A new decade is upon us and God wants to speak about one important thing: Relationships.
Romance is known as the excitement we feel associated with love. This is what the Lord has spoken to me about when it comes to this new year: romance, and how exactly He wants to bless the relationship this year.
Firstly, the Lord spoke to me of how we need to remember who we are in Christ as individuals and how He wants us to act as children of God before we even think of a relationship. Ephesians 5:1-20 will tell you more about that: have a read when you have a chance for it expands on God's desire for our growth this year.
Moreover, in Ephesians 5:32, it talks of the unity between a man and a woman. In fact, this is directly mirrored by the unity between God and His church. Just like a man ‘leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one’ (verse 31), so did Jesus leave His heavenly Father to come down and unite with us, the church—which is the Lord’s bride—into one body.
The relationship is a sacred and important thing in life, and God wants us to get it right!
Single?
Here's what God wants to tell you this year!
I recently saw some videos of a 2020 prophetic word on YouTube (links below), that talk about what God revealed for singles and married couples. The story of Cinderella keeps popping up. It talks of how God is preparing the women to go to the ball and how the men should be ready to ask the women to dance. In one of the prophetic dreams, amongst other beautiful things, one of the YouTubers mentioned a pearl necklace that represents wisdom. A wisdom that many have lost but need to wrap around their necks again.
Therefore, grasp onto wisdom when it comes to relationships, for God has great things planned.
I look around me, especially in my church here in Madrid, but also my church back in the UK, and am dumbfounded by the amount of singles we hold. Men and women of all ages, in constant search for that someone to lead them into a family, into a marriage. It breaks my heart because the Lord commanded us to have a life of abundance, and not to be alone.
The word God gave me for both men and women are of two distinctive actions: men need to act and women need to receive.
Whichever side you stand on, there is an action that needs to take place, either an openness to those around you or the initiative to make a move. Either way, we should not sit around lazily because of our long list of excuses: fear of rejection, the panicked need to start in a long-standing friendship first, immaturity in how to act, or simply that familiar cowardice behaviour.
Openness is something both genders need to exercise. We need an open mind in order to receive what God has for us, and not just the exact figurine we’ve been dreaming of. Be open, for part of your love story may be the surprise of loving someone you didn’t expect. And if you have met just who you were looking for, do something. I've heard of many love stories God wrote that never took place, simply because one or the other missed their chance, or disobeyed the Lord's will.
The Lord revealed to me that He has a new blessing of relationships for singles. 2020 is your year!
God showed me a vision of a small, thin light coming down from heaven, it struck down from above with speed and purpose. It struck the earth and created a bubble of new light down below.
The Lord then revealed to me that He has a new blessing of relationships for us singles. 2020 is our year! But we can’t wait effortlessly for God to do it all: prepare yourself (prepare your heart), pray more for your partner, open yourself up to opportunities, and accept the chances that come your way with faith that the Lord will help you discern what is from Him and what is not.
Men,
I see so many of you that are saved, and have great courage when it comes to starting a relationship, but you lack wisdom. There’s a time for everything. So be patient when you want to act on something, and go into it with delicacy. Initiate with realistic expectations, respect and awareness for the woman’s response and clear suggestions of where she might be. Allow things to flow easily and slowly. Be honest with her and accept her honesty also, don't try to romanticise reality. Don’t force anything or expect complete breakthroughs from every girl. And don’t take any of it personally that it makes you lose your courage all together.
There are others of you that have wisdom but no courage to take action. Time passes and so does your opportunity. Just because God has promised you someone does not mean they will wait forever. Everyone has free will and things can change, unfortunately. Let the best qualities God has placed in you shine: be a gentleman, show you care, that you can protect, you can love. Be gentle and take the first step.
May the Lord grow more men to be like Boaz in the Bible: strong and brave, kind and gentle. A man with respect for women but also a man that, through truth and in God's will, seeks to fight for love and gain it.
Pray for both wisdom and courage in your life and have God show you which one you may be lacking in. Aim to have both tools ready and at hand when a door opens: that you may be graceful, respectful and do it all following the Lord's ultimate will for your life.
Women,
Some of us ladies have hope and faith in relationships but no patience, or no openness. But we need to believe that the Lord will provide. We also need to keep our eyes open in the meantime. I’m not saying date every man—of course, be cautious of who you let in. However, the best thing is to allow him to join you in that one or two vital conversations where you discuss what you both want and see if any of it fits. Be honest with him in what you want. Don't hide it or exaggerate things, and don't agree with him simply because you want him to like you. Start everything in honesty and don't be afraid to be who God made you. If your ideals don't match, then don't worry. Your heavenly Father has something better.
I also see young girls that have no patience for the Lord’s timing. They say yes to the first man that comes along because of fear that there won’t be anyone else, or they stay in a toxic relationship out of worry that there's no better option. When it comes to timing, yes, there are certainly situations where you can know instantly if something fits, or if it doesn't. But that doesn't always mean you need to jump in straight away. Allow the power of waiting to work in your life: it'll make the blessing of your future husband that much sweeter.
Give yourself time to sort out your expectations, and give him time to ensure he's on the same page. We need to respect each other's needs and wants. We need to trust that our Lord's timing is always best, no matter how it may seem.
Let's be like Esther: a strong woman that followed the will of God to the very end, even if it meant sacrificing her own relationship and life. A woman that is her own self and confident that the Lord will bring forth the right man at the right time, where we can be both blessed and used.
Allow yourself to wait, to act, to receive.
Don’t be afraid of being alone, enjoy singleness. But pray for the relationship that God has promised you and keep believing. Let's pray for all romantic relationships in our churches.
Let’s build a world where all Christians are better at relationships! Let’s prove the world that there is still hope and reason for marriage! There are still miraculous love stories that God can write! Let us become bolder in what we want and less awkward, less scared.
Men need to act more and women need to receive more. We need wisdom that we may hold onto boldness to say yes, and onto kindness to say no.
A light has fallen from heaven onto us singles for fulfilment of the relationship. God is doing great things this year, and He has planned many beautiful changes in your life for the year ahead. Relationships are flourishing and there’s a heavenly light that is bringing them all to life.
Seeing the vision of that light streak be so tall into the heavens, and yet so thin that it can easily be missed, God told me we need to pay attention and remember that it is Him that sends that light. A relationship is not what will bring us total joy and fulfilment in life. In fact, it’s something so small compared to the real love, light and blessing God bestows upon us. Nevertheless, He is a good Father and He wants us to be fulfilled in all things here on Earth, and this is certainly one way He promises to show us His love.
So join me in interceding for all singles in our churches, for we need prayer and faith to believe that all that God has prepared will occur, and will light up His people with wisdom and love in 2020.
References:
Prophetic Youtube videos mentioned: The Cinderella story, the Spirit of Romance.