Are you losing hope about getting married? Does it feel like it will never happen?

Don’t be afraid to have hope.

To see what God is doing, we need to have hope. If we are convinced that the worst is going to happen, that God does not have a good plan for us, or that He doesn’t love us as much as He loves someone else, our hope starts to dwindle. In this scenario, seeing who He is—His heart and His huge love for us—becomes harder.

One of our goals at Becoming the One is to help people be healed, so they know how much Jesus loves them and can have hope for the good future He has in store for them.

Toward that end, here are three days of simple journaling activities that can help you find your hope again.  

May you hear the Holy Spirit’s precious voice as you do these activities, and may the hope of God spring up in your heart. 

Journaling Day 1

Ignite Your Hope by Remembering What God Has Already Done for You 

Why is this important? The memory of what God did in the past helps us know who He is. If He took care of us back then, we can apply our faith and believe that He is taking care of us now. Remembering God and what He has done causes our hope to take a deep breath.

Journal your thoughts: Where have you seen the Lord move in your life? It doesn’t need to be related to dating or marriage. When did He bring you the job you needed? When did He provide for you so you could pay your bills on time? When did you have enough food to eat? It’s okay to go simple with His movements in your life. Use these things to remind your heart that He will be faithful to take care of you, and let your hope rise up for the future. Worship the Lord through memories of what He’s already done for you, and write down your thoughts and any impressions He gives you.

If you aren’t certain what to pray, start here: Father God, thank You for what You have already done for me. I can see Your faithfulness, and I know You will continue to be faithful. Just as You were faithful in my past, I know You will be faithful in my marriage too. Please open my eyes to see what You’re doing for me, and increase my faith so I can see even more. 

Journaling Day 2

Ignite Your Hope by Turning Jealousy into Worship

Why is this important? Instead of getting upset that someone else has the kind of family we want, or mad at ourselves because we’re reacting this way, let’s turn our hearts to the Lord and look at our situation with eyes of faith.

Journal your thoughts: When you look around your life or on social media, who has the kind of amazing, wonderful marriage you wish you had? Who posts pictures of their spouse and kids, and it’s hard for you because you want that kind of life too? Beloved child of God, you don’t need to be jealous—instead, you get to see that person as a sign of what God is going to do for you. Have you heard His voice? What has He told you about your future? He gave you this desire to be married, and you can trust Him to meet you in that desire. Worship the Lord because of His work in this other person’s life, and thank Him for proving that He does what you are hopeful for. Write down your thoughts and any impressions He gives you.

If you aren’t certain what to pray, start here: Lord, thank You for the way You brought this person their spouse. Please forgive me for being jealous of their blessing, and thank You that You have a blessing for me too. I acknowledge that I don’t need to think like an orphan where my future spouse is concerned. I know You will do for me exactly what You have promised.

Journaling Day 3

Ignite Your Hope by Asking God to Help You

Why is this important? Hope enables us to see clearly. Jesus is the God of hope (Rom. 15:13), which means that hope is an extension of who He is. So if we don’t have hope for our future, we are missing something that is real and waiting for us. Bill Johnson says that anywhere we don’t have hope, we’re believing a lie. What lie is stealing your hope for your future marriage?

Journal your thoughts: In one New Testament story, a dad realizes he isn’t seeing his situation clearly. There’s a “hole” in his hope, and it’s keeping him from what he wants: for his son to be healed. When he realizes this, he loudly exclaims:

“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24 NLT)

Where are you wrestling with unbelief concerning what the Lord has told you about your future? What lie is trying to eat away your trust in Him? You can pray the same thing this dad prayed in the heat of the moment, and you can trust the Lord to step in and help you, the way He did for this man. At the end of the story, the son was completely healed, and the dad saw his hope fulfilled. Write down your thoughts and any impressions the Lord gives you.

If you aren’t certain what to pray, start here: Jesus, I do believe. I know what You have told me about my future marriage, and I believe You will do exactly what You’ve said. Please help me overcome my unbelief, and I invite You to undo the lie in my thinking that is keeping me from seeing my situation clearly.

Child of God, you are precious in His sight. May your heart flourish with newfound hope for your future marriage—because of Jesus.

For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.