Is your heart broken? Are you troubled by the past? Are you still waiting for that breakthrough in your marriage? In the fifth of this mini-series (Eps. 138-142), Pastor Lutzer prays specifically for you from three Psalms: 32, 40, and 147. Remember this, God uses people at all stages of the journey, even if they haven’t yet experienced total healing.
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Transcript: Welcome to "5 Minutes with Pastor Lutzer." I'm so glad that you joined us again today as we continue our series, "Making the Best of a Bad Decision" and if you've been with us the last several times, you know that, specifically, I've been talking about bad marriage decisions. And this session is going to conclude speaking about marriage but then we're going to go on and talk about other bad decisions in the sessions that follow. But today I thought that we would do something very unique that I've never done before. I have such a burden on my heart for those who are in bad marriages, destructive marriages. I want to spend some time in prayer. And I've chosen three passages of scripture to pray.
I'm thinking of this one in Psalm 40. I used this with a man who fell into immorality. His wife was very angry, understandably, we worked through some issues of reconciliation and to the glory of God, their marriage is prospering today. Now, oftentimes, those relationships don't work out at all but this time, it did. But this was the passage of scripture and I'm going to pray it even as I read it. Father, I thank you today for David who said that you drew him up from the pit of destruction out of the miry bog and that you set his feet upon a rock, making his steps secure. I thank you, Father, that you put a new song in his mouth singing praise to God. Many will see it and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Father, today, there are some people who need this passage. I pray it on their behalf. Lift them up from the miry bog. Set their feet on a rock. Put a new song in their mouth in the midst of a marriage that is falling apart.
And then I'm reminded of another story of a relationship that I was involved in counseling, where there was dishonesty. A man took an investment and behind his wife's back, made a very bad financial decision. So that all had to come out and end up being processed, but their marriage is also doing well today. So, what we must do is to recognize that God answers prayer and for the many who have sinned in so many different ways, I want to pray Psalm 32. "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." Father, I want to pray today for all who are watching this and listening, I ask in Jesus name that as they struggle with guilt and they struggle with their past, help them to come clean. Where sin needs to be exposed, we pray that it might be exposed, that they might be able to pray with David, "For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, your hand was heavy upon me. My strength was dried up as the heat of summer but then I acknowledged my sin to you. My sin I did not hide." Father, I pray that there might be many who are praying this right now in the midst of relationships that may be very difficult, disappointing, and painful. Help, we pray that sin will be exposed where it needs to be, that there might be reconciliation and true forgiveness. Honor Yourself, Father, in marriages that are really ready to perhaps be destroyed by Satan. Honor Yourself by bringing them together and putting that new song of forgiveness on their lips.
And then, there's a third passage of scripture I want to go to today. You know, in my ministry, I have found so many people who have been wounded because of their past and I want to say this to you, if you fall into that category, do you know that you don't need all your wounds healed in order for God to use you? I'm so glad that God uses imperfect people. God uses people who are on the journey but they've not yet come to their destination. Don't we rejoice in the fact that God uses people at all the different stages of their walk? Even if you've not experienced total healing, could you at least begin today? And I want to pray this prayer for you, where it says that, "The Lord builds up Jerusalem." We understand that and this, by the way, is Psalm 147—"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Father, today, would you heal the brokenhearted? I can think for example of that woman who was abused as a girl by her father or abused by men. I think of the young boy, Father, who is taken advantage of. He has a deep wound in his heart, maybe a father wound or whatever else. Would you heal the brokenhearted? Would you bind up their wounds? And then, Lord, we read that you determine the number of the stars and you give all of them their names. Father, our heart's rejoice when we look into the night sky and remember that there are more stars in the sky than there are grains of sand on the seashores of the world and You, in Your infinite power and strength, bind up the brokenhearted.
Give hope today, Father, to all who suffer. Take marriages and bring them together and use them for the glory of God and for the honor of Your name. We ask this Lord, through the name of Jesus, Amen.
I want to thank you so much for joining us today. Join me again next time as we continue this series, entitled, "Making the Best of a Bad Decision." We're going to be talking about such things as being in a vocation that you don't enjoy. You wish that you were doing something else but you have to get out of bed and go to work every day to put bread on the table. How does God make the best of bad decisions? You join us next time but as for today, you just go with God.