Saturday afternoon prayer....

Good afternoon!  Here is your inspiration for today!

I am a true fan, cheerleader and advocate for the marital covenant.  I thank God for my leaders, the late Apostle E.K. & Elder Elnora Wilson, who instilled in us, through their many teachings, the significance of the marital covenant.  Marriage represents Christ and the church.  Husbands and wives are supposed to love each other as Christ loves the church.

I read and share a lot of posts on Facebook and Twitter concerning sexual purity and marriage.  I am a 31-year-old innocent woman, and the only one that's single among my siblings.  By the time my siblings reached my age, they were already married with at least one child.  So, of course, I have wondered-"OKAY LORD! Ummmm...what about me?  I've heard the prophecies over the years, I do believe....but is it really meant for me to be married?  Should I abide like Apostle Paul?  What am I doing wrong?"

It could be a myriad of reasons as to why I'm not married yet; however, my only concern right now should be focusing on the Father and fulfilling the call He placed on my life.  There is a saying that goes something like, "I should be so lost (absorbed) in Christ, that my husband would have to seek God in order to find me."  As I work, wait and focus on God, my prayer (and yours, too-to those in my current position) should be that God prepares me entirely for my mate. Proverbs 12:4 says, "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones."  My desire is to add joy and true significance (naturally & spiritually) to my husband's life, to be a true 100+% help meet.  I don't want to make him ashamed at all!  I desire to help bring his vision to pass.  Therefore, this is my humble prayer:

Father God, in the mighty name of Jesus, first of all-THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY.  I thank You for establishing the beautiful covenant of marriage.  I thank You in advance for my wonderful, God-fearing husband.  Father God, I humbly ask that You prepare me naturally, spiritually, mentally, physically for marriage.  I want to enter the marital covenant fully prepared.  Prepare me, mold me, shape me; take out everything within me that would do damage to my marriage.  I pray for my husband right now, that You will order His steps, and that He will fulfill the call You placed on his life, in Jesus' name.  Allow us to recognize each other in the spirit, allow us to connect spiritually and naturally.  Once we meet/connect, safeguard us both from natural and spiritual harm.  Let us not yield into temptation, in Jesus' name. Help us to continually live a life before You that's pleasing in Your sight, and will inspire and encourage others to follow suit while courting.  Help us to keep Christ, holiness & sanctification in the center of our courtship.  

Father God, I thank You in advance, in Jesus' name I pray.  Amen.

~Shairon

Scripture references: Proverbs 12:4, 31; Ephesians 5:20-31, Titus 2:3-5

Truly DELIGHTING in Him

Good afternoon, here is your inspiration for today!

I know many of us have heard Psalm 37:4 many times over; so much so, we can quote it flawlessly!

"Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." 
~Psalm 37:4

To my SSW's-Saved, Single & Waiting Sisters- I am 99.999% sure that many of you have heard THAT Scripture when it came to petitioning God concerning our "Boazes."  However, let's look deeper into what the psalmist is actually saying in this Scripture.

According to Encarta Dictionary, to delight is to relish, to take joy in, take pleasure in, appreciate, even bask in.  When you delight in a thing, you are focused and absorbed in that thing.  Great example:  the hit prime time series, SCANDAL.  Many people take delight in that show.  They are literally engrossed in every detail of that show; in fact, some get excited when 9:00 p.m. hits with the knowing that it's only an hour to go before SCANDAL airs.  THAT is how God wants us to delight in HIM.  
He wants us to literally delight ourselves in spending time with Him in prayer, in meditating upon His precepts, reading His Word, serving Him with our whole heart.  Not only does He wants us to be engrossed in Him, but He wants us to ENJOY HIM.  There is a difference:  some people can be engrossed in a thing because of the benefit it brings (ex. addicted to getting a job done for upward mobility, although it's possible that you're not too crazy about the job itself).  God wants us to relish and enjoy HIM.  There's an automatic benefit package that comes with delighting yourself in HIM.  He gives us peace, joy, comfort, among other things.  Our faith elevates as we delight in HIM, because in getting to know the Father on a deeper level, a blessed assurance in knowing who HE IS is further solidified and fortified.

He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 
Some believe that whatever we (personally) desire, God will give it to us.  I beg to differ.
QUESTION:  what if our desires (and admit it, most of them are fleshly desires) doesn't line up with the will of God?  What (I BELIEVE) the psalmist is saying in this Scripture is that as we continually delight ourselves in HIM, God will LITERALLY give us DESIRES.  In other words,  God will give us NEW DESIRES.  God will literally put in us desires that line up with His will.   One thing about seeking God is that as we seek and delight in Him, our focus, thought process, and HEART (heart's desire) will TRANSFORM into desires that's well-pleasing to the Father.  Sure, we can ask God for anything we want; nevertheless, it is important to add this clause, as Jesus did:  Not my will, but thy will be done.

In conclusion, as we focus more on GOD instead of our own wants and agenda, our focus and desire will become perfectly lined up with that of the Master's.  Let God put some desires in your heart.  Allow God to mold you, talk to you, hold you in His loving arms as you delight in the One who wants to DELIGHT IN YOU.

Be encouraged, be inspired.
Shairon L. Taylor

Scripture references:  Psalm 27:4, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 51, Psalm 63, Romans 8, Romans 12:1-2.