Please pray for dh

[Erica]

Hello Ladies!

Could you please pray that my husband's heart will be turned toward listening to a powerful message delivered by James McDonald on Walk in the Word called "Wise up about Alcohol." It will only be "free" today until they broadcast the next sermon! I am praying that he will listen and that it will speak to his heart for the sake of salvation and living for Christ.
I listened to it today and felt much peace about suggesting that he listen. He was not pleased that I had asked him stating "You know I won't listen to that crap, I don't know why you waste your time telling me to listen." I was able to lovingly respond (thank you Lord - awe, He is sooo GOOD!) and say "I love you and I don't see anything as a waste of time that may help you see things differently or just give you a different perspective." Needless to say he did hang up and has not called back (as I am at work). And that is fine, although I do feel a little lonely in faith today as I would love to share this with dh - God bless us, one day we will - I am thankful for that!
Anyhow I trust that he will come around and may listen to it. I am thankful that I asked him, I cannot just leave him unaware. I must help lead him to what is good, what is true, what is pleasing to God!
Also, I came across a small video on Youtube for "The Bible Experience" ... it is really cool - it is many well known actors and actresses bringing the bible to life on CD's - absolutely amazing. My dh had told me once, he's be more apt to listen to the bible than read it cuz he doesn't like to read. So I played him the video last night ( a little advertisement) ... he started watching with his back up a bit knowing it was about "Christianity" and by the end he was softened, PRAISE GOD ... saying "Well you better get it then!" And he continued to comment on it for about 15 minutes afterwards ... about the actors, about who we thought may have been Christians and just simply agreeing that it would be really something to hear it done like that ... awesome! Thank YOU Lord! Keep the blessings coming and help me (us) to be open to receiving them.
Much love,
Erica

[Bondservant]

Erica, I will most certainly pray.

I did want to tell you that you can download the sermons from the internet for free for about a week, then they are only 1.99. I absolutely love Walk in the Word, it is an awesome proclamation of God's Word. I have been more than encouraged by these sermons. I download almost all of his sermons, so I try to send a donation (most of my downloads are free when I do them).

I will continue that your husband's heart will soften to the idea of listening to this particular sermon. Please remember that the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is what convicts, not necessarily the subject matter. When I started going to church and became really convicted of the lifestyle my husband and I were leading, the sermons were about holiness, there wasn't anything about sexual immorality in them. I guess God uses a lot of things to convict us.

Praying for you too sister,
Love, Melissa

[Erica]

Thank you Melissa oh so much for your prayers and then info. about the free download. I too love listening to Walk in the Word.
I totally agree with the "not necessarily about the topic". Often I sense that the Lord is telling me not to talk about alcohol at all. Oh how I try and pray that God will continue to help me ;)

God bless,

Erica

[windward]

Dear Erica,

I do and will continue to pray for your husband's (and all and any of our husbands) freedom from addiction. As Melissa so wisely put it, it is the Holy Spirit that convicts, not the particular sermon or the message or the article we just read in a magazine. It is still difficult for me to remember that. And the Holy Sprit is not limited. If hubby doesn't listen to this particular message, another one will come along - maybe not in that form, maybe in a way that you would least expect it.

Speaking for myself, when well-meaning people in my life talk to me about areas in my life that I know I should change but just am not ready to do it yet, I do get my back up.
My sister (bless her) has in the past told me she felt a "prompting" to call and tell me about something. All I know is there I am, miding my own business, I get a call from my sis, and I think she's calling to say hi or catch up, but actually she's calling me to "fix" me. It seems like she's more preoccupied by her compulsion to set me straight than by her feelings of sisterly love, although she would tell me that she's just doing it because she loves me. But it doesn't come across like love, it comes across like she's saying, "I see a flaw in you that is not getting fixed soon enough for me, so therefore, I am going to take it upon myself to let you know about this article/TV show/radio show that you need to get ahold of because it will light a fire under you to fix yourself." And my response to that is usually not thankfulness but more a combination of hurt/anger/defensiveness, and then I'm more apt to tell her why doesn't she fix an area in her life that bugs ME. However, when I have been prompted by the HS or my own desire to fix a problem that I have and I call her and ask her for her advice or counsel and she recommends a book/tape/etc., then I'm grateful because she's addressing MY need, not hers.

I am continuing to pray for your hubby and my own. It's hard to walk that fine line between being a respectful wife and being an enabler. My husband's responses to my comments about his on-again/off again affair with pot are usually a quick "you're right. Can we not talk about it right now?" Since I started to talk less and pray for him more, his periods of falling off the wagon have gotten shorter and I let the Holy Spirit do His work. He's way more effective than I am it seems. My heart is there for you - you're pregnant, you have a small daughter, you don't want this to be the way your marriage is going to be for the rest of your life or the stress and strain of it. I really do understand. Big Hugs to you, girlie - Win.

[lovelevi]

Dear Erica,

I have been and will certainly continue to pray for your husband.

Hugs,
Amy

[Erica]

Hello Win and Lovelevi!

I want to thank you both so much for your continued prayers and your loving words!

You are so right about the "Holy Spirit doing the convicting and I totally get the "call from someone wanting to fix me" idea. I never really looked at it that way. But that makes total sense! At the time when I first heard the sermon, I was compelled to suggest that dh listen because I love him and feel that it would actually be irresponsible of me not to share something with him that I know. I know that the Lord does not hold me responsible for dh's salvation and relationship with HIM, however, I am dh's (spiritual) partner and I have a responsibility to the Lord ... not to fix my dh, but to love HIM and that means to care for his wellbeing. I only recommended that he take a listen. I was very careful in my words and did not press the issue at all. As a matter of fact, I apologized later for seeming preachy or overstepping my boundaries. I was only making a recommendation. He got all "grrr" and hung up the phone. I never mentioned his hanging up the phone, I did not get angry or anything like that at all.
I am thankful for the continued reminders about "LOVE" on this board, especially as it pertains to dh. I am thankful for dh, sometimes I just wish he was not soooo closed minded to things. My goodness, he'll try every drug under the sun, but he can't listen to a guy speak for 20 minutes. Big deal. That is just my attitude about it at this point ... he really needs to grow up sometimes. I wasn't telling him that this guy had all the answers, or that he should do what this guy said ... I just suggested that he "take a listen."
Well we keep on praying, loving and trusting God to work all things out! I am truly thankful for this time in a less a than perfect marriage. God has used this time to draw me closer to HIM, to help me to grow in HIM and prayerfully will use this time in my dh's life, ds's and dd's life as well!
May the Lord bless each one of you and your families!
Much love in Christ,
Erica

[Gentletouch]

I do remember the great improvement on your husband and on your relationship so I will put this on my praise report.

If you want me to add more on this area let me know but he is very much in my mind.

Gentletouch

[Erica]

Good morning GT ...

please pray Psalm 147:3 "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" for dh as this was really impressed upon my heart not long ago!

And certainly give praise!

Much love in Christ,
Erica