Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Genesis 2:24

Dear Lord,

You made Eve specifically for Adam, that the two be husband and wife, and Your explicit desire is for marriage to be a lifelong union between one man and one woman. There are those who struggle with same-sex attraction, as well as a great many instances of divorce. Yet Your Word makes it clear that neither homosexuality nor divorce is part of Your design for the family. You want families to be made up of a husband and wife, and when it is Your will, children. This is not to say that those who have same-sex attraction or those who are divorced are worse sinners than anyone else. All of us are equally in need of Your grace and forgiveness. But these issues should be a concern to us. The breakdown of any society often begins with the breakdown of the nuclear family, and we have seen this play out in our own country. A number of marriages end in divorce, many couples do not even bother to get married in the first place, and society tells us that same-sex marriage is okay as well. Yet we know that none of these situations are pleasing to You. Please forgive us for abandoning the family values You have laid out in Your Word. Strengthen families everywhere to live according to Your command. Give strength to those who struggle with same-sex attraction that they may resist temptation and find fulfillment in You. Bless those who have been divorced, and give wisdom to those who are contemplating divorce. Help the Church reach out in love rather than condemnation to all people, regardless of their particular sins or temptations, for we know that Your will is that all repent and come to saving knowledge of You. 

I pray today for the following people…

I pray for my own situation…

In Your name I pray. Amen.

  (For a full explanation of this challenge, see the post 12-Minute Prayer Challenge. If you are just joining us, feel free to continue on with us from the current day, or if you prefer, you can go back and start at Day 1.)