Marital Success (8)

Date: Wednesday, 2nd July, 2025

Text:  Ecclesiastes 4:9-11

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

The word of God says, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?” Ecclesiastes 4:9-11

Marriage is not a union between two perfect spouses. Each individual in the union has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. The beauty of the union is that they perfect each other’s areas of strengths and weaknesses. Where the husband is weak, the wife is strong and where the wife is weak the husband is strong.

This brings us to the eighth principle of marital success called the Principle of Complementarity.

Complementarity between a husband and his wife relationship refers to the way the two of them being individuals’ different, and often with opposite qualities and needs fit together, creating a sense of completeness and balance. It’s when one spouse’s strengths compensate for the other’s weaknesses, and vice versa, leading to a more harmonious and fulfilling union.

Today, we see so many husbands and wives competing instead of complementing each other. This is very wrong. If you are a husband married to a wife who earns more than you, don’t feel inferior or intimidated. In a godly home, her own financial strength is meant to compensate for your own weakness.

Do everything to promote each other’s areas of strength and cover up for each other’s areas of weakness. Let the name of Christ be glorified in your home.

Prayer Nugget: Father, I receive understanding and wisdom to complement and not to compete with my spouse in Jesus name.

Bible in One Year: Proverbs 4-7

Be Thou Perfect

Date: Tuesday, 1st July, 2025

Text:  Genesis 17:1-27

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Happy new month folks! Welcome to the seventh month and the beginning of the second half of the year. The word of God says, “The glory of the latter house shall surpass the former.”- Haggai 2:9. We are also assured that better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof- Ecclesiastes 7:8. On the authority and strength of these scriptures, I decree that the second half of this year shall be more glorious than the first half in Jesus name. Again I decree that the second half of this year shall be better than the first in every ramification in Jesus name.

When it was time for God to fulfill his 25-year old promise to Abram, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” Genesis 17:1. It was a divine requirement for the Lord to perfect all that concerned Abram. In Romans 6:1, the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul asked, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” The answer came in the second verse saying, “God forbid!”

Abram cooperated with God by obeying him. He rededicated his life to God by going through the painful process of circumcising himself and every male member of his household- Genesis 17:9-27.

There was a paradigm shift in the life of Abram- his name and that of his wife were changed. Not long after these experiences, their long awaited child of promise was born; God perfected all that concerned them and their reproach was taken away- Genesis 21:1-7.

There is someone reading this devotional, God is about to perfect all that concerns you but he is asking you to walk before him and be perfect. Rededicate your life to Christ in obedience. Separate yourself unto him in holiness. Turn your back completely to the world and its sinful pleasures and focus your attention unto Christ alone who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.

God will finish what he has started in your life and perfect all that concerns you in Jesus name.

Let us pray!

Prayer Nuggets:

  1. Thank you father for your mercy and grace in the first half of this year.
  2. Father, thank you for bringing me into this new half.
  3. By the blood of Jesus I break away from everything tying me down in worldliness.
  4. Father, by the strength of your Holy Spirit I will walk before you and be perfect in Jesus name.
  5. Father, please perfect all that concerns me in this new month in Jesus name.
  6. Father, please, let the second half of this year be better and more glorious than the first in Jesus name.
  7. Add your own prayer requests.

Bible in One Year: Proverbs 1-3

Marital Success (7)

Date: Monday, 30th  June, 2025

Texts:  Proverbs 5:18-20

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

If your marriage must succeed you must engage the seventh principle called the Contentment principle.

To be contented is to be happy and satisfied with what you have. Without this virtue, you won’t be happy even if you marry one hundred spouses. If you don’t believe me ask the woman at the well.

The woman at the well thought she was going to get a better spouse so she kept divorcing them one after the other hoping to get a better man. She didn’t even after 5 husbands. She got tired of getting married and started flirting around the sixth man who was not her husband. This was her condition before she met Christ- John 4:1-19.

Covetousness is the result of lack of contentment and we are warned not to covet a neighbour’s spouse. Even though king David already had four spouses, he still coveted another person’s wife, namely Bathsheba before God’s hammer of judgment landed on him- 2 Samuel 11-12:1-20.

His Son, king Solomon even explored more looking for something he couldn’t get in 700 wives of royal birth. He still coveted after 300 other women called concubines- 1 Kings 11:3.

At the end of the day, he realized that everything was vanity upon vanity. He came to the reality that all he accumulated gave him no sense of fulfillment but found that they were ultimately futile, empty, and without lasting value. It’s like chasing the wind or trying to grasp smoke. 

