Have you seen the movie, War Room? It’s an inspiring story about the power of prayer. A woman’s marriage is crumbling when she meets a new client that challenges her to establish a “war room” and a battle plan for prayer. The woman is encouraged to step out in faith and through her faith and prayers, God reconciles her marriage in an amazing way. It was years after my divorce that I established a strong testimony of the power of prayer. I learned that I had no control what happens to my children when they were at their dad’s home. I couldn’t control what he or his partner said about me, how they disciplined the kids, or what they did. The only thing I knew to do was to pray for them, all of them; my kids and their dad and his partner. Praying for my wasband and his partner was the most difficult thing I’ve done especially when I harbored anger and resentment towards both of them. But, God laid it on my heart to pray for them no matter how I felt about them personally. He gradually changed me inside and worked in my wasband too. In time we reconciled and became friends.
When I wrote my book RECONCILED, I wanted to share my personal story with others who have been through divorce and remarriage of how God healed me and united our blended family through faith and prayers. I know from experience that prayers work. Perhaps you’re struggling with ghosts of marriage past or in conflict with your co-parent and or step kids. Blended families are messy and challenging. That’s why I’m so passionate about the work that I do with stepcouples and blended families. Do you pray for you, your spouse, stepfamily and blended family? If not, would you be willing to pray for them? Maybe you’re already praying for them. If not, would you be willing to include them in you prayers? If God answers my prayers, He’ll answer you’re too.
Testimony of the Prayer Wall
At the beginning of this year, God put in my heart to establish a blended family “prayer wall” so I could pray for the stepcouples and their blended families that I work with, know personally, and have been asked to pray for. I realized, from my own experiences, that families need someone to pray for them and to fight for them. Not physically fight but to spiritually fight for them. The prayer wall is like the War Room. I know that these blended families will be blessed and receive miracles as I/we step out in faith and pray for one another. Recently, I learned of three woman on the prayer wall that received a miracle in their blended family relationships. One woman, that I have been working with recently, received a miracle in her marriage and I felt compelled to share her story and her testimony, with her permission of course.
When I first met Amanda, she was struggling as a single mom with two young children, a toddler and a baby and living with her mom and stepdad. She and her husband had been separated for over a year and lived in two different towns. She wanted to be able to stand on her own two feet and be independent and take care of herself and her two children. So, she got a part time job, applied for help for housing and child care, and applied to go back to school. Amanda also knew inside that she needed help personally and spiritually because she harbored anger and bitterness in her heart towards her husband from their past together. Amanda was referred to me by a mutual friend in February only she lost my number. A few months later we met through some work that we did together through her new job. When I told her about me and my background she realized that I was the person she was referred to. She then asked me for help and I offered to mentor her. So we began our work together and I added her and her husband and blended family on the prayer wall. Through prayer and mentoring over many months, God began to change her inside. He healed her wounds, helped her to forgive and let go of her anger, accept love into her heart, and put in her a new mind and spirit.
In July, Amanda called me and was very upset. She had dropped off her son to his dad’s house (her husband’s house) and he asked her to stay for the 4th of July holiday weekend. This was a “good thing” she said. They had been talking and getting along well and the fact that he invited her to spend the holiday weekend with him was big. What happened that weekend ended up being a miracle in disguise. Amanda and her husband went to a party over the holiday weekend and some of her husbands friends from a club he’s involved in were there. Things got out of hand at the party and a fight broke out. People got hurt including her husband. Amanda was upset with her husband. When she called me, we prayed together for her husband and for her. As it turns out, Amanda and her husband were talking about reconciling their marriage before the fight that weekend. Amanda was able to talk to her husband about what happened with the fight. She stated, ” he’s usually closed off when I talk to him about his choice of friends in the club but for some reason, he was open to talking with me about it.” Immediately it came to my mind to reach out to some friends I knew that have a ministry. I felt my friends husband could help Amanda’s husband. So, I reached out to my friend and we both spoke to Amanda on the phone. My friend shared her testimony with Amanda of how God worked in her and her husband’s marriage and took their brokenness and healed them and restored their marriage. The three of us agreed that her husband needed to talk to Amanda’s husband. But how? We didn’t know how that would go over with Amanda’s husband.
The three of us prayed that God would work things out for the two men to talk. As it turned out, Amanda’s husband agreed to meet with my friends husband. After the two men met, Amanda and her husband continued to reconcile their relationship and work on their marriage. We don’t know what words were exchanged between the two men but I know that God had a hand in it. Amanda also experienced a breakthrough with her stepson’s biological mother (her husband’s ex partner). Amanda and the ex partner were once rivals and now they are getting along. Amanda stated, “God has been working in me and my husband. The way we use to talk and communicate was out of anger and neither of us listened to the other. Today, we communicate more openly and are kinder to one another. I used to over act when I got upset with my husband. Now I think about what I’m going to say and how I’m going to communicate with my husband before I talk to him. And, I ask God to help me. It’s crazy how much better we’re getting along, a good crazy.”
Creating Your Own Prayer Wall
So, would you willing to step out in faith and start a prayer wall for you and your blended family? A simple way to start a prayer wall is by picking a wall in a room of your house, maybe in the living room or in the kitchen where your family can see it or maybe you prefer to be private in an office or a bedroom. Next, cut out circles or heart shape pieces of paper, one for each family member. Write their name on the paper (I use different permanent colored markers for each name. I also draw hearts on it. Be creative). Then, put tape on the back of the paper and stick it up on the wall (I have a cross at the top of the prayer wall). Sometimes I’m not actually in the room when I pray for the families but I usually include them in my daily prayers. I start out with, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I lift up all of the blended families on the prayer wall to you heavenly father. I pray for their healing, well-being, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, truth, trust in you, open communication with one another, love, ect.” I pray for whatever God lays upon my heart to pray for them.
Perhaps the prayer wall doesn’t resonate with you or you don’t have time to implement one into your busy schedule. If you would like me to add you and your blended family to “The Prayer Wall” that I’ve started, click HERE and I’ll add your family to it, including co-parents, their partners and children.
I hope this helps. Please email me. I’d love to hear about your prayer wall and how God’s moving in your blended family.
Blessings to you and your family
Bobbi
Heart and Soul! 