3 Things Every Woman Should Pray For Her Future Husband
By
Afi Pittman
As a single Christian woman who desires marriage, I can say hands down that nothing was more frustrating to me than getting bad advice from people who didn’t understand my situation.
“Stop wanting marriage and it will come to you”.
“Just be happy God gave you the gift of singleness”.
“Ask God for your Boaz”.
I’m sorry, but none of these has scriptural justification in every situation. David said delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Paul said if you’re burning – it’s best for you to get married. And Ruth didn’t pray for “a Boaz”. She met Boaz out working trying to survive.
And anyways – every single Christian woman is not a Ruth! Some are Deborah’s. Others are Lydia’s or Hannah’s. Telling someone to pray for something that God may not have in mind for them… bad advice.
But I’ve digressed. Many godly, well-meaning friends and family members really do want to see you happy, but they don’t really understand you or your situation.
Others caught amnesia and forgot all about the nights they spent laid out on the floor praying and begging God to “please let me get married before the Rapture!”
To the other extreme, people who aren’t thinking about living God’s way will give you advice that might get you married. But if you have fellowship with God, the method could cost you peace and could distance you from God.
So what does a single Christian woman do when she desires marriage and feels like she’s not making any progress towards that goal? I’m still single, but what I’m offering my fellow single sisters in Christ is counsel that I know works.
The best thing you can do to not only prepare for marriage but to speak it into existence – so to speak – is to pray for your future husband. The one who just needs to find you so you can date, court, and then get married – in God’s way and in God’s timing.
If you’re single, here are 3 specific things you should pray for your future husband:
Pray that God keeps him from counterfeit.
Especially counterfeit that looks good to him. A male friend of mine told me that men want the real deal, but there’s a lot of counterfeits. To which my question was “So men don’t trust their ability to distinguish between counterfeit and the real thing?” He said “Afi, it’s hard. There’s a lot of counterfeits. There’s a lot of them out here”.
Ladies, men are moved so often by what they see. Not that we aren’t. But men in particular are.
…So pray that he’s able to distinguish between you (the real thing) and someone that is counterfeit.
Pray that he’s open to God’s leading.
I say it like this because your guy may not have an especially strong relationship with God when you meet him. Whether or not you need someone exactly where you are spiritually is a discussion for another day.
But every married Christian woman I know who dated and then married God’s way told me that they met their husband through a chance meeting. If she or her husband had turned the opportunity down – who knows what would have happened. Maybe they never would have met, or the dating process for them may have taken longer. Only God knows.
…So pray that he’s open to God’s leading in his life and in those things concerning you.
Pray that God is developing his character and his heart.
So often we get caught up in externals. We get picky over how a man looks, the kind of job he has, the kind of clothes he wears, the car he drives. And as a result, we miss the true condition of his heart and character. A man with a good heart can easily buy new clothes if they’re outdated. Only God can change a man’s heart.
John 14: 13 – 14 says that we can ask for anything in Jesus’ name and he’ll do it to glorify the father. So you’ll never know the possibilities in store for you unless you pray for your husband and pray over him in such a way that your request is for God’s glory.
…So identify what’s in your heart concerning a husband and keep praying! Keep praying and ask God to speak directly to you and give you a fresh understanding
Selasa, 28 Maret 2017
Wisdom from www.theprayingwoman.com
Wisdom from A Modern day Ruth
A Modern day Ruth
How do you know when you are ready to receive a Boaz into your heart and life?
A heart, mind, soul, and body must be ready. You have been walking through heartache, loss, abandonment and hardships. It's not been an easy season, but the good news is that God does not leave us in it; He walks us through to the other side when we trust Him and obey Him. Here are a few signs that you may be ready to be in a relationship again:
-You have a painful past, but it no longer keeps you there. You have been able to heal from it. You have been able to forgive those who have hurt you or abandoned you. The past is a painful memory but the sting of it doesn't keep you consumed by it.
-You have been able to stop looking over your shoulder trying to get back what you lost. You have been taking healthy steps to move forward in Christ. You no longer dwell in your former situation or homeland. Ruth left the land of Moab. She was courageous to go with Naomi to a new land she did not know.
-You have gone through a season of healthy grief. You have mourned what you lost. You have let God gently heal the layers and places of your heart. You have trusted God and allowed Him to help you let go of what you lost. You never forget, but you no longer let it be your constant thought day and night. Your tears have begun to cease. You have a few moments once in a while, but you have been able to feel joy again. You desire to live and be a part of life activities again. A lengthy time is recommended. Grief takes time. It's not an overnight thing. Remember, shedding tears does not mean you are going backward; it's part of the process. Don't feel bad if you are still shedding tears over the loss of your spouse.
-You have gleaned the wisdom from the mistakes you have made from your last relationship. Everyone has something they could have done differently in their broken or lost relationship. You are now healthy-minded when it comes to relationships. You have been completely honest with yourself and God about your past mistakes. You have learned and applied the wisdom so that you won't repeat the mistakes again. You have broken the cycle. Only a fool does the same thing but expects different results. Something has to change. Being completely honest with yourself and learning as much as you can is a healthy approach.
-You have leaned closer to the Lord and have a stronger and more intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. You have allowed God to be your strength and peace during this difficult season. He is the Lover of your soul. You have realized that your spiritual well is not filled by a man but by spending time in His presence. A man can't satisfy your spirit. Only God can. Your relationship with God is front and center. Everything you do you strive to honor and please God. Your satisfaction comes from Him. A difficult season should always draw you closer to God- not further away.
-You have used the pain and heartache you have experienced and gone through to help others. Ruth reached out to Naomi and blessed her and helped her. You are now seeing the beauty and strength from the ashes in your life. You are now able to comfort and help others who are walking the road of a Ruth. God's greatest comfort and healing flows through open and broken vessels. The wounded know how to help the wounded. Your scars are now a blessing. Your story is a testimony of God's faithfulness and goodness in your life.
-You have allowed this difficult and painful season to make your heart more beautiful. Your character reveals His character. Ruth was known by her generosity, loyalty and faithfulness. Her character was known how she took care of her Mother-in-law and how she worked hard to bless her and honor Naomi. Your fragrance is sweet by His Holy Spirit. Your pain did NOT make you bitter....But it did make you BETTER. For His glory and purpose.
-You no longer have a desire to be back with the person you loved and lost. You have been able to completely let go and surrender to God's perfect will and plan. You no longer have the struggle of a tug-of-war. You have set them free and not held on to unforgiveness or bitterness. You are able to pray for God's best in their life. You trust in God's plan. You genuinely want the best for the person who once hurt you and abandoned you.
-You know your worth as a daughter of the Most High. You broke the cycle of accepting less than God's best for you. You realize that your standards are higher and that you can be patient until God brings the man who is appointed by God to be a kinsman redeemer. Ruth followed God's will when she received her covering. She followed Naomi's instructions and guidance. She followed the protocol. She obeyed Boaz's instructions. You are ready when you are able to submit to God's instructions and guidelines concerning a relationship. You understand that you deserve a godly man.
You have and are continually praying for your future Boaz. You pray he is blessed in his walk with the Lord, and if he's lonely that God will comfort him and give him peace. You are asking God to prepare your heart and life for your Boaz, and that you are being led to the field he is in. Ruth was led to the field where Boaz was. Pray your life is in position for meeting your future spouse. Pray that your coming and goings are blessed and led by His Holy Spirit.
How do you know if he is your Boaz?
A Modern Day Boaz will:
-He will honor you and respect you. He will handle your heart tenderly. His intentions will be honorable.
-He will provide and care for you with his actions. He looks out for the best for you.
-He will protect you and spiritually lead you and be a covering to you. He will pray with you and for you. He will take you to church. He will read the word with you.
-He will understand your journey and desire to make your days better and sweeter than before.
-He will celebrate you and appreciate your strengths, beauty and character.
-He will preserve you. He will honorably do right by you by waiting until marriage. He sees you as a treasure and a blessing from God.
-He will love you by demonstrating the character of Christ to you through his words and actions.
-He will always try to be a blessing to you and your children every day of his life. He will embrace you and your kids with open arms.
You won't settle for less than the best. You won't have to try to make a man treat you this way, because he already will. You don't raise a man into being a man, he already is one. God's best for you won't need fixing. Second best and settling....will need it. Don't go there. You are completely open to God's submission by letting Him write your love story. Listen to His voice, and trust in His perfect plan.
