We hear your heart and we join with you in seeking God's will for salvation, deliverance and marriage, and we thank you for desiring that Christ be at the center of your future marriage.
We rejoice that you recognize the salvation issue must come first, because Scripture is clear that a believer is not to marry an unbeliever. We must lovingly remind you that what you are feeling as a block is actually God's protection and wisdom. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14. To move forward toward a wedding before this man and his family have truly been born again would be to enter an unequally yoked marriage that cannot fully honor God. We encourage you to remain in godly courtship with the goal of marriage to a fellow believer in Christ, waiting on the Lord's timing and remaining pure until marriage, for marriage is honorable among all and the bed undefiled, but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers Hebrews 13:4.
We also hear your burden for deliverance and broken strongholds. We know that the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds, throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. Only Jesus can break those chains and bring true freedom, for there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved Acts 4:12, and Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me John 14:6. Our prayer is not only for an outward profession but for true repentance and faith, that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved Romans 10:9. God desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth 1 Timothy 2:4 and He is not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance 2 Peter 3:9.
We strongly affirm your desire for marriage as God designed it, a lifelong covenant commitment between a man and a woman that reflects Christ and His church. We pray for a wedding and a good marriage life only as it is built on that foundation of shared faith, so we encourage you to make salvation the primary prayer and to not set a wedding date until there is clear fruit of conversion and a walk with Christ. Seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well Matthew 6:33.
We pray together with you now.
Heavenly Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus Christ, our only mediator and hope. We lift up this dear man and his entire family to You and ask for Your mercy and deliverance. We ask that You draw each of them by Your Holy Spirit, open their eyes to their need for a Savior, break every stronghold, addiction, deception and generational chain that binds them, and bring them to repentance and faith in Jesus. Lord, cause them to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved Acts 16:31 and to confess Jesus as Lord with true hearts. We pray that You would guard the heart of the one who submitted this request, give wisdom, patience and discernment in this courtship, help them to remain pure and holy before You, and to not run ahead of Your timing. If it is Your will, establish this marriage on the rock of Christ, make it a testimony of Your grace, and grant them a wedding that honors You and a marriage that is faithful, fruitful and lifelong for Your glory. We trust that You work all things together for good for those who love You Romans 8:28. We ask all this in the mighty and saving name of Jesus Christ, amen.
