Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for teaching us such valuable life lessons, although it is very true that sometimes we choose to learn these lessons the hard way. You have blessed me to be around women that stand on Your Word, and they have always given me advice, especially when it comes to dating and marriage. When I was younger, I didn’t think it was relevant. Because I didn’t know any better, I thought I could just do without some of the wisdom I received. It seemed old-fashioned to me at the time. I was very wrong about this.
Not long ago, a very accomplished young man told me that he thinks he has found “the one”, the girl he would like to marry. Of course, anytime that you hear this from someone, your first instinct is to be happy for them, but as this man continued to share his plans with me, I was suddenly very sad for his girlfriend, the one he plans to marry. He said that although he considers them to have a serious relationship, he is not and has not been faithful. Father, my heart dropped. He spoke these words so casually, as if this is what’s supposed to happen between two mature, caring, and decent people. He said, “We don’t have a covenant yet, so it’s okay.”
I thought to myself, “This man’s attitude about his relationship has come across my ears for a reason.” Genesis 2:22-24(NLT) says, “22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. 23 “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” 24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” Marriage is Your institution, and You decreed that a man and a woman become one in Your sight once they are joined together sexually. This very intimate act binds them to one another.
You said in 1Corinthians 6:15-18(NLT), “15 Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.”17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. 18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.”
I explained to this man that if he has a physical relationship with his girlfriend, he has already made a covenant with her, and he has violated this covenant numerous times. The wedding is a ceremony. It is a public declaration, but the consummation of a marriage happens through sexual intimacy. This is the way You have set this up. Father, I am so thankful for the wisdom of Your Word. Thank You for teaching us the true and right way, so that we don’t make mistakes that end up costing us big time.
Father, You didn’t give us rules and guidelines to follow because You wanted to take away our pleasure and privileges. Quite the contrary, You are sovereign, and You have given us Your Word to keep us under the protection, care, and blessing of Your sovereignty. When we step outside of this and disobey Your Word, we stand to lose so much in life. Please open our eyes to this truth. Please help Your daughters to see that their bodies are Your temple, and they should keep them holy according to Your Word. So many of us desire to be married, but we delay and harm our blessing when we do not honor You in the way You have ordained.
Thank You for helping us to grow in Jesus Christ and for warning us through Your Holy Spirit when we are veering off the path. Thank You for our precious and powerful Lord and Savior. Thank You for the extraordinary gift of Holy Spirit and thank You for all Your many blessings. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“When A Man and A Woman Become One”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.