*DOMINION MANDATE DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020

*THAT HE MAY SANCTIFY AND CLEANSES HER*

*BIBLE READING: EPHESIANS 5:24-26; 1PETER 3:7*

*That he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, Ephesians 5:26 (NKJV).*

The calling of husbands is to groom their brides into wives which indeed is a sacred calling that requires time and energy. However, in other for a husband to fulfill this calling, his wife should allow herself to be groomed.

In our key text from Ephesians 5:26, two words stand out; 'sanctify' and 'cleanse.' To sanctify is; "to make holy, set apart as sacred; consecrate; to purify or free from sin." To cleanse is - "to rid of impurities by or as if by washing."

To build a family, a marriage sanctified by religious ceremony is considered sacred, from that moment forward both spouses become sanctified unto each other, that is why adultery is a heinous crime. Adultery is the violation of a scared oath of which both parties made God a witness.

When a man and woman come together in marriage, they both bring into the marriage many toxic and unhealthy characters, attitudes, and habits. In order to have the wife of his dreams, a husband should take his job description as very important to God. For a husband to sanctify and cleanse his wife, he needs a lot knowledge. In 1Peter 3:7, the Apostle commanded husbands to dwell with wives according to knowledge. Irrespective of the numerous seminars, books and conferences on marriage, knowing your wife is a great source of knowledge that can enable you to be proficient in sanctifying and cleansing her.

A Husband should learn to listen to his wife's verbal and non-verbal communication to understand her. He must understand what blesses her and causes her distress. Every husband should arm himself with the knowledge of God's word, and be sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit to fulfill his roles in the marriage institution.

Women are primarily moved by what they hear, therefore, to sanctify and cleanse his wife, the word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit are the major keys a husband needs to groom his wife as he relates with her, communicating with grace (Col.4:6).

Remember that at the marriage ceremony the man is called the GROOM and the woman is called the BRIDE and not a wife. It is now the responsibility of the groom to turn his bride into the wife of his dreams. Husband, your dream wife is yours to create and you should take a cue form the way God created Adam, and formed Eve. God created Adam from the dust of the earth but formed Eve from the rib of the man, so their material composition is different. Adam's material was from raw dust while Eve's was from refined material. Little wonder husbands were charged to dwell with them according knowledge.

Remember that the Lord Jesus is still sanctifying and cleansing His Bride for two thousand plus years now. If you have not obtained the wife of your dreams yet, do not give up.

*PRAYER
Father in heaven, I ask this day that grace, mercy, wisdom, and knowledge be granted me on this journey of marriage in Jesus name, amen.