Basic HTML Version
Publishing :
Tile
PLAIN TRUTH
a Magazine of
UNDERSTANDING
Dear Friend:
The
WORLD TOMORROW
A
WoRLD-WIDE BROADCAST
HBII.BERT
W.
AIIMSTROI'IG
Procl•inJJ to the Wo r ld 1h1!
Gooo
N1.w1
of TH:£
\VowLD
To11oaao·w
Box
111 ,
PASADI!.NA, CALIFORNIA
We are often asked, "'What can I do when my unconverted
mate objects to my studying and praying?"
One of life
1
s most important l essons i s the proper
use of' TIME.
Husbands are to provide for their own houses (I Tim .
5:8), and to love their wives (Eph. 5:25). Wives are told to
submit themselves to their husbands (Eph. 5:22), and not to be
idle (Prov. 31:27).
All of these things require TIME. Solomon said,
11
To
every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under
t he heaven" (Eccl.
3:
1) .. There is a
~
to pray and to study.
But , we mus t find the right time for prayer and study .
We should find time to pray when unconverted members of the
family are either away or preoccupied. We express l ove to them ,
not by running to the prayer closet every time they come into
the house, but by spending time in sincere., earnest prayer when
they aren't t here. When they are home, that time can be used
to show our love to them, to be an example of good Christian
living. If we neglect the unconverted members of our family
by spending excessive time in idle praying while they are home,
we wil l only succeed in driving them further from God, and our
p'rayers wil l have been in va"in. -
If your mate remains a t home all day, you should plan
to a r i se early in the morning, praying before he is awake .
La t er , i t would be a simple matter to spend just a few minutes
even as little as five or ten -- in the bathroom if
necessar~
in private prayer.
Wi t h wisdom and discretion, study and prayer can be
handled s o as to avoid any type of conflict. Do not study in
one
posit~on
at a table or desk hour af'ter hour, ignoring your
mate on the Sabbath! STUDY, yes! But study when he iB r eadi ng
the paper, or occupied with something else. Remember, it is
probably only because your obvious preoccupation with study and
prayer makes your mate feel guilty that he objects. Try to
make it f'it i nto the day as conveniently as possible, wi t hout
calli ng special attention to i t by flaunting your "righteousn e ss"
openly before him.