A real MAN

I did not make an error with my caps. button being on, were as to the title. I wanted to bring attention to every word there... real.... man.
Today's society has such a warped concept of what a real man is; Mr. Olympia.... black boy with the cap pulled down with the beek to the side... one who has a strutt, how about the sucessful man with a lot of money... a man with secular power. So many different thoughts of what is a REAL man.
A few weeks ago, I heard somewhere and can't remember where (LOL), (I know... vitamin B12), about the five finger prayer. Some people say they don't know what to pray about... I can't imagine that myself, but the five finger prayer has helped me to have confidence that I've prayed for those I usually forget like our Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his family. The five finger prayer goes like this:

• The thumb is prayer for those who are near to you; friends and family.
• The index is the teaching finger; pray for all the different teachers (Sunday school teachers, the saved teachers in the public school system etc.)
• The Middle: pray for those in power and authority (Your husband, pastor, President/Prime Minister)
• The Ring finger: pianists know this is the weakest finger, pray for those who are weak. (backslidden, the sick, the poor, just struggling)
• The pinky; the last finger is you. Pray for your needs.

I say all this because, this morning as I was praying, I prayed for those in authority, including my husband. I then prayed for those who are weak and I was reminded how there are some husbands who are stressed out with the lack of means to provide for their family and are ready to give in, of husbands I know of who are struggling to stay on the straight and narrow; staying out of the world, of husbands who are saved and they are content to stay there, and the list goes on.
I did, nor do I now, see them in a bad light, we are struggle and I beleive that Satan puts a harder attack on the men because of the authority, responsability and influence they have on their home, work place, church and ultimately community.
As I began to pray for the men of our church, sister churches then the Lord brought me to pray for the men of all bible beleiving churches especially. To pray that they would learn to fear God and want His power and hand on their life. That the desire of their heart would be to please God in all things. To have an unshaking trust and faith in our God who can do all things. That they would have a compassion and burden for lost souls. We, not just the wives, but the church, the community, need men who are willing to stand and be counted. To be bold and lead in righteousness and desire to see the lost saved. To be examples of godliness not fleshliness.
Where does that leave us women? On our knees. We can't change the population of saved men who are not standing as soldiers for Christ but the Holy Spirit can.
Where does it leave the men who have a heart for the things of God? To take another step up; the other men need to see their example.
The Lord reminded me of the story of Gideon who finaly trusted God and lead men to the battle of freeing the Isrealites from the Midianites.
Judges 7:2-7 "And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that [are] with thee [are] too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever [is] fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people [are] yet [too] many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, [that] of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, [putting] their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the [other] people go every man unto his place."
Notice that God did not need MANY men, just specific men. Men who laped the water out of their hand. They took care of their need of thirst but they kept their eyes on the purpose and possible danger.
You see, if the men got down on their knees and drank from the waters like an animal or on their knees, face down and laped the water were putting their group in danger. They could not see the enemy who might be in the bushes or over the mount. Those who stood, perhaps crunched down, got water in their hand and laped out of the hand, while watching around them were wise and prudent. Wouldn't you like to be on that person's team?
Women, I challenge you to pray for your husband's protection, wisdom to do his job well in order to give glory to God. Pray also that his heart would be tender towards the things of God and that he would have a fear of God. Pray that he would have a desire to be prudent and a soul winner. Pray that God would give you a faith that will endure through the hard times and do right at all times. To be the mom and wife you need to be so your husband (and mine) can have the liberty to seek God's face.
Don't forget to pray for the men of your church especially those in leadership, that they would not have a heart that seeks for himself but for the glory of God.
Stay on your knees. (meaning in prayer obviously)