Devotions, Bible Studies, Prayer Life in the Family

Written by Warren |Posted on May 26, 2009 | Comments

Last night Hazel and I started doing a simple devotion. We just sat on our bed, prayed for guidance then read a portion of Scripture (we read 1 John 3:1-10), and discussed about it. We had no Bible tools, pens or notebooks in hand. We just discussed what we read. And it took us an hour and a half doing the discussion. It is also good that somehow we had an idea about sticking with the text so we won’t get lost in translation during the discussion. We felt that we were building a stronger and healthier relationship. It was fun and I wondered to myself why we were not doing this before?

Doing this kind of activity is very essential for couples, especially in our case wherein her group doesn’t dig deeper in the Word during Sundays. Not only am I filling the gap but it is also my responsibility as her husband to be purifying her with the Word (Ephesians 5:26). Of all the people I am ministering to, Hazel should be on top of my list; Before I preach to other nations of the world, I need to first preach to my wife. And I pray I won’t fall into the temptation of preaching to others more than to my own wife.

It was the first time we had this discussion since we got ourselves involved in the ministry. It is quite different. Unlike before we were both unstable with our work, we had unpaid bills, and we didn’t know whether we will have something to eat the following day. This time we have a more convenient environment. Both of us are fulfilling our roles as husband and wife to each other and thus having these kind of discussions are lesser hypocritical for us. I would say it was hypocritical of us to be doing Bible studies if we were disobeying our commitment to become husband and wife to each other because I wasn’t providing for the family. Then Hazel would be forced to find ways to work and earn money for the family which is wrong. Thus we were twisting God’s original design for the husband and wife and yet we still could have the stomach to do Bible studies when everything else is on fire. I say this such an act is hypocritical and I am guilty of it.

Not only are we doing Bible discussions but we also do Bible readings in the morning, exercise almost everyday, eat healthier food, and currently I’m starting to get involved in another ministry where I would at times teach. This time our life becomes more and more balanced by God’s grace. By God’s grace He brought Godly people to us to show us that things must be in balance. I realized that God is not only the god of the east but also the west; God is not only God in the mission field, He is also God everywhere else including the family, home, our lives, our secular work.