HOW LONG SHOULD A COURTSHIP LAST?

One of the top questions I receive from singles preparing for marriage is this:

👉🏽 “How long should a courtship last?”

Let’s talk about it—honestly, practically, and spiritually.

FIRST: What is Courtship?

Courtship is not casual dating or emotional experimenting.
It begins when a mature single man, after prayer and divine conviction, proposes marriage to a woman—not for fun or trial—but with the clear intention to marry.

Likewise, the lady must also have her own personal conviction before accepting his proposal. Courtship is not built on pressure, fantasy, or romance alone—it must be rooted in spiritual clarity and maturity.

SEVEN AREAS TO PREPARE BEFORE YOU START COURTSHIP

Before you even say “yes” or “let’s start a relationship,” you must be prepared.

❗️Here are 7 non-negotiable areas of personal readiness:

1. Spiritual Preparation
Give your life to Christ. If Jesus is not at the center of your life, He cannot be the foundation of your marriage. Without Christ, the storm will sweep your home away.

2. Physical Preparation
Marriage is not for teenagers or people still hiding under their parents’ roof. Be ready to leave and cleave—physically and emotionally. You need your own space.

3. Financial Preparation
Don’t enter courtship jobless or financially irresponsible. Learn how to make, manage, and multiply money. Love without money quickly turns sour.

4. Emotional Preparation
Heal from past wounds. Stop carrying baggage into your future. If you’re easily jealous, insecure, moody, or manipulative, work on yourself first.

5. Mental Preparation
Educate your mind for marriage. Read books, attend seminars, and gain godly knowledge about family life. Ignorance will c0st you.

6. Social Preparation
Can you relate well with people? Do you know how to communicate, resolve conflicts, and build community? You will need all of these in marriage.

7. Moral Preparation
Live a life of integrity and $exual purity. Self-control before marriage prepares you for faithfulness within it.

A WARNING TO SINGLES: COURTSHIP IS NOT A SECRET AFFAIR

If your partner says:
“Don’t tell your pastor.”
“Keep this from your parents.”
“Let’s hide our relationship for now…”

That is a red flag. Run.

Healthy courtships are accountable, not hidden. Your pastor or mentor should be aware, and both sets of parents should bless your journey. Secrecy invites danger. Courtship is not a game. It’s a sacred preparation.

SO, HOW LONG SHOULD A COURTSHIP LAST?

Minimum: 6 Months
Maximum: 2 Years
(Exceptions: financial delay, parental objection, or health challenges.)

Here’s why:

Less than 6 months is too short to truly know someone. It’s risky.

More than 2 years can breed temptation, compromise, boredom, or unnecessary emotional strain.

Courtship should not be rushed, but it also should not be dragged endlessly.

What Should Happen During Courtship?

❗️Deep and honest conversations about life, vision, and expectations.

❗️Pre-marital counseling with a trusted mentor or pastor.

❗️Family visits and open discussions about background, values, and boundaries.

❗️Prayer, fasting, and studying God’s Word together.

❗️Agreement on issues like finances, $ex, children, ministry, and more.

Courtship is not a time to cuddle and go on endless dates.

It is a time to discern, discover, discuss, and decide.

Final Thoughts for Singles:

Don’t chase a fast wedding; pursue a solid foundation.

A one-month courtship can c0st you a lifetime of regret.

A 10-year relationship doesn’t guarantee success either. It’s not just about time—it’s about truth, trust, and preparation.

Spend more time praying, learning, and growing—before and during courtship.

Marriage is not for the unprepared.
Courtship is for the mature.

🙏🏽 May God grant you wisdom, clarity, and success in your marital journey

Tonight, come and secure God’s involvement and commitment in your matter.

As we wrap up this 3-day consecration, the equation is about to shift in your favour.

Whatever refused to move in the first two days will be dealt with tonight — and your rest will be established.

