In the fall of 1981 I was travelling as the music director for a Christian band in Europe called Living Sound III. By that time I was 27 years old, had my Bachelor of Music Degree and had travelled in over 30 countries telling the message of Jesus’ love and forgiveness through music. That fall, our team was supposed to go back behind the Iron Curtain for three weeks of concerts in Poland but because of Solidarity strikes in Poland, all our concerts were cancelled. So we ended up staying the month of October at a ‘Youth With A Mission’ hostel not too far from Vienna, Austria.
At that time, God was working in my life to clean up some of the inconsistencies in my Christian walk (read sin). I have found that whenever God wants to go to the next level in my walk with Him, He will challenge inconsistencies in my life. I was challenged by our trombone player, Steve, to read through my Bible and once I started reading the Bible, it seemed like I couldn’t put it down.
God used those weeks in Austria to soften and change my heart and make His Word so real to me! I remember sensing His love and power as I spent many hours each day reading the Bible. I ended up reading the whole Bible in three and a half months. I also made a commitment to the Lord at that time to read the Bible every day. That was over 40 years ago and it still is my habit to this day.
But I digress, one of the other things I did in Austria was to watch a video by a New Zealand teacher, Winkie Pratney on ‘How To Find A Wife’. His teaching was based on the story of Abraham sending his servant to find a wife for Abraham’s son, Isaac.
The servant prayed that he would find ‘a woman who would water camels’. (Read Genesis 24). The core of Winkie’s teaching is that the servant prayed specifically and also prayed for a ‘woman with a servant’s heart’. Drawing water from a well for ten camels was a lot of work.
That sounded good to me so I drew up a list of nineteen things that I was looking for in a wife. I was very specific. I prayed for my future wife’s exact age, hair colour, relationship with her father, relationship with God as well as a host of other details; including that she would be ‘a woman who waters camels,’ a ‘woman with a servant’s heart’. (I still have that list in one of my old Bibles)
Over the next few months God continued to work on my heart and transform me. I don’t know how much other people noticed, but I felt like a totally new person. And I grew passionate about reading and memorizing God’s Word.
When that Living Sound tour was finishing in early 1982, I got a surprise phone call from my home church in Vancouver, Canada. They wanted me to come home and conduct and write music for their 120 voice choir and orchestra. I really had doubts about whether I could do it, but I felt like God was calling me back home.
When I was home and learning how to conduct the choir and lead people who were twice my age, I noticed this cute Italian girl, Anna, singing in the choir. I wasn’t in a big hurry to start a relationship but I did slowly get to know her through some double dates. As I got to know Anna, I realized that she was meeting all of my nineteen prayer requests. It was time to get married. God was answering my prayer. I had been scared of marriage my whole life (it is a huge commitment) but now it was time.
We were married the next year in February, 1983 and we have now been married over 40 years. We now have two great children who married wonderful Christians spouses and have three awesome grandchildren. Anna Foti Cole has been God’s answer for me. I am truly blessed!
Question: Do you have a ‘God Story’ about how you met your spouse that you would like to share?
Check out my new book: “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’. It is now available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.
Side note: Dr. David Jeremiah used my story about God answering my prayer for a wife in his book, “Forward: Discovering God’s Purpose and Presence In Your Tomorrow”.
Reblogged this on Following God: Notes ♫ From A Grand Adventure and commented:
God was working in my life to clean up some of the inconsistencies in my Christian walk (read sin). I have found that whenever God wants to go to the next level in my walk with Him….He will challenge inconsistencies in my life.
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Please pray for me, my name is Robbie, I’m 34 years old and have been praying for God to give me a wife for the past 8 years. Sometimes I worry that God is not going to give me a wife because I have been praying for 8 years and He has not answered me yet.
Hi Robbie..
Thanks for your comment on my blog…
I will pray this morning for a wife for you…
While you are waiting.. my advice is to work on being the best you can be..
Work on being a man of God, a good provider and a man that your future wife is looking for..
please pray for me im single 35 years old and am going to college right now and have been praying for god to bring me a wife that is a true christian, nice, sweet kind and good looking that I will love and will love me for the past 8 years and I get discouraged because I have waiting so long, and i don’t drive at the moment and it is hard for me to get out and go places
Hi Robert.. I just spent some time praying for you..
I see that you’re going to college.. excellent.
What other things are you doing to become a excellent husband?
Woman are looking for well-groomed, hardworking, fun-loving, Godly men of integrity.
While you are waiting for the answer to your prayers.. I would suggest working on becoming the answer to some woman’s prayer.
Thanks for sharing this story. I will share this to a friend of mine who is seriously looking for a wife. I’m sure this will inspire him also to walk seriously with God, as it also inspired me. God bless u.
So good to hear… thank you!
I am very encourged by your story , however my story is a different from yours
I have been divorced once because he cheated on me and even lived with the woman while he was still married with me. then I remarried but he passed away about 2 years ago and I live with my 9 yeard old son.
do you think it is okay to ask for one more husband?
For sure .. ask God for another husband…
May you pray for me get a wife…am 37 old lonely and desperate to have a wife..I have such for long without success and my past relationships has only resulted in bitterness.. please ask GOd on mybehalf to help me..thank you
I’m glad to pray for you, Simon.
Could I also give you a word of advice? While you’re waiting.. take time to develop your relationship with God and with people. Read God’s word daily, be obedient to what God is saying to you, become the person a good wife is looking for and develop your social and relational skills…. Only God can give a good wife.
I have been praying for a wife for well over 10 years and though I’m becoming a better me, I’m lonely and want to get married and I feel like I’m running out of time since I’m 43 years old.
My wife’s uncle didn’t get married till he was in his 50’s. He then had two 3 children and recently sent two off to university. Keep working on being the best version of yourself. Keep putting God first in your life. You never know what good things God still has in store for you.