Words of The Lamb magazine

I met my husband, Joe, in 2019 when I was 23 years old. By 2021, we bought a house and moved in together. We were not yet married, or even engaged to be married, but it was the smartest thing financially for us. My parents had just moved to Florida and we needed to build a life for ourselves.

I knew Jesus, but I didn’t really know Jesus. I kept telling Joe that I wanted to find a church to attend in the new area we’d just moved to. Joe did not grow up in the church, and he wasn’t inclined to start attending at all, but he said he would go with me for my first service for support. Joe found V1 Church through a friend’s post on Instagram, and after putting it off for some time, we finally went to a service.

The King is in the house!

That’s what Pastor Mike yelled as worship was coming to a close. Before I knew it I was sobbing, filled with the Holy Spirit. I looked to my right and saw that Joe was experiencing the same emotions. I was elated. He wanted to continue going, and we attended services together from that point on. I became saved; it wasn’t one of those “a- hah” moments like it happens for some. It happened over time. I made the decision to devote my life to Christ, and it is by far the best decision I have ever made in my entire life.

The Bible tells us, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). It’s not easy to explain this scripture to an unbeliever when they notice a change in you, “for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). God was certainly changing my heart. I gave up my yoga practice and other “new age” practices. I gave up listening to certain secular musicians and changed what I watched on tv. I started to dress more modestly. I was healed of anxiety, and later on I chose to stop living a lifestyle that involved drinking alcohol every weekend.

Two years into my journey, I got a phone call from my mom. The Holy Spirit had put it on her heart to tell me that I needed to read Romans Chapter 1. It said, “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their heart to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves” (Romans 1:24).

I was immediately convicted for fornication. I didn’t know how my relationship with Joe would survive, so I read it again and prayed on it, but I knew I had to make a choice between God and Joe. I had two choices: to be self-seeking and not obey the truth, for which the punishment is wrath and fury, or to patiently seek for glory and honor and immortality, for which God will give eternal life.

I remember the conversation with Joe so clearly. I remember how terrified I was to break the news to him. I’d made a decision that he didn’t have any say in. He hadn’t yet been saved, and as I suspected, he didn’t understand. Our relationship suffered horribly over the next four months. Joe became bitter and angry towards me, and worse, towards God. A part of me felt like I’d failed, that I’d led him away from God instead of bringing him closer. His heart hardened completely, and he told me he would never step foot into church with me again. If I watched at home, he would take the remote and turn it off. It was at that point I thought to myself, this cannot be the man for me, and I knew I needed to get out of this relationship. Shortly after, I found out that Joe had betrayed me, and I knew God was closing a door for me.

My heart was shattered. I wanted this to work so badly, but it fell apart, and I walked away, ready for whatever God had in store for me. Despite all of this, I couldn’t shake the visions I had of Joe and I having a Godly marriage, of serving the Kingdom together. All I could do was to continue praying that if it’s God’s will, that he would soften Joe’s heart so that we could come back together and build our relationship with Christ as our foundation.

After some time and a lot of heartache, Joe asked to come to church with me. I was skeptical about his intentions, but I wouldn’t deny anyone from finding the Lord. He became interested in doing bible studies with me. He’d picked up his Bible and began reading on his own for the very first time. A very good friend of mine told me I’ll know his intentions by the fruits he bears. We know the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. _² I saw these in him. I saw God working in him, changing him.

I spent days praying, which turned into weeks, which turned into months. On Easter Sunday of 2023, Joe was saved. During service, he led me by the hand to the altar to worship, and the prayer team prayed over us. I was stunned, although I shouldn’t have been because we know there is nothing the Lord can’t do. God knew the desires of my heart, he heard my prayers, and he answered them. The gratitude I felt that day, and every day since cannot be expressed in words. It was time to build our legacy. Two months later, Joe asked me for his hand in marriage, and that same month we were baptized together. Two months after that, we entered the beautiful and holy covenant of marriage.

God worked so gently in Joe, maybe gentler than I would have liked, but as his plans always are, it was perfect and better than all of my plans could ever be. After all, “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28).

But God.

Know that nothing is impossible for the Lord. He will use anyone for anything at any time. Be expectant. Be prepared. God gave his children authority. Use it to declare that your family members, spouses, loved ones, and friends will be saved. That they will be filled with the Holy Spirit. That they will inherit the Kingdom

I declare that my family and friends will be saved. I declare that my marriage will be healthier than any marriage in my family line has ever been. I declare that I will continue to break generational curses and that I will have a family of children who serve the Lord. I declare God’s will over my life and over the lives of my loved ones. In Jesus’ name. Amen.