“And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19:4-6
As we begin the month of February, we turn our attention and prayers toward THE FAMILY. The family is the foundation laid by God in the beginning, in Genesis chapter two, for all of mankind. It was designed as the connecting point for a man and woman to become one in a marriage covenant, and then through them, children would be born, protected, and nurtured in love and commitment to God and to each other – then launched back out into the world to find a husband or wife to form their own family.
Parents become grand-parents, sisters and brothers become aunts and uncles, and the family together, has the charge to ‘raise up’ the children in the way they should go, so when they are old, they will not depart from God, His ways, nor their family. Families join together and become communities, providing a safe place for children to grow and learn … at least, THAT IS GOD’S PLAN … that is how it’s supposed to be. But, because of sin in this world and sin in us, many have scrapped God’s plan for their lives and adopted their own plans. And not only have we tried to redesign and reconfigure God’s design, but the devil himself has continually attacked and attempted to destroy the family, because he knows the power of it in people’s lives for good – and for God.
Thankfully, God’s Word has established what is true and what is false, and we can pray fervently in righteousness, being an example through OUR families of God’s design in this world. Pray with me:
Father God, in the beginning you created male and female and joined them together as one. We pray that You would reestablish Your way in our nation and that You would send out Your living and powerful Word to transform the heart and mind of our culture. We pray for Your Holy Spirit to flow out upon our communities, cleansing and purifying hearts, and turning hearts toward You and toward our homes. We pray that you would heal and reconcile families that are broken, strengthen families that are struggling, and establish families that will be shining lights for You in these often desperate and dark days. May Your will and Your way be done on this earth as it is in heaven. We pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus, amen.
Rejoicing in hope,
Dion Elmore
Vice President
