I realized that the moments of healing and blessing were the times that I sincerely and simply gave my heart and desires to God

7 Prayers for Dating

I originally had a different blog post written for today but, after hearing Pastor Rick’s message on prayer this weekend, I was reminded of all the different ways I prayed over the years in regard to my dating life. The past ten years have included times of waiting, frustration, broken-heartedness, and pain, but also times of healing, learning, redemption, and love. I realized that the moments of healing and blessing were the times that I sincerely and simply gave my heart and desires to God and let Him lead me. It wasn’t always easy, but as I started praying these prayers below, it became easier to trust God and His plan for my love life:

 PRAYERS BEFORE DATING:

When I knew I wanted to start dating again and marriage was my hope, I began praying these things.

1. Dear God, thank you for loving me. I pray that you prepare me and shape me into the godly woman I need to be to be ready to date a godly man. I pray that you continue to do a work in me, that you will take me out of my comfort zone and closer to you. I pray for my future spouse, that you would protect him and guide him closer to you as well, so that when we meet, we are ready for each other!
2. Dear God, I’m not good at relationships, but you are! Please help me to quickly discern between the right person and wrong person. Please give me contentment while I’m alone and wisdom when I date. You know the desires of my heart and I pray for your guidance along the way.

PRAYERS DURING DATING:

I literally prayed these prayers before every first date and for the first few months of a new relationship. EVERY. TIME.

1. Dear God, thank you for this opportunity to go on this date and meet someone new. Please help us keep YOU at the center of our relationship. Regardless of the outcome, please help us to keep our focus on what you want for our lives. If it is your will for this to work out, I pray that you continue to bless our dates going forward.
2. Dear God, please help me to honor you on this date with my actions and my conversation. Please help me to resist temptation and to be an example of you in my life.
3. And of course, the scariest prayer of all: Dear God, if this person is not your desire for me or a good match for me, please remove this person from my life. Please reveal to me or protect me from what I cannot see!

PRAYERS WHETHER YOU’RE DATING OR NOT:

When everything else in my life seemed chaotic or broken, these prayers gave me peace.

1. When you don’t know what you need: Dear God, I don’t know where to start or what I need, but YOU do. You know my heart and my desires for love and connection. Please guide me in your direction. Please help me see your way and please put people in my life that will help grow me closer to you.
2. And ultimately: Dear God, please make me content in all circumstances. Help me to have peace with the role you gave me, whether that besingle, dating, or in a relationship, and help me to be confident and content in whateverseason I am in. Amen.

Prayer brings us closer to God. In fact, Pastor Rick shared that “The closer we are to God, the less stressed and the more blessed we’ll be.” I found that when I let God be the center of my dating and I focused on His love and direction in my life, that I was led to the biggest blessings of all.

After all, John wrote, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15)

 What a powerful promise. What prayer are you going to pray tonight?