Are you having marital problems? Marital challenges are real but what is more real is the truth that you have dominion over these challenges. God will never allow any challenge more than you to come your way. The issue is how you tackle the problems that come your way. This article gives you the ground on which to stand to exercise your dominion over all marital issues.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you - Matthew 6:33 (NKJV).

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God - Philippians 4:6 (NKJV).

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose - Romans 8:28 (NKJV).

Many people are going through a lot of marital challenges and they are allowing them to drown them, when they should be dominating them. Dominion has been given to you by God right from the beginning (Genesis 1:28). All you need to do is to position yourself well and take your dominion.

What position should you take?

1. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness

2. Make your request known unto God with thanksgiving

3. Be anxiety free

God knows you have need of those things you are anxious about. He knows you want to be married or to have children, and He has made provisions for you to have them in His word, so it is settled, a done deal.

Focus on God and everything He is interested in, while you make your request known unto Him. Believe that He has answered you there and then and start thanking Him for the answer. Keep serving God in all kingdom work that you are opportune to do like praying for the Lord's will to be done on earth, preaching the gospel, giving your resources, time and energy for the spread of the gospel. Soon, your answered prayer will become a reality.

God has a plan for every individual and it's made up of certain number of phases or chapters. Some people may have more phases than others just like some books have more chapters than others. When you stick to God's plan for your life, He will never mismanage it. When it's time to change to a new phase, the Lord will help you to do so effortlessly and without sweat.

The Creator of the universe doesn't have a stereotyped pattern for everyone. Your phase one may be different from my phase one. For some people, God may have planned that they should get married immediately after their first degree while others will be programmed for 5 to 10 years later. For some people, children come within the first year of marriage while others will start having children some years after. However, at the end, both sets of people will be married with children, but all at different phases. God's plan for every individual is in the best interest of the person concerned and it's directed towards helping him or her to fulfill his or her destiny.

When you are walking according to God's plan, don't try to insist on when each phase should be. Trust God, knowing that all things work together for good to those who love Him. God is a master planner. He knows the end from the beginning, so allow Him to bring about the best in your life. Don't lean on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6).

When you try to force a phase to come to pass at a wrong time, you go off the Lord's plan for you. You will encounter so many challenges you could have avoided following the Father's plan. When you finally decide to return to His original plan, you will make it longer than it should have been and the scars of the wrong step will be there too. However, it is better than not returning at all because you will still get to the desired destination even though it will take longer time to achieve it.

For instance the Israelites spent extra 40 years in the wilderness because they went outside God's plan for them. In the process they lost all the adults that came out of Egypt except Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 32:10-13). But, the survivors made it to the Promised Land as the Lord designed.

Again, God promised Abraham that He would give him a child, but along the line Sarah tried to help God by giving her maid to Abraham to have a child through her (Numbers 16:1-4). She did get a child from Hagar, but she only started off what if she knew the future she wouldn't have done so. She even ended up not taking care of the child herself. However, as they continued serving God, Sarah finally gave birth to Isaac, 25 years after God promised them.

It's like a Google map, when you miss the direction it was giving you and you consult it again, it will reprogram your direction from where you are to your desired destination, though in all it may take you a longer time to get there.

Therefore, to take and remain in dominion over marital challenges, keep serving God and the interest of His kingdom, let your requests be made known unto the Lord with thanksgiving and ensure that you are not anxious at all over that situation. Leave your heavenly Father to execute His plan for you and at the end, you will be glad that you did.

Ngozi Nwoke is a teacher, speaker, counselor and author of "Peace Money Can't Buy" and "The Man Jesus: What You Need to Know About Christ". She has a passion to teach people how to enjoy peace, God's love, and Christian living for a more fulfilling life. Want a more fulfilling life?