Prayer, Marriage And The Leadership Roles Of The Husband And Wife Spotlight

PRAYER, MARRIAGE AND THE LEADERSHIP ROLES OF THE HUSBAND AND WIFE by Bishop Ken Giles and Pastor Sheila Giles, Christian Living, 98 pp., $19.95 (paperback)

Title: PRAYER, MARRIAGE AND THE LEADERSHIP ROLES OF THE HUSBAND AND WIFE
Author: Bishop Ken Giles & Pastor Sheila Giles
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 98
Genre: Christian Living

Marriage is an institution established by God. God ordains a man and a woman to be husband and wife to fulfill his purpose of expanding His likeness and kingdom through their rule and dominion over His creation. Within the institution of marriage, the man is responsible for carrying out and communicating God’s vision. The woman enables, strengthens and encourages her husband to carry out God’s vision for himself, the marriage and family. The husband and wife become one flesh. No other human relationship, including that of parents and children, is to have priority or greater importance than that of the husband and wife to one another. The Leadership roles of the husband and wife are paramount to God’s plan of blessings in the marriage, family, generations and broader society. Therefore, obedience to God and His word establishes God’s order and facilitates the proper working and functioning of the marriage and family. Thus, establishing the peace, joy and increase the Lord has purposed in and through the marriage and family.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

Chapter 1

Lack of Prayer Invites Sin in the Marriage

Alack of prayer in the marriage invites sin (disobedience to God’s word and will) in the marriage. When there is sin in the marriage it creates conflict, contention, disorder, obstacles and barriers that otherwise would not exist. The marriage, on the other hand, that exist in obedience to God’s word will obtain benefits and blessings which are derived from prayer and the study of His word (Seeking and Knowing God and His will). It is absolutely paramount for prayer to be in a marriage just as it is paramount for prayer to be in an individual’s life. Keep in mind Genesis 2:23 reveals that the two become one flesh. Therefore, the marriage represents one person that is to go before the Lord in prayer. So be it an individual or two that have become one individual (via marriage), a lack of prayer invites sin in the marriage or an individuals life as a result of not having or failing to obtain God’s input (guidance/direction) in their lives. We can look to Genesis 3:1-5 which reads as follows: “Now the serpent more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And, he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die'.” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” From this scripture, verses one through five sets the stage for ultimately what happens in verse six. In verses one through five Eve makes the mistake of walking in the counsel of the ungodly (Psalm 1:1 and 6). However, in Genesis 3:6, the ultimate mistake was obeying the counsel of Satan over the counsel of God. (Romans 6:16). Any counsel, advice or thoughts that are contrary to the word and will of God is automatically to be identified as the counsel of Satan. Many times in our society, we obtain information and ideas via family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, television and radio or even the Internet, but we need to be mindful of the fact that there is a way which “seemeth” right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12). Therefore, it behooves us to always consult God via His word and through prayer if we are not certain what His will is for our lives at any given time and in any given area or situation. This is wise to do because God is our Maker and Creator and only wills and desires the very best for us. Even when it may be something that is painful to us or something we do not understand.

It is obvious that Eve did not pray before making her decision to eat from the forbidden tree and just as obvious that Adam and Eve failed to pray together prior to making the decision jointly to partake of the forbidden tree as a married couple (Genesis 3:6). If consistent and continuous prayer (Praying without ceasing - I Thessalonians 5:17) would have been undertaken by Adam and Eve individually and/or as a married couple sin would not have had the opportunity to enter their lives individually or their marriage and ultimately their family. The sin Satan purposed to plant in their individual lives, marriage and family would have been shut out of their paradise (place of peace, joy and plenty). However, because they failed to pray individually or jointly, the door for sin to enter was left wide open. All that remained was for Eve and ultimately Adam and Eve to do was to operate based on what they thought and how they felt. It should be noted here that everyone has an opinion, but the only one that matters is God’s opinion (I Kings 18:21). His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our way (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Bishop Ken Giles began full-time ministry in 1993 as an inner-city Missions Leader in Dallas, Texas, while at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship under Dr. Tony Evans. He later served there as Assistant Executive Director of their nonprofit corporation. In 1998, he returned to his hometown of Beaumont, Texas, and served as Pastor of Outreach at Cathedral of Faith Baptist Church and Executive Director of their nonprofit corporation. In 2000, Lincoln Bible Church was planted in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area and is now located in the Greater Houston Texas area where Bishop Ken Giles and his wife, Pastor Sheila Giles provide servant leadership. Bishop Giles has a Master of Education Administration from Prairie View A&M University and a Master of Theology from Southeast Texas Theological Seminary.

Their latest book is PRAYER, MARRIAGE AND THE LEADERSHIP ROLES OF THE HUSBAND AND WIFE.