You know you are ready when you are not afraid to love and trust someone. You desire companionship and sharing a life again. You desire to be a blessing to the man God has waiting for you. Your heart is open to trust and to receive love again. You are healthy in your mind, heart and soul. You desire to be a helpmate.
How do you know you are his Ruth?
-You want to be a blessing to him every day of his life. You strive and look for ways to bless him.
-You desire to be his greatest cheerleader and prayer partner.
-You are his faithful confidante. He can trust you.
-You want to honor him and respect him as a man of God and as your spiritual leader.
-You celebrate his strengths and you accept his weaknesses.
-You bring a strength he can rely on. You are loyal to him only.
-You are his best friend and want to be his lifelong lover.
-You are willing to be a good receiver of his love and acts of kindness.
-You appreciate and value what he does for you.
-You believe in his dreams and callings. You want to support him and build a life with him. His desires are yours, and his dreams are yours.
-You honor him both publicly and privately.
-You desire to please him.
-You strive to do him good all the days of your life.
-You are anointed and appointed to be his wife.
Ruth and Boaz is my favorite love story. God gives second chances. He always restores better than before. Your heartache and loss are being turned around so your greatest love story can unfold. God gave Ruth better than before, and her legacy of love continued through the lineage of Jesus and beyond! <3 Written by Jenny Williams, A Modern Day Ruth Copyright 2014
Did you know we have another ministry page for single again men? Like and support: Facebook.com/amoderndayboaz
When God Made You
Ini aku copas dr blog c Cella..
Hoho...
😂😃
Aku pernah milihin lagu ini pas jd petugas LCD..terus pengantinnya terharu gitu...
😀 So sweet,,,
When God Made You
Posted by Marcella Flaorenzia at 9:38 AM
Morning from Melbourne! :)
Cuaca di sini udah mulai dingin, apalagi sekarang tiap hari kita harus bangun jam 4:30 pagi karena pekerjaan DM yang baru.. masih gelap and dingin banget.. but enak juga buat saat teduh, hehe..
Anyway, pagi ini lagi keingetan aja sama 1 lagu yang kita pake waktu wedding dance.. Judulnya "When God Made You" (By Newsong and Natalie Grant) Suka banget sama lagu ini! Thanks to Sari yang udah bantu nyari-nyari lagu and "gak sengaja" ketemu lagu ini, haha.. Waktu itu lagi bingung banget mau dance pake lagu apa, and waktunya juga udah mepet banget, blom latian dsb. Eh pas denger lagu ini, langsung suka, terutama sama liriknya.. And pas DM dengerin, dia juga setuju :)
Kita dance gak lama, kira-kira cuma 2 menit pertama dari lagu ini, but it was fun and unforgetable :p apalagi kita berdua kagak ngerti gimana caranya dance, hahaha.. Thanks to July yang udah bantuin kita latihan :) So, enjoy this song.. and siapa tau ini bisa jadi masukan lagu buat kalian yang lagi persiapan wedding, hehe..
"When God Made You"
(Newsong with Natalie Grant)
It's always been a mystery to me
How two hearts can come together
And love can last forever
But now that I have found you, I believe
That a miracle has come
When God sends the perfect one
Now gone are all my questions about why
And I've never been so sure of anything in my life
[Chorus:]
I wonder what God was thinking
When He created you
I wonder if He knew everything I would need
Because He made all my dreams come true
When God made you
He must have been thinking about me
I promise that wherever you may go
Wherever life may lead you
With all my heart I'll be there too
From this moment on I want you to know
I'll let nothing come between us
And I will love the ones you love
[Bridge:]
He made the sun He made the moon
To harmonize in perfect tune
One Can't move without the other
They just have to be together
And that is why I know it's true
You're for me and I'm for you
'Cause my world just Can't be right
Without you in my life
[Tag chorus:]
He must have heard every prayer I've been praying
Yes He knew everything I would need
When God made you
When dreams come true
When God made you
He must have been thinking about me
Jumat, 24 Maret 2017
Ketika Impianku Nyaris Menjadi Kenyataan tapi Tuhan Berkata Tidak …
Ketika Impianku Nyaris Menjadi Kenyataan tapi Tuhan Berkata Tidak …
https://id.yesheis.com/id/blog/ketika-impianku-nyaris-menjadi-kenyataan-tapi-tuhan-berkata-tidak-
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Maria Fransisca
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relationship
“Inilah salah satu bagian hidup yang Tuhan izinkan terjadi dalam hidupku. Putus cinta, patah hati, sudah jadi hal yang berulang dalam hidupku. Kukira aku terbiasa, tapi ternyata yang kali ini cukup membuatku sangat hancur. Tapi Tuhan tetap tolong. Tuhan tetap menopang dan menguatkan, asalkan kita berserah dan percaya sepenuhnya padaNya :)” (sumber: Hotmaria)
Mungkin kamu sudah membaca kisah yang kini jadi viral tersebut. Kisah seorang gadis yang harus menerima kenyataan bahwa hari bahagia yang dinantinya tidak terjadi. Pernikahan ! Semua orang rasanya menanti hari bahagia itu. Segala persiapan dilakukan. Keringat , tenaga, uang hingga emosi ada dialamnya demi menyiapkan hari bahagia itu, Namun, apa jadinya jika Tuhan berkata Tidak ? Masihkah kamu memaksa Tuhan untuk berkata YA?
Dari kisah Hotmaria kita bisa melihat bagaimana ketegaran hatinya. Kita bukan membahas apa penyebabnya atau kenapa itu terjadi. Tapi belajar melihat bagaimana kita harus bisa menerima kenyataan yang terkadang bertolak belakang dengan keinginan kita. Ga ada yang ingin gagal menikah apalagi persiapan yang nyaris sempurna dan hari yang dinanti hanya tinggal menunggu hari. Tapi respon yang kita berikan terkait kegagalan itulah yang akan dilihat orang.
Mungkin saat ini kamu mengalami hal yang sama dengan hal diatas atau mungkin ada hal yang kita anggap ‘buruk’ lainnya terjadi dalam kehidupan kita.
Tapi percayalah jika itu dari Tuhan itu pasti baik buat kita. Karena rancanganNYA ga pernah gagal. “Sebab Aku ini mengetahui rancangan-rancangan apa yang ada pada-Ku mengenai kamu, demikianlah firman TUHAN, yaitu rancangan damai sejahtera dan bukan rancangan kecelakaan, untuk memberikan kepadamu hari depan yang penuh harapan.” (Yeremia 29:11)
Banyaklah rancangan di hati manusia, tetapi keputusan TUHANlah yang terlaksana.
-Amsal 19:21-
If God say NO, don’t push God to say YES !!
Karena apapun ‘proses’ yang Tuhan izinkan terjadi dalam hidupmu (termasuk gagal nikah mungkin) itu baik buat saya dan kamu. Mari belajar untuk taat dan berjuang bersamaNYA melewati proses demi proses yang DIA izinkan terjadi sertaberikan respon yang tepat ya!
Rabu, 22 Maret 2017
While I am Waiting
While I am Waiting
Waitingforyourboaz.com
While I am waiting I will choose to love my Maker. I will choose to serve my Father with all that is within me, trusting that He knows the right time for each season of my life.
He will bring along everything that I need in His perfect time, for I know that as His daughter, I will lack no good thing.
I will choose to worship. I will lay down my pride and sit at the Master’s feet. I will learn to love, and to allow myself to accept the love that I deserve.
I will not chase after things that are not sent by God. Instead, I will walk so close to Him that I’ll know when He speaks, “that’s the one.”
I will follow His footsteps, stride for stride. And even when my Boaz comes, I will still have no other gods before me.
Because you, Abba, deserve first place in my heart. No matter what season I’m in, you have always been. You’ve always loved me, held me, and cherished me. You are the reason I live. You will alway hold first place in my heart, even when you send along my earthly King.
You are my Heavenly King, the maker of my heart. You are my first love, my light in the dark. You will show me the way.
While I am waiting I will choose joy over pain. I will rest in your presence, come tomorrow what may. Because I know God is on my side, I have nothing to fear.
I am clothed in strength and dignity. I will laugh at the days to come, because I trust the Author of the days to come. I trust what He will write out for my life.
I know it’s going to be marvelous. I know the plans you have for me are not to harm me, you plan to give me a hope and a future.
So while I am waiting I will love you. I will chase after you and choose you. I will learn to be the kind of woman you have called me to be. I will learn to cherish the people you have placed all around me.
