Woman Thou Art Loosed! 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition (13 page)

http://w tal.destiny image.com/ch8

Some of you do not understand the benefits of being single. In reality, while you’re not married, you really ought to be involved with God. When you get married, you direct all of the training that you had while you were unmarried toward your spouse. The apostle Paul addressed this issue in his first letter to the church at Corinth.

But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
1 Corinthians 7:32-34

Single women often forget some very important advantages they have. At five o’clock in the morning you can lie in bed and pray in the Spirit till seven-thirty, and not have to answer to anyone. You can worship the Lord whenever and however you please. You can lie prostrate on the floor in your house and worship and no one will become annoyed about it.
“The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord.”

S
ingle women often forget some very important advantages they have.

Often those who minister in churches hear unmarried women complain about their need for a husband, but rarely does a single woman boast about the kind of relationship she is free to build with the Lord. Are you complaining about how you need someone? Take advantage of the time when you don’t have to worry about cooking meals and caring for a family. While a woman is single she needs to recognize that she has the unique opportunity to build herself up in the Lord without the drains that can occur later.

This time is in your life for you to charge up the battery cells. It’s time to pamper; a time to take luxurious baths in milk and honey. You can lie there in the bath and worship the Lord. It’s a ministry you have. Before you ask God for another man, take care of Him. If you are not ministering to His needs, and yet you are always before Him, asking Him to give you one of His princes to minister to, your prayers are not being heard because you are not being faithful to Him. When you become faithful in your singleness, then you will be better prepared to be faithful with a husband.

If you disregard the perfect husband, Jesus, you will certainly disregard the rest of us. If you ignore the One who provides oxygen, breath, bone tissue, strength, blood corpuscles, and life itself, you will certainly not be able to have regard for any earthly husband. The Lord wants to make sweet love to you. I’m not being carnal, I’m being real. He wants to hold you. He wants you to come in at the end of the day and say, “Oh, Lord, I could hardly make it today. Whew, I went through so much today. I’m so glad I have You in my life. They tried to devour me, but I thank You for this time we have together. I just couldn’t wait to get alone and worship You and praise You and magnify You. You’re the One who keeps me going. You’re the lover of my soul, my mind, my emotions, my attitude and my disposition. Hold me, touch me, strengthen me. Let me hold You. Let me bless You. I’ve set the night aside for us. Tonight is our night. I’m not so busy that I don’t have time for You. For if I have no time for God, surely I have no time for a husband. My body is Yours. Nobody touches me but You. I am holy in body and in spirit. I am not committing adultery in our relationship. My body is Yours.”

The Scripture calls unmarried women
virgins
because God is of the opinion that if you do not belong to a man, you belong strictly to Him. God thinks you are His. God’s heart was broken with the ancient nation of Israel. It was broken because Israel came to Him and said, “
Make us a king to judge us like all the nations
” (1 Sam. 8:5). God had thought He was their King. When they preferred a man over Him, He gave them Saul, and Israel went to the dogs.

I
f you do not belong to a man, you belong strictly to Him.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be married. Simply take care of the Lord while you’re waiting. Minister to Him. Let Him heal you and loose you, and worship Him. Single women ought to be the most consecrated women in the Church. Instead of singles being envious of married women, the married ought to be jealous of singles. You are the ones whose shadows ought to fall on people and they be healed. You are in a position and posture of prayer. The Lord has become your necessary food. While some married women are dependent on their husbands, single women learn to be dependent on the Lord. God has no limitations. A married woman may have a husband who can do some things, but God can do everything. What a privilege to be married to Him. He told Joel, “
And upon the handmaids…will I pour out My spirit
” (Joel 2:29). God has a special anointing for the woman who is free to seek Him. Her prayer life should explode in miracles!

That does not mean it is wrong for you to want physical companionship. God ordained that need. While you are waiting, though, understand that God thinks He’s your husband. Be careful how you treat Him. He thinks He’s your man. That’s why He does those special favors for you. It is God who made you into a beautiful woman. He has been taking care of you, even when you didn’t notice His provision. He is the source of every good thing. He keeps things running, and provides for your daily care. It is He who opened doors for you. He has been your edge, your friend and your companion.

Those who are married seek to please their spouse. Unmarried people seek to please the Lord. There is a special relationship of power between God and the single believer. Paul wrote, “
Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called
” (1 Cor. 7:20). In other words, the person who is single should be abiding, not wrestling, in singleness. Rather than spend all of our effort trying to change our position, we need to learn to develop the position where He has placed us. Isn’t that what this means, “
…I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content
” (Phil. 4:11)? I speak peace to you today.

T
he person who is single should be abiding, not wrestling, in singleness.

Maybe you haven’t been living like you really should. Maybe your house hasn’t been the house of prayer that it really could have been. I want you to take this opportunity and begin to sanctify your house and body. Maybe your body has been mauled by all sorts of people. I want you to sanctify your body unto the Lord, and give your body as a living sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1). If you can’t keep your vow to God, you would never be able to keep your vow to a man. Give your body to God and sanctify yourself.

When God picks a wife for one of His royal sons, He will pick her from those who are faithful and holy unto Him. He may pass over those who didn’t keep a vow to Him. If you will marry a king, he will have claimed you to be a queen. Begin to sanctify yourself. Bring your body before God. Bring your nature before God. Bring your passion to Him. Allow God to plug into your need.

Allow God to strengthen you until you can tell the devil, “My body belongs to God; my whole body belongs to God. I’m God’s. And from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, all that I am belongs to God. Early in the morning will I seek His face. I lie upon my bed at night and call on His name. I’ll touch Him, embrace Him. He is the God of my salvation.”

Marriage is ministry. If you are single, your ministry is directly unto the Lord. If you are married, your ministry is through your spouse. Then you learn how to be devoted to God through the relationship you have with your spouse.

I
f you are single, your ministry is directly unto the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the word.
Ephesians 5:25-26

Marriage is the place in human society where true love can be expressed in a great way. Marriage partners are to give self-sacrificially to one another. Jesus gave Himself for the Church. So also do husbands and wives give themselves to each other. Marriage is not a place where we seek self-gratification. It is the place where we seek to gratify another.

The sacredness of marriage is found in the relationship between Christ and the Church. Jesus continues to intercede on behalf of the Church, even after He gave His all for us. He is the greatest advocate of believers. He stands before God to defend and proclaim our value. Similarly, husbands and wives are to be bonded together to the extent that they become the greatest advocate of the other. Not demanding one’s own way, but always seeking to please the other.

There can be no doubt that God has special plans for each one of us. The woman who is single needs to recognize her position and seek to please God in every way. “Single” means to be “whole.” Enjoy being a whole person. The greatest visitation of the Holy Ghost in history happened to an unmarried woman named Mary. Before Joseph could, the Holy Ghost came upon her. That same life-giving anointing wants to come upon you. Stop murmuring and complaining. His presence is in the room! Worship Him! He is waiting on you.

“S
ingle” means to be “whole.” Enjoy being a whole person.

F
URTHER
C
HALLENGE
: