The Most Unlikely Newlywed Game Winners Ever {And a Give-Away!}

Eyes rolling. Mouth agape. Arms crossed in a huff.

That describes not only the Newlywed Game Show, but many moments of my marriage.

If you never watched the program back when it was on long ago, it was a sometimes funny, sometimes cringe-inducing lesson on what couples knew—or didn’t know—about one another. The participants, all married less than a year, answered questions and then either rolled with their mistakes  and wrong answers or grew huffier as the show progressed. (“You know I don’t like mushrooms!”)

And I totally got that.

If my husband and I had been on that show the first year of our marriage, placards would have flown. Tears would have flown. And I’ve no doubt I would have flown right out of that TV studio in a snit.

Which is why I was stunned when, in the ultimate irony, my husband and I recently WON our small group’s Newlywed Game. (Out of about 15 couples, that’s not bad!)

For that I give all honor to Jesus, who walked with me through my darkest marriage moments. He enabled me to remain in my marriage when it hurt to do so, He flooded my heart with the hope that He was at work in spite of how things looked to my weary heart, and He gave me wisdom and grace to walk in obedience instead of walk out.

If your marriage is leaning more toward the huffy side of things, I understand. And I want to encourage you to hang in there and continue praying and trusting God. Because He makes all things beautiful in His time. (See Ecclesiastes 3:11)

In the meantime, I’d like to give away a copy of my new book, Prayers For a Woman’s Soul, because praying for myself not only transformed me, it transformed my marriage. And if women in dark marriage moments need anything, it’s the hope, refreshing, and transformation that comes when we take time to pray—for ourselves.

I’d love to pray with you right now:

Father,

Send strength, encouragement, and hope to the hearts that most need You, Lord. Give my precious sisters eyes to see Your hand at work in their marriage in spite of how things might appear. Pour out Your grace, wisdom, and unfailing love. Bring the change and transformation that is longed for. Intervene as only You can, and flood my sisters’ hearts with Your joy. Strengthen every marriage, let love reign, and help us all to honor You even when it’s hard. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Give Away Rules: Whether your marriage could use some refreshing, divine intervention, or complete transformation, please leave me a comment and I’ll be praying for you this week. I will choose a winner from the comments randomly. Please check back next Tuesday, April 2, to see if you’ve won. Prize must be claimed by Tuesday, April 9^th.

The WINNER of last week’s give-away of a signed copy of Prayers For a Woman’s Soul is: Lady G. Congratulations! Please send me an email with your mailing address by April 2.

A Most Powerful Prayer {And a Give-Away!}

Would you like to pray a really powerful prayer--one that will help your life and plans flow more smoothly?

There is a scripture in the Bible that has turned out to be a life-changer for me. Years ago, as I read through the book of Proverbs, this particular verse lit up like the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza. I highlighted, underlined, and memorized it. More importantly, I took it to heart. I began to pray this verse over myself and my family, and watched in awe as God moved.

Now please don't get me wrong; I'm not a formula person, and God is not a magic genie for whom we recite particular words and *poof* our dreams materialize. But God does watch over His word to perform it (see Jeremiah 1:12), and His word is living and active, more powerful than a two-edged sword (see Hebrews 4:12).

In other words, the words in the Bible are powerful. And when we pray God's word in faith, our prayers will be, too.

Interested? Here is the scripture that I regularly pray, and that has brought huge change in my life:

Roll your works upon the Lord--He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and so shall your plans be established and succeed. (Proverbs 16:3)

So how, exactly, do we pray scripture? We personalize it. Like this:

Lord, I lift (state your particular issue here) to You and ask you to cause my thoughts to become agreeable to Your will, and then my (example: career, school, vacation, marriage, friendship) plans will be established and succeed.

Don't be afraid to be specific. I've learned that specific prayers receive specific answers.

When we pray this particular scripture, we're doing several things. We are:

1. Inviting God into the idea/plan/situation
2. Asking Him to actually shape our thoughts
3. Requesting that He align our will with His
4. Asking God to establish our plans
5. Requesting favor and success

All from one prayer—based on one scripture!

Whether you're a planner or a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of person, the next time you're making decisions, planning, hoping or dreaming, I hope you'll remember this particular scripture and invite God into the process by praying this most powerful prayer.

Through my books I love to help readers know God, know Scripture, and know how to pray. Click on the images below to learn more about each book.

             

Resistance Training

Sparkling water swirled, generating a powerful current that created a vortex in the center of my grandparent's swimming pool. My grandfather led the way while my siblings and I all followed him, propelling ourselves through the water to create the whirlpool.

Once the current strengthened, I couldn't resist turning around in the water to swim against the surge. Oh man, what a futile effort. Or so it seemed. Though my little body swam hard and fast, I usually ended up going backwards, smacking right into my grandpa. With merriment in his voice he'd say, "Come on, you can do it. Keep going!"

Then the water would whip me further backwards while I struggled to make progress. It seemed futile and pointless, but I never gave up.

Our lives can feel the same way. But the resistance that we find irksome can bolster us if we allow it. Swimming against the current is hard, but God uses the hard things in our lives to strengthen us. By summer's end all those years ago, my muscles had increased and I could go faster and further than before.

Disappointments, hurts, sicknesses and other trials are all forms of serious spiritual resistance training. Instead of complaining about flexing our spiritual muscles, we can listen for the voice of God as we struggle, telling us, "You can do it! Keep going!"

By season's end, our muscles will bulge and we'll be further along than we ever thought possible.

"Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice." Isaiah 41:10

How about you? Are you currently in resistance training?

Jesus Loves Failures Like Me

 If you’ve ever felt frustrated by your own behavior, I understand. A few days ago I lost it as I drove across town. While traffic will probably never be my favorite thing, I’m really making an effort not to growl at the other drivers. J  But apparently all it takes is one elderly driver scooting along at 10 m.p.h. beneath the speed limit, and I’m toast.

And that makes me sad.

My heart desperately wants to do the right thing. I’d love to not even notice a slow driver in front of me. Yet time and time again I disappoint God and myself.

I fail.

For I do not understand my own actions—I am baffled, bewildered. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe… (Romans 7:15)

Maybe you can relate. Maybe traffic doesn’t make you bonkers, but sassy kids rev you up (count me in on that one, too). Or perhaps your cranky neighbor drives you to the brink, or maybe it’s finances that make you go nuts.

Our bewildering failures can make us feel like, well, bewildered failures.

For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am ever doing. (Romans 7:18)

But I want you to know something. Jesus loves bewildered failures like us. And when we ask, He not only forgives us, but He gives us strength to try again—and actually improve and make progress.

Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

These verses don’t mean we should slack off and not try at all. They mean that when we try and fail, Jesus understands. He enables us to do what we clearly cannot do without Him. And He has won a victory that we could never hope to win.

The next time we fail, let's ask God to remind He that He still loves us anyway, and that through His grace and strength, we can improve.

And pssst! I’m asking the Lord to tattoo these truths across my heart, so that the next time I’m in my car behind a senior citizen driving 10 m.p.h. under the speed limit, I won’t even notice.