Heart to Heart with Cheri Fuller

Happy New Year, readers! After a lovely “grandma” trip to Wisconsin after the birth of our sixth grandchild, Lucy Maria Fuller in early December, Christmas seemed to whoosh by and now it’s hello, 2007!  I hope you made some wonderful memories amidst the busyness of the season.

I loved reading the first Psalm for the first day of the year this morning where we discover that those who delight in doing what God wants, “thrill to God’s Word, chew on Scripture day and night,” (The Message)—will be like “trees  planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail.  Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper.” (v.2-3, NLT). 

As I shared about this passage in The One Year Book of Praying Through the Bible’s devotional for today: This psalm never fails to lead me to prayer--both for others and myself.  It is also an ideal prayer for the new year--that we would delight in doing God’s will, that his word would be continually in our thoughts, and that we would bear fruit in the year ahead.  None of this happens apart from God’s spirit and power working within us.  How we long to bear fruit in each season of our life and prosper in what we do!  But we can’t make the fruit happen any more than you can paste leaves on a tree and hope they will live.  It is God’s spirit and power working within us that causes our roots to go down deep in Christ, keeping us close to him just as trees planted along the riverbank’s roots sink into the water source so that their leaves stay green and don’t wither.  And this wonder-working power that draws us to God, roots us in him, and matures us in our faith is released when we pray—for others and for ourselves—and especially as we pray His Word.

This psalm was one of the first passages God led me to pray for my husband—as if he took a big highlighter and said, “This is what I want for Holmes.”  So I wrote his name by it and over the years have prayed Psalm 1 scores of times for him: “Lord, may Holmes be a man who doesn’t follow the advice of the wicked or stand around with mockers. Help him to delight in your Word, think about it, and meditate on it day and night—so he will be like a tree planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit in every season of his life. May his leaves never wither, and may he prosper in all he does.”

A few years later, in a search at the library to find the meaning of his name, I --discovered Holmes means “from the river” or “with roots going into the river.” I didn’t know this at the time I began praying Psalm 1, but God knew my husband was going to go through trying times in his business life—and he wanted his roots to sink deep into the soil of Christ’s love, feed on the truth of Scripture, and drink from the river of Life. When Holmes later went through some very hard years of financial droughts as a builder, I continued to pray Psalm 1 for him, and I continue to pray that his latter years will be even more productive and joyful than earlier years. I’ve seen the fruits of that prayer and God’s faithfulness as in his late fifties Holmes has come into his own, using his talents and gifts in architectural consulting with great productivity in ways we’d never imagined.

Do you know I’ve never run out of prayers to pray for my husband and marriage?

In my new book Loving Your Spouse Through Prayer: How to Pray God’s Word Into Your Marriage, (Integrity/Thomas Nelson) which will be in bookstores in a few weeks, I share not only our stories of the outcome of praying specific Biblical prayers, but some of the most impacting stories of couples who have experienced the life, grace, forgiveness, and joy of Christ through praying His Word for their spouse and marriage.  One of the highlights of this book is the small group guide and life-changing prayers each chapter  contains—prayers that will bless your life and husband, prayers to pray in different seasons, prayers that God loves to answer. I’ll be sharing a few of these prayers and a “Marriage Toolbox” from this new book, Loving Your Spouse Through Prayer, in the next few newsletters.

Let me encourage you as 2007 begins to receive the gift that God’s Word is and search out the treasures and wisdom just waiting for you to discover. Read verses aloud, ponder and be sensitive to the ones you’re to pray. In the year ahead I pray that YOU will become more and more like a tree planted by streams of water and your life will bear fruit in every season—no matter what is ahead. May this be the best and brightest year yet for you and your family!

Quotes to Ponder

Marriage Toolbox

Ask your spouse 2-3 top things you could pray in an ongoing way for him in 2007. A simple word or few words that describe his greatest need or what he most hopes God will do in the coming year (like: Confidence, Energy, and Time Management). Jot these on an index card, keep them in your Bible or devotional book, and persevere in lifting these requests to God. Then check in from time to time to see how God is working.

Book & Movie Reviews

What a pig! What a movie! Last week I took my eight-year-old granddaughter Caitlin to the delightful new movie adapted from E.B. White’s classic 1952 book, “Charlotte’s Web” about a little pig, a farm girl who names the pig “Wilbur” and adopts him as a pet, and a kind, wise spider who spins miraculous webs and keeps her promises to her friend. A book I enjoyed reading years ago (and my granddaughter just read) came to life on the screen with Dakota Fanning playing Fern, the voices of Julia Roberts (Charlotte), Dominic Scott Kay (wonderful as Wilbur), Oprah, Robert Redford, and other actors who give expression to the animals in the New England barnyard. An idyllic setting, marvelous music, and enduring messages about love, loyalty, friendship, and life make this not just a children’s movie —but an unforgettable movie for young and old, and especially for the weary and those who need some personally uplifting moments or a happy outing with their kids.

Recommended Resource

Loving Your Spouse Through Prayer: How to Pray God’s Word Into Your Marriage
Praying together as a couple, and praying for your mate, is the mortar in a marriage—a way for a couple to turn toward each other rather than away from each other. It also invites God’s love into the relationship. Pre-order this book (street date 2/07) at PC Publications for $13.99, which includes shipping.

The One Year Book of Praying Through the Bible
Makes a great Christmas gift and enables readers to experience the power of God's Word and prayer each day.
Purchase at PC Publications for $12.99, which includes shipping,