Lord, I am stepping out of the way and trusting you and that restoration is already on its way. And the prodigals instinctRUN!!! In it's narrowest definition, it doesn't. The people of the world say to us, Cant you see what is happening? I am working hard at being the person God wants me to be and try not to focus on my husband or the NCP. My wife told me she wanted a divorce after twenty-five years of marriage. And, as with Rosaria Butterfields story: God is worth the sacrifice. I am a standing husband and working on myself and my walk with God. Soon he would be in Tarshish, a beautiful city in Spain. How much greater? I cant seem to get away from God. This means that you do not have to have large amounts of faith with the Lord to get the show going with Him. Curious, she did so. If they were scared, it must have been a truly terrible storm. Its all a LIE, but we dont know that. This isnt every single detail of what happened there are parts missingbut my short journey has been nothing but incredible and miraculousbut I want you to know that with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. God will not let his straying children live in sin forever. I am going through exactly same marriage problem like Crystal. We even think our children will be just fineanother lie. God wont leave me alone! Besides being a fascinating autobiography about a powerful evangelist who sadly passed away last year, this book gives readers a helpful look into Christian apologetics, Islam, and evangelism. The enemy has me in bondage! I cant seem to get ahead; people are angry with me; my life is upside down. He can send the storm of career implosion. What you can see is someone who left you, hates you, and wants nothing to do with you, right? Please, pray that God will give me a new heart to know him. Some were leaders in their youth group. Faith is often fed through (true) stories. Copyright 2005-2023 Faith And Marriage Ministries. My heart was sooo hard, and those were the same words my husband spoke to me. Put it all at His feet and walk away. Lost and running in the wrong direction. As the ship groans and creaks under the weight of the wind and the heavy waves, and as the men throw cargo overboard in a desperate attempt to save the ship, where is Jonah? My passionate spirit from breaking away. My kids are in trouble. There he could live the high life, far from the presence of the Lord. Every prodigal is shown the way out, but chooses to turn their back on what is right. Why? I was deep in thought today and I want to share some of my experience as a prodigal. One would think that I above all, should know this. We dont stop standing until we see our promise come to pass. And there was no higher step to takeWhy did I feel so disappointed? Chad Williams. Thats so tough to do sometimes; yet it is very much what we have to come too. We claim to have access to the God of the universe. Its not true! Prone to leave the God I love. they struggled with feelings of guilt and shame, what REALLY happens on the other side of the mountain. The world doesnt care about our religion, but the world wants us to pray. Im standing firm with my Lord Jesus Christ! Required fields are marked *. Please do so even if what you have to write isn't very long in length. (THIS INCLUDES JUDGES IN A COURTROOM!) This is just what I needed today! GOD has them, so remember that they are NOT in control. You say you know God. I had always attached it to a person who had left their faith. Three Testimonies of Prodigals Who Returned. About two weeks ago, I decided to give it all to God and just as told would happen, a remarkable peace came over me since giving it to Him. promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. The son would have said, If only you had left me alone for one more day, I would have made all my money back because I was investing in pork bellies.. Louis Zamperini was an Olympic runner and talented mischief-maker whose incredible survival story (30+ days floating in the open ocean after his plane crashed into the sea; then a year in a brutal Japanese POW camp being tormented by a sadistic guard) became a best-selling book, then a movie directed by Angelina Jolie. Some of them grew up in Sunday School. God bless all of our marriages and families. Father, I yet am a long way off- Luke 10:19 RELINQUISH your spouse to God. Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. What I learned: Even people who behave (very) badly are not beyond hope (including ourselves). Oh my word! The son of loving devout Muslim parents, Nabeel Qureshi was clean-cut, well-educated, kind, respectful, and . He is truely my Savior and I thank him for bringing me out of the darkness. Your sharing speaks such truth!!! I know the days were hard on him too, but the strength that he drew from the Lord was the strength that I needed to come back home to. We lived like strangers in our routine of go to work, come home, take care of the children and repeat it all over again. Jake. My husband has cancer. You are never out of reach of God's love - no matter what mistakes you have made. So take the word of this testimony to heart and be blessed and encouraged as you use it to defeat and hurl down the devil the next time he comes calling to steal, kill and destroy your marriage (an earthly representation of our relationship with Christ Ephesians 5:29-32 and 1 Corinthians 11:7), the word of YOUR testimony (that overcomes him Revelation 12:10-11) and your righteousness, peace and joy (what the kingdom of heaven is all about Romans 14:17)!). The son of loving devout Muslim parents, Nabeel Qureshi was clean-cut, well-educated, kind, respectful, and quite happy with his life. But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. I enlisted the help of three persons.a Prophetess, an Apostle, and a church Pastor..these were all spiritual people I knewand strong men and women of GodI knew I wasnt strong in my spirit and my faith was way less than even that of a mustard seed. This is my story exactly!! He began to party heavily with friends, and lost control of himself, so much so that he frightened his own parentsuntil he found out about God and His plans for him, and did a total 180 with his life. I thought I was alone and I could find nothing to encourage me as I was the prodigal now praying for the restoration of my marriage. But when she wrote a scathing criticism of one of the local Christian gatherings, to her surprise, she received a thoughtful and kind reply from a pastor who invited her to call him. When you are done with your self-pity, you decide to pray and fast for your loved