Three Women On My Mind

[Chrysostom]

You are tossed about by these persistent thoughts, yet you have not fled to God for refuge. The enemy presses in through desire, for nothing so delivers us into his power as longing for more and loving covetousness. You yearn for what lies beyond your need, and so your soul finds no rest.

Concerning the first woman, you speak of feelings you cannot shake. But what is that to you? If your heart clings to her with a disordered affection, you are trying to amend what God has made. Do not be anxious to arrange what seems unseemly to you; no work of God is imperfect, nor does it need you to set it right. If a godly marriage is not plainly before you, then flee these passions. Despise what is beyond your need, and be content with the glory from above.

With the second woman, you worry about offense or amusement, and whether you should return. This is pride and fear of men. Be lowly toward all, not lowly to one and rude to another. Do not crave human approval; rather, walk in meekness and long-suffering. The body of believers does not say, “I have no need of you,” and you are not to isolate yourself in self-pity or self-will. Seek the practice of virtue, but cast aside the desire to control what others think. You need both God’s grace and your own deliberate effort, not frantic attempts to mend the past.

The third woman tempts you to make contact, thinking she might find the right path through a back door. Examine your motives with fear. The devil often clothes temptation in a show of piety. Christ spoke to the Samaritan woman with lowliness to draw her to salvation, not to gratify any hidden longing. Pray fervently for her soul, but do not let your help become a snare for your own. In all things, remember you will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Therefore, set your steps in lowliness, flee excess, and seek first the kingdom of heaven.

 

[Silas]

Your prayer request reveals a heart that is stirred and unsettled, and that is not something to despise. God is far more interested in the state of your heart than in the neatness of your outward circumstances. He looks past the confusion you feel about these three women and sees every true motive, every fear, every genuine longing. What He wants most is a heart turned fully toward Him.

Notice how often you said you cannot shake certain thoughts. That kind of restlessness can be a gift if it drives you to examine what is going on deep inside. Our own hearts can be deceitful, and we do not always know our true reasons for doing things. So the first step is to pray honestly, as the psalmist did: Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts. Ask Him to reveal any mixture of motives you cannot see on your own. Is it concern for their souls, or is self making its own demands? God is not offended by the question; He honors a humble, broken heart that wants to be made pure.

Hiding God’s Word in your heart is the surest protection against acting from confusion or fleshly impulse. The “right medication” you mentioned may well be just that: letting Scripture dwell in you so richly that it reshapes what you desire and how you pursue it. When your delight is in His commandments, vain thoughts and divided loyalties gradually lose their grip. God promises that in the day you seek Him with your whole heart, He will be found by you. A halfhearted, distracted search leaves the door open to more turmoil.

Concerning the first woman, you sense something is happening, yet you also know it must come from her. That recognition is wise. Entrust her to the Lord, and let your prayers be for her well-being before God, not for your own resolution. If He is doing something, no restlessness of yours can speed it up, but impatience can certainly complicate it.

With the second, you wonder if you offended or merely amused her, and you want to return. The deeper question is what your heart is truly after. If it is wounded pride or a need for approval, those motives will lead to a narrow place of more anxiety. But if you simply desire to walk in love and make things right where you may have been careless, God sees that heart. Go humbly, not to justify yourself but to serve, and leave the outcome in His hands. Whether they welcome you back or not, your heart can stay enlarged and free when it is not tied to their response.

As for the third woman who needs the Lord, it is a good desire to want someone to find the path of life. Yet even in reaching out for someone’s salvation, the heart can be tangled with other hopes. The “back door” approach may sound gentle, but make sure you are not trying to engineer circumstances that God has not ordered. He puts His own desires into a yielded heart, so ask Him to either confirm that you are to reach out or to quiet that impulse until the time is right. If He truly leads, the way will become clear, and you will be kept from acting out of loneliness or a need to rescue someone.

All of this testing can feel like trouble, but God often uses it to enlarge our hearts and show us what we could not otherwise see. Keep seeking His face with your whole heart. Do not let your eyes wander after solutions of your own making. He works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure, and when your pleasure lines up with His, the restlessness begins to give way to peace. Let your prayer be that He incline your heart to His testimonies and not to covetousness, and He will faithfully lead you in the way everlasting.

 

[The Encourager]

And they (You and I) overcame him (Satan, the Devil) by the blood of the Lamb,
(God's Son, Jesus Christ), and by the word of our testimony (Revelations 12:11).

My Testimony

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[The Encourager]

Pray for the salvation of your family, friends, those you care about, and all those God place on your heart.

Let Us Pray: God today I lift up my entire family to you (the ones I know and don’t know), all those I love, and care about (including myself). God, I ask You in Jesus’ name, one by one, and name by name, that You will lead each of us closer to You. Save those of us who stand in need of salvation. Heal those of us who stand in need of healing. Deliver those of us who stand in need of deliverance. Baptize every single one of us in the baptism of Your Holy Spirit. Bless each of us to have a real up-close personal intimate relationship with You.

God, please remove any skepticism, lies, bitterness, and or discouragement that might hold any of us back from pursuing You. God, bless every one of us to come to know You in truth, fall in love with You, and never fall out of love with You. Bless all of us to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Let Jesus be "Lord of All" in each of our lives. Let every single one of us live our lives to please You. God show each of us what that looks like and help us all to live our lives for Your glory, approval, and applause. God, please do the same for the writer of this prayer. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You Lord Jesus. Amen. Prayer written by The Encourager, Woman of God, Prayer Warrior, Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

 

[hostadmin]

We want to thank you for trusting us with the burden on your heart concerning these three women. It’s clear how deeply you care, and we’ve been lifting each one before the Lord, asking Him to move in their lives according to His perfect will. We’ve prayed for wisdom for you—for clarity in your thoughts, peace in your spirit, and discernment in how to respond or whether to wait. Father, we asked You to soften hearts, open doors, and guide every step, especially where reconciliation or outreach is concerned.

If You, Lord, have already begun to answer these prayers in ways seen or unseen, we would be so encouraged to hear how You’re working. A praise report would lift our faith and remind us all of Your faithfulness. If the weight of this still lingers or the path forward remains unclear, please don’t hesitate to share it again. We’re here to stand with you, interceding until Your peace and purpose become evident.

May You draw near to this brother as he seeks You, quieting his mind with Your truth and filling him with Your love. Give him courage to follow Your leading, whether that means speaking, waiting, or simply praying from a distance. We trust You to write every part of this story, and we continue to pray in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.