Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Ephesians chapter 5 at the conclusion of

Paul talking about marriage he says this mystery of marriage is profound and I'm saying

that it refers to Christ in the church. And then he says in verse 33 however let

each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she

respects her husband.

These verses remind us that marriage was designed by God from the beginning for a purpose.

When God brought man and woman together in marriage, he was giving the world a picture of Christ and the

church. In a husband's love for his wife and a husband's sacrificial serving

his wife he would show the world a picture of how

Christ loves his bride, the church, how Christ gives himself up as a servant for

the church. And then in a wife's respect and love for her husband

and following her husband's leadership the world would see a picture of how the church follows Christ, how the church gladly

submits to Christ and his good leadership in our lives.

So this picture in marriage is not to be toyed or trifled with in our day.

We obviously see it toyed and trifled with and redefined even in different ways and we must be all the more

zealous to make sure that this picture of Christ and the church is clear in our marriages. So let's pray for that.

Oh God, pray for husbands. Help us, we pray to show Christ love for the church in the way we love our

wives. Lord to help us to lay our lives down serving them, building them up,

cherishing them, nourishing them,

helping them to grow in beauty according to your word.

We pray that you would help us to love our wives well and in the process show the world how much

...