I will pursue your presence, and worship my way through the pain. Through every season I am yours. I am your daughter, and I will trust you.
I know that day will come when you bring my soul mate. But until then, I will not sit in worry or panic. I will choose to dwell in your peace.
I want to get to know the King of Kings. I want to find myself. I want to cherish the life you’ve given me. I know that all good things come in your perfect timing and I’m trusting your will for my life.
Thank you for my life, thank you for each blessing, and thank you for the road you have called me down. I will learn to trust you more each day.
“The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.”
~Psalm 34:10
Waiting for your Boaz-A Message that Every Single Woman needs to read
Waiting for your Boaz: A Message that Every Woman Needs to Read
By: Tiffany Langford
waitingforyourboaz.com
I remember the feeling that haunted my heart, the gut wrenching pain I felt from dealing with things no child, let alone adult, should ever have to deal with. I didn’t understand things like why my dad wasn’t around, or why I didn’t have a good relationship with my mom.
I didn’t understand why I dealt with things like depression and anxiety, or why I never could seem to feel good enough for anyone, not even myself. As a young girl I felt like I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders.
All I wanted was to love and be loved.
I remember the day that God’s love took me by surprise. God and I worked some things out in that moment. I didn’t even make it to my bed, my knees just hit the ground as soon as I walked in the door and I bawled like a baby in fetal position as I felt God himself wrap His arms around me. I felt His love so strong.
The jaded, numb state of my heart broke that day. I must have cried out my very last tear. I cried until I could not cry anymore. I cried out years of desperation and depression. I was searching for love, not realizing that He was the ONLY one who could fill that place inside of me.
I ran away from his love just as Gomer ran away from Hosea. Gomer longed for another lover, just as we so often long for the things of this world instead of our sweet Savior.
God told Hosea, the young prophet, to take a wife of harlotry and they bore three children. As time went one, she became unfulfilled by his love, and ran away from him. But despite the circumstances, God speaks to Hosea to go buy Gomer back from her paramour, and this is exactly what he does.
It was hard for me to understand why God called Hosea to marry an unfaithful woman, but the story of Hosea depicts the Redeeming Love of God to us, even though we are unfaithful to Him. God allowed Hosea to bear the grieving pain that He himself bore for His children. (On a side note, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is a MUST read.)
How many times have we gone after other lovers forsaking the love of our Heavenly Father?
We are flawed human beings created by a flawless God. God himself is love; he bore our sin, our pain, our suffering, our depression, our mental illness, our addiction, and anything else that would come against us in this life. He tore the veil that separated us from the throne room of God.
I can’t thank God enough for the day his love burned away every broken part of me, eradicating every desperate, lonely, disheartened part of me. His love made me new and for that I will never be the same. He gave me new life and showed me I was more than worthy and precious in his eyes.
As a daughter of God, He revealed His love to me in my brokenness. He took away my sorrow and replaced it with joy. He set my feet upon a rock and gave me new life. He showed me how much He loved me and how He would provide everything that I needed as His daughter.
Matthew 7:11 (NIV) tells us, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Being a daughter of faith does not mean we will not face trials, temptations, heartbreak, or suffering, but it does mean His hand of protection is on us, and He will supply our every need, just as it says in Philippians 4:19. Yahweh, our provider, promises provision over every area of our lives. A few examples are our finances, (Deut. 28:12) that our children will be blessed, (Isaiah 44:3) healing of physicalities, (Psalm 103:2) victory over anything on earth that may enslave us, (Galatians 5:1),and yes ladies and gentlemen, even companionship. (Genesis 2:18, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 68:6)
So often we hear people say, “God will provide you a new job,” or “God will heal your body.” But how often do we hear someone say that God will provide for us a suitable partner?
If God said it, He will do it. We have become so warped by our culture’s ideology on marriage, love, and sex and have turned away from God’s idea of marriage. There are a million voices screaming the opposite of what God is trying to say. Still yet, that still small voice tells us, “Don’t you know I have got you?”
At a young age I began praying for my future husband. I prayed for God to save my heart for him, and his heart for me. I wanted the MAN that God had for me. I was a teenager praying this prayer, but that does not mean I didn’t have an understanding of love. I had fallen so deeply in love with God that I grasped the fact that He was taking care of me and WANTED to provide everything I needed, ESPECIALLY who I would marry someday.
Now I am not against dating. I believe when done in accordance with God’s way, it can be an enjoyable experience and a way to find what qualities you want in the person you marry. But for me personally, I knew my own heart; when I fall, I fall hard.
I made a personal decision to spend as many years as it took just falling in love and getting to know God, that was the desire of my heart. While everyone else was dating and meeting people, I basically put my heart on lock down.
By no means was I perfect, absolutely not. I tried my own way a few times, but God protected me. The season of singleness is such a beautiful time in one’s life that so many men and women wish away. Every day that you wish away, remember that you will never get back. And those days turn into weeks, which turns into years. My biggest regret looking back was wasting so much time in fear that God would not keep his promises to me.
If I had known then what I know now, I would have been walking on cloud nine embracing my romantic encounter with God and God alone every single moment. So consider this is your future self telling your present self,
GOD HAS GOT YOU.
He is going to provide everything you need. God is a lover and He fashioned you and me to be lovers just like Him. He looks down on you with butterflies in His stomach and says you, my darling, are altogether beautiful in every way. There is no flaw in you.
Your season of singleness is only for a time and a purpose, don’t wish it away. Learn to embrace the One who loves you more than a thousand lovers ever could. He is mad about you, and wants to dance with you in this crazy walk called life. Trust now, and see that He is faithful to His word. He did it for me, He will do it for you.
Now I am married to the love of my life, Kevin. We will have been together five years and I promise you it just gets better with each day. When God brings the right person into your life you are supposed to continue to grow as a couple and individually. But before that day comes, you are a princess in preparation. Marriage is a rewarding challenge and we must learn to walk alone with God first, so take a seat beside the most Lovely One there is and just enjoy the ride.
We were created by the author of love. God Is Love, and we were created in his image. So know this, God is taking care of you. Something that I had to realize for myself and I hope you will too is this; no one in this world is going to fill that giant hole in your heart.
That hole is God’s place. When He molded you, He placed that void there so that YOU would choose him. Coming to God is a decision we must make on our own. A relationship is meaningless if both partners are not equally in love with each other. If you could force someone to stay with you against their own will, what would be the point? If they do not choose to love and cherish you, that isn’t a relationship at all.
God is a gentlemen, the best I may add, and He wants you to love Him for who He is, just as we want to be loved for who we are. That’s why the choice is left up to us.
If you have a void in your heart that needs filled and know that you need Jesus, I encourage you to ask him into your heart right now, don’t waste another minute. He can make you whole. That peace you’ve been searching for is in His arms, you can rest in Him.
I am always here if you need prayer. If you want to accept Christ as your Savior, you can do it right there in your house, just like I did. I promise you that you will not regret falling in love with God, you will be eternally changed.
If you need prayer, do not hesitate to email me. You can contact me on facebook ortwitter, or simply shoot me an e-mail.
You are worthy, chosen, beautiful, loved, and precious in God’s sight. I love you beautiful people, be encouraged today.
~Tiffany Langford~
7 Secrets From a Woman Who Waited for Her Boaz
7 Secrets From a Woman Who Waited for Her Boaz
Waitingforyourboaz.com
Love is something I believe we are all searching for, especially that “special kind of love.” Many of us desire romance. We desire to have the person God has for us.
Waiting for the man God has for you can be complicated enough without all of the pressure thrown at us from the world telling us the opposite of what God is trying to tell us.
Sisters, I want you to take heart and enjoy the journey. The day you marry the man God has for you will be beautiful, but so is each and every day leading up to that day.
I pray that in this season you will choose to embrace the love of God and spend your days loving and trusting in Him, trusting that He will keep His promises to you.
Here are seven secrets you can take to heart while you are waiting for your Boaz
1. God is able to fully satisfy you in this season of singleness.
There is nothing like the love of God. His love is the missing piece to your heart. That God-shaped hole won’t be filled by any man on this earth. Your future husband isn’t meant to bear the weight of your eternal peace and happiness. That’s a job for Abba, Father. So rest in the love of the Father and find yourself whole in Him. He’s got your back.