*WEDNESDAY MORNING DEVOTION*

*WHAT GOD PROMISED IS STILL ON SCHEDULE*

*Habakkuk 2:3*
_"For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail. Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it, because it will certainly come; it will not delay."_

You have not missed your moment.
You are not too late.
And more importantly, *God is never late.* He is not panicked. He is not trying to catch up.
He is the *Master of all seasons* and the *Author of perfect timing*.

The breakthrough you’ve been praying for is not denied—it is being *divinely prepared*.
The vision God gave you—whether spoken in a whisper during prayer, written in your journal, or burned deep into your spirit—it is still alive, still appointed, and *still on its way*.

Heaven does not work with earthly deadlines—it works on *destined timing*.

*Wait, not in frustration, but in faith.*
Wait, not doubting, but *expecting*.
Because what God promised *will not disappoint*—it will arrive *right on time*.

Even if it tarries, wait for it…
Because God’s timing is never random—it’s always redemptive.

Keep praying!
Keep believing!
Keep walking!

The vision is still scheduled for delivery

*Good morning lovely family, stay blessed!🙏🏽*

#GOD’S WORD IS HAMMER AND FIRE!

God’s Word is an inexhaustible reservoir of divine power, flowing with life, truth, and purpose for every generation and every circumstance. It is not merely ink on paper but the very breath of God; living and active. Scripture teaches, and trains us in righteousness, cutting through deception and aligning our hearts with God’s will. Its power lies in its unchanging truth, for every word is inspired by the Holy Spirit, equipping us to live fully for Jesus Christ. To experience the fullness of God’s power in our lives and service, we must feast daily on His Word, for no other nourishment strengthens the soul like the eternal truths of God’s word.
Just as physical food sustains the body, God’s Word is the essential sustenance for spiritual vitality and strength. Without it, our faith grows weak, and our discernment falters. But when we meditate on God’s word, allowing it to dwell richly within us, it transforms our minds, convicts our hearts, and empowers us to walk in obedience. The Bible is not just a book of wisdom; it is the very voice of God, reproving, guiding, and equipping us for every good work. If we desire power in prayer, clarity in calling, and victory in spiritual warfare, we must hunger for God’s Word above all else, for it is the foundation of an unshakable life in Him.

Jeremiah 23:29 – Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? (KJV)

Watch Full Message On YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/Zz4v6Drdzps THE HEALING POWER OF GOD’S WORD
Shalom!
@GOODHEART-EKWUEME

PLS FEEL FREE TO SHARE!
(I would love to hear your testimonies via WhatsApp +2348052234444 / Email: apostlegoodheart@gmail.com)

*Galatians 2:20*
*20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME only be seen and measured by the vicarious work of Jesus on the

The Father’s love for you is not premised on your performance because He loved you even when you weren’t deserving of His love. Apostle Paul writing to the church in Ephesus reveals how God demonstrated His love for us even when we walked in disobedience, fulfilling the lust of the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath. When you deserved God’s worst, He gave us His best! Ephesians 2:4-5 then says, _*“But God, who is RICH IN MERCY, because of HIS GREAT LOVE with which HE LOVED US, EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”*_ God loved you even when you were ‘dead in trespasses.

DUNAMIS SEEDS OF DESTINY DEVOTIONAL FOR 15TH JULY, 2025 BY DR PAUL ENENCHE

TOPIC: LIVING WITH ETERNITY IN VIEW

SCRIPTURE: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night… 2 PETER 3:9-10.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The end of earthly life on earth is the beginning of an endless life in eternity.

Genesis 1:27 makes it clear that man is an eternal being made in the Image and Likeness of an eternal God. The meaning of that is, everyone you see will live forever. To further buttress this, James 4:14 reveals that man’s life on earth is a temporary adventure, just a fraction of man’s overall life.

So, man’s life on earth is a temporary adventure. This implies that the end of earthly life is the beginning of an endless life in eternity. (Daniel 12:2). And it is to in 8 to to to either an everlasting life with God in Heaven or an everlasting contempt with satan in hell. The truth is, God does not desire for anyone to be lost in hell; rather, He desires for people to live with Him forever in heaven after their sojourn in the earth. In other words, God is not looking for whom to send to hell.