one. Come quickly, Lord! It was also hard to hear him (the crowd was large and he was an old man at that point). He also says Each day, you desire to give up and once again find someone who will bring you joy. I knew that I needed to sacrifice and change things to the way God wanted them. At the End of the Year, Are You Just Trying to Get Attention? Jeremiah 24:7. Let your prodigal GO!!! We buy into the its better for me to be happythen I will be a better father/mother trapjust another Lie. I have learned lots during my journey of learning how to be a stander. Thank you so much for this testimony. I started praying the way you suggested 48 hours ago and today he told me hes moving in with woman he left us for. We all wonder how to reach this generation that seems so turned off to God and religion. If we wait for people to come to our services, we will in most cases wait forever. Why cant I just move on?!. Williams was one of the very few who managed to actually complete SEAL training on his first try. Our Testimony to Rejoice Marriage Ministries. Rogaine 5 $39.14 for pill Buy Now Abana $28.91 for pill Buy Now Allegra Active ingredient: Fexofenadine $0.28 for pill Buy Now. Thank you for sharing.. Im praying for marriage restoration as my husband has moved out and is now living with the other woman, who is pregnant and about to give birth very soon. He was on a boat headed for Tarshish, running from the Lord. Do you consider yourself married in God's eyes regardless of your legal marital status? Now I have laid everything at his feet while I work on myself and pray and praise the Lord for the restoration of my marriage. That moment of sheer surprise will be forever etched in my mind. Several years ago I ran across the work of a Canadian poet named Ethelwyn Wetherald who lived in the early part of the 20th century. Thank you so much for your testimony. Today Im 12 Years Sober and Still Starting Over, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, about to be re-released (preorder link, non-affiliate). It is no accident that I am reading your post right now because these were words that I really needed. Yet she did it anyway. I have read all of your post on here and some of them multiple times. I know because I can't quit thinking about you and what I've done to you. Call on your god. This really encouraged me. Thanks for sharing this; its truly a great testimony. What I learned: Bitterness and vengefulness is vain it destroys us from the inside out, and hurts those we love as well. Forgiveness is freedom. But within days of him leaving, I realized how wrong I was and how much I truly loved him. Yet while I was a great way off Thank you for sharing this. You tell us we need God. Have you ever experienced the life-changing effects of a story? How else you explain a mother who abandons her own children? Wow! Our God is infinitely creative. Amen. If you come a day too soon, the prodigal will always think, With one more day, I would have figured out a way to solve my own problems. As long as the scheming and lying and deceiving continues, the best thing we can do is to pray for Gods Spirit to bring them to their senses and to wait patiently until that day comes. Repentance is first of all a work of God in the human heart. We already have an article on how powerful of a strategy this is with the Lord. But I have faith that God will bring my wife back and Im a stander for however long it takes!! But after being raised in a family plagued with sexual abuse, marital affairs, and deceit, she left her own marriage for another man and nearly lost the hope of making her dream a reality. I have a real sense of His presence and am confident that our marriage will survive this crisis. This is such an encouragement to me today! It would be best if you didnt see the pain, the shame, and the troubles that have come since I left you. But no more! When you walk in the footsteps of the father of the prodig Love One Another The Overlooked Commandment. What I learned: Hospitality and respect for those who believe differently than you do are powerful forces for change. I also never thought that the change that I was seeing in my wife was permanent. He put on my feet the shoes that miss No chance to tread in the narrow path; He pressed on my lips the burning kiss That scorches deeper than fires of wrath. The Prodigal Wife. A lifestyle publication. He can and He will!!! Prayer to Heal Broken Relationships. The world wants our prayers. My sense is that you knew Him when you went through your Jonah moments. Bob, a returned prodigal, has been asked most often, "What is it like for my prodigal spouse?" In The Prodigal's Perspective, Bob gives answers from his heart . For six years, best friends and debate partners David and Nabeel argued back and forth, challenging each other and digging deep to figure out whose beliefs were actually true. We claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm fighting with God's help. I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. I am just reading this post as I an gathering every resource I can find to help me restore my marriage. I didnt feel like I deserved to come home or to be received by my wife. Just look at what God can doHe can do it, you guys!!! And so he did. We pray, and we fast until we have victory. IT IS JUST TEMPORARY! Its like God is mad at me or something. The most difficult thing God has ever asked of me has been to trust in Him, to give my husband completely to Him and to love no matter what. Why are we still sleeping? And your clinginess, desperation and tears make us sick to our stomachs; not because we dont care about youbecause we dowe love you, but it is hidden so deep inside that we cant see or feel it. Thank you once again. Talent vs. Faithfulness: What is God Looking For? God bless you as you continue to heal with your husband and family. The next thing she did right was to enlist the aid of three powerful prayer warriors to help her with her prayers to the Lord. He didnt know how to do it and often times he was so negative and emotional that I wanted nothing to do with him. This is the reason you cant give up. He can send the storm of the sudden death of a loved one. He can send the storm in so many different ways. Satan has his ships, and they are always ready to take on another passenger. Notice she said she had faith less than the size of a mustard seed when she first started to approach the Lord for His help. James 1:8 says that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways, and unstable is exactly where your spouse is. But true friendship also means trusting each other enough to wrestle with uncomfortable topics rather than smooth them over and pretend they dont exist. Copyright 2005-2023 Faith And Marriage Ministries. