Category: MASH United

Do you have any idea how important it is for your wife to know you are praying for her? Do you have any idea how much peace your children can have when they know their father is standing in the gap for them as they go about their days? Even if they don’t seem to be aware of your efforts in this arena, God notices and responds.

Holding those you love before the Lord is big stuff to Him. It’s also big stuff for your family because it makes an amazing difference in the spiritual realm where wars are won on their behalf. A father or husband on his knees is dangerous to the enemy who wants to rob and destroy. In his eyes, you’re an unbeatable foe. He has no weapon that can win over you as you submit yourself and your family to God.

As you observe your family in action, ask the Lord how you should pray for each one. Sit quietly and wait for Him to reveal their needs to you. Make it your business to intervene on their behalf. In doing so, you will help turn the tide of any warfare that comes their way. You become dangerous in the spiritual realm. You become a mighty warrior, and God sees you as His mighty man. That’s a really good thing!

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Jim Corbett

Sometimes the responsibility of holding our offices of husband and father becomes pretty overwhelming, especially if we’re attempting to hold them in a way that pleases the Lord. Standing in the gap for another until Christ is fully formed in that person - which is very much a part of our duties as stewards - is hard work. Paul described the process as if being in the pains of childbirth.

My own experiences in laboring for my wife and family have sometimes seemed more than I can bear. It’s not that they had gone astray or were in such dire need of prayer outwardly; I just knew that they needed spiritual intervention, possibly to thwart off intended warfare by the enemy. In those times, it’s vitally important to remain in the gap for them, no matter what the cost might be.

Being a husband and father is no light duty. These offices are highly regarded by the Lord. They carry major responsibilities that are designed to benefit others rather than ourselves. It is a continual death to our own needs for the best interests of those He holds dear. It is sometimes painful, but most often incredibly rewarding as we see those we love prospering in Christ.

As you wait on God for your family, be ready to fight the fight for them at every opportunity. The labor pains may be intense at times, but the joy you are giving the Lord through your involvement in their lives is worth every effort put forth.

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Jim Corbett

If you are like most of us guys, plans, ideas, challenges, and a myriad of other mind games consume our time and cause us to seek outcomes that seem logical to us. We think our way into scenarios, feeling that it’s part of our function as husbands and fathers. Although planning for the future is good and necessary, plans that originate with “logical us” instead of God easily crop up, and a life ordained by us doesn’t glorify Him.

Although our Father in heaven wants us to steward our time wisely and make our days count, He is training us to leave every moment we live in His hands.  For most of us, that’s a hard thing to do even though we know that it’s right and it’s what Jesus did. He fully submitted to His Father’s will, doing nothing of Himself.

There’s probably not much you and I can do about how we’ve taken charge of our lives in the past. There is, however, an awful lot we can do from this time forward. Wisdom would say that it’s time for each of us to fully surrender to the Lord in every area of our lives. The example of Jesus fully surrendering His every thought, action, desire, and outcome to His Father is a pattern that pleases the heart of God. It’s also a formula for success as He sees it.

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Jim Corbett

Make sure you respond to the call God has for your life. Make sure you don’t choose to take the easier road by living a life that’s different than God intended.

If you follow hard after God, you’ll probably feel like you’re on the outside looking in within the church. I'm not talking about doing weird things that discredit the integrity of the Gospel. I mean that if you follow the example of the life of Jesus and move only when and where God tells you, people will not understand. You may find yourself giving away your possessions, taking a lesser job so you can reach people, or - heaven forbid - trusting God completely for your provision while you go into full time service.

One of the most heart-wrenching sights you'll ever see is the  emptiness in the eyes of those who have not responded to the call of God, usually because of fear or their lust for worldly goods. Those desires may be simple things, like security, new clothes, or a new car. They understand deep down that they have heard the call of their Creator and have said "no" when asked to fulfill His desires for their lives. Nothing,  absolutely nothing, will satisfy the emptiness of soul that follows.

After saying “no” to the Lord, most of them eventually find themselves working feverishly at some other ministry or filling a myriad  of church positions to cover up the emptiness. The end result is almost always an involvement with other weary, often critical people who are also doing good works, attempting to make a difference of some sort to cover their pain, rather than following after God's original plan for their lives. How sad! How grievous to God. Just say yes!

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Jim Corbett

When I first came to the Lord, I couldn’t comprehend how a man could also be part of the bride of Christ. “Macho Me” had great difficulty surrendering my masculinity to some bridal story in which I was to play a part.

Over the years, I have learned of the wonder and privilege I have as a member of God’s family, and how I was to prepare for my role as a man, a husband, a father, and a waiting bride. I learned that the epitome of being a man is to prepare myself for Jesus as a waiting bride would prepare for her wedding day. I’m to be sincere about my intentions, focused on my preparations, and meticulous about my appearance before Him. I am to prepare to honor Him and join myself with Him, having gained His kind of heart through my preparation - all for His joy and glory. I want to do that!

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Jim Corbett