This document discusses how God takes marriage very seriously as he witnesses marriage vows. It warns that mistreating one's spouse can have spiritual consequences like hindering prayers or even preventing entry to heaven. Small issues in a marriage that one spouse considers important should not be ignored as God is interested in all details of a marriage. Divorce is hated by God so married couples must cherish and honor the vows they make.

1. Our Marriage in Malachi
(Mal.2:13-16)
By
REV. DELE SHOBOWALE

2. Home Sweet Home
• As we read in the bible, heaven is such a
beautiful home that no one should dare
to miss.
• Heaven is such a beautiful home that
everyone must STRIVE to make, no
matter the cost.

3. Home Sweet Home
• However, some people will MISS heaven
just because of the way they handle their
spouse.
• They may be very good Christians, but
they will MISS heaven just because of
the way they treat their spouse.
• Why?

4. The Principal Witness
• Because the lord PERSONALLY attended
their wedding, and He was actually the
No.1 WITNESS on that day.
• Mal.2:13-16(NLT)-: ‘…Because the
LORD WITNESSED the vows you and
your wife made when you were young…’
• (MSG)-: ‘…GOD was there as a
WITNESS when you spoke your marriage
vows to your young bride…’

5. It’s a serious matter
• As far as God is concerned, marriage is a
serious matter.
• In every Godly marriage, God is always a
Personal witness.
• And every marriage God attends as a
Personal witness, it is always a serious
matter.
• Serious matter means you are not free to
do whatever you like to your spouse.

6. It’s a serious matter
• If you don’t want your own wedding to be a
serious matter, don’t invite God to be
around on your wedding day.
• Then you’re Free to do whatever you like in
your home;
• But if you invite God to be a witness on
your wedding day;
• Then you’re NOT FREE to do whatever
you like to your spouse, & this makes it a
serious matter.

7. Matter of choice
• Show me a man who chooses to do
whatever he likes in his marriage, I will
show you a man who is on the express road
to hell.
• It may sound funny, but many good
Christians will find themselves in hell just
because they choose to do whatever they
like with their spouse.
• This will not be our own portion in Jesus
name!

8. Matter of choice
• But it is not only by prayers, it is majorly
by choice.
• You and I therefore have a CHOICE to
make;
• Either to do whatever we like with our
spouse,
OR
• To mind how we relate with our spouse
at home.

9. The MAJOR Partner in Marriage
• If you don’t mind what you do with your
spouse, God minds.
• In every marriage, apart from the spouses
and children, God is also a stakeholder.
• God is not just a stakeholder in every
marriage, but a MAJOR stakeholder.
• Why?

10. The Maker of Marriage
• Mal.2:13-16(MSG)-:‘…GOD, not you,
made marriage. His Spirit inhabits EVEN
the Smallest Details of marriage…’
• Every sensible spouse must know that
God, not man made marriage.
• Every sensible spouse must know that the
Spirit of God is interested in the
Smallest Details of marriage.

11. The Maker of Marriage
• This means God is interested in whatever
you do to your spouse in marriage.
• It means if you don’t mind doing
whatever you like to your spouse, God
minds, even to the smallest detail.
• And in marriage, if you don’t mind what
the Maker of Marriage minds, you may
suffer unnecessarily.

12. Don’t be Foolish
• You will be foolish to think the Maker of
Marriage will not do something whenever
you do whatever you like with your spouse.
• You will be foolish to think you can do
whatever you like with your spouse and go
unpunished.
• You will be foolish to think things will
continue to go well for you as you do
whatever you like to your spouse.

13. Better Beware!
• Whenever you do whatever you like with
your spouse, you Suffer Unnecessarily.
• Suffering unnecessarily could be in your
career/business/health etc.
• Suffering unnecessarily could come in
any way & you won’t be able to connect it.
• If care is not taken, Answers to your
PRAYERS can even be blocked.

