As I was praying this past week and studying God’s word I found myself praying for my three girls and their marriages. I prayed the pat prayer, Lord strengthen their marriage may they be good parents; you know all the superficial prayers. Then my prayers started turning to; Lord may they get active in a church that they all like, may they come together to worship together.

As I was writing this prayer, I realized that prayer was wrong too.

19 years ago Rob and I were so involved in the church. The church doors were open we were there. Sunday x2, Wednesday x1, Tuesday night Bible study, Sunday school teaching,  leading kids Bible bowl, kids choir, adult choir, soccer coaches, softball coaches, you name it we did it.

Then the unspeakable; I got saved. I didn’t know that a Christian was supposed to be different and I continued on with my resume as before. The only thing that started changing was me. We went to a church that preached submission for women. The husband is the leader. The picture I got here was a Paul Bunyan, the giant, with an ax, dark black beard, wearing a red and black checked flannel shirt. Dinner is on the table when they walk in the door and you almost become a slave-master relationship. This did wonders for our marriage:  NOT. This made for an amazing breeding ground for Satan to attack.

I had changed, I was no longer the strong dominant leader, take charge woman that God had made me; I had become the weaker, helpless slave to my master, that this churches teaching had made me.

You may say you did it to yourself. In a way, I did, yes, but also when I saw that something needed to be done or wanted it to be done, such as outreach, my husband was called into the church office and told:”control your wife”.

So controlled I became, which led to a very unhappy new Christian and now marriage.

I was not taught about quiet time with God.

I was not taught about this personal, real relationship with Jesus.

All I was taught was that because I said a prayer, went underwater (Baptized), I was now going to heaven. Now live your life.  I was not taught that the word of God was to be opened and studied every day for myself, just me and God.

I wasn’t taught that the word of God was my “go to, fix it” manual for what ales me.

So fast forward to today. We are 19 years this side of an affair that almost destroyed our lives (you can read his/her stories on this site). We get comments frequently that we are two lovebirds.

This week as I was praying for my children and their marriages I was burdened with the fact I really needed to be praying for their personal relationships, all six of them, with Jesus.

So as I was praying this week it hit me, our relationship with God can be played out in a direct correlation with our relationship with our spouse.

I am more in love with my husband today but I am more in love with my Creator today also.

So starting today my prayer for my children and their spouses is that their personal relationship with Jesus will grow exponentially.

If you have younger children don’t pray the flippant prayer of: “I pray for their future spouse to know Jesus” because God may just answer that prayer and give your child a spouse that knows Jesus, just like they know Santa Claus.

No, change your prayer that your child’s future spouse will have an authentic genuine personal relationship with Jesus as their Lord and King of their life.

If you have grown children is not too late to pray. Remember, though, there may be some mighty rapids they will have to go down, so pray that Life Preserver, named Jesus will be snug around their necks so they don’t drowned.