Your Criteria

Hi Ladies,

When visualizing, and asking God for a mate, you must understand exactly what you’re truly seeking. It’s essential to recognize your foundational criteria in a spouse – they are important to you, and your prayers will be ineffectual if you don’t acknowledge them.  Wealth was mentioned in the last post, and possibly for you the glitter of riches is actually non-negotiable.  You would never be happy with or able to respect a man with limited earning potential.  Your guy could be short, thirty years older, and unfortunate in appearance, but that’s not a problem as long as he can afford you.

Or maybe spectacular physical beauty, however fleeting, is absolutely essential for your man – if that’s the case, then hunker down and wait for God to deliver. You’ll probably be happier not marrying at all rather than settling for a spouse who will be struggling financially for the rest of his life.  Or walking down the aisle with a fellow you find physically unappealing, no matter how great his other attributes.

Your decision to avoid such entanglements is honorable, as long as you don’t jump ship and hitch to a non-believer just because he meets your requirements. With such a choice you will have crossed the line and fallen for a seducer.  The difference between God’s Will and Satan’s deception is subtle but very real.  The enemy’s goal is always to tempt you away from Our Father and from your faith, and any option that leads you in that direction is the wrong one.

An excellent way to be certain that you are rightly discerning The LORD’s leading is when you experience perfect peace about the decision you are making.

I Corinthians 14: 33 – “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.”

Philippians 4: 6.7 – “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God; and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Proverbs 20: 24 – “A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?”

When you stay prayerfully in touch with God, you can never miss His Plan, especially in the area of perceiving and receiving your proper mate. Our Creator knows exactly who you are, where you are at all times, and how to get His chosen fellow to you.  Just don’t shut yourself up at home waiting for a male to arrive…get out and about, and on with your life.  Proceed with friendliness and kindness to pursue the Vision, the Mission Plan that Our Father has given you.  Acknowledge your wishes both to The LORD and to yourself, and let Him handle the details.

But there are a couple of warnings in the Word of God about holding out for money:

Luke 12: 15 – “Take heed and beware of all covetousness, for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

1 Chronicles 29: 12 – “Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou rulest over all.”

Jeremiah 17: 11 – “Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay, are those who gain riches by unjust means. When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end they will prove to be fools.”

In other words, proper riches and honor come from The LORD alone, by His guiding our steps. If we attempt to obtain them in some other way, the results may not be as pleasant as we’d hoped.

But always remember I Corinthians 10: 13 – “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Next, we’ll cover the Bible’s instructions on the components of effective mate prayers. Joy and Shalom!