"Help for Praying for Help"

A. Together to know. Live with. Romance (1 Peter 3:7, 12; 4:7; 5:5-7)

7 keys to romance in marriage

1. Clothes: work on the cool factor (Song of Solomon 1:1-3a).

2. Live right: humility, submission, integrity (1 Peter 3:12; 4:7; 5:5-7; Song of Solomon 1:3b).

3. Notice her beauty and use your words. She is the feminine one (1 Peter 3:7; Song of Solomon 1:9-10).

4. Value her as a fellow heir (1 Peter 3:7; Song of Solomon 1:15).

5. Speak right, be a good listener and speaker (Song of Solomon 2:3d).

6. Be patient with love (Song of Solomon 2:7).

7. PDA. Public displays of affection (Song of Solomon 2:4).

B. The stakes: the knowledge of God's presence and God answering your requests (1 Peter 3:7, 12).

Life/Community Group discussion guide

1. What are our most common prayer topics? Why? Is there a verse in the Bible that instructs this kind of prayer? Are there any model prayers that might help? (Matthew 6; Ephesians
1:15ff; 3:14ff; Colossians 1:9ff).

2. What totally stops effective prayer (1 Peter 3:7, 12; 4:7; 5:5-7).

3. Can any woman in your Life Group, from memory, recite the seven principles of romantic love in marriage? Any guys?

4. Should you love God more than your wife? Kids?

5. Marriage is for mission. What does that mean? Should marriages have a mission statement?