2. God is able to transform the desires of your heart to align with His.
Psalm 37:4 tells us, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” When you become so in tune with God and begin encountering a romance with Jesus, you will notice a change in yourself. You stop looking to the world to fulfill you. You stop wanting the things of this world. You desire more of Jesus, and in that, you will find yourself longing for the things He longs for. Your desires will become like His and in that, you will discover His will for your life.
3. When you find your Boaz you will know, trust me.
You may already know your Boaz. You may not have met him yet. He could live 10,000 miles away or next door. But when the time comes God will reveal to you who he is, but not until it is God’s perfect timing. Fast and pray. Use proper discernment and allow the Holy Spirit to direct your heart down the right path. You can trust He will not forget His promises to you. And when you are following the will of God, you can have peace that the moment will not pass you by. You will be ready and you will know.
4. There is nothing better you can do for your future husband than to pray for him.
Prayer is the most powerful force on the planet. Your future husband needs your prayers. Prayer connects you both in love and is a vital part of preparing for marriage. Pray that God would lead and guide his heart, and that He would fully walk the course God has called him to walk down.
5. Right now is the time to start becoming a godly wife.
There is no time like the present. Do you walk into a classroom on the day of your final exam not having studied or attended the first class? Likewise, don’t walk into marriage blindfolded. Pray that God would reveal how to become the godly wife that your future husband needs and follow through with it. You are a princess in preparation, so walk and talk like the woman God has called you to be.
6. You don’t have to chase or force what is God sent.
Don’t waste precious years of your life away waiting for your wedding day. Cherish these years. They are just as important as the years to come. Take heart that God is paving the way for you. Pray that His will be done, and trust Him to bring every good thing you need into your life in His perfect timing.
You are His precious daughter and He will give you a king who cherishes you, not some boy who makes you chase after him.
7. God will do His part, but you have to do your part.
Don’t chase after the first available decent guy. Just because he goes to church doesn’t mean he is the man God has for you. Don’t let yourself become so desperate that you move ahead of God. God will honor his end of the bargain, you job is to trust Him and do your part. Wait for your Boaz. Don’t settle for any man other than the man God has for you.
Much love,
Tiffany
When Disappointment Turns Into Divine Appointment
http://waitingforyourboaz.com
Father,
Sometimes life just gets the best of me. Sometimes I give into the discouragement all around me. I get so caught up in myself when I want to be caught up in you.
Papa help me to focus on the future you have for me, instead of getting so caught up in discouragement.
Take me from glory to glory, for I know you are the one who prepares a table for me. You are the one who causes my cup to run over. You are the one who pleads my cause and lays out my days before me.
Help me to trust in you-wholly, fully, deeply, and unconditionally.
I want to fall radically in love with you, deeper each day. Help me to understand that this disappointment is leading me to future God appointments.
You have a plan and purpose for me. All of the days I will live are marked within your books. Give me the courage to chase my dreams.
Make my dreams become your vision.
Help me to walk glide for glide, right alongside you. I know you are with me every step of the way.
When I face heartbreak and disappointment, I know the road you are leading me down is beautiful, even if at this moment it doesn’t feel so lovely. The road you have for me to walk is going to be wonderful.
Wherever you lead, I want to follow. Many are the plans of my heart, but you, O Lord, determine each step. You determine my course. You know where I am going and where I will be. You know where I am right now.
Somehow, the best lessons come from the worst heartbreak. Something beautiful can spring up out of something so ugly.
Something the devil used to try to do me in for good you will use for my benefit. Lord I can make my plans, but your purpose prevails.
Give me the strength to be all that you’ve called me to be, and to face this season of my life with joy, peace, and grace. Give me the strength to trust you despite the odds.
Overwhelm my heart with love, that I would know your will is to prosper and not to harm me. I thank you for giving me a hope and a future. I entrust you fully with my future and I cannot wait to see the beauty that comes from it.
I love you Jesus, and I trust you.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
~Jeremiah 29:11
Buat kamu yang bosan dgn pertanyaan “Kapan Nikah?”
Buat kamu yang bosan dgn pertanyaan “Kapan Nikah?”
Blog yesHeis
Marlena V.Lee
Dalam setiap hari raya, biasanya ada tradisi kumpul keluarga, entah itu imlek, natal atau hari raya besar lainnya. Sewaktu saya kecil, acara kumpul-kumpul ini terasa menyenangkan. Namun begitu saya beranjak dewasa, rasanya saya semakin malas saja mengikutinya. Alasannya? Tentu saja, tak lain dan tak bukan karena pertanyaan legendaris yang memenya bertebaran ribuan versi di dunia maya: “Kapan nikah?”
Yah, meski biasanya kita berhasil memasang senyum termanis dan menanggapi dengan canda, tidakkah di dalam sini (baca: hati) rasanya mak-jleb?
Namun, tahun ini ada yang berbeda. Sebelum berangkat ke rumah saudara, Mama mengajak saya berkunjung ke rumah seorang oma yang dua puluh tahun lalu sempat mengajari saya di Sekolah Minggu. Saat sedang mengobrol, tiba-tiba si Oma bertanya, “Kapan kamu ngundang Oma?”
Haduh, dasar nasib, emang pertanyaan keramat satu itu enggak bakal bisa dihindari ke mana pun para single pergi. Lalu saya pun memberikan jawaban standar, “Belum ada calonnya, Oma, doakan, ya.” Sambil mempertahankan senyum, saya bersiap-siap menerima wejangan. You know, petuah semacam: jangan picky, ingat umur, pasti kamu kurang usaha, coba deh kamu dandan dikit, atau… mungkin kamu perlu sulam alis.
“Wah…” Si Oma mulai berbicara kembali. Here we go. Mari kita tahan napas sedikit…
“…pasti Tuhan sudah siapkan kamu untuk Ishak.”
Hah? Apa? Apa katanya?
“Tenang, waktu Tuhan tidak pernah salah. Yang penting kamu ikutin saja tuntunan Roh Kudus. Sama kayak Ribka yang mengikuti hamba yang diutus Abraham. Hamba itu perwakilan Roh Kudus, kalau kamu ikutin, pasti kamu akan bertemu Ishak. Jangan sembarangan mau ya. Harus diuji. Semua harus diuji dulu, tanya ke Tuhan, apa benar dia jodohmu.”
Coba kita renungkan, si Oma ini benar banget loh. Tidak ada yang salah dengan menjadi single. Kalau sampai sekarang kita belum juga bertemu dengan si dia, bukan berarti ada yang kurang dari kita. Bukan berarti kita minim berusaha juga. Lagipula, tidak ada yang tahu seberapa besar usaha kita, kan? Biarkan saja orang mau berkata apa. Perkara lajang-melajang ini bukanlah urusan mereka, tetapi pribadi kita dengan Tuhan. Jangan karena terpengaruh omongan sekitar, kita panik melirik kanan dan kiri, lalu main sambar siapa saja.
Justru, respon yang tepat, dan yang sedang Tuhan tunggu dari kita adalah mengikuti tuntunan-Nya. Arahkan titik pandang kita hanya kepada Tuhan, dan berjalanlah mengikuti-Nya, maka kita pun akan sampai di titik di mana kita akan bertemu dengan Ishak kita, atau Ribka kita.
Percayalah, status single bukanlah sesuatu yang memalukan bin mengenaskan. Malah sebetulnya, waktu-waktu single kita adalah saat penuh berkat. Masa di mana Tuhan membentuk kita agar kita benar-benar siap memasuki jenjang pernikahan.
Btw, kata-kata si Oma belum selesai loh. Beliau melanjutkan dengan, “Kalau memang kamu sudah sampai pada waktunya Tuhan, semua penghalang akan Tuhan angkat, dan tidak ada sesuatu atau siapa pun yang dapat menghalangi kamu bersatu dengan Ishak-mu.”
Ya, saat Tuhan sudah memandang kita siap, semua akan berjalan sebagaimana mestinya. Meski terkadang bayangan bertemu dengan seseorang yang sudah Tuhan persiapkan bagi kita terasa semakin jauh, tetapi kita boleh yakin bahwa Dia telah menuliskan kisah cinta terindah khusus bagi setiap kita. Persis seperti ketika Ishak bertemu dengan Ribka, tidak pakai waktu yang lama, mereka saling jatuh cinta dan menikah. Indeed, all is well in God’s will.
