The Tribune

By Rev Angela C

Bosfield Palacious

As we approach the month of February, the last Christmas decorations are coming down and the Valentine hearts are going up. There are many different kinds of gifts that will be on display to attract the shopper to purchase them. Fragrant flowers, bountiful baskets, tempting chocolates, exquisite jewellery, and an assortment of gift certificates from spa days to weekend getaways. The best gift of all, however, is a renewed relationship to last a lifetime.

Here are some areas for prayer:

1. The prayer of forgiveness to determine what is best left in the past at this point, especially when the person has apologized sincerely and made a change. If addictions or violence are involved then counselling must be a part of the way forward. This prayer also needs to be directed towards ourselves as we forgive ourselves for mistakes made in the past, then working for reconciliation if this is appropriate.

2. The prayer of healing is imperative to staunch the flow of bleeding emotions that threaten to destroy the relationship. Wounded spirits, hurt feelings, unresolved anger, uncommunicated frustrations are just some of the sources of pain that build up over time. Ask God to release you from this, to send the Holy Spirit with the Balm of Gilead to fight the spiritual infection that produces disease in the soul. Use the many healing passages in the Bible to connect your situation with the healing miracles performed by Jesus.

3. The prayer for family unity is another vital link in the chain of holiness and harmony. At this time, you may picture each member of the nuclear and extended family in turn, bringing them before the throne of grace and interceding on their behalf. You may identify specific needs, hopes, dreams and aspirations as you seek to develop stronger bonds to support and nurture each person. Some families have their monthly reunions take the form of prayer and praise sessions, while providing an opportunity for fun, food, and fellowship.

4. The prayer for proper parenting and adult supervision to promote sound Christian principles and moral values is a necessary addition to any family that has children in it, so that there is a constant awareness of the need to set examples worth emulating. We need higher levels of accountability, deeper dimensions of responsibility, wider ranges of compatibility and broader bases for reliability. We cannot build a nation with children who parent themselves.

5. The prayer for financial maturity speaks to the absence of self-control when it comes to spending, borrowing, gambling and stealing. How do we expect to have happy homes when there is so much secrecy, lack of integrity, greed and hypocrisy? We undermine the security of the family when we act irresponsibly. Do not be tempted to acquire credit cards if you cannot resist impulse buying. On your job, do not use funds intending to replace them before the audit. Do not hang your basket higher than you can reach. Give tithes and offering as your grateful response to what God has done for you.

6. The prayer for better time management includes an acknowledgement that a better balance is needed between work, individual time, family time, time with friends and leisure activities that combine exercise and recreation. Much prayer is required in this regard.

7. The prayer for spiritual maturity accepts “that unless the Lord builds the house” you are wasting your time! The admission that we need a Saviour to cleanse us from sin and a Lord to guide and direct our decisions is the beginning of wisdom indeed. From here, the Holy Spirit is able to make all of the above happen for each member of the family. Prayer of surrender motivates us to allow God to take control. We grow in our knowledge of the relationship that we have with our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier, and we allow ourselves to be transformed on a daily basis.

Why not treat yourselves as a couple to friendship, pre-marital, marriage enrichment, crisis intervention or whatever type of counselling would be a benefit and blessing to you both, and your family, if there are children involved? Strengthen your foundation, your walls and your roof before you make additions. Use these days before Valentine’s Day to get your priorities right!