinds of foods and movies each person likes or dislikes………to always be asking questions and to get a reply…………..not JUST a nod of the head!

           To always attend church and pray for each other as well as for others ( pray for other couples as well, knowing they may have problems like you have or have had in the past)

    To do something for someone else that is in your power to help them out

          To minister to other couples the importance of marriage and how to care for it

   To always be open about affection for each other! (to always put away any hurt, anger or disappointment away from you)

          Thanking God for the gift of a wife/ husband and to bless her/him daily with words of power in prayer!

Father, thank You for the opportunity to subdue the earth. We cannot do that without loving the other person. In Jesus' name, we pray to be men and women who will diligently look in faith to hear YOU speak our directives from Your Word of truth. We want to be led in YOUR power and wisdom. We desire to search the Word of Truth and find that place YOU have for us to dwell. We desire not to be the complacent fool, but one who dwells in safety and ease without fear of harm.  We understand that we must subdue the earth and that means where we live, sleep and walk. Our subduing the earth starts with each of us and how we take instruction and how we care for that which You have given us.

Father, our obtaining favor from the Lord and walking in unity is done with NO COMPROMISE! It is our union with YOU is, that we speak as YOU speak, and to do as YOU have done!

Today, we choose to know Your ways and thoughts. They are higher than ours.  YOU created a vast universe that YOU look over, but the earth YOU gave to us to subdue. Father forgive us for thinking that if we cannot clean a commode, or empty out the trash, or take our pet to the vet,  then how can we take our community in prayer and expect YOU to hear. How can we possibly expect to rule in any place if our home looks like a mess, and the garage looks like storage unit for the city! Forgive us for being complacent where we needed to be fire to clean our homes, care for families, clean the garage and focus on taking our community and state in prayer.

It is YOU who sees the hearts of all who read and pray this out. Our desire is to be in unity with our mate, with our God. For those who have no mate, then Lord bring them according to YOUR plan for their lives. Help them receive that new "mate" You are bringing to them. For those of us who have a spouse, we desire that our union would be one that brings glory to God forever!

 WE know that You have given us Your Holy Spirit and according to John 3:34,35 “for since He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaims God’s own message], God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit! The Father loves the Son and has given (entrusted, committed) everything into His hand.” By this Holy Word, You gave to Us Your Holy Spirit without measure. I loose HIM now into our lives. Holy Spirit spark our lives with the match of faith. Show us where we have failed and show us how to love by doing good to others even in cleaning our homes, garages, and that car! Show us where we may improve that which we know will bring more favor to us and subdue the earth.

May our lives be dominated by YOUR truth that sets captives free! May we be couples in unity that hold up that Word of God as a standard. We are expectant God to have His will and way in our lives. In Jesus's name, amen and amen!

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV