Love and War Devotional for Couples

Too often people are willing to just passively let their marriage be something that happens, rather than something they work on. If you want a marriage that will last, sometimes that means going into battle to protect it. It means taking the time to invest in your marriage, and this devotional will help you do just that. Even without reading the Eldredges book, the devotional was able to give me some practical insights into what a Godly marriage should look like. Pick up a copy and give it to anyone you know who might need some insight for marriage!

When I saw this devotional book for review, I went for it. I have always enjoyed devotionals-mainly to help me stay focused on my relationship with Christ and so I don't forget to spend time with Him even with "a busy life" because we all know and (and face it) any and all relationships take work. And as much as we love and care about our spouse, etc..it still takes work. But this was the first devotional I have read about married couples doing a devotional, and together at that! And since I have been married a little over three years, I of course grabbed at the opportunity. My husband is not big on devotionals. He is big on reading but he is very picky about who he reads. At first it was a bit of a struggle to get him to do with me, but after the first few nights he was right there with me. I loved that everything in this devotional was backed up with scripture, including the prayer at the end of each devotional. What I enjoyed about this book was that not only was it divided into an eight week "adventure" but each week had a different topic that went into depth for a week. Such as Week one is Remembering What We Wanted; which was broken down into Romance Meets Reality, Recovering Desire, A Glorious Difficulty, etc and Week eight which is entitled The Most Excellent Way which gets broken into Healing,Forgiveness, Learning to Love, etc (can't give them all away! ;) When the book ended, it was bittersweet. We were proud we finished it together and enjoyed it. It shed light on problems one or both of us weren't aware of, helped one or both of us talk to the other about an issue(s). This book was very helpful and I/we strongly encourage other couples (married long time or not) to read this. You won't regret it. We even went on a date to celebrate it!

In "Love and War Devotional for Couples" John and Stasi Eldredge take an honest look at marriage for what it is. Often devotional books tend to focus on growth and spiritually deepening a relationship. This book is written for those who are struggling with the reality of making the two become one. They take an honest approach and are up front about the fact that marriage can be difficult and cause unhappiness. They acknowledge the reality of conflict, struggle and pain as a part of God's plan for helping us to become what he has created us to be. The authors self disclose some of their own experiences with the difficulties of marriage but also share the blessings of patience and hard work. I found this to be a good devotional guide especially for couples who are going through that "working phase" of marriage and may feel they are the only ones experiencing the struggle. I used the book for a Marriage Mentoring program, taking quotes from the book for challenging discussion starters. I really like the fact that the chapters are short but packed with challenging discussion oriented content. Each chapter closes with a prayer and a scripture for consideration. I know it will be a blessing to many.

So I signed up for a program called "Blogging for Books" a while back. The idea of the program is that they send me a free book, I read it, post a review, then get another book. Great idea, right? I was so eager to get my first book that I requested a book from the first authors I recognized, Staci and John Eldridge (Wild at Heart, Captivating, etc.)!

The first time I read the title was when the book came in the mail. "Love and War Devotional for Couples". Really? A devotional for couples? Oops!

Well, I wanted to make sure I held up my part of the bargain, so I read through it. Of course, being single, I wasn't able to apply anything that I learned to a current relationship. But, nevertheless, I thought it was a great book. It gave insight into what I have to look forward to (for better or for worse, right? :)! ), Lord willing, in my future marriage. I will definitely tuck this little gem away until that time.

Whether you are single or married, I would recommend this book.

-danielle.

A truly powerful, life-changing devotional for couples who seek to have the marriage they always wanted is what you'll find in Love and War Devotional for Couples: The Eight-Week Adventure That Will Help You Find the Marriage You Always Dreamed Of.

In this moving devotional filled with Bible-based advice, Scripture, prayer and exercises, couples can spend time working toward the marriage they have always longed for; a marriage destined and encouraged by God.

What the reader will find in Love & War is a small book that is packed with tons of encouragement and inspiration. Small enough to slide into your purse or a laptop bag, the enormous value of this book shouldn't be discounted. Broken down over eight weeks, couples explore different aspects of their marriage.

As the authors admit, marriage is hard. Love and passion attracts us to each other, but we need something else to build on to develop a life-long marriage. It's hard work, but God wants this for us, just as much as we want to have it--maybe more. It talks about the Fall and how hard it was even for Adam and Eve who didn't come with all that baggage that we do and did not know sin, to have a relationship with God and with each other. Love & War encourages the reader not to seek his/her happiness from a spouse, but from the only One who can truly provide it. By doing so, we are free to love our spouses more fully.

This book explores the high calling of marriage and what an honor it is when it is bestowed upon us, but it also talks about the costs. It discusses how men and women were created as opposites, but how despite that, Jesus, who came to save what was lost will help couples along the way.

I could go on and on about how wonderful Love & War is. I'm not certain if I can get my husband to go through this book with me, but I am going to try. Though we don't have any problems right now, we can all use a little building up in our marriage.

If your marriage is floundering or if you want to be reminded how precious your marriage is, read this devotional together.