July Encounter Week
Photo by Ben Mack
Welcome to this month’s Encounter Week!
If you feel uncertain in your relationship, this month's Encounter Week might be really special for you.
We often encounter the Lord when we are purposefully giving Him our attention, so let’s practice focusing on Him and listening for His voice—specifically in the area of our dating life.
The Truth of God Found in His Word
Here is a list of truths about you, your relationship, and the Lord based on His Word.
Every day this week, set aside some time, and meditate on one of the truths in the following list. (You don’t need to do them in order.) Ponder the truth in your spirit, and ask the Lord to teach you more about it. Invite Him to show your heart what is real about Him, about you, and about what He’s doing in your life.
Note: If you have trouble sitting still with the Lord, it might help to set a timer for fifteen minutes. (That’s just a suggestion; choose whatever time works for you.) This can help you press into Him when it’s hard to focus.
Truth #1: Thanking the Lord for your relationship will make you more aware of His presence.
At midnight I rise to give you thanks
for your righteous laws. (Ps. 119:62 NIV)
Is it easy for you to thank God for your relationship? If it is, consider why. If it isn’t, why not? Are you afraid? Are you worried you’re doing the wrong thing? Do you feel like God is mad at you? Practice being grateful for your relationship, even for the very small things that happen, and spend some time telling the Lord how you feel.
Truth #2: The Lord will give you wisdom in the place where you feel unwise.
I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand. (Ps. 73:22–23 NLT)
Where do you feel unwise in your relationship? Where do you feel unprepared or maybe hopeless? Ask God to give you His wisdom in that area.
Keep in mind that no matter what has happened, you still belong to the Lord. He still has you by the hand, and He is still willing to lead you through the darkness. He has not changed His mind about you.
Truth #3: Jesus wants to reveal His Father to you.
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. (Matt. 11:27 NKJV)
Ask Jesus to show you the Father in your relationship—to speak to your heart about Him, to reveal how safe you are in His presence, and to help you understand how much He really is taking care of you in your relationship.
Truth #4: The Lord is a gentle, humble Source of strength in your relationship.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. (Matt. 11:29 AMP)
The Lord has nothing to prove. No one is above Him, so He has no one to impress. No one intimidates Him, and He isn’t desperate for attention or favor from others. He is humble and gentle—because that is what He is like. It’s His personality. He is humble and gentle in your relationship, which is why you can always go to Him and ask for His help.
Where do you need His help in your relationship? Spend a few minutes talking with Him about your concerns.
Truth #5: When you ask the Lord to be with you in your relationship, you can trust that He is.
He had great success in everything he did because the Lord was with him. (1 Sam. 18:14 ICB)
But the Lord was with Joseph and blessed him, so that the jailer was pleased with him. He put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and made him responsible for everything that was done in the prison. The jailer did not have to look after anything for which Joseph was responsible, because the Lord was with Joseph and made him succeed in everything he did. (Gen. 39:21–23 GNT)
The enemy likes to make us think we’re alone. If we’re worried about our relationship or if we aren’t quite sure what God is saying about it, sometimes we can get that “alone” feeling. Do you feel alone—or do you know, with all your heart, that you and your relationship are safe with God? You can trust Him to lead you well. There is never any reason for you to fear, because He is with you.
Truth #6: You can relax and be confident in your relationship, knowing the Lord is King over it.
Let the skies rejoice and the earth be glad.
Let people everywhere say, “The Lord is king!” (1 Chron. 16:31 ICB)
Invite the Lord to reign in your relationship. Ask Him to be king there. Then take a deep breath and be at peace, knowing He has heard you (1 John 5:14–15).
Truth #7: The Lord is passionately committed to you.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen! (2 Kings 19:31 NLT)
Quiet your heart for a moment, and really consider this verse. The Lord has “passionate commitment” toward you. And because He is passionately committed, He cares deeply about everything you’re involved in. That is how He feels about you and your relationship. If you have been struggling with a lack of confidence, consider the passionate commitment of the Lord and what that means for your relationship.
What is God saying about your relationship?
The Lord is not stingy with His voice! He loves having conversations with His kids. One encounter with Him has the power to change a person’s life forever.
As you go about your life this week, keep asking God to reveal His heart to you about your relationship. Write down what you sense He tells you.
Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize! Check out these other devotions:
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.