TOPIC: ENGAGING THE MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR SUPERNATURAL BREAKTHROUGHS, 3A

SUB-TOPIC: DEALING WITH MARITAL DELAYS

It is important to establish that God’s will for everyone trusting Him to be married is not prolonged singlehood,1 Tim 5 verse 14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

God’s desire is for us to get married when we are due. In Num. 36:6,This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.

God establishes here that He desires for you to marry based on your choice. So marital breakthrough is having the help of God to marry the spouse of your choice, at the right time. Every genuine shepherd, every compassionate Pastor is always bothered majorly about two issues in church. First is marital delay in the lives of eligible singles, and secondly when couples are married and the fruits of the womb are not forthcoming. God does not encourage delay – Prov. 13:12. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

When it comes to marriage, your face is not relevant, but your faith matters. Your age is not necessary, it is your faith that is important. When faith is in place, your age does not matter, God will visit you. God is never late! Job 14:7-9.For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.8Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground.9Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

Do not throw away your hope or confidence in God, if God is involved, it is never late. Prov. 23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. 18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Stop mourning your disappointment, start celebrating the gift of life. If you are alive, your marriage will arrive. It is better to marry late and get it right than to marry early and always fight. Esau married earlier than Jacob, but had a terrible marriage, Gen. 26:34-35,And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

It is not how far, but how well.

There are three wills of God. Perfect will – get married early. Acceptable will – prolonged marital delay. Good will of God, probably married but did not pay dowry, Romans 12:2, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

There are three things to understand about God:

1. We serve a God of times and seasons. In your journey of destiny, there is a time and a season to get married. Eccl. 3:1-3,& 11To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

God has a perfect timing.

2. We serve a God of early satisfaction Ps. 46:4-5There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High; 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. Ps 90:14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

3. We serve a God of restoration. Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

God restores years, not just things. Gen. 25:20,And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan–aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

Isaac was 40 years old when he married, and 60 years old when he had his children. To make up for the lateness in marriage and delay in child bearing, God settled Isaac with twins.

What does it mean to delay?

It means to slow down. To prolong, to postpone until a later date. To be slower than expected or desired. To detain. To suspend. To withhold. To block. To interrupt.

What are the root causes of marital delay?

1. Generational curses and spells. Ps. 68:6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

There are two major things that delay marriages, these are satanic bondage and rebellion. There is the spiritual aspect and the second is the part that man plays.

In Zechariah 1:18-21 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns; 19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem; 20 And the LORD shewed me four carpenters; 21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

There are horns which symbolize spells and enchantments working against families. These are family foundations that do not make people settle on time.

How do Generational Curses manifest in Homes?

1. It can manifest in no marriages. There are families that people do not do proper marriage – they do not marry normally.

2. Late marriages. A pattern of late marriages.

3. Troubled marriages. Virtually all the homes in that family are filled with troubles, fighting, etc. It is not normal. It is better you marry late than to marry wrong.

4. Spirit husbands and wives.

5. Failed marriages.

6. Liability marriage.

2. Character challenge. Character flaws in the lives of men and women have led to delays in marriages. Galatians 4:1- 2.Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father; 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world; 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law

It is not by age. If God does not build you, He wouldn’t give you (Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Pride, jealously, lack of submission, are such character challenges.

3. Sinful lifestyle. Rom. 3:23.For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

Every time you embrace sin, glory departs. Heb. 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. 2 Sam. 13:1-18. Amnon-Tamar-syndrome.

4. Lack of service. The place of service is the place of marital settlement. Ruth 2:1-15. Service gave Ruth a husband. Exodus 2:15-21, it was service that gave Zipporah husband. In Gen. 24:1-35, it was service that settled Rebeccah. If you want God to settle you, serve God. Joseph was busy serving God through his master, when he was due, it was Pharaoh that gave him a wife free of charge. Gen. 41.37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.Jn 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

5. Past emotional baggage. The hurt of past relationships hinders people from getting married, Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before

Forget those things that are behind. Until you forget you cannot harvest. There are some things you must forget before you can move forward. Take that sorrow and give it to Jesus. Isaiah 53:3-4. He would bear your grieve and sorrow.

Ps 115:14 – Week of Supernatural increases and promotion