The term that I always disliked is "housewife." People used to refer to women who stayed at home as housewives. We're not married to that old house. We're married to our husbands.

The correct term should be "homemakers." That puts a whole different light on things.

According to God's Word, whether we work outside the home or not, we are all instructed to be home-makers. In other words, we are the ones who are responsible for making our home a comfortable place to live.

As wives and mothers, we are instructed by God to excel as women of God in every area of our lives. A woman of God is a committed person. She is committed to exceed in every area of her life: spirit, soul, and body.

According to Proverbs 14:1, women are instructed to build the house. To build means "to make, to set up, to put together, to fashion, to assemble." If your house has fallen apart, in any area, it is your responsibility to put your home together—to assemble it. Here's how:

1) Meditate on the Word
The number one priority in the life of a woman of God is her spiritual walk with God. Yes, other things are important, but the Word of God is most important.

Joshua 1:8 says,

This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

That is the key. Meditating on the Word of God, by day and by night, will cause the wisdom of God to come and you will have insight into every area of your family's lives.

2) Discipline in Prayer Time
Proverbs 31:15 says, "She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household…."

Rising while it is yet night takes diligence, determination, discipline, and a lot of time praying. It's not a light-weight deal. In other words, she's digging in the Word, she's fellowshipping with the Father, she's always ahead of everything that confronts her.

This woman can handle anything that comes her way because she is prayed up. She intercedes for her family. She sees things in the spirit before they happen and knows how to pray over it.

It is during this fellowship with God that the Holy Spirit will reveal things to us, as parents, where our children are concerned. They may be experiencing temptations of different kinds and your prayers are just what they needed to resist it. It is our responsibility to be sensitive to the Spirit of God to stop those things before they have an opportunity to even knock on our children's doors.

Your prayer time will affect your family. When they wake up in the morning, they will sense the peace of God. When they come home from work and school, they will feel the presence of God. Your children won't go to bed wondering if mom and dad are getting a divorce. They know "Mama's been praying—everything's gonna be alright!"

3) Have a Kind Tongue
Proverbs 31:26 says, "She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction]."

It's interesting how we can use manners with nearly everyone we come in contact with, but when it comes to our own familiy, our loved ones, we throw those manners out the window. We yell, scream, and holler to get their attention.

When you're not fellowshipping and communing with the Father, you won't be able to open your mouth and have skillful and godly wisdom come out. When your husband or your children tell you some disappointing news, you'll react in the flesh and not as one who is prayed up. You have to train yourself and develop a habit of opening your mouth with skillful and godly wisdom.

4) Broaden Your Thinking
A woman of God excels in the soulish area also. What is the soul? The soul is made up of the mind, the will, the emotions and the thinking faculties. Proverbs 31:10 says, "A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman—who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls."

The Dictionary defines capable as: able, skilled, competent, having the qualities necessary for, able or ready.

Intelligent means: bright, clever. Virtuous means: having or characterized by moral virtues, general moral excellence.

I always had an inferiority complex because I only graduated from high school and didn't go to college. I was just an average student in school. So I grew up thinking, I'm not bright. I'm not smart. It seems to take me so long to learn things. Jerry can look at something one time and he remembers it. But I have to go over it 15 or 20 times for me to really get it.

When I began studying the Word, I saw that the virtuous woman is capable and intelligent. And when I began to see what my role was in the home, I began to confess, "I'm capable, I'm able, I'm skilled, I'm competent, I have the qualities necessary to excel in my home. I'm intelligent, bright and clever...."

I had to create that picture of myself from the Word. Then, I began to apply that in the natural realm. I began to see from God's Word that, as a homemaker, it was my responsibility to make my home look like a haven—to look so beautiful for my family.

5) Finish Every Task
Even though the Lord said I needed to turn my home into a beautiful haven, I had a question. I asked the Lord, "How can I make my home beautiful with no money?" He said, "With your two hands." Then He said to me, "I cannot bless you with better things until you first learn to take care of what you've already got."

I said, "Lord, how do I do that?"

He said, "By completing every job you start."

And then He said, "By the way, I live here and I'd appreciate it if it was a little cleaner around here."

From that very day, I have endeavored to keep my house clean at all times because Jesus lives there. I complete every job. When you wash the dishes, take them out and put them away. When you wash clothes, fold them and put them away right then. God cannot bless you with better until you first learn to take care of what you already have.

Once I got my home in order and organized, I began to look at decorating magazines and books to get ideas. Ladies, it is your responsibility to educate yourselves in all kinds of areas where your home is concerned. The most inexpensive way to make a home pretty is paint! So, I began painting every bedroom in that house.

God will show you practical ways to make your home beautiful with what you've got. Then, as you spend more time in the Word, you'll discover that through your giving, you'll receive better.

Build Your Home Around The Word
I want to encourage you, ladies, to be godly homemakers. Build your home around the Word of God and create an atmosphere that not only makes your children and your husband feel peace, but even more, causes the Holy Spirit to feel welcome.

Start today. Use your own two hands to get organized and make your number one priority time with God.

Copyright © Jerry Savelle Ministries International
All rights reserved. Used by permission.