Selasa, 21 Maret 2017
Bersyukur
Aku sangat bersyukur utk smua yg Tuhan sudah singkapkan bahwa memang seseorang yg dekat dgn ku bukanlah orang yg berkenan di hadapan Tuhan. Kayak serigala berbulu domba gitu. Hari demi hari Tuhan makin menunjukkan sifat2 asli yang tidak kuduga sama sekali sehingga aku berkata "Oh ternyata seperti itu orangnya...". Syukurlah aku tidak bersamanya. Aku percaya memang ada orang yg selalu menyemangati dan mendoakan, setia, sama2 bertumbuh dan membangun dlm Tuhan..dan yg plg penting adl sepadan sesuai dgn rencana Tuhan.
Aku tau meskipun orang itu jauh, tapi pasti suatu saat nanti Tuhan pasti dekatkan dan singkapkan semua yg terselubung..yg mendominasi Tuhan lalu pria itulah yg berinisiatif, bukan wanita..terus pastinya akan ada byk konfirmasi.
Dulu aku sempat berpikir kalau relasi yg benci2 cinta itu asik, gara2 liat film drama Taiwan. Wkwk. Tapi aku sadar seiring berjalannya waktu, kalo bertengkar terus itu capek n habisin tenaga. Mendingan relasi yg membangun n menyemangati dlm Tuhan, bersama sahabat yg slg berbagi n memahami gitu. So sweet pokoknya.
Waktu seminar bisnis, aku juga dipertemukan dgn 1 pasang suami istri yg first kiss mereka adl wedding kiss. Ternyata bukan cm c Cella n ko DM aja. Ada juga org2 nyata yg jaga kekudusan. Mereka kesaksian org2 blg mereka aneh tp buat aku itu keren. LDR an juga. Ya anak Tuhan pacaran ga harus deket2, bs juga LDR. Entah gmn mengenalnya kalo LDR itu aku blm bs bayangin tp Tuhan pasti buka jalan. Semangat.😀
Minggu, 19 Maret 2017
How to Make a Prayer Notebook
http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/how-to-make-a-prayer-notebook/
JENNIFER CASE CORTEZ 29 COMMENTS PRINT
A few years ago, my friend and spiritual big sister, Jani Ortlund, showed me how she made her prayer notebook. Being the big nerd that I am, I could hardly wait to make my own. (Just because you grow up doesn’t mean you have to outgrow your love of school supplies.)
By that time I had spent years observing Jani’s walk with the Lord, and I knew that when she said she would pray for someone, she meant it. I saw God move through her prayers, and when she prayed out loud, there was power in those prayers. I wanted to learn to pray like that!
My prayer notebook has been a helpful tool for me; it helps me pray with purpose and track God’s faithful answers to my prayers. There’s nothing magic about having a prayer notebook. It doesn’t pray for me. I still need to spend time every day reading God’s Word. My notebook is kind of like Google Calendar; it’s simply a tool to help me keep track of important things.
Would you like to make one? Here’s one way to do it.
Get a one-inch three-ring binder.
Get a set of plastic notebook dividers (eight tabs). I like the kind that has pockets so I can insert papers I collect about prayer. Label the tabs as follows: Daily, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
Jen's prayer notebook
In the very front of your notebook, add a page for each of these categories: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Blessing, Interceding. I simply use a piece of notebook paper with a handwritten heading. As I come across prayers in Scripture that exemplify these things, I write down the prayer and the reference on the appropriate page. This helps me learn how to pray God’s Word and see what kind of prayers move the heart of God. (Sometimes God says NO to the person praying, and I pay attention to those prayers, too!)
Decide on seven prayer categories, one for every day of the week, and keep specific requests in the appropriate sections.
My sections break down like this:
Daily—my husband and children.
Sunday—my church and its leaders.
Monday—our sons’ teachers, schools, and academic/social lives.
Tuesday—my friends.
Wednesday—various social justice issues (like the recent kidnappings in Nigeria). Bombay Teen Challenge is dear to me, so I pray for them and the fight against human trafficking on Wednesdays.
Thursday—my unbelieving friends and family members—that they would come to know Christ.
Friday—our extended family members.
Saturday—my care group and community group at church.
Put notebook paper in each section so you can jot down needs as they come to your attention or as others ask you to pray. (I often make a note of requests on my phone and transfer them to my notebook during my next quiet time.)
You may want a page at the beginning of your notebook with sample prayers (I get mine from this book) or a list of the attributes of God. The attributes help me remember how big God is and how much I need Him! This is part of my “adoration.” The sample prayers help me grow in prayer much like reading good literature helps you grow as a writer or listening to great music helps you grow as a musician.
Jen's prayer notebook
That’s it! Now you’re ready to go. I keep the notebook with my Bible so I always have it handy.
Do you have a prayer notebook or journal? How do you keep track of your prayers and of God’s faithfulness to you? We’d love to hear all about it!
Love this post? Share it! Here’s a tweet you can totally steal from us:
Do you feel like your prayers could be more effective? Today @jencortez73 shows you what works for her.
Cinderella: “Have Courage, and Be Kind”
PAULA HENDRICKS MARSTELLER 35 COMMENTS PRINT
http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/cinderella-have-courage-and-be-kind/
I saw Disney’s new Cinderella movie this past weekend. (Did you?) I loved it! Not only was it a much-needed break from my never-ending work; it also gave me a picture of the unparalleled beauty of courage and kindness in the face of humiliation, suffering, and shame.
If God is your Father, and you are His adopted daughter, then you are a princess.
It was a surprising picture, and a jarring one, as the previews before the movie—and everything our world seems to celebrate—is not letting anyone so much as step on our toes.
But Ella (the main character in Cinderella) shows us a shockingly different way of life. A beautiful way of life.
For some reason, Ella’s mom waited until her deathbed to share with Ella “a great secret that will see you through all the trials life has to offer.” Ella promised. She would:
“Have courage and be kind.”
The movie doesn’t explain how Ella is able to perform this feat in the face of such mistreatment, but she does. After her dear mother dies, Ella is courageous and kind when her stepmother and stepsisters:
Relegate her to the attic to sleep
Banish her from the table at mealtimes
Change her name from Ella to Cinderella because she’s dirty from the cinder in the fireplace
Treat her like a servant instead of the sister and daughter that she is
Tear her dress and forbid her from attending the ball
But thanks to the fairy godmother, Cinderella is able to attend the ball after all, and the Prince makes a beeline for her.
Sure, Cinderella looks stunning. But it’s not her ball gown or glass slippers that first catch the Prince’s eye. Weeks before, she turns his head when he happens upon her on a hunting trip in the forest—when her hair is knotted and her clothes plain. It’s her inner beauty that captures his attention—her courage and her kindness.
Girls, this beauty isn’t just the stuff of fairy tales. It’s what you and I are to pursue as daughters of the King:
“Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses [or shimmering, blue ball gowns!] but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:3-4).
According to God’s standards for beauty . . .
Kindness isn’t weakness; it’s strength.
Submission isn’t pitiful; it’s beautiful and courageous.
First Peter has a lot to say on the subject. Here’s just a taste:
“To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. . . .
“Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence . . .
“It is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:8–18).
But how can we have courage when others mistreat us?
Why should we be kind to those who are cruel?
Cinderella acted this way because she was a princess—not a princess by blood, but a true princess in heart.
And if God is your Father, and you are His adopted daughter, then you are a princess too. Not the kind with a ball gown and a tiara, but a true princess. A princess because God brought you into His family at the exorbitant cost of His Son’s life-blood. This honored position is not an excuse to act selfish but to be courageous and kind.
So when you encounter those bullies at school or at home or at work, remember this: You may not have a fairy godmother to rescue you, but you have the living God on your side. This God is pleased—not when you suffer for doing wrong—but for doing right. This same God suffered for you so you might become royalty:
“You have been called for this purpose [to patiently endure suffering for doing what is right], since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
“who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:21–24).
Are you acting like the princess you are? If you’re not sure you’ve ever surrendered your life to the King of kings, you can read more about that here. http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/can-know-im-saved/
Bow to the King, sweet girl.
Have courage, and be kind.
Worldly Attraction vs. Godly Attraction
http://theprayingwoman.com/worldly-attraction-vs-godly-attraction/
By TPW
attraction
People tend to look at someone’s appearance. God looks at the heart. Look at the personality and strengths the person has. Notice the words and mannerisms they use. This will help avoid heartbreak and also going into marriage for the wrong reasons.