It is possible to hear some messages that sounds as if God’s satisfaction is how many people can end in hell. Scriptures make it clear that hell was not created for man (Matthew 25:41). Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. It is only those who reject Christ and decide to end with the devil that will follow him to hell.66y But the point is, God has no desire for the loss of any soul (2 Peter 3:8-9).

Now, wisdom demands that we pay attention to our eternal destination, the place where we will spend the bulk of our lives.

That is why today, we are looking at what it means to live with eternity in view.

1. It is living in the present with the end in mind. Living in the present with the end in perspective (1Peter 4:7). You are alive today, but the end is in your mind.

2. It means living and conducting our life’s actions with eternity as a major consideration. Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of a man. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.

Everything we do on the earth has eternal consequences.

3. It means living in the now with readiness and preparedness for eternity. That is, you are not trying to get prepared; you are living prepared (Matthew 25:13, Matthew 24:44-45).

4. It is living as strangers and pilgrims on the earth. This is living with the full knowledge that this world is not our home (1 Peter 2:11).

5. It is living in the world without forgetting yourself in the world. Living in the world without forgetting your eternal and heavenly citizenship (Philippians 3:20).

Beloved, don’t forget yourself in this world because one day, the curtains of eternity shall be drawn, and the world shall end.

Remember this: The end of earthly life is the beginning of endless life in eternity.

ASSIGNMENT(S):
1. Live ready in anticipation of Christ’s coming. Keep your spiritual temperature high.

2. Refuse to live in sin

3. Ask God for mercy if you have erred and make amends.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to live on earth as a pilgrim. I refuse to conform to the pattern of this world. Draw me closer to You Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: LIVING WITH ETERNITY IN VIEW

DAILY BIBLE READING: Isaiah 1-3

QUOTE: If you want to look like Christ, then look at Christ. What you look at determines what you will look like. Culled from the book, The Essence of Christianity by Dr Paul Enenche.

AMAZING FACT: A lion’s whiskers are highly sensitive, helping it to detect movement and objects in the dark.

PROPHETIC DECLARATION/WORD: Receive grace to live with heaven in perspective always in Jesus Name.

STRATEGIC VISION

Do you notice that some words sound louder than others in your conscious awareness? Different seasons require different things. In summer, it brings warm temperatures, which means you must do different things than in winter, affecting many of your activities and clothing. The environment influences behaviour based on factors outside of your control; however, you need to adapt to make things work better. You won't grab a winter coat or prepare for frost, as the season doesn't demand that of you. Instead, you will adjust other patterns of behaviour accordingly. That word resonates outside of yourself, but your inner conditions and how you navigate must coexist with the environment. This might seem like a minor strategy we don't think much about; we simply adapt.

It is so normalised to do what is required; if not, we would face many consequences. Because the environment demands that we adapt, we are inherently equipped to adjust to life situations using laws and principles from a critical mind. How much more should we train this part of our mind to think strategically in resolving problems? Sometimes, it isn’t the first idea that comes to mind; we need to teach our minds to think critically.

One way to develop your mind to think strategically is to start with a small problem you might see around you, such as environment design, to help your habits align with living a high-yielding lifestyle or using your time wisely knowing when your energy levels are at their peak for tasks that might not otherwise suit you. When do you have less mental or physical energy? When is your spirit alert? Is it only at certain times? How can you become more sensitive to these shifts? When is the best time to convert your spiritual or mental energy into the outcomes you want to create in your life? Have you taken the time to plan specific tasks? What subjects will you focus on?

