In his book, My Name Is Hope, John Mark Comer contrasts “vending machine prayers” with “prayers in Jesus’ name.” When applied to marriage, the analogy is quite illuminating. John Mark writes, “Vending machine prayers sound like, ‘God, my marriage is a wreck. Fix my marriage. Make me happy with my spouse. “Prayers in Jesus’ name […]
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Should singles date someone only if they think they would like to marry them? One of the more common comments I get after a seminar, or after someone has read The Sacred Search, is this: “Should dating be reserved only for someone you think you want to marry?” The following email excerpt is typical: “My […]
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In his book The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis shows how wide-ranging the word “love” is. It is used to define many different notions and mind-sets. What if you can take your marriage up a level this year? The first form of love (according to Lewis) is Need-Love, which is today what we call infatuation. “I […]
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It’s hard to believe, but we’re near the end of 2017. It’s been a good year. 2016, on the other hand, was not my favorite. I put on a lot of weight, didn’t watch what I ate, and didn’t exercise on a consistent basis. I swept some unresolved conflict with my boss under the rug […]
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As most Christians know, one of the most shocking gifts given to the baby Jesus was myrrh. It was one of three gifts typically given to kings. Matthew may not have intended it to predict Jesus’ death (myrrh was typically used for burial purposes). But the symbolism is impossible to ignore from a theological perspective: […]
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I thought I was one of the world’s biggest fans of marriage, until I asked a question on Facebook (“What do you love most about marriage?”) and found out there are legions of marriage fans out there! In the revised and updated edition of Sacred Marriage (published in 2015) I wrote, “I love marriage, and […]
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One of the best gifts you can give your spouse this Christmas isn’t just a book; it’s a renewal of a promise. Imagine your spouse opening up a Christmas present this year and seeing the book Cherish. But you’re watching, so you quickly explain, “The book isn’t my gift. The real gift is a renewal […]
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The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord. Prov. 18:22 What a joy to be married to a godly woman! A godly wife isn’t a possession, but she is a treasure. On my Facebook personal page and author page, I asked men to brag about their wives, […]
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Lisa and I were at a women’s conference when Lisa asked the wife sitting next to her how she had slept the night before. “Terrible,” she replied. “I’m used to my husband’s backrub every night and it’s hard to get to sleep without it.” “Every night?” Lisa asked. “Every night.” Plenty of these blog posts […]
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There is one thing that could save you thousands of dollars in marital counseling. It can turn a frustrating marriage into a delightful one. It can turn a barren marriage into a fruitful one. It can turn a hurtful marriage into an encouraging one. Indeed, if we will more earnestly pursue this one spiritual truth […]
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