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Proverbs 31's Lysa TerKeurst Announces Divorce after Gut-Wrenching 'Battle' for Her Marriage

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Well-loved Bible teacher and president of the women's ministry Proverbs 31, Lysa TerKeurst, announced this week that she is pursuing a divorce from her husband of 25 years.

The decision comes after what TerKeurst calls the "hardest battle" of her adult life, trying to save their marriage.

"My husband, life partner and father of my children, Art TerKeurst, has been repeatedly unfaithful to me with a woman he met online, bringing an end to our marriage of almost 25 years. For the past couple of years, his life has sadly been defined by his affection for this other woman and substance abuse. I don't share this to harm or embarrass him, but to help explain why I have decided to separate from him and pursue a divorce. God has now revealed to me that I have done all I can do and I must release him to the Savior," TerKeurst wrote on her blog

TerKeurst reiterated how seriously she takes marriage, revealing that she and Art made repeated attempts at counseling. 

"But sadly, though I have repeatedly forgiven and accepted him back, he has continued to abuse substances, be unfaithful, and refused to be truthful to me and our family," TerKeurst wrote.

Through it all, TerKeurst says the Lord has been faithful and has now made it clear to her that she has done all she can do.

"I am brokenhearted beyond what I can express. But I am more committed than ever to trusting God, His promises, and His plans, whatever they are from here," she wrote.

TerKeurst says she will continue with Proverbs 31 Ministries after taking some time off to rest and heal. 

"Many people think Proverbs 31 is a picture of a perfect woman; but the Proverbs 31 woman is, at her core, someone who seeks the Lord in everything she does and trusts Him wholeheartedly with her life. Our mission is to meet women where they are in the real, hard places we all experience, and to intersect God's Word right there. We are simply a group of women sold out to saying yes to God—and He truly does the rest," TerKeurst wrote.

She asks, simply, for prayers.

"Pray for my precious children and grandchildren. Pray for me. Pray for our team at Proverbs 31. And yes, please, please pray for Art," TerKeurst wrote.

Those prayers and an outpouring of support are already coming in across social media platforms.

On Twitter, fans and Christian leaders alike, reaching out to this woman who has inspired so many.

 

 

 

 

Thousands of comments already fill the Proverbs 31 Ministries Facebook post announcing the news.

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About The Author

Caitlin Burke Headshot
Caitlin
Burke

Caitlin Burke serves as National Security Correspondent and a general assignment reporter for CBN News. She has also hosted the CBN News original podcast, The Daily Rundown. Some of Caitlin’s recent stories have focused on the national security threat posed by China, America’s military strength, and vulnerabilities in the U.S. power grid. She joined CBN News in July 2010, and over the course of her career, she has had the opportunity to cover stories both domestically and abroad. Caitlin began her news career working as a production assistant in Richmond, Virginia, for the NBC affiliate WWBT