An unplanned life is like having the wrong clothing in your wardrobe for the season or having no firewood and freezing at sub-zero temperatures because there was no preparation. If you want to use time more productively, it’s better to sit down and allocate a couple of hours a week to prepare exactly what you’re going to target and when. Your targets should align with your purpose for creation. Was a dolphin made to fly through the air? Was a seagull created for the snow? Was an ant designed to live in human beds? Just by natural design, they fit in alignment with the vision the creator of their design put for them.
Yet humans have a free will we could spend three hours scrolling social media platforms we could laze in the sun we could seek out entertainment we could trade our time in the uncle Sam system to pay a mortgage or we could find the original blueprint for our life’s that we did not create but the creator of his creation does not make people to live for themselves he created them for himself and for his purpose.

Everyone, even Adolf Hitler, was created by God and for God, yet from his life story, we can see that he walked in alignment with an evil agenda that did not come from the creator of his design. This highlights a contrast between Mother Terrasa, who united creation with the creator and Adolf Hitler, who divided. What we must also observe is that the kingdom of light always unites and the kingdom of darkness always divides. Why am I highlighting this? It reveals that when we live out of alignment with our purpose, we are divided, as we are living in alignment with other attitudes of the heart, such as seeking comfort, satisfying emotional needs, or taking the lowest-yielding path of instant gratification. When we live in alignment with our purpose, we unite with God's will and practice delayed gratification, using the things that cost us our life, time, and resources to build the kingdom.

If there is a purpose for the garden worm, the caterpillar, the lightning, the sun, the soil, and everything that was made, how much more is there a purpose for every human being? Never give in to the delusion that you were created to sit in a church pew listening to someone preach until you make heaven, that is one of Satan's greatest deceptions he uses to stop the advancement of the kingdom.

Everything starts small, even your gifts and talents; they do not begin as fully developed, but rather as a word that may sound loud within your spirit. God has hidden so many capacities in us that you can only discover them through work. Einstein was obsessed and possessed by some ideas that never left his mind. I do not know the length of time it took him to discover the equation E = mc^2, which represents the energy equivalent of mass times the speed of light squared. The only reason I can write that equation is because Einstein passed through this world and did not yield to his flesh nature; he lived in a higher dimension, the mind. Yet, he tapped into a spiritual law that was hidden in nature; the only reason we cannot see into the dimension of the spirit could be explained by this equation. Yet right around us is another realm that cannot be seen on the material level because the faster you speed up energy and mass, the more it becomes invisible. Yet, we are dealing with two kingdoms: one that seeks to unite creation and one that seeks to divide it.

If we start with the book of Genesis and proceed to Revelation, both kingdoms are highly strategic. God had a strategy even before the fall. He created people to fulfil the path to the coming Christ. Satan started with a strategy but tempted Eve at the fall, just using words, images, and suggestions. Then he perverted God’s plan and will by causing Cain to murder his brother Abel. Right now, we are in a strategic era of the gospel of the kingdom being preached to all, nations and we all know that this vision will come to pass not because I said it, it is written, we are just positioned in the time of the dispensation of the calendar of God to fulfill his vision. The strategy of the church must be beyond the four walls into every territory and cause the light of the culture of heaven to unite creation with the creator by discovering our purpose for creation we bring godly alliances with man and God just by our obedience as God has given us grace and apostleship to fulfil this vision. What words are resonating loudly in your spirit, you hear, to reunite creation with the creator in time and space, connecting them to eternity.

Written by Rochelle White

**Smith Wigglesworth – “Apostle of Faith”**

**Early Transformation & First Miracle**

Now, there was a time when Smith Wigglesworth was quite busy with his plumbing tools in Leeds, where the pipes would creak and leak, just like the conversations in the neighborhood. But amidst all that hustle, he found himself drawn to healing meetings. It was a curious affair indeed! One day, his dear wife Polly, who had been struggling with a chronic ailment, experienced what can only be described as a miraculous healing. This unexpected turn of events set Smith on a path of faith that would change everything, leading him directly into the heart of healing ministry.

Imagine this: during a meeting one evening, the regular pastor was absent, and our dear Smith thought it fitting to take the stage. With a nervous heart and a stuttered sermon, he somehow found his voice and—lo and behold!—fifteen people were healed right then and there. You could say it fanned the flames of his passion for this miraculous work!