14. What is hindering your prayers?
Mal.2: 13-16(MSG)-:
• ‘And here’s a second offense: You fill the
place of worship with your whining and
sniveling because you don’t get what you
want from GOD.
• Do you know why? Simple. Because GOD
was there as a WITNESS when you spoke
your marriage Vows to your young bride,
and now you’ve BROKEN those vows…’

15. What is hindering your prayers?
• Every blessed day, some spouses don’t get
what they want from God just because of
the way they treat their spouse.
• Every blessed day, some spouse’s prayers
are hindered just because of the way they
treat their spouse.
• They have prayed and fasted repeatedly,
but their heavens are closed; just because
of the way they treat their spouse.

16. What is hindering your prayers?
• Yet, the breakthrough that 365 days of
prayer and fasting CAN NOT bring;
• Ordinary show of True Love and
Understanding to their spouse can bring
it.
• It is a waste of time fasting & praying to
the Maker of Marriage, when you stop
showing true love & understanding to
your spouse in marriage.

17. What is hindering your prayers?
Mal.2: 13-16(MSG)-:
• ‘And here’s a second offense: …GOD was
there as a WITNESS when you spoke your
marriage Vows to your young bride, and
now you’ve BROKEN those vows…’
• I, ____, take you, ____, to be my lawfully
wedded (husband/wife), to have and to
hold, …for better, for worse, for richer, for
poorer, in sickness and in health, To Love
and To Cherish, till death us do part.“

18. What is hindering your prayers?
• I, ____, take you, ____, to be my lawfully
wedded (husband/wife), to have and to
hold, …for better, for worse, for richer,
for poorer, in sickness and in health, To
Love and To Cherish, till death us do
part.“
• If you truly love and cherish your
spouse, you will not do whatever you
like to him/her no matter what.

19. What is hindering your prayers?
• I, ____, take you, ____, to be my lawfully
wedded (husband/wife), to have and to
hold, …for better, for worse, for richer, for
poorer, in sickness and in health, To Love
and To Cherish, till death us do part.“
• When you do whatever you like with your
spouse, you are breaking a part of your vow.
• And breaking a part of your marriage vow,
however Small can cause a very BIG
headache in any part of your life.

20. Mind your VOWS in marriage
• Mal.2:13-16(MSG)-:‘…So guard the spirit
of marriage within you…’
• (HCSB)-:‘...So watch yourselves carefully…’
• Q:Why is God warning U&I to be on guard
in marriage?
• Q:Why is God warning you U&I to watch
ourselves carefully in marriage?

21. Mind your VOWS in marriage
• Because marriage vows are Very Easy to
break if care is not taken.
• And when marriage Vows are Broken,
there are Penalties and Consequences.
• And the Penalties and Consequences
may be very dangerous.
• It may land in HELL if care is not taken.

22. Non-Issues can be ISSUES
Mal.2:13-16(MSG)-:
• ‘…His Spirit inhabits EVEN the Smallest
Details of marriage…’
• Q: What are examples of SMALLEST
DETAILS in marriage?

23. Non-Issues can be ISSUES
• Everything you consider as a non-issue,
which your spouse considers as an issue, is
an example.
• Everything you consider as not relevant,
which your spouse considers as relevant is
an example.
• Everything you keep ignoring but which
your spouse keeps complaining about is
an example… etc.

24. I HATE Divorce!
Mal.2:13-16(GNT)-:
• “…I HATE divorce," says the LORD
God of Israel. "I hate it when one of you
does such a cruel thing to his wife.
MAKE SURE that you do not break
your promise to be faithful to your wife.“

25. I HATE Divorce!
• God is warning the yet-to-marry that He
takes marriage as a serious matter.
• God is warning the yet-to-marry never to
jump into any marriage without the
Leading of the Marriage Maker.
• God is warning that once you get into
ANY marriage WITH ANYBODY, He
HATES divorce for ANY REASON.