All marriages need constant maintenance in order to remain strong and to last a lifetime. It is like a house that needs constant upkeep and without upkeep begins to fall apart (Ecclesiastes 10:18). There is always work to be done around the house.
Some marriages need just a little touch‑up work. Some only a little remodeling and redecorating while others need a complete restoration from the foundation up. It is a fact of life that it is easier to destroy than to build: demolishing a house vs. building one (like smashing a pumpkin vs. growing one; crushing a pop can vs. manufacturing one). Relationships, too, are not immune to this quick destruction process. The good news is the destruction can be stopped. The bad news is, it will probably take time to rebuild. Very often this is how we can help others in a troubled marriage: stop the destruction and encourage the rebuilding.
We Should Pray and We Can Pray
1 Samuel 12:23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:
Ezekiel 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
1. We need to get involved beyond advice and opinions and stand in the gap for them. Do not get involved unless you are willing to pray.
2. The gap is the space or distance between the desirable and what actually exists:
a. “He is beyond reach.” There is a gap.
b. “She is beyond reach.” There is a gap.
c. “They are not listening.” There is a gap.
d. “I do not feel I love them.” There is a gap.
3. Aside from any fault on either side, there is warfare going on, wedging the gap farther apart. The devil’s tactic is to separate whatever has been joined Matthew 12:25; 2 Corinthians 2:11. We labor in prayer to push against the devil and demon powers to keep them from pushing against the saints.
We are called to intercede. First Timothy 2:1 says, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” Our intercession can help bring quiet and peace to a troubled marriage.
An intercessor is one who takes the place of another to request or petition in behalf of another. Intercession is not done to persuade God, change God or overcome any reluctance on His part. Intercession is to change people, places and things and to break down satanic strongholds which bind or prevent people from understanding and receiving God’s will. This is the reason why we must persist and persevere. We can intercede with speaking the truth of God’s Word in prayer in our own language or we can intercede in the spirit with speaking in other tongues, or the supernatural language of the Spirit Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
No matter what struggles you are going through in your marriage or how deep the pain goes there is still hope because of Jesus.
Pastor John Rasicci is the founder and Pastor of Word of His Grace Church in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where we are building people who are building the Church. Pastor's ministry mission is to help people discover God's dream for their Life, the Local Church, and the Last Days' Harvest. With a strong emphasis on the grace of God and with a prophetic voice, Pastor John preaches and teaches in churches, conferences, and crusades both locally and throughout the world. He has produced books, tapes, and other teaching materials to empower, enable, and equip Believers with the Word of God. Pastor John is married to his wife Candy who with their three children, Krista, Joanna, John Anthony, and two son-in-laws, Matt and Doug, serve together in the ministry. After graduating from Kent State University, Pastor John pursued a career in professional baseball before accepting the call to the ministry. He and his wife, Candy, received their ministry training from Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
John Rasicci 
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