Coveting your prayers
How does change come to a culture where, for many generations, marriages have been saturated in conflict? How are relationships and families transformed by the teaching of God’s Word?
Ralf Schlegel writes that a weekend seminar was held recently for the Dinangat church, taught by Suke and his wife, Ana. Suke and Ana are NTM workers from the city who are citizens of Papua New Guinea. They had much to share from their own experiences about God’s plan for marriage and how it looks in local culture.
With hearts that God has opened for spiritual truth, Dinangat believers are learning brand new concepts from God’s Word about His pattern for Christian marriage.
In the case of some, Ralf says the teaching brought up questions like, “What do I do when my wife does not respect me and doesn’t listen to me?” In other cases, especially from older believers who have long-established patterns and carry old wounds and hurts, there were deeper, harder questions.
In a culture that is saturated with both physical and verbal conflict, transforming Biblical teaching from mature believers who have lived that culture is a welcome pattern for a fresh start.
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord … Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” (Ephesians 5:22, 25)
Suke spoke to the whole church, as well as believers from a neighboring village, on Saturday. Later, “Ana met with the women and talked about women’s responsibilities … She used examples out of her own life and made it very practical for the women.” And Suke did the same thing with the men.
“It was just very neat to see how the believers here have a desire to live according to God’s Word,” Ralf says. “We thank God for that … but it will take a long time for wounds to heal. We would covet your prayers for them in that.”
Your prayers are needed for the Dinangat believers who are seeking to apply the Biblical principles they have learned about marriage.