The word of God says, “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love. For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, and be embraced in the arms of a seductress?”Proverbs 5:18-20

Changing spouses or accumulating them does not still satisfy until you embrace the virtue of contentment in Christ Jesus.

Key Nugget: Godliness with contentment is great gain- 1 Timothy 6:6.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 141-150

Marital Success (6)

Date: Sunday, 29th  June, 2025

Texts:  1 Timothy 5:8. 2 Thessalonians 3:10

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Mutual Responsibility is the sixth principle that ensures marital success. In marriage each spouse has his or her own duty.

Right from the very beginning the man has been saddled with the responsibility of working in the Garden Of Eden and keeping it. He is expected to use the proceeds to take care of himself and his household- Genesis 2:15.

Therefore, scripturally speaking the husband, being the head of the family has the duty of being the bread winner or chief provider of the family.

Again, the word of God says, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel- 1 Timothy 5:8. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 also says, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

Marriage is hard work. It is not for idle and lazy people. As as the head of the family, the husband should derive joy and find fulfillment in providing for his family. It is an aberration to abandon this responsibility to the wife- even if she earns more than him. The wife is only supposed to be an help meet- someone who assists on the side, not the chief provider.

However, the wife is not also expected to be idle.  A virtuous woman as seen in Proverbs 31 is a very dutiful wife who complements the efforts of her husband and takes charge of the affairs of her household to ensure nothing goes wrong.

If your marriage must work, each of the spouses must ensure that he or she does not drop the ball at any point in time but fulfills his or her God-given responsibilities.

Action Nugget: Pray and plan to be responsible in taking charge of the affairs of your home.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 134-140

Marital Success (5)

Date: Saturday, 28th  June, 2025

Text:  Proverbs 18:21

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

The fifth principle necessary for marital success is the Mutual Communication Principle. Your spouse is supposed to be your gist partner, your closest confidant. Communication can be either verbal or non-verbal. Your spouse is supposed to understand your body language. He or she should hear you even when you have not verbally said anything.

The story was told of a policeman who had served in different part of Nigeria for a period of thirty five years. Routinely, he was moved to different states of the nation during his time in the Nigerian police force. During this time, he didn’t move with his family but left them in the town where he had his own personal landed property.

Eventually he was retired. At this time he no longer travelled as he used to do but was always with his wife under the same roof. He discovered that he always had quarrels with his wife. It was as if they were two strangers forced to live under the same roof- after about four decades of marriage! It was as if they then started courtship all over again.

Before then he had been a visiting husband who only came home once in a while. The family was financially stable but mutual communication was very poor due to proximity issues. Mutual communication enhances closeness. You may find it challenging to understand somebody you don’t frequently talk to.

After a while the frequent heated arguments and quarrels between the couple reduced to the barest minimum because they eventually became close and understood each other via frequent mutual communication.

The word of God says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21

Action Nugget:Invest in mutual communication between you and your spouse and enjoy the life-giving benefit of your tongue.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 120-133

Marital Success (4)

Date: Friday, 27th  June, 2025

Text:  1 Corinthians 7:3-5

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

If we must achieve marital success we must engage the fourth principle which I call the Proximity Principle.

The quest for greener pastures has made a lot of families to become separated. There are couples that have separated for many years due to inability of the other spouse to secure the visa or residence permit necessary to join the partner in the desired country.

This forceful separation has wrecked havoc in many homes. Today we have thousands of spouses who are officially married but live singly- married but suffering from the loneliness of a single.

The very cardinal purpose of marriage is companionship. In Genesis 2:18, “ The Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

Other words for companionship are intimacy, closeness and togetherness. Thank God for technology. But it has lots of limitations that makes it not able to fill the gap left by separation.

Generally, any separation that spans more than six months could lead to loneliness and portends great danger for any couple.

The Spirit Of God through Apostle Paul further says, “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” 1 Corinthians 7:3-5

Action Nugget: Save your marriage by bridging the proximity gap between you and your spouse.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 119

Marital Success (3)

Date: Thursday, 26th  June, 2025

Texts:  Luke 12:2; James 5:16

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Apart from the Principles Of Fidelity, Love and Submission, another principle necessary for marital success is Openness and Sincerity.

There was the case of a wife who was a single mother before she met her husband. She and her family members kept it as a secret. They made the husband believe that the son born out of wedlock was the wife’s little brother.

The husband thus showed so much love to his wife’s “little brother”. So for about twenty years it remained a secret until, out of guilt, the boy himself confessed that the wife of the man was his mother and not his elder sister.