ATTRACTION WITH WORDLY MEN
You may not be able to help feeling attracted towards a man – but you do have the responsibility to decide what you do with that feeling of attraction. You are not a slave to your feelings of attraction – thankfully!
You can willfully choose NOT to be around an ungodly man to whom you feel attracted and you can choose to distance yourself and make it clear that you are not available to him. I believe we MUST do this in order to honor Christ!
Here are worldly things that can attract women:
confidence – but unfortunately, sometimes we can be attracted to cockiness
status
money/ material things
bad boy reputation
swag
the feeling that this guy doesn’t “need” us, that he knows he could have his pick of women
he is secure in his manhood
power
he is sure of himself
he knows what he wants
his sense of humor
good looks/ appearance
he don’t put up with any mess
fame/ popularity
Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to be attracted to some of the things from this list, as long as it’s not the ONLY thing that’s important to you in a relationship.
Now let’s take a look at the Godly attraction…
ATTRACTION WITH GODLY MEN
The qualities in this section are the ones I want you to focus on, ladies! I believe these are the things that God desires us to focus on, as well!
This is going to require us to purposely not allow ourselves to fixate on men who are far from Christ. Thankfully, the closer we are to Jesus, the more we will be attracted to the qualities of Christ. So we will have to very consciously NOT give our attention to men who are focused on this world and living for self, pleasure, money, sex, fame, power… whatever idol it is they pursue. Don’t allow those smooth words to work on your heart.
The things that will attract a godly woman to a man of God are things like:
His leadership ability. I Timothy 3 is a great chapter about godly masculine leadership in the church – but I believe that these are also the qualities we as Christian women ought to look for in a potential husband).
his tenacious submission to Christ no matter what the cost
that incredibly godly and beautiful combination of strength/power and gentleness all in the same man
godly humility – not putting himself down all the time, but truly seeking to exalt Christ not self
his heart for people – his love for others
self-control – does not go into fits of rage or violence
his words are sincere, he is careful with his words and seeks to use his words to build others up not to tear them down
his passion for Christ
his devotion to fervent prayer (either in private or in private as well as with others)
honesty
selflessness
eagerness to do what is right and good
generosity towards those in need
godly wisdom
able to forgive and freely extend mercy and grace
able to speak the truth in love
does not hold on to hatred or bitterness
patience
kindness
his devotion to purity and chastity – his desire to honor God with his sexuality and to protect your chastity and purity as well
his ability to apologize and repent to God and to others when he sins
he does not boast in himself, only in Christ
he is not rude or easily angered
he desires to protect others – especially those under his authority
his heart to reach people with the gospel of Christ
sensitivity to God’s Word and to His Spirit
I am not saying we will be attracted to every single Christian man. I am not saying you must date someone with whom you have zero attraction to.
However, the closer we are to Christ, the more attractive godly men will be to us. It is amazing how godliness can make a man much more attractive as you get to know him.
As you look for a godly man, PLEASE keep your priorities straight:
Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love others as yourself.
Find all of your purpose, identity, value, strength and hope in Christ alone, not in any man or anything of this world.
Ask God to change YOU to become a Godly woman who can deeply and richly bless a Godly man one day. Focus on growing in your own relationship with Christ and seeking Him above everything else.
3 Ways to Know If an “Open Door” is from God
http://theprayingwoman.com/3-ways-to-know-if-an-open-door-is-from-god/
By TPW
8087789
Just because an opportunity presents itself, and it looks appealing, doesn’t necessarily mean it is from God. And likewise, just because an open door looks a little uncertain, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t walk through it.
The key is knowing how to discern if an opportunity is really an open door from God. I don’t want to miss those open doors because I was afraid to walk through them. But I also don’t want to take every opportunity that comes along, assuming it is from God’s hand and has his blessings attached.
In a recent conversation with a friend we talked about the faith and courage to walk through a door that God is holding open for us, even if we’re not exactly sure of what’s on the other side. But then the question came up: How can you tell if God is the one opening the door?
The Bible gives us some principles to help us discern if an “open door” or opportunity is really from God:
1. The Door that God Opens Will Never Contradict His Word
Many Christians see opportunities to make more money as an open door from God, even though the opportunity means a job that will keep them from regular fellowship or service in their church.
However, God’s Word tells us not to neglect meeting together for worship (Hebrews 10:25).
Some women have told me that they believe God opened a door to a dating relationship for them, even though it meant being in a situation where they were “unequally yoked” with an unbeliever, which Scripture also warns against (2 Corinthians 6:14).
God will not lead you toward an opportunity that contradicts what he clearly says in his Word. Nor will he open a door that would require personal compromise or disobedience in order for you to enter.
As humans prone to sin, we have an excellent way of turning a clear mandate of God’s completely around and justifying it by our circumstances, but that is not how God works.
If there is a compromise in any way, or we have to bend Scripture to justify our “open door” then it is likely not a door that God is opening for us. I would call anything that contradicts his Word a temptation, rather than an open door from God. And God’s Word clearly says that God does not tempt us (James 1:13-14).
2. The Door that God Opens Will be Accompanied by Confirmation
In Matthew 18:15-16, Jesus laid out instructions for confronting sin among believers saying “But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses’.”
I believe the same applies when it comes to God confirming something in his Word. He will often confirm or establish a matter by “two or three witnesses” whether they be verses from the Word of God, advice from a pastor or well-respected person who is grounded in Scripture, or a non-compromising circumstance that continues to present itself.
Through prayer, discernment and seeking godly counsel, you should be able to tell if that “open door” and its confirmations are truly coming from God.
3. The Door God Opens Will Require You to Depend on Him
God is not going to give us something that will alienate us from him or make us believe we no longer need him. He is a God of relationship, and a God who insists upon being first in our lives (Matthew 6:33).
Therefore, if you find yourself saying “I can’t do this unless God goes before me,” or “I can do this, but only with God’s help and leading” I would say, in my personal experience, it’s likely something God is calling you to do.
Hebrews 11:6 says: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.” Many times an “open door” from God is one that allows our faith to be stretched and strengthened. That, after all, is God’s objective for us: to grow in faith and Christ-likeness.
Take your opportunity or “open door” to God and ask for his confirmation – through his Word and godly counsel from others – and his peace in the decision, and you can have the assurance that you aren’t just choosing a door at random, but you’re carefully walking through the ones he wants you to enter.
When Someone’s Purpose In Your Life Becomes So Clear
http://theprayingwoman.com/when-someones-purpose-in-your-life-becomes-so-clear/
By Yatta Montrell
depressed-woman
Haven’t blogged in a while, but today my heart is heavy so I decided to blog about my feelings. I am known to my readers for being a woman of God who goes through trials just like every other woman in the world. So here’s why my heart has been heavy…
Just a few months ago, I lost a person who was very dear to my heart. I met this person through a mutual friend and we formed a friendship instantly. This man was truly a positive light in my life, he was God-fearing, honest, and very humble.
When we first met it was kind of unusual. He didn’t live in the same city or state as me which made it kind of interesting and fun. We had a spiritual connection and we communicated daily whether it was by phone, skype, or whatsapp. Basically we utilized every form of medium to communicate.
One thing I did admire about him the most is that he would always remind me to keep God first, follow my dreams, and know that God is the light.
Not a day went by that we did not talk to each other. But something happened back in August. The phone calls, whatsapp notifications, and skype calls stopped. So me being the typical woman I am, I sent him a message saying “so you’re ignoring me ?”
He responds by saying “ Yatta I am very ill please pray for me” .
In that moment, I asked God to heal him and also I dismissed him. I took it as if he was playing games or just didn’t want to be bothered. In actuality he was terminally ill.
Even though I let the devil come into my mind and create all these irrational thoughts, I did not stop praying, caring or thinking about him.
During the week of October 6th something in my spirit prompted me to call him so I called, text, called and called… still no answer. He was on my mind and heavy on my heart. I wanted him to know that I missed his encouragement and I missed him overall.
Early morning of October 9th I received word that he had passed away. My morning was full of so much grief and shame at the same time. I had allowed the devil to come into my mind and make me selfish instead of being that positive light he was to me, when he needed me the most.
Nonetheless I prayed for his soul and I asked God for forgiveness for allowing the devil to fill my mind with crazy thoughts that wasn’t true.
Forgiveness, Forgiveness, and Forgiveness this word keeps popping up in my mind and spirit.
Just a few months we were having a conversation about my father. We discussed some things and he asked me a question that is so profound now.
He asked, “ Can you do something for me ?”