**Baptism in the Spirit**

Now, fast forward to 1907, where Smith, with wide eyes and an eager spirit, stumbled into a peculiar Pentecostal gathering in Sunderland. With a few enthusiastic questions about “tongues” (not the type you find in a good meal, mind you), he was promptly shown the door. But did that stop him? Not at all! After a heartfelt prayer in the speaker’s wife’s living room, he found himself speaking in tongues—a thrilling escapade back to that meeting, where fifty souls were filled with the Spirit. Quite the show, I’d say!

**Miraculous Healings & Spiritual Confrontations**

Now, there are stories, and then there are stories! One particularly remarkable episode involved a young woman on the brink of death from consumption. Smith, full of determination and perhaps a dash of desperation, prayed over her for four whole hours. Suddenly, a vision of Jesus appeared to him, and wouldn’t you know it? The young lady sprang back to life, resuming her piano playing that very morning as if nothing had happened!

And then there was Mitchell, a man at death’s door. Sadly, when Smith arrived, it seemed Mitchell had taken the ultimate plunge. But Smith wasn’t one to take a loss quietly; he boldly commanded death to release him. To everyone’s surprise, Mitchell revived and went on to recover as well! Talk about a scene straight out of a play!

Now, Smith had an unconventional approach—he believed in hitting the afflicted parts of the body, claiming he was “hitting the devil, not them.” Well, if you ask me, it’s quite a daring way to send sickness packing!

**Trials of Faith & Physical Ailments**

In a rather self-assured manner, our Smith vowed never to take medicine. But life had other plans, and when appendicitis struck with a vengeance, doctors considered his case hopeless. With a commanding spirit, he once again told the “devil” to leave, and lo! He was healed instantly, returning to work the very next day, tools in hand.

Smith faced a long battle with kidney stones, sciatica, and eventually a stroke. Despite the pain, he believed these trials were like fine clay molding him for greater things. And you know, he didn’t let a little discomfort keep him from ministering across the globe!

**Public Campaigns & Legacy**

From the bustling streets of the U.K. to the wide-open skies of Australia, Smith took his ministry far and wide. Stories of blind eyes opening, crippled legs walking, and cancers disappearing became the tales that traveled with him. In 1937, while in South Africa, he even prophesied a grand revival, telling David du Plessis, “the day I pass away, then you can begin to think about it.” Such confidence!

**Final Moments & Death**

On the 12th of March, 1947, while attending the funeral of his friend Wilf Richardson, Smith had an unexpected final act—he collapsed and bid goodbye to the earthly stage, continuing to preach until the very end! A grand finale, one might say.

At his funeral, he left behind four guiding principles for those who remained:

1. Read God’s Word.
2. Let it consume you.
3. Believe it.
4. Act on it.

His voice still echoes in the hearts of many within the Pentecostal and charismatic communities.

---

**Summary of Key Exploits**

Smith's legacy is dotted with miraculous healings—tumors, tuberculosis, and even those pesky appendicitis troubles. Some even say he managed to resurrect loved ones, a claim that made more than a few heads turn.

His spirit-led and confrontational approach—casting out tricky spirits through audacious prayer—stands as a testament to his unwavering faith. Despite battling illness, he thrived in service and inspired many. And let’s not forget his prophecies of future revivals, which many credit in shaping the charismatic movements.

𝟑𝟏 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐
𝐈 𝐀𝐦 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐝
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 KJV)

One of man’s greatest needs is love. And God, in His grace, has poured His love into your life.

The Bible says God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). In giving His Son, God showed the highest kind of love (John 3:16).

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). To lay down your life for someone is love beyond comprehension.

Christ’s death gave us more than forgiveness—it gave us the very life and nature of God. When you received Christ, you received the gift of God’s love.

So, in trials or in peace, always remember: You are loved by God.

Say it boldly:
𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑮𝒐𝒅!

Let this be your meditation today.
Visit: www.emosabamukong.com

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