The Hope of Marriage

Ms. Mattie was quite fond of Deanna because she was so sweet and always took time to chat some mornings in their break room at work. On one of those mornings, they talked about Deanna’s desire to find the right man and how challenging it had been in the past. Ms. Mattie told her, “Sweet Girl, Marriage can either bless your life or it can make you a very unhappy woman. It can be the biggest mistake of your life. The best thing you can do for yourself and the man you’ll marry one day is to be led by the Spirit on this. Let the Spirit steer you in the right direction.” This priceless piece of wisdom stuck in Deanna’s heart and mind, and she made a commitment to learn more about the Holy Spirit.

Many single women are praying to cross paths with the man they will marry, but we must understand that it’s the Lord who puts two people together as man and wife. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 19:4-6(NLT), “4 Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’ 5 And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ 6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” Marriage is a spiritual union that has been ordained and given by God. Following the leadership of His Holy Spirit is required to please Him and to have a marriage that is in line with His purpose for both people. For most singles, their lack of knowledge and understanding about the person of the Holy Spirit keeps them separated from the blessing they desire most.

Holy Spirit power

Jesus Christ teaches us in John 16:13(NLT), “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” In our quest for a marriage that is sanctioned by our Heavenly Father, we cannot bypass the instruction and truth of what Jesus Christ has spoken. Our hope for marriage is moved closer to reality by following the leadership of the Holy Spirit who lives within every born-again believer.

Jesus Christ told the disciples in Matthew 28:19(NLT), “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is a person, much more of a person than any human being could ever be. He’s not an ‘it’. He is a “he”, and a member of the Godhead. In the Old Testament, God promised to pour out His Spirit upon His people. He said in Joel 2:28(NLT), “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.” God fulfilled this prophecy spoken in Joel 2:28 through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our powerful Lord and Savior ushered in a new covenant, and through the new birth reality, we can receive the Holy Spirit. He will come to live inside our body temples.

He will bring the fullness of Christ when he makes his home in us. 1Corinthians 6:19-20(NLT) tells us, “19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” Knowing this truth, it is only right that we must be led by the Spirit to bring our temples into oneness with another. If we are not humbling ourselves under his guidance, we will not be released in his power and will lack his direction and guidance to partner well.

Pray in the Spirit

Acts 2:1-4(NLT) says, “1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” Speaking in tongues is available to every believer, and it allows us to pray according to God’s Will. It’s an outward manifestation of what we have received from God inwardly. It is evidence that the Holy Spirit lives within us.

God tells us in Ephesians 6:18(NLT), “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” To pray in the Spirit is to pray in tongues. 1Corinthians 13:1 informs us that this manifestation of the Holy Spirit can be “tongues of men and of angels.” God has given us the awesome privilege to pray, and our prayers are an invitation to Him to intervene in the situations of our lives and those of others as well, but sometimes we don’t know the details. Praying in the Spirit by speaking in tongues is perfect prayer to our Heavenly Father. Romans 8:26(NLT) tells us, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” We don’t understand the words the Spirit is speaking when we pray in tongues, but he is making intercession and praying perfectly through us.

1Corinthians 14:22(NLT) informs us, “For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious.” Every Christian desperately needs to pray in tongues, especially in the evil times in which we now live. It builds up our spirit-man, it helps to keep us in tune with the Holy Spirit, and it allows us to pray even when we have no idea what to pray for. You don’t know where and who your husband is. You don’t know what he’s doing, and you don’t know what aspect of his life is causing him discomfort or pain and needs to come under the blood of Jesus. You don’t know, but the Holy Spirit that lives within you knows. He knows everything.

Jesus Christ tells us in John 10:10(NKJV), “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly.” We have an enemy, the devil, and he is as adamant about destroying our hopes for marriage as we are about preserving them and seeing them come to pass. You and I don’t have the ability to direct ourselves towards God’s treasures. We are led to them through His Holy Spirit. This is not about religion. It’s about walking in the Spirit’s power and in God’s truth. Ephesians 1:3 tells us that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings, and He wants you to manifest the gift of the Holy Spirit through speaking in tongues. If you have any doubt, ask Him for yourself, and let Him guide you to this wonderful and powerful manifestation of the gift of the Holy Spirit.∎

Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“The Hope of Marriage”, written by Fran Mack. Edits by Kim Times and K. Stephens for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2024. 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.