*DOMINION MANDATE DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2020

*COMMUNICATION: KEY TO A STRONG MARRIAGE*

*BIBLE READING: EPHESIANS 5:22-33; AMOS 3:3*

*"Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honour to the wife as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered." 1Peter 3:7(NKJV).*

One of the most threatened institutions on Earth is the marriage union; for instance, a survey carried out in the United States of America a few years ago revealed that 50% of first marriages, 67% of second marriages and 74% of third marriages all ended in divorce. The disturbing thing about this is that many Christian marriages are being sucked into this blackhole at an alarming rate; the Scripture declares, *"So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."(Matthew 19:6NKJV).* Since it is an established fact that no man can shut any door which the Lord God Almighty Himself has opened, why do some Christian marriages seem to be the exception?

Every marriage made in Heaven must be maintained on Earth, hence, God has given us the responsibility of protecting our nuptial bonds from the serpent in the Garden. The following are four (4) potential pitfalls to every marriage (in no particular order):
•Communication
•Sex
•Money
•The 3rd Party

Every relationship, including marriage, grows stronger through fellowship or communion (2Corinthians 13:14). At the core of communion is communication, which is the lifeblood of every relationship. In other words, what blood is to the human body is what communication is to every relationship. The Bible tells us that the man *"shall LEAVE his father and mother, and shall CLEAVE unto his wife:and they shall BE one flesh."(Genesis 2:24 KJV).* The word "BE" is derived from the Hebrew word "Hayah" which literally means "Become." The truth is that becoming one in a marriage involves a process. The suffix "ing" in the English Language connotes the Present Continuous Tense and effective communication facilitates this process. In view of this, we must be "naked and not ashamed" before our spouses, causing us to know per time how their minds are working (Genesis 2:25).

Since 55% of communication is non-verbal, can you confidently interprete what your spouse is "saying" through their body language alone? If you cannot answer in the affirmative, then a communication breach is present which needs to be nipped in the bud.

The effectiveness and value of an ambassador lies in his ability to accurately represent the interests of his principal in his host country; you cannot represent such interests if you never knew or understood them in the first place. When the Scripture said, "Adam knew Eve his wife," that wasn't merely a reference to procreational intercourse. The word "know" comes from the Hebrew word "yada"(the same as the Greek word "ginosko", which amongst other things means knowledge by experience. The more quality time we spend together with our spouses communicating each other's expectations and peculiarities, the stronger our nuptial bonds become.

*PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we exalt you for all You are and all You do; we receive the grace to understand our spouses through effective communication that we may keep the enemy at bay. Thank You for this, Lord, in Jesus' Mighty Name.

*ACTION POINT
Take time out with your spouse and get to know him/her better, observe him/her carefully to decipher their body language.