Lovingly Always

A word on love, relationships, desiring marriage, and a prayer over your love life.

Hello, hello and happy Valentine’s Day! I know that this day can bring up a lot of different feelings, both good and not so good, depending on what season of life you are in. My hope for you is that you are able to find joy today – whether you are spending it with someone you love or you are spending it alone.

For my friends who are spending it alone, remember that you are never truly alone. Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:20, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” How beautiful and wonderful is that! Jesus is our first love – He will never abandon us and never leave us alone. In fact, He is pursuing your heart and has been since before you were even born. He came to earth, lived, and died just so He could spend time with you for eternity. Forget about Noah and Allie from The Notebook, this is the most beautiful love story of all time. What’s even better is that it’s real and you’re living it!

This is my first Valentine’s Day rolling solo in a long time. And when I say a long time, I mean my last Valentine’s Day alone was eight years ago (which, wow, that makes me feel so old). I have been so blessed to have loved and been loved for so much of my life. Truly, I am so grateful to the Lord for each of person and the lessons they taught me. But I gotta tell you – my Valentine this year is the greatest of all time. I mean, who could top the Good Shepherd, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, the Lion of Judah, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith. The One who has chased me to the ends of the earth, despite me choosing so many things over Him, never once leaving my side or abandoning me. How great is our God! 

Psalm 5:11 says, “But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them shout for joy forever. May You shelter them, and may those who love Your name boast about You.” That just couldn’t be any more true. I have seen the goodness of God – I have seen Him show up for me and comfort me so much recently. I have seen Him change everything for me for the better and even though change is hard I have felt Him right by my side the entire time. I can say with complete honestly that despite it all I have not felt more joy in my entire life. I have been joyful even when sobbing to the Lord and I didn’t even know that was really a thing people experienced – I kinda thought they were fibbing about it. I think for the first time in my life I’ve placed my trust fully in the Lord – listened and heard His voice, been obedient to His instruction, and let go of my plan for my life. I truly have never experienced such peace and such joy, which I know is only because of Him. And I have not been able to shut up about it. And I won’t shut up about it. I want to shout it from the rooftops and let the whole world know how good our God is.

I was worried that today would be hard for me, but it’s been wonderful! It’s been wonderful and I’ve felt a little twinge on my heart for marriage. And that’s a good thing: God loves marriage. God is pleased with our desire for marriage. The Bible calls marriage a picture of heaven (Ephesians 5:32). Marriage is sanctifying and holy and all together a beautiful gift from God. It is not wrong to desire marriage, it doesn’t mean that your relationship with the Lord isn’t strong enough. I’m grateful that the Lord has put a desire in my heart to love someone so deeply, to live out a picture of Christ and the Church and become more Christ-like through it, to build a family that glorifies the Lord and builds up the kingdom of God. I’m also grateful for this season of singleness, where God is preparing my heart and teaching me to find my satisfaction in Him and Him alone. Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I have full confidence in the Lord, that in His timing He will fulfill His promises. He always has, throughout all time. I don’t know if that will come in a year or in 20 years, but I am not worried about when it will come. I have full faith in the Lord.

The Lord placed this prayer on my heart, I’ve been praying it daily, and I felt called to share it with you today. I encourage you to pray this with me and to pray over your future spouse and marriage often.

Father God, thank you for pursuing me with such passion. Thank you for loving me, pruning me, shaping me, teaching me to be a Godly woman. Thank you for your endless grace and mercy when I have made mistakes. Thank you for not wasting even a single tear I’ve shed or a second of my heartbreak. 

I’m coming to you in full surrender of my desires for a relationship. I speak the name of Jesus over any future relationship that I may have, God. Protect me from counterfeits, from distractions, from anyone who would lead me into sin, from anyone who would pull me away from You, from anyone who would be a stumbling block in my way as I run towards you.  God, I don’t even want a man to pursue me unless he is from You.  Please protect my heart and do not stir up love until the time is right. Let me focus on You fully in this season, prepare my heart and mind. In your timing, let me be found. Keep my heart pure and soft, not hardened or clouded by a worldly view of relationships. 

And I speak these same prayers over my husband. Protect his heart and mind from counterfeits and distractions from the enemy. Set his eyes on you, Father, not on things in this world. Blind him to any temptation that could separate him from You. Hide him from anyone who may lead him astray. Let him grow in wisdom and favor with You, prepare him to be a spiritual leader for me and our family. Surround him with other Godly men to sharpen him like iron. And in your timing, let him find me and pursue me like you have pursued me, Lord. Remove all doubt and make it abundantly clear to both of us that this is your divinely orchestrated plan. I love you Lord and I know that you will hear my prayer. In Jesus’ holy and precious name, Amen. 

I love you all and I hope my words bring you some comfort – or at least give you something to think about. I hope you find some joy today, no matter the season you’re in. And if my future husband is reading this: I’ve been praying for you and I will keep praying for you, for our marriage, for our kids, and I’m so excited to build a life that glorifies the Lord with you.

Lovingly Always, Mary Hannah 🙂