2 Corinthians 11:2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
If a wife converses and communicates secrets to a man other than the one she is married to, her husband will burn with jealousy. A third person between a betrothed or a married couple will break the sanctity of the relationship. Such a man or woman is described as a gold ring on a pig’s snout. Proverbs 11:22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. Lack of communication is the cause of most marriage breakdowns. “Communication to a relationship is like oxygen to life. Without it…it dies.” The yearning that Paul felt towards the Corinthian Church was that of a loving father towards his beloved virgin daughter, who was betrothed to be married. Deceptive lies, worldly ideologies and vain philosophies had misled the church at Corinth and Paul’s heart was burning with divine jealousy.
This physical manifestation between a husband and wife is the accurate metaphor of our relationship with the Lord. Personal prayer is the mode of communication with Him. During a conversation if the other person is distracted with their phone, replying to messages or answering calls, the conversation will crumble. Similarly, distractions during our personal prayer time with the Lord, will breakdown the continuity of our flow and weaken our closeness with Him. We must get into the habit of listening to what God has to say. It is a conversation not a monologue. “In quietness and in trust shall be your strength” Isaiah 30:15. Prayer is not just talking but also listening.
Three important warnings to keep the oxygen flow of communication healthy and hearty:
1. Priority: Like a betrothed bride who is in love, our last words before we fall asleep and our first words as soon as we open our eyes must be to Him. Benny Hinn gently reminds us that the first words as soon as we wake up must be “Good Morning Holy Spirit”. The first few minutes or hours must be dedicated to the Lord, every day. If we sleep-in, rush to work, get drowned in our busy schedule throughout the day and then say a few words at night to tick the box of personal prayer, we will suffocate our relationship with the Lord and go into spiritual coma. Personal prayer time must be our priority.
2. Personal: Like the betrothed bride that speaks secrets to her spouse, the Lord shares secrets in our personal time. Corporate prayers and prayer meetings are necessary but personal prayer time is vital. A betrothed couple will have their secret codes and language that no one around them can understand. 1 Corinthians 14:2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. The gift of tongues is the secret love language between Christ and us.
3. Preference: A betrothed couple will rearrange their preferences, habits, choices, favourites and friends to suit their spouse. Homes that don’t come to a common consensus have constant contentions! As we spend more and more time with the Lord, we will have the mind of Christ, we will share the compassion of Christ and carry the burden of Christ. His preference will become ours.
Lean on His heart to listen to His heartbeat.
Isaiah 62:5 As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, as a benevolent beautiful bride betrothed to the love of her life, help me to rearrange my priorities and preferences to align with the heartbeat of Christ. Amen
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