A conversation about nothing in particular

[BrotherMike]

I think so too. I was encouraged by my cousin to pray not only for a future husband but also his wellbeing, his career, family etc just him in general, I didn’t really think about all that before and realised, that all of those things come to account. I mean he’s out there somewhere and the most powerful thing I could do for him is to pray for him as well. I do also pray that he is a man who honours God first and is pursuing His heart as well.

I’m always encouraged by your words Jerry. Bless you brother

I see so many topics of people frustrated and confused why they haven't found anyone yet. I think praying for them and seeking to be a Godly person is the answer and seeking how we can better ourselves for our future spouse. It's not seeking an amazing spouse, but being the amazing spouse for them.

 

[BrotherMike]

Ok, going to pour my heart out and get sappy here. Jeremiah 1: 5. I knew you before you where knitted in the womb. Gods word reassures us that he knows the children when to us they are yet a wish or as in my case a prayer. 1 Samuel : 27. For this child I prayed. When I read the scripture I see it as God giving me instructions of those things I need to pray for. Prayers is our mightiest sword against the devil. I think we should use it more often. So I pray for my future children and I fervently pray for the man who will someday be my spouse. I would live to think he is out there somewhere praying for me too. Prayer time should be an integral part of a family. Those babies need that prayer long before they are conceived. Buried so deep in prayer that the evilness of the world can never reach them.

Exactly, He is the beginning and the end. He also gives us free will. This free will should be chosen to pray. I thought of this verse when you talked about the evilness of the world...

Romans 12:2 New International Version (NIV)
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

How do we get the renewing of the mind? Praying and seeking Jesus. God knows our future and the way to find out His will is to seek Him. I love people here pouring out their heart, being real. Eternity is what it's all about.

 

[BrotherMike]

Amen. I also believe that as much as we desire to have our own babies, it might not always be the case and it’s something that we have to accept, but it could also mean that God has bigger plans for us such as adopting or that our future spouse could have children already and that we are ready to be a mother to his children as well

Yes! All kids are a blessing from God. When you marry someone, you marry their kids, their pets, their family . God has a great plan for our lives... Bible says so

 

[BrotherMike]

Is 'Christian Mingle' out for you. I met a gal who met her hub thru 'E-Harmony', they have a blended fam now and it's working out for them. I wish our Church's had more to offer re singles, also.

I've been on online dating sites. I guess the one thing I learned from them is they match you to someone who is very compatible with you. Unfortunately they are 2000 miles away! lol There are a lot of hurting people out there, tread carefully. I guess this can be applied to people local to you at church or wherever you meet them. I personally would recommend finding someone local, but I have heard of success stories of long distance relationships too. Let God be your guide and seek His peace.

 

[BrotherMike]

Praying for a wife seems a bit weird to me, but I might still have some issues to sort out.

We all have issues to sort out, but always remember prayer is a powerful tool.

 

[BrotherMike]

I guess I am still not sure if that is something for me or not, or if I am called to singleness.

I'm still getting used to not having much of a clue as to who I really am or how people see me. So, before I might have thought certain types of relationships were off limits.

EDIT - That's where praying would help lol

I cringe when I see called for singleness. I think God created us for relationships. Him first.... then the rest. We all want to be wanted, to be loved, to be appreciated, to be touched.

Proverbs 18:22 New International Version (NIV)
22 He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favor from the Lord.

How can we decide we are called to be single when the Bible says we receive favor from the Lord when we find a wife?

If anyone can shed some light on this for me I would appreciate it

 

[BrotherMike]

It is strange you bring up Hannah's story. My second book has a trek through 1 Samuel, describing in detail just what is going on. Hannah was a very interesting person and a good lesson on believing. She had prayed often for a child, but was left barren and mocked by the other wife.

She is thinking: if I take my prayer to God's temple I will be heard. She had been very depressed over this matter. While in the temple Eli thinks she is drunk for she only mouthed the words but didn't speak them. She assured Eli she wasn't drunk and she had a serious request for the Lord. So, Eli becomes satisfied and casually says may the Lord grant you your petition.