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. I know you think about giving up on me. Those searing words speak to an inner battle we all feel from time to time, a battle we sometimes sing about in more familiar words: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, But many times they themselves became standers because by that time, their spouses had moved on or were not interested in marriage restoration. To make a long story shortSunday January 16th 2011.I got a text from my husband.who accidently had AGAIN on the 14th January 2011..told me he felt the same way and I should go on with my life. Softly, he wept. Lauren Hillenbrand, Unbroken. Reflection for 29 June5 July 2020 The Atonement Rocks! I turn my music up to drown out the noise, and advertisements for marriage restoration play on the radio. God Bless you! That he will never stop going after the strays. It's really important when standing for a marriage to do everything you're able to build your faith. I was greatly deceived and believed that God was calling me to leave my family and pursue my soul mate. I kept running in the opposite direction of where God was calling me back home. I believe Gods word and I have much more faith now. Why God! you shout in pain. The Bible can speak even to people who are antagonistic to it as long as they are willing to study it with an open mind. Yet at the same time, I thought I had done too much or wandered too far, and I couldnt forgive myself. I believe God for the restoration of my marriage; yet with or without my marriage, Im looking for God to also fix me and my part in my current situation. He wanted to give our marriage a chance and he loved me and wanted to be with ME. Rosarias story is unusual in that it is one of the few in which a prodigal had everything to lose and nothing to gain by turning to God. Hes going to seduce you with anger, bitterness, sex, and anything else he can to eliminate your will to press forward in this battle. (LogOut/ Ephesians 6:13 The problem is always in the heart. Keep standing and following His example. Stephanie, thank you so much for sharing your testimony, which has encouraged me and has to have blessed many, many others too. I dont want to apportion blame too much here but suffice it to say we had some in-law issues which contributed greatly to our demise.but that is another story and I want to concentrate on how God showed up and showed off in the mist of my situation. Ashleys story was eventually made into a movie. How many times have we returned with our head hung to our Lord, full of shame, yet found Him with open arms ready to separate our sin from us as far as the East is from the West if we only repent? Wow!! May I ask you a question? As He tells us, Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and you will find rest for your souls. Hes got our marriages in His hands, so we should be at peace. It was all working out like he had planned. For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. I have learned that when we finally surrender things to God, we have such peace! Nice little deal he had going there. I thought I had to continue on the path that I started because in my mind nothing would ever be the same again. I pray that God continues to uphold you in magnificent ways. The hurt that I caused them was far beyond any words that I could use to describe. Contact Rejoice; Submit a Testimony; Submit . If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. So they started the first interfaith prayer meeting in the Bible, each man crying out to his own god. We claim to know the living God. You certainly understand that repentance is really the only thing that ever changes anything. Some were missionaries. Jonah is about to learn this truth the hard way. marriage, I had released my husband and my marriage to God and I knew God was going to do something. Our sin, our compromise, and our deceit always injures our spouse, our children, our friends, and our family. While Susan knows this deeply wounded her son, he never talked about it much or acknowledged it bothered him. Deuteronomy 20:4 Its not outer change we need, but deep, inner transformation by the Holy Spirit. Praying Against Strongholds Over Your Marriage, How To Bring Blessings To Your Restoration. And those things came by the Holy Spirit working in my wifes life. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. God bless you and your family as well and thank you for joining my journey on Heart of a Wife. I thought I was in control and I would do as I pleased. 136 days of reeling and praying for a reconciliation. Hes got your number written on his heart. We know God is in control, and we are praying and waiting, but nothing seems to be happening. My husband and I were able to rebuild trust and heal together from our difficult past. I have monitored your site daily since I found it, hoping you would post something new as I need encouragement . (After the knowledge gained from his experiences debating Nabeel, David today continues to wrestle with Muslim ideology through his ministry, Acts 17 Apologetics). Its not his will for divorce. The answer is simple. And I never consulted God on anything; I was too angry and my heart was made of the hardest stone imaginable. He doesnt give you a remarkable amount to make it easy; he gives you just enough so that in your weakness, his power will rest upon you. This has been a three year battle, and I am going down the wrong path again by crying and screaming. Just another thing for God to Handle. The Prodigal Spouse Resource Center is a password protected section of our website. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. When last we left the reluctant prophet, he seemed to be on top of the world. Even if it takes many years, there is hope, and the final result may be more beautiful than you ever dreamed. Are you living married? We may think that someone has hit rock bottom when they are still scheming a way out of their problems. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. Despite his amazing endurance, and the heros welcome he received after returning home, Louis Zamperini struggled hard with the demons of PTSD and revenge. Regardless of what I thought, I had come face-to-face with the miserable consequences of my choices. Do you remember what happened to the prodigal son in Luke 15? I know its because you are praying. 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