As you might rightly guess, the husband was heart-broken and lost trust in his wife. He wept in disappointment and found it very difficult to believe the spouse anymore. It was more painful because the wife professed strong faith in Christ; she was even ordained and was a titled leader in the church- yet she was hardened and lacked the virtue of sincerity. Do you think their marriage will ever remain the same?

Some spouses would secretly undergo building projects without the knowledge of their husbands or wives. The day the secret leaks out the marriage may scatter. Many marriages failed in this manner.

There is nothing new under heaven. If there is any secret you have been hiding from your spouse, why not find a way to tell him or her? Why wait till he discovers himself? By then it may be too late to salvage the situation.

The word of God says,For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.” Luke 12:2. Therefore, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16.

Action Nugget: Practice the Principle of Sincerity and Openness with your spouse. Don’t allow any secrets which when discovered can scatter your home.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 112-118

Marital Success (2)

Date: Wednesday, 25th  June, 2025

Text:  Ephesians 5:22-31

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

In a world filled with millions of failed marriages, broken homes, divorcees, single mothers and fathers, it is important to know the principles that enhance marital success- marital success as defined by the word of God.

Yesterday, we established the first principle of success in marriage- which is the Principle of Fidelity or Marital Faithfulness. The second principle we see in the word of God is the Principle of Love and Submission.

In Ephesians 5 verse 25, the word of God says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” the love here is not just the erotic or romantic love. The foundation must be the agape love- the Christ-like unconditional love.

Erotic or romantic love can easily fade away with time but if your love is based on the agape love, you will continue to love your wife even when all the physical things that attracted you to her have faded away.

Agape love is a sacrificial love which involves giving your time, resources, energy  and all you have to make your marriage work. This kind of love forgives easily ; it is patient, kind and never keep records of wrongs.

As for the woman, the word of God says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord”- Ephesians 5:22. To submit is to accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person.

This lack of submission is the reason why so many wives have shipwrecked their marriages. Why should the wife submit? The word of God provides the answers saying, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.” Ephesians 5:23-24.

Prayer Nugget: Ask God to fill your heart with love and submission.in Jesus name.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 107-111

Marital Success

Date: Tuesday, 24th  June, 2025

Text:  Hebrews 13:4

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Marriage is not a human idea. Rather it’s divinely instituted and therefore God cannot be removed from the picture if marital success is your desire- Genesis 2:18-24. Someone described marriage as a triangle with the spouses at the bottom edges and God at the meeting point above. Removing God from the triangle is making a mess of the shape.

This is the reason so many marriages are in very bad shape today. God’s principles are not followed in running the marriages and therefore many marital triangles have now either been dissolved or in a complete mess.

Marriage that was originally designed by God to be Heaven on Earth (provided his principles are followed) is now Hell on Earth for many couples because they ignored divine principles and followed human shallow ideas- hence they make a ship wreck of their marital lives.

One of the principles that ensures marital success is the principle of marital fidelity. Some call it marital faithfulness. Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure; for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” NIV

Therefore, principle number one to ensure marital success is marital purity. You want a successful marriage, stay pure!

To those who are not yet married, listen. If your spouse-to-be is not sexually disciplined or if he cannot exercise self control and abstain from premarital sex before the wedding; he won’t be faithful even after.

Self-discipline is key if you must abstain from premarital or extra-marital sex. Self-dicipline is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. This means you can only be able to successfully operate in it when you allow the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you.

Key Nugget: Do you desire marital success? Stay faithful to your spouse and abstain from cheating.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 95-106

Regard For The Weak

Date: Sunday, 22nd June, 2025

Text:  Psalm 41:1-3

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

The Sun does not shine for itself neither does the river flow for itself. All life on Earth survive because the sun does not fail to shine; therefore, photosynthesis continues to assist in the process of food production for plants. Animals survive because plants continue to produce food- not just for themselves but for others- humans and animals.

Life is not designed by God to revolve around one living thing. The strong is not made to strenghten the strong but the weak. The strong who allows himself to be a blessing to the weak will surely become stronger. The reverse is also true.

According to today’s text, the one who has regard for the weak will enjoy certain blessings. Firstly, the Lord will always deliver such a person in times of trouble. Secondly, the Lord preserves and protects him.

Thirdly, the Lord ensures that such a person is counted among the blessed in the land. Fourthly, God does not give him over to the desires of his enemies.

Fifthly, when he falls sick, God ensures that he recovers and is restored back to health- Psalm 41:1-3.

You are not made for yourself; there are some people’s destinies hanging on your shoulders. Don’t let them down.

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed- Proverbs 11:25

Key Nugget: When you refresh others you will be divinely refreshed.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 81-94