Most of us would go yeah, right, I hope He does. Not Hannah! Boom! She instantly receives the blessing in her spirit. How do we know? From the way she threw off her depression and acted joyfully. She even realized that Eli was not aware of her petition. But nevertheless, a man of God had passed a blessing and she was going to hold God to it. Like you pointed out she informed Eli "For this child I prayed." Telling the man of God how he was used. All the glory goes to God.

Indeed, ALL the glory and anything good points to God.

 

[BrotherMike]

Fair enough lol and okay will be praying for you.

Also, knowing who you are in Christ is a good step. And it’s not so much how people see’s you but it’s more of how God see’s you.... View attachment 194192

It's all about how God see's us...

1 Samuel 16:7 New International Version (NIV)
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

 

[BrotherMike]

True. Coming back to faith, I'm learning an awful lot of who I saw God as and myself is all wrong. lol. I think I saw God as a distant angry father and not someone who actually cared or wanted good things for me. So this is all new. It's like relearning everything since I no longer have that filter, or it isn't so strong.

Bible says mercies are new every morning. We all are a work in progress Brother

 

[BrotherMike]

You know what Wes, I actually grew up thinking exactly the same thing, that God was this man who sat on a throne and was judging everyone. It wasn’t until I gave my life that my relationship with Jesus Christ opened my eyes to see who God truly is - a loving merciful, Father who has soooo much to Him that I am always in awe of Who He is and what He does.

The scales of the world have fallen off my eyes and now I see the true beauty through His Eyes and the unfailing Love He has for each and every one of us.

This is the love I'm gravitating towards. I know the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I also know we mess up. God loves us so much that He died on the cross... not so we can mess up, but to have an opportunity for forgiveness. I've been raised to be fearful of God judging me. When reading the scriptures He went to the lost, not point His finger at them saying you're not worthy.

 

[BrotherMike]

We will never really find and serve God through fear.

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

Amen, I agree with Mel, a great reminder! Thank you Brother

 

[Mel85]

I cringe when I see called for singleness. I think God created us for relationships. Him first.... then the rest. We all want to be wanted, to be loved, to be appreciated, to be touched.

Proverbs 18:22 New International Version (NIV)
22 He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favor from the Lord.

How can we decide we are called to be single when the Bible says we receive favor from the Lord when we find a wife?

If anyone can shed some light on this for me I would appreciate it

Well, to answer your question, a good example from the Bible was Paul the Apostle. We know from reading the Bible that he was devoted to God alone in his Ministry and acknowledged that some people are called to be single. Paul writes below:

1 Corinthians 7:7
7 Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me—a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.

So we know from here that Paul accepts that he is single and is very content with it, but also not to discredit people who wish to get married. That whole chapter is a good read if people are wondering about singleness and marriage

 

[BrotherMike]

Well, to answer your question, a good example from the Bible was Paul the Apostle. We know from reading the Bible that he was devoted to God alone in his Ministry and acknowledged that some people are called to be single. Paul writes below:

1 Corinthians 7:7
7 Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me—a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.

So we know from here that Paul accepts that he is single and is very content with it, but also not to discredit people who wish to get married. That whole chapter is a good read if people are wondering about singleness and marriage

I do remember the story of Paul. I just can't fathom it, I guess I don't have the gift to understand! lol

 

[Mel85]

I do remember the story of Paul. I just can't fathom it, I guess I don't have the gift to understand! lol

Lol, well if you have the Holy Spirit then you will be able to understand and when you seek Him earnestly.

You know I never liked reading books so when it came to the Bible, I struggled even picking it up, until one day I was going through something significant and I believe God directed me to open up the Bible and seek Him - I flicked through the first few pages and came across a scripture that helped me get through. Now I see the Bible as another way for God to speak to us directly.

