I (Lauren) have prayed for my future husband for many years. There were many seasons where that prayer felt fruitless and like something that wasn't in God's plans for my life. As those seasons would come, I would wrestle between joy of where the Lord had called me in singleness and sadness for a desire in my heart that felt unanswered.

In October 2023, I was in a women's bible study at Silverdale Baptist where we were studying different prayers in the Bible that would help guide us in how to pray. There was one particular week where we were studying the story of Hannah from 1 Samuel 1 & 2, and how to pray for unmet longings and requests that felt hopeless. (If you're not familiar with that story -- Hannah was without a child, and she came and prayed and begged the Lord at the temple for a child year after year, only for it to go unanswered. She was mocked and ridiculed, but she continued to come and ask the Lord, weeping in anguish while she prayed for this desire of her heart. Spoiler alert - The Lord answers her prayer in His timing!).

As I was sitting in the bible study that Wednesday morning, the leader pointed out that Hannah had called out to "the Lord of Hosts and God of Armies." The words in the Hebrew language mean praying to the God who can do ANYTHING. She laid down her request at the alter, believing that God really can do what she asked even if it felt hopeless and impossible, remembering that He alone is the God of hope. And then she got up and walked away believing that He would act, no longer downcast but full of joy and peace.

That morning, I looked back over the last year of my life, realizing that I still had this desire of my heart that was unanswered, and it had left me calloused and doubting that God could answer it. It felt hopeless, and I was convicted in that moment to pray to the Lord of Hosts and God of Armies, and commit to walk away truly believing He could bring a godly man who was perfect for me into my life if it was part of His plan. In that moment, I laid down my desire, choosing to believe that God was capable of anything. It wasn't based on anything I could make happen or do, I left with no guarantees of answers or my desires being met, but instead just choosing to believe He is still the God of miracles who can do anything.

Three days later, Zac Barnard slid into my DMs on Instagram. With the encouragement of a few mutual friends from Silverdale that Zac had coached with and knew, I messaged him back and watched how God perfectly, in His timing, knit our two stories together. And the more of Zac's testimony and life that he shared with me, the more and more I saw proof that God truly is the God of miracles. Zac's life is testimony to miracles only the Lord of Hosts and God of Armies could do.

L&Z

Wedding

8:00 PM

Dessert Reception to Follow