2. Praying to know which Woman or Man to Marry
Assuming that a person has satisfied all the requirements stated above,the next step is for one to begin to pray for one's life partner.Why pray?
A. The Importance of Prayer in Relation to Knowing
One's Life Partner
Prayer is very necessary because in order of importance in a person's life, after one is saved and is spiritually equipped, the person one is going to spend the rest of one's life with in marriage union is next. One cannot afford to make a mistake in this regard, and to face up the fact,most people find more cause for tears than laughter after their marriage contract has been sealed. The long columns of divorce cases in the newspapers prove this to be true!
B. Knowing Whom God Had Appointed
Someone may ask,“How can I know who God has destined for me?” To many people this is difficult. Yes,I admit that sometimes it is very difficult to know, but here again, the dear old Bible is so practical with Its wonderful promises.
Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
Proverbs 3:6:“In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he shall direct thy paths.”
Psalm 37:3: “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”
Psalm 37:4: “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
Psalm 37:5: “Commit thy way unto the LORD;trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”
Psalm 37:6: “And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.”
In other words, you must submit yourself to God in all things if you want Him to take full responsibility for your future. Certainly at this point in one's life, one finds oneself at a crossroads. Even then, if one is fully committed and yielding, God will not leave you in the dark for long because:
Isaiah 30:21: “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”
Proverbs 6: 22: “When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.”
Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”
Sometimes, unfortunately, there are even young Christians who marry the wrong person, and then they blame the Lord thus: “I was a Sunday school teacher, I sang in the choir - and see how unhappy I am today!”Yes,but one can have all those positions and even many more,and yet have a heart which is not perfectly consecrated and yielding to God's will. God says in His Word:
Isaiah 55:8: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”Isaiah 55:9: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
This is where many people stumble; they cannot accept God's choice, and once a person does not accept God's choice,God's hands are automatically off the whole business. This is a serious mistake indeed.