Hi Ladies,
This blog was planned to address your needs as a marriage-ready single lady, a Follower of Jesus Christ, led by Holy Spirit Himself. But I realized I’ve recently covered these primary needs in blogs #117–120, posted 5/9–5/27/18. You can read them on this blog site, www.loveinthebook.com. So, let’s move into another major query for many single ladies…you understand what he needs, you know what you require, so what’s next? What will help to bring this singular being, your husband, into your life?
“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.” -Matthew 7:8
“Should I pray for a mate?” The answer is definitely yes, if you are really ready to marry and a spouse is your desire from Father God. But have you given much thought to exactly what you want him to be? Do you know the kind of man you’re truly seeking?
This is important because the best way to receive what you desire from the Lord is to be clear on what you are asking Him for. Take some time to visualize the type of fellow you’d like, then pray for that. It’s okay to specify his height, weight, career, spirituality, and every other aspect of him that is important to you, because if you don’t have clarity on what you want, you won’t recognize when you’ve received it.
Seducing Spirits
But caution is advised. 1 Timothy 4:1 (KJV) warns of “seducing spirits” – “in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” Other translations call these tempters “deceiving” or “deceitful” spirits. Deceptions are one of the enemy’s most common weapons against us, and he makes them beguiling and alluring. Just as he himself was not a red demon with horns and a pitchfork, but was one of our Creator’s most beautiful angels, so will deceptions appear enticing to you, especially when you’re praying for a such specific request.
You must understand what constitutes your own set of seducers. Satan will attempt to lure you in your areas of weakness, but when you know where the mines are, it’s far easier to avoid them. When it comes to males, identify which aspects are a special temptation to you. For example, maybe you’ve always been drawn to tall, attractive guys with plenty of money. Along comes the Believer you’ve been praying for, and you’re delighted with him except that he’s not especially handsome, and he’ll never be rich and doesn’t even want to be.
So, what’s the enemy going to do? He won’t dispatch a plain, penniless guy to distract your attention, but will send out the glossy, well-dressed attorney with the big Mercedes who works in your office building. Lucky you! ‘Lucky’, but not ‘blessed’, because this man will be a committed non-believer, and if you allow your surface desires to tempt you, you will be embracing a deception.
Under the sway of distorted criteria, you may sift through plenty of saved and suitable fellows, dismissing them without consideration while awaiting the one who has the superficial attributes that you crave.
Maybe it’s not money or appearance, but prestige or status, or as one lady informed me, “Anything as long as he’s a preacher.” We all have non-negotiable areas in our evaluation of the opposite sex, and they aren’t necessarily weaknesses. Instead they form our core values, and the Lord will honor them in the mate He’s designed for you. My own non-negotiable was intelligence…college degrees weren’t as important as my man’s ability to engage me both mentally and spiritually.
The Lord loves you very much, and when your innate preferences are a ‘bent’ or trait that He Himself placed within you, such leanings aren’t problematic…instead they’re keys that open the door to your future. However, it’s crucial to know the seducers, the weaknesses that Satan will try to take advantage of. These won’t be the essential qualities from Father which make you who you are. Instead, they’ll be distractions specifically intended to lead you astray.
More on “mate prayers” next week…Joy and Shalom!
Jo Lynne Pool
jo lynne pool - Love in The Book.org 