If I can understand (someone who isn’t much of a reader) then you can too, through the Holy Spirit

 

[BrotherMike]

Lol, well if you have the Holy Spirit then you will be able to understand and when you seek Him earnestly.

You know I never liked reading books so when it came to the Bible, I struggled even picking it up, until one day I was going through something significant and I believe God directed me to open up the Bible and seek Him - I flicked through the first few pages and came across a scripture that helped me get through. Now I see the Bible as another way for God to speak to us directly.

If I can understand (someone who isn’t much of a reader) then you can too, through the Holy Spirit

I'm not much of a reader either! lol I know we all have certain spiritual gifts. For instance speaking in tongues. I have never done this, nor do I think I ever will, however I don't put it past God can do anything and give me this gift at a future time. I do a lot of praise and worship to connect to God and praying. I do enjoy devotions of the Bible. I can't read for very long or else my mind wanders off. lol I definitely agree God uses the Bible to speak to us. Sometimes it can be 15 different ways in the same passage

 

[Mel85]

I'm not much of a reader either! lol I know we all have certain spiritual gifts. For instance speaking in tongues. I have never done this, nor do I think I ever will, however I don't put it past God can do anything and give me this gift at a future time. I do a lot of praise and worship to connect to God and praying. I do enjoy devotions of the Bible. I can't read for very long or else my mind wanders off. lol I definitely agree God uses the Bible to speak to us. Sometimes it can be 15 different ways in the same passage

I love how God moves like that; as much as we read the same scriptures over and over again, each time we read the scripture, a new perspective or revelation is revealed to us, right? totally agree!!

And yeah, my mind can wonder off too lol but I’m also more of a visual person, so I tend to process things better from that POV but, I still have to discipline myself to read the Word, it is the most powerful tool that we have against the enemy.

Spiritual gifts, yes we have access to these, and some of us are called to certain gifts than others. I guess it’s really when God sees that you are ready, then it would come naturally to operate your gifts

 

[BrotherMike]

I love how God moves like that; as much as we read the same scriptures over and over again, each time we read the scripture, a new perspective or revelation is revealed to us, right? totally agree!!

And yeah, my mind can wonder off too lol but I’m also more of a visual person, so I tend to process things better from that POV but, I still have to discipline myself to read the Word, it is the most powerful tool that we have against the enemy.

Spiritual gifts, yes we have access to these, and some of us are called to certain gifts than others. I guess it’s really when God sees that you are ready, then it would come naturally to operate your gifts

Ahh God's timing... trusting in Him for it to happen if it's His will

I'm a visual person too, reading takes too much work to process even though I know how to do it. lol I've always had reading retention issues when I read for a long time since I was little. It's how God made me!

 

[Mel85]

Ahh God's timing... trusting in Him for it to happen if it's His will

I'm a visual person too, reading takes too much work to process even though I know how to do it. lol I've always had reading retention issues when I read for a long time since I was little. It's how God made me!

Haha, you know I’ve recently discovered through a friend Audio Bible Apps! Yaaasss.. so I tried it and it’s pretty neat! You can basically listen to any of the scriptures in audio and also read along if you want too. I find it interesting I still have my Bible though and carry it around with me - there’s been a few instances where I’ve had to pull it out lol.

Well, my beds calling me. Have a good night/day brother. Talk again soon. Blessings!

 

[BrotherMike]

Haha, you know I’ve recently discovered through a friend Audio Bible Apps! Yaaasss.. so I tried it and it’s pretty neat! You can basically listen to any of the scriptures in audio and also read along if you want too. I find it interesting I still have my Bible though and carry it around with me - there’s been a few instances where I’ve had to pull it out lol.

Well, my beds calling me. Have a good night/day brother. Talk again soon. Blessings!

Have a good sleep! I’ll be heading there in a few hours myself. Talk to you later!

 

[tourist]

It is an honor to pray for people, I need to do it more often than I have been.

Sometimes when I am driving I will notice someone who is walking and say a prayer for them even though I don't know them and will most likely never meet them in my lifetime.