I replied, “ it depends on what it is”.
He then responded, “Can you find a way in your heart to forgive your father for me ?”.
My response was laughter like a nervous little girl who needed her father. A few weeks ago I wrote my father this brief message:
Hey Dad,
I want you to know that I forgive you for not being emotionally present in my life, I’m 33 years old and I have searched for love in all the wrong places , I would limit myself to men who were always emotionally unavailable and people who I thought were my friends. I thank you for the foundation you built for me as being a provider and showing me that hard work will get me far in this life, but I never felt the love that I needed from you to conqueror the world and how to decipher the good and bad in men. Whatever happened between you and my mom did not change the fact that I am your daughter and you have three precious daughters who needed you the most along with your sons. So I’m breaking this chain and I will not be limited to emotionally unavailable people anymore, and I will not be stuck in a rut of seeking love in things that’s not God like. I love you and I forgive you.
Love Yatta
When I sent that message , I felt so liberated and I was full of so many different emotions. I thought of my friend and I now know what his purpose was in my life .
You know the quote “people are placed in your life for a reason and season”?
Today I have confirmation that his purpose in my life was to draw me closure to God and to teach me how to forgive and let go of everything that hindered me. My dear friend was my angel here on earth.
I declare I will not be bonded by my circumstances. I was reminded by the bible scripture: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14)
Forgiveness is a wonderful thing , it allows you to have a new lease on life.
When You’re Tired of Waiting
http://theprayingwoman.com/the-waiting-period/
By TPW
waiting period
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:25)
The waiting period is the most trying, most painful and will always be the longest period of your life no matter how short it may be.
In waiting for the Lord to answer your prayer, you will encounter His most deafening silence.
The waiting period will reveal our true character. It will teach us patience, it will test our endurance, and will sometimes shake our faith.
But it’s all in the name of Love. God knows best. He knows that even if you’re in the right place at the right time, You will still miss your blessing if you’re not in the right frame of mind.
The longer the waiting, the more we will appreciate and value whatever it is we have been waiting for .
I have been waiting for God to answer my prayers. Some He has answered exactly the way I had hoped for, others He is still revealing.
Although I admit that sometimes I want to rush things and I get impatient with Him, I know that He has my best intentions in mind.
I do not have a wise answer as to why He makes us wait… but I will not put a deadline on my prayers because He is infinite for a reason. I may not understand His purpose but I completely trust His will.
So as difficult as it may be, in my waiting I choose to believe in Him.
In my waiting, I choose to keep on serving Him. Sometimes in my service, I see His answer and I feel His love.
In my waiting, I choose to be happy because whether I am miserable or joyful, it doesn’t rush the process. So why not wait patiently and joyfully instead?
The waiting period has made me wiser, although not as wise as I could possibly be, but at least now I realize things that I did not realize before. I now have discernment when something is not good for me, even though it looks good to me, sounds good to me, or feels good to me.
Whether I get exactly what I pray for, or just gain wisdom from the waiting period, I am not waiting in vain.
A lesson learned is still a blessing. Wisdom gained in the process is priceless.
That is another great thing about waiting. It has revealed to me the faithfulness of God that I would not have known had all my prayers been answered right away. That is the highest reward that waiting could give.
Waiting may be painful at times, but It’s so necessary as Christians . The fastest way is not always the best way!
Selasa, 14 Maret 2017
Ketika Tuhan Berkata Pria Itu Bukan Untukku
Ketika Tuhan Berkata Pria Itu Bukan Untukku
http://www.warungsatekamu.org/2017/03/ketika-tuhan-berkata-pria-itu-bukan-untukku/comment-page-1/#comment-161588
Info
Oleh Ruth Theodora, Jakarta
Sakit. Sedih. Kecewa. Itulah yang kurasakan ketika aku akhirnya putus dari pacarku setelah kami menjalin hubungan selama 3 tahun 7 bulan. Di saat aku telah mendoakan hubungan ini dan membayangkan akan menikah dengannya, ternyata hubungan kami harus kandas di tengah jalan. “Aku rasa aku tidak sungguh-sungguh mencintaimu,” begitulah alasan yang diucapkannya ketika memintaku untuk putus.
Tiga bulan berikutnya menjadi hari-hari terberat dalam hidupku. Aku bertanya kepada Tuhan, “Tuhan, kenapa ini harus terjadi?” Aku pun menjadi takut menghadapi masa depan. “Kalau hubungan yang telah kudoakan ini saja bisa kandas di tengah jalan, bagaimana dengan masa depanku?” begitu pikirku.
Aku pun merasa lelah sendiri. Aku merasa tidak bisa hidup seperti ini terus-menerus. Aku berdoa kepada Tuhan setiap hari agar aku bisa terlepas dari semua perasaan ini. Tuhan menjawabku melalui kakak rohaniku, mamaku, saat teduhku, firman Tuhan di gerejaku, bahkan juga melalui media sosial Instagram, Path, dan Facebook yang kugunakan. Pesan itu terangkum dalam tiga kata: Let it go (Lepaskan saja).
Meskipun pesan untuk melepaskan itu begitu kuat, tapi aku masih takut untuk melepaskan mantan pacarku. Aku takut aku tidak bisa mendapat pria yang sebaik dia. Aku takut mempunyai masa depan yang suram. Aku takut aku tidak bisa masuk dalam suatu hubungan lagi. Namun, semakin besar perasaan takut yang aku rasakan, semakin keras juga pesan “let it go” itu kutemukan dalam keseharianku. Entah mengapa, setiap kali aku membuka media sosial, banyak sekali postingan yang kutemukan itu berbicara tentang melepaskan masa lalu.
Akhirnya, pada minggu kedua bulan Januari 2017, saat aku pergi ke gereja, Tuhan kembali mengatakan kepadaku lewat khotbah yang kudengar, “Jangan mau dihantui masa lalu, karena Aku menyiapkan masa depan yang penuh harapan untukmu.” Kata-kata itu begitu menguatkanku, dan di saat itu juga aku mengambil komitmen untuk tidak takut lagi. Aku mulai mengatakan kepada diriku, “Kalau Tuhan berkata pria itu bukan untukku berarti Tuhan sudah menyiapkan yang lebih baik untukku.”
Puji Tuhan, pengalamanku ini akhirnya dapat membuatku mengenal Tuhan lebih baik lagi.
1. Aku percaya Tuhan punya rencana yang terbaik untukku
Jangan lagi terpaku dengan kesedihan masa lalu. Percayalah bahwa Tuhan memiliki rencana yang luar biasa yang sedang Dia siapkan buat kita, meskipun saat ini kita belum dapat melihatnya. Percayalah bahwa apapun yang terjadi saat ini memang Tuhan izinkan terjadi untuk mempersiapkan kita untuk mendapatkan sesuatu yang lebih baik di masa depan kita. Dalam Yeremia 29:11, Dia mengatakan bahwa Dia mempunyai rencana, dan rencana-Nya itu adalah untuk mendatangkan kebaikan dan masa depan yang penuh harapan.
2. Aku percaya dengan proses dan waktu yang ditentukan Tuhan
Ketika Tuhan mengizinkan hubunganku dengan mantan pacarku kandas, aku tidak tahu apa maksud Tuhan. Yang aku tahu adalah aku mengalami proses yang luar biasa yang menjadikanku semakin dewasa baik secara rohani maupun karakter. Aku jadi bisa melihat segala sesuatu dengan cara yang berbeda, yang mengubah hidupku. Aku juga menjadi percaya bahwa waktu-Nya Tuhan tidak pernah terlambat dan tidak pernah terlalu cepat, sama seperti matahari yang setiap hari terbit dan tenggelam tepat pada waktunya.
Proses yang Tuhan izinkan terjadi dalam hidupku membuatku semakin kuat dan mempersiapkan diriku untuk masa depanku. Ketika aku berumah tangga kelak, tentu akan ada lebih banyak tantangan. Tapi aku percaya pada saat itu tiba, aku telah siap untuk menghadapinya karena Tuhan telah membentukku melalui proses-Nya.
3. Aku percaya Tuhan mengetahui isi hatiku dan peduli kepadaku
Ketika aku baru putus, setiap hariku terasa berat dan hampir setiap saat aku menangis. Hatiku begitu hancur sampai-sampai aku tidak tahu bagaimana aku harus berdoa dan mengutarakan isi hatiku kepada Tuhan. Tapi kemudian aku membaca firman Tuhan berikut ini.
