“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt.6:24)

Your spouse may be used either by the Holy Spirit to strengthen your ministry or by the devil to weaken or destroy your ministry. It all depends on who is making use of him or her. You should note that it is a spouse that is growing spiritually that can be used by the Holy Spirit to help your life and ministry. Consequently, it is important that you take steps to encourage your spouse’s spiritual growth so that at any point in time, she will be an instrument in the hands of God to help your ministry.
Pray For Her And With Her.
The scripture talks about one chasing a thousand and two putting ten thousands to flight. There is tremendous power in praying together as a couple concerning your ministry. Praying for your wife is also vital during your own personal prayers.
Encourage Your Spouse To Seek God’s Face In Decision Making.
Encouraging your spouse to rely on God when taking decisions is important because someone that relies on God’s leading will not do anything that will be inimical to the progress of the ministry even when offended.
Let Your Spouse Know That The Answer Is Not Always YES.
There is need for your spouse to know that the fact that things are not working the way expected does not mean God has abandoned the project. Sometimes, the answer to prayers may be NO or WAIT.

Discourage unholy influences.
Those that your spouse associates with are a very significant determinant of whether or not the Holy Spirit will make use of her in your ministry.
Encourage Your Spouse To Have a Role Model.
Who is the role model or the mentor of your spouse? A good role model may be the spouse of a senior minister of God who is a good influence in his or her spouse’s ministry.
Encourage Your Spouse to mentor upcoming ones.
It is also important for your spouse to mentor others because true mentors don’t want to disappoint their mentees.
Encourage Your Spouse to value heaven.
Your spouse will likely be willing to make herself an instrument in the hand of the Holy Spirit if she values heaven and knows that the fulfillment of ministry is a significant part of what defines whether one will have a testimony like that of Apostle Paul. (2 Tim.4:7-8)

Whether it is the Holy Spirit or the Devil that will make use of your spouse is often a resultant effect of your efforts. You need to pray that God will give you the grace to sacrifice anything you need to sacrifice to be able to achieve this, because the benefits accumulate over time.
Discussion Points With Your Spouse
* What steps can you take to make each other to be greater instruments in the hands of the Holy Spirit?

PRAYER
Father, make my spouse to become a help for me in life and ministry in Jesus’ name.

QUOTABLE QUOTE
YOUR SPOUSE IN THE HAND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE GREATEST HELP FOR YOUR LIFE; IN THE HAND OF THE DEVIL, YOUR SPOUSE IS THE GREATEST DESTRUCTIVE AGENT IN YOUR LIFE. – Dr. Mike Oluniyi

Main Text: Eccl.4:9-10
Two are better than one. Because they have a good rewards for their labour. (Eccl.4:9)
There are at least seven reasons why your spouse is vital to a successful ministry.
It Is Not Good For You To Be Alone. (Gen.2:18)
There are aspects in your ministry that will be better handled by your spouse than yourself or any other person. When you are alone and consequently ask members of the opposite sex to handle it, it exposes you to temptations that may create problems that if not properly managed can destroy your ministry.
Your Indispensable Partner In Ministry.
By the reason of tenure, which is for a lifetime, your spouse is the only permanent member of your ministry. When some people leave, it may be painful, but, somehow, others will assume their role with the passage of time.
To Overcome Temptation.
Your spouse acts as a shield for you against the opposite sex. There is nothing you see in the opposite sex that is not available in your spouse given the right circumstances.
To Provide Checks And Balances.
When you want to take a decision and there is disagreement over the issue, it may be better for you to pray further before taking the step as God in a lot of situations may use your spouse to caution you.
The Best Motivation For Spiritual Growth.
In your quest to meet the spiritual needs of your family, you will discover that your family becomes one of the greatest motivations for your spiritual growth.
Your Best Prayer Partner.
If there is harmony in the home, God may reveal things to you alternately, so that if you miss a vital message He is passing across to you, your wife will not miss it. God therefore alternately reveals His mind to you so that you will know what to pray about.
Your Best Laboratory For Practical.
Through your marriage, God provides a laboratory where you can put into practice what you have been preaching.

When you fail to understand the importance of your spouse in your life vision, whether spiritual or secular, there are likely going to be problems which will be compounded over time.

Discussion Points With Your Spouse
* Confess to your spouse his or her importance in your ministry and other life endeavors.
* Discuss the likely problems that may arise when you ask another member of the opposite sex to be doing what your spouse is supposed to be doing in your ministry.
* How seriously do we take the counsel of each other?

PRAYER
I receive the grace to know the importance of my spouse and be able to carry him or her along in the attainment of my vision in Jesus’ name.

