When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ( Matthew 6:16-18)

Introduction: "The biggest problem I faced in our marriage was my husband's temper. The only ones who were ever the object of his anger were me and the children. He used words like weapons that left me crippled or paralyzed." What about the middle aged and elderly couples who no longer desire or are able to be at the ready for sex on demand at all times? What about marriages where one person is disabled? I am disabled and so could not be the perfect wife (shame on me!). However, God has used this challenge to make my husband into a more gentle, patient, and less selfish person. And his patience with me has helped me to be grateful to him, and makes me love him more.This article is part of our prayer resources meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray. The first problem is that she assumes the husband is Christian too. Praying for your husband is even more important if he isn't saved, and Stormie Ormatian seemed to forget that aspect, which made me feel like I wasn't part of the target group. There are numerous scriptures throughout the Bible that encourage us to pray and highlight the true power that is in prayer. Here are just two.

Jesus taught, "…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." The Bible urges us, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18).

Power of Prayer and How Do I Tap into It?

Heather Riggleman is a believer, wife, mom, author, social media consultant, and full-time writer. She lives in Minden, Nebraska with her kids, high school sweetheart, and three cats who are her entourage around the homestead. She is a former award-winning journalist with over 2,000 articles published. She is full of grace and grit, raw honesty, and truly believes tacos can solve just about any situation. You can find her on GodUpdates, iBelieve, Crosswalk, Hello Darling, Focus On The Family, and in Brio Magazine. Connect with her at www.HeatherRiggleman.com or on Facebook. I think I may have found this book at Wal-Mart, which is good because that means it can hit a wider base if people than if it were just sold at B&N, for example. Anyway, Mrs. Omartian divides the book into 30 chapters, each with an aspect of a Christian man's life, from sexuality to faith to fatherhood. Actually, that is one of the best things about it, its holistic approach to protection through faith. Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” We’ve discussed that prayer is God’s purpose and command for believers to receive power from God and victory through God. Now let’s talk about how prayer gives us access to God. Paul and Barnabas pray and fast to ask for guidance in appointing elders over the first-century church ( Acts 14:23). 2. Fasting Prayers Serve Multiple Purposes

Chapter 6: "God wants us to get through temptation because He wants to bless us. But He needs to see if we can be trusted to choose His ways over our fleshly desires." Let me state this clearly. God is infinite, perfect, all knowing, and all powerful. He doesn't need to see anything about us, he already knows. He does not need anything from us. Second, prayer is God’s command to us. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing.” For the Christian, prayer is not optional and it is not a suggestion. It is a command from God because He knows we need prayer for our spiritual survival. God does not call us to pray to make Himself feel good; He commands us to pray because He knows we need prayer. Prayer is powerful because it works! Prayer connects us to the greatest source of power there is. God is infinite and will never run out of power and grants that same power to those who ask in prayer. We never have to let thoughts like this stop us from praying: “God’s got more important prayers to answer, I don’t want to bother God with my little issues, I’m afraid God won’t answer my prayer.” In Matthew 7:7 Jesus says: Stormie Omartian is the best-selling author of The Power of a Praying series with over 32 million books sold worldwide. In high demand as an international speaker, Stormie’s passion is to help people know God and love Him in a deep way. A survivor of child abuse, Stormie brings a deep understanding of recovery issues to her work.

What is Fasting?

Trust in God; Trust in Jesus, both through prayer and the Word. That's the moral, and once you do everything falls into place including and especially marriage. God's help through the power of prayer is available for all kinds of requests and issues. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." If you need an example of a prayer, read Matthew 6:9-13. These verses are known as the Lord's prayer. The Lord's prayer is not a prayer we are supposed to memorize and simply recite to God. It is only an example of how to pray and the things that should go into a prayer - worship, trust in God, requests, confession, protection, etc. Pray for these kinds of things, but speak to God using your own words. To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fasttwice a week and give a tenthof all I get.’ The sovereign Lord (verses 24,28). God is the all-powerful creator and sustainer, the One who knows the end from the beginning and who has His great plan of campaign which no-one can hinder. The power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. Rather, the power resides in the God who is being prayed to. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." No matter the person praying, the passion behind the prayer, or the purpose of the prayer - God answers prayers that are in agreement with His will. His answers are not always yes, but are always in our best interest. When our desires line up with His will, we will come to understand that in time. When we pray passionately and purposefully, according to God's will, God responds powerfully!