“Sebab sebelum lidahku mengeluarkan perkataan, sesungguhnya, semuanya telah Kauketahui, ya TUHAN” (Mazmur 139:4).
Firman Tuhan itu memberitahuku bahwa Tuhan sangat mengerti isi hatiku, bahkan sebelum itu terucap di bibirku. Dia amat mengenalku, bahkan lebih baik daripada aku mengenal diriku sendiri. Dan Dia juga peduli kepadaku. Buat apa lagi aku takut? (Matius 10:31).
“Aku sekali-kali tidak akan membiarkan engkau dan Aku sekali-kali tidak akan meninggalkan engkau” (Ibrani 13:5).
Senin, 13 Maret 2017
God Is Working in Your Waiting
Most parents would agree that their children don’t want to wait for anything. The last thing kids want to hear is Mom say, “Not now.” It can prompt anger, frustration, even hopelessness. This “dis-ease” of waiting follows most of us into our adult years. We may not respond with the same emotional outbursts as children, but most of us still hate waiting for what we want.
And our modern society just makes it worse. We want everything done quickly — and new devices constantly spring up to meet those demands and encourage our impatience. We are not used to waiting, and the more our technology caters to our immediate desires, the less we feel willing to wait.
Such is our dilemma as Christians. While society makes every attempt to make our life easier and faster, God works on a very different timetable. In his mind, nothing is wrong with waiting. In fact, waiting can actually be a positive good that he often uses to make us more like his Son.
God Works While We Wait
Something actually happens while nothing is happening. God uses waiting to change us.
The story of Adam and Eve is a story of rebellion against God. Once they believed that God didn’t have their best interests in mind, they decided to go ahead without God and do what they wanted. They became, in effect, their own god. Too often, this is exactly what we do today. When God tells us to wait, we don’t trust him, but go ahead and find ways to accomplish what we want to happen.
This tendency to push God to the side goes against his plan for us. It creates distance in our relationship with him. It causes us to get into trouble and brings pain. What good is it to gain the whole world now — whatever it is we think we want — and forfeit our souls’ intimacy with God (Mark 8:36)?
God wants us to learn how to follow him and put down our demanding selves — to calm that screaming child in us. One way he helps us do this is to say, “Wait.” That miserable, uncomfortable, sometimes painful state of silence is one of God’s most powerful tools to set us free.
If we are willing, that is.
Choosing at the Crossroads
We don’t start out willing to wait. Our natural response to waiting is often anger or doubt. Fortunately, God is gracious and merciful, understanding of our tendencies. Simply feeling deep, complex emotions in waiting — especially for significant things, like a pregnancy or a job — is not necessarily sinful in itself. But we can decide where those emotions take us.
We can decide to exalt these feelings. We might act on them by taking matters into our own hands. Or perhaps we will not act, but we’ll make an idol out of the good for which we are waiting — every passing day is another log on the fires of bitterness, impatience, ingratitude, perhaps even resentment against the God who won’t give us what we want.
Or, by God’s grace, we can choose to wait as he intends. “Waiting on the Lord is the opposite of running ahead of the Lord, and it’s the opposite of bailing out on the Lord,” writes John Piper. “It’s staying at your appointed place while he says stay, or it’s going at his appointed pace while he says go. It’s not impetuous, and it’s not despairing.”
We have the choice, then, to take a deep breath, release our clenched hands, and let God be God. And we are invited to continue hoping in his greatness.
Pray for God to Work in You
Certainly, only one of these options will bring us joy. As we seek to accept and rejoice in God’s handling of our lives, including his timing, we can ask God to work in us two main things, so that our waiting is not in vain: humility and trust.
1. Humility
Sometimes, when I’ve found myself getting impatient and upset, I will remind myself that God is the one who put me here. My life is not my own. This is humility. It is coming to realize that we are a breath and God owes us nothing (Psalm 39:5;Luke 17:7–10).
2. Trust
Then comes trust, which means believing at least two things about God: he ispowerful, and he is loving.
Believing God is powerful means that we know he is in charge of what’s happening; things are not arbitrary or out of his control. He is capable of both helping us and changing things. Much of our anxiety in waiting is because we forget that “God is able to make all grace abound to you” (2 Corinthians 9:8). You are not at the mercy of your circumstances.
Believing God is loving means that there is care and purpose behind all that he does. It means that he is faithful to help us right now and bring us blessings later. It means that his judgment and timing is always perfectly good. True, he owes us nothing, yet he has promised to give us everything we need (Philippians 4:19).
Even during that long road of silence, God cares deeply for us. We can be like David and remind ourselves, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14).
Blessing of Waiting in Faith
Some of the greatest figures in the Bible — Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David — had to wait for many years for God’s promises. Everything that happened in the meantime was used to prepare them, inwardly as well as outwardly. Then, when they reached their promise, they were blessed beyond measure.
God invites us to trust in his goodness today and his faithfulness tomorrow. Relinquishing control to him is the main route to experience his love and peace. It unites our hearts with his. It creates a level of maturity and character that we will take with us into the future, and it enables us to enjoy his future blessings all the more.
Kamis, 09 Maret 2017
Don’t Follow Your Heart
Desiringgod.org
Article by
Jon Bloom
Staff writer, desiringGod.org
“Follow your heart” is a creed embraced by billions of people. It’s a statement of faith in one of the great pop cultural myths of the Western world, a gospel proclaimed in many of our stories, movies, and songs.
Essentially, it’s a belief that your heart is a compass inside of you that will direct you to your own true north if you just have the courage to follow it. It says that your heart is a true guide that will lead you to true happiness if you just have the courage to listen to it. The creed says that you are lost and your heart will save you.
This creed can sound so simple and beautiful and liberating. For lost people it’s a tempting gospel to believe.
Is This the Leader You Want to Follow?
Until you consider that your heart has sociopathic tendencies. Think about it for a moment. What does your heart tell you?
Please don’t answer. Your heart has likely said things today that you would not wish to repeat. I know mine has. My heart tells me that all of reality ought to serve my desires. My heart likes to think the best of me and worst of others — unless those others happen to think well of me; then they are wonderful people. But if they don’t think well of me, or even if they just disagree with me, well then, something is wrong with them. And while my heart is pondering my virtues and others’ errors, it can suddenly find some immoral or horribly angry thought very attractive.
“No, our hearts will not save us. We need to be saved from our hearts.”
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The “follow your heart” creed certainly isn’t found in the Bible. The Bible actually thinks our hearts have a disease: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus, the Great Physician, lists the grim symptoms of this disease: “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:19). This is not leadership material.
The truth is, no one lies to us more than our own hearts. No one. If our hearts are compasses, they are Jack Sparrow compasses. They don’t tell us the truth; they just tell us what we want. If our hearts are guides, they are Gothels. They are not benevolent; they are pathologically selfish. In fact, if we do what our hearts tell us to do, we will pervert and impoverish every desire, every beauty, every person, every wonder, and every joy. Our hearts want to consume these things for our own self-glory and self-indulgence.
No, our hearts will not save us. We need to be saved from our hearts.
This Is the Leader You Want to Follow
Our hearts were never designed to be followed, but to be led. Our hearts were never designed to be gods in whom we believe; they were designed to believe in God.
If we make our hearts gods and ask them to lead us, they will lead us to narcissistic misery and ultimately damnation. They cannot save us, because what’s wrong with our hearts is the heart of our problem. But if our hearts believe in God, as they are designed to, then God saves us (Hebrews 7:25) and leads our hearts to exceeding joy (Psalm 43:4).
Therefore, don’t believe in your heart; direct your heart to believe in God. Don’t follow your heart; follow Jesus. Note that Jesus did not say to his disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled, just believe in your hearts.” He said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1).
“Don’t follow your heart; follow Jesus.”
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So, though your heart will try to shepherd you today, do not follow it. It is not a shepherd. It is a pompous sheep that, due to remaining sin, has some wolf-like qualities. Don’t follow it, and be careful even listening to it. Remember, your heart only tells you what you want, not where you should go. So, only listen to it to note what it’s telling you about what you want, and then take your wants, both good and evil, to Jesus as requests and confessions.
Jesus is your shepherd (Psalm 23:1; John 10:11). Listen to his voice in his word and follow him (John 10:27). Let him be, in the words of a great hymn, the “heart of [your] own heart whatever befall.” He is the truth, he is the way, and he will lead you to life (John 14:6).