QUOTABLE QUOTE
YOUR SPOUSE WILL EITHER BE THE GREATEST FRIEND OR THE GREATEST ENEMY THAT YOU WILL EVER HAVE IN LIFE. – Dr. Mike Oluniyi

Main Text: 1Pet.3:1-7
Memory:
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.(1Pet.3:7)

The most significant and constant person in your life is your spouse. By reason of tenure, which in most cases is for at least two thirds of your entire lifetime, and closeness, your spouse is the person that will make the greatest impact in your life whether for good or otherwise. It is therefore a relationship that you should handle with utmost care.
The above is so true in the life of any person but in the life of a minister of God, it is more so. The success or otherwise of any vision depends to a large extent on the spouse and the home of the visionary. A problem in the marriage of any committed Christian or a minister of God speaks louder than any other problem in his life and ministry.
If you are reading this and you have a contrary opinion, you are likely to belong to one of the categories below:
• Your are divorced or separated.
• Your home is in disarray.
• You have an alternative attraction to your spouse.
• The trust you have in your spouse has been eroded.
• You have unwholesome friends.
• You have a questionable foundation in ministry.
• You don’t understand the reason why your spouse is such a problem for you in ministry.
• You married against the will of God.

If you are in any of the categories above, you may not readily agree that your spouse is the most important person in your life and ministry. However, your present challenges do not in anyway negate the fact that, after your relationship with God, the most significant person in your ministry is your spouse. You must therefore give the relationship between you and your spouse the prime place it demands.

It is however also equally important to note that there is no situation in which all hope is lost in your marriage. Even if it appears that things have broken down beyond acceptable levels, God can still do something about your home if He is invited in.

Discussion Points With Your Spouse
* Is there any issue that has affected the position of your spouse in your heart?
* If you are experiencing any challenges in your ministry or any other life endeavor in relation to your spouse, try to be frank with each other as to the reasons why it is so.

PRAYER
My father and God, I receive the grace to relate positively with my spouse so as to bring out the best in him or her as the greatest help for my vision to be actualized in Jesus’ name.

QUOTABLE QUOTE
BY REASON OF TENURE, WHICH IS USUALLY ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF YOUR ENTIRE LIFETIME, YOUR SPOUSE WILL BE THE MOST CONSTANT AND SIGNIFICANT PERSON IN YOUR LIFE. -Dr. Mike Oluniyi

Main Text: Lk.15:11-19
Memory:
…the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. (Lk.15:13.
This is also one of those battles that are self-inflicted in marriage. The prodigal son in the scripture above felt that he had so much wealth which he could spend anyhow and still have leftover but he was soon faced with one of the harsh realities of life: when you don’t spend wisely, your resources will develop wings and fly away.
There are many who are not able to achieve their life-goals because of overspending in areas where they should have been modest. You must avoid being a spouse that demands for ephemeral things instead of encouraging his or her partner to achieve concrete things. When purchasing things, you must distinguish between assets and liabilities. Assets create wealth while liabilities consume wealth. If you insist on moving out of your rented two-bedroom flat to a rented luxurious bungalow, you should realize as well that the luxury bungalow you are craving for may be the liability that will prevent you from building your own house.
Never assume that money will continue to be in abundance just as you are having it presently; save for the rainy day.
Spend the little money you have today wisely. Some people driving expensive cars today are not aware that they are driving away their future and the future of their children. Some people carrying iphone7 today may not be aware that they are carrying their future.
When you are young, don’t just spend money. Invest it. Every penny in your hand is like a seed, you can decide to eat it, or sow it. When you sow it, it will bear much more seeds later in future.
To win the battle of extravagance and misplaced priorities, you must invest in assets and not liabilities and encourage your spouse to do so. You must ensure that there is a need for something before you purchase it. You must also make efforts and encourage your spouse to save somehow. Ensure that you also don’t go into debt unnecessarily. Don’t be easily carried away by offer of credit when you are purchasing anything. The creditor may appear to be doing you a favour when giving you items on credit but the money has to be paid back usually with open or hidden interest.

Discussion Points With Your Spouse
* As a family, have we mostly been spending more on assets or on liabilities?
* Is there any investment we should have made but we have not made because of extravagance?

PRAYER
I receive the grace to win the battle of extravagance / wastage in marriage in Jesus’ name.

QUOTABLE QUOTE
IF YOU DON’T TREAT YOUR RESOURCES AS A COMFORTABLE GUEST, THEY WILL LEAVE YOU FOR OTHERS THAT ARE MORE ACCOMMODATING. – Dr. Mike Oluniyi