"I Do"

I see a generation rising up to take their place with selfless faith, with selfless faith. I see a near revival stirring as we pray and seek, we're on our knees, we're on our knees.

Amen. I am believing for this generation to rise up. I am believing for a revival. I am believing that God will shake this generation up with his spirit, and we will fall on our knees before the Father.
There are many people in this generation who will not get married. Why? Because they've seen that marriage results in heartbreak and failure. They've seen that the promise they made at the alter meant nothing. They've seen that there's no point in getting married, because marriage has turned out to be just the same as dating: you get tired of each other and break up. They have seen all of the break ups, the fights, the marriages gone wrong, the pain caused to the family. And they haven't seen love and commitment. Isn't that what marriage is? Isn't that why people get married? Because they love each other? Because they want to be with that person for the rest of their life? Because they're willing to be selfless? Because they're willing to put in the work? If I was taking these marriages, or looking and Katy Perry and Russel Brand's marriage, or looking at some of my friends relationships/marriages, I would never get married. Not in a million years. Because looking at that aspect of marriage, it doesn't look appealing. Not at all. But then I go and look at the marriages of other friends, or of Mark and Grace Driscoll, people who have worked hard, who haven't given up, who made a promise and kept it, and I can't wait to get married. I can't wait to have that.
But what the previous generation has been showing our generation is failure and giving up. Yes, we have the freedom to do whatever we want. We can have sex if we're not married. We can be intimate. We can live together. We can have kids. Don't you think God created marriage for a reason, though? Let's look at sex for a minute. Sex has always been meant to be within the commitment of marriage. Why? Because it creates and builds intimacy that only a husband and wife should share. There is a vulnerability, but also a trust. It's that special thing that only you and your husband or wife can have. What about living together before you're married? Studies have shown that couples who live together before getting married have a higher divorce rate than couples who get married first and then move in together. Does that not just scream "God made it this way for a reason!!!!!!!" to you?? And, if you're living together before you're married, you're probably sleeping in the same bed, which means you're probably having sex out of marriage, which God specifically told you not to do. This means that sex is an idol. You're putting the desires of your flesh before what God wants for you. Don't you know that your Daddy knows best? Having kids outside of marriage...that's a big one. I have many friends who either have been pregnant, are pregnant or have kids. I've seen what it does to a relationship outside of marriage. Chances are, the pregnancy is unexpected. This creates an automatic stress between a couple. It creates more fights. It creates almost an obligation to stay together. After the baby is born, there are two people who haven't really discussed being parents before because they didn't expect to be parents, trying to raise this child. They start to just hate each other because their parenting styles are different, or one does more work than the other, or one is a "part time parent". But yet, they stay together for the "good of the child". So much damage is done by enjoying the benefits of marriage outside of marriage. So much damage.
My prayer is that the men will rise up. That they will rise up to be real men who love Jesus first, and their girlfriend or wife after. Who are selfless. Who value their woman too much to pressure her, force her or disobey God. Who doesn't get caught up in the desires of his flesh. And who will rise up as a father and teach his sons to be that kind of man as well.
My prayer is that women will see their worth and their beauty. That they would know that their Daddy has the best plan imaginable for them. That they would find joy and happiness and beauty in their marriage and children. That they would serve their husband and family. That they would have strength.
I'll end with this:

We need to teach our daughters the difference between
a man who flatters her and a man who compliments her;
a man who spends money on her and a man who invests in her;
a man who views her as property and a man who views her properly;
a man who lusts after her and a man who loves her;
a man who believes he is God's gift to women and a man who remembers a woman was God's gift to man,
and then teach our sons to be that kind of man.

God bless,
Ariel