Text: 1 Samuel 16:6-12
Memory:
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” ‭‭(I Sam‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬).

A marriage partner or a life partner is someone you love, who fits into God’s will for you and who you are prepared to share your life with in a covenant relationship under God for the rest of your life in order to fulfill God’s purpose for your lives. Some people get it wrong from the beginning. They just want a sex partner, a housemaid, a housekeeper, a cook, a launderer, a baby producer, a caregiver, a nurse, a business manager or just a servant. Marriage is not any of these but it is a relationship, a partnership. If you truly want a marriage partner, what should you look for? Firstly, don’t be deceived by stature, look or any physical characteristic. Samuel almost got it wrong, but for God’s intervention, according to our memory verse. While it is not out of place for you to have a desire, your desires can lead you astray if the desires don’t flow from your love for God. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭4‬). Yes, God promised to grant you the desires of your heart but not without a condition. The condition is “delight yourself in the Lord”. This means that if you truly delight yourself in the Lord, your desires will align with God’s desires and not contrary. The Contemporary English version puts it this way, “Do what the LORD wants, and He will give you your heart’s desire”.
My prayer for all our unmarried singles is that as you preoccupy yourself with pleasing and serving the Lord, He will lead you to find His will in Jesus name.

Prayer points
1. Father, deliver me(and or every unmarried single) from the temptation of choosing by sight in Jesus name.
2. Father, reveal any ungodly desire in me and let my desires always align with Yours in Jesus name.

Today’s declarations
1. Most marriages crash because partners fall in love by sight and not by heart.
2. The person you choose to partner with for life is one of the most important decisions you will ever make in life, so let God guide you.

Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng