Dating can be daunting. It can bring excitement as well as anxiety. There are moments of great joy, and the possibility of pain and rejection. There are many unknowns as well as many opportunities. In many ways, dating can be much like life itself!
Below are some prayers written for those who are dating and who may be walking through the highs and lows that it can bring. However, these prayers also serve as a reminder to all Christians, whatever our relationship status may be. Matters of the heart and our affections toward God and others are important. May these prayers strengthen and encourage you to keep your eyes on the Lord.
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1. A Prayer to Love God Above All Else
Heavenly Father,
Help me to love and honor you above anyone or anything else. The greatest commandment is to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength (Matthew 12:30). I long to do this more and more. Help me to keep you at the front and center of my life. As I get to know the one I am dating more, give me all that I need to keep my mind and heart on loving you first. Empower me by your Holy Spirit and teach me more of who you are. Warm my affections for you if they seem cool, and forgive me for the times where I have sought other things or people above you.
In Jesus’ precious name,
Amen.
2. A Prayer to Love My Neighbor as Myself
Dear Lord,
The one I am choosing to date is firstly my neighbor. As I am dating them and seeking to get to know them more, please give me wisdom and show me the best way to treat them well. Remind me that they are image bearers of you, and that you died for them. We are both sinners, Lord, but by your blood we are saved and cleansed from our sin.
May 1 John 1:5-7 be our prayer. You Lord are light and in you there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with you, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as you are in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. May we have fellowship based on your love, light and life that you have given for us both.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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3. A Prayer for Wisdom and Discernment
Lord Jesus,
Thank you that all wisdom and knowledge come from you (Proverbs 2:6). I praise you that I can come straight to you with all of my concerns, worries and anxieties. Dating can bring up many questions and fears in me. At times, there are uncertainties in my mind of which direction the relationship should go. Give me your wisdom and understanding to discern if this person is right for me. Help me to know that they are walking in the truth and are seeking your will and purpose for them first.
I pray that we will be united together following you and keeping you at the center of our relationship. May your will be done, Lord. I also pray that I will keep in your Word and in prayer to you. Search me O God and know my heart (Psalm 139:23).
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
4. A Prayer for Protection
Heavenly Father,
Thank you that you have defeated the power of sin and death through Christ’s death on the cross. Unhelpful patterns of thinking and behavior sometimes threaten to overwhelm me. I am surrounded by temptations that I know are not your best for me. Father, protect me from the lies and whisperings of the evil one. Protect me and guard my heart from anything that would rob me of the joy and perfect peace that only you can bring. Only you can satisfy the longings in my heart.
Forgive me for those times where I have fallen into sinful patterns. May I always look to you. Help me to flee the sin that so easily entangles. Give me strength and a greater love for you in my weakness. Comfort me, in your great mercy and compassion. Strengthen me for the spiritual battle I am in. Increase the fruit of the Spirit in my life so that I can love the one I am dating with the same love that you have loved me.
In Your blessed Name,
Amen.
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5. A Prayer for Direction
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the opportunities that you give to me when I am single. Thank you that I am able to wholeheartedly serve you and go where you lead. As I consider the possibility of marriage, I pray that you will give me direction and clarity. I pray that your peace will calm my uncertainty over what is ahead, and also empower me by your Holy Spirit to continue to seek your will above all. Help me to trust my heart into your loving, everlasting arms. May you be my all in all, whether I am single for your glory, or married for your glory.
Father, I pray for courage to say no to a relationship that is not your best for me. Strengthen me in the waiting, help me cast my anxieties upon you as I walk confidently one day at a time, knowing you are with me. I will trust in your perfect timing.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
6. A Prayer for Mutual Friendships and Accountability
Lord Jesus,
Thank you that your bride, the church, provides community. Within the family of God, I ask that you bring into my path support from those who have biblical marriages centered on love for you first and foremost. Thank you for godly marriages where you are the center. As we date, may we listen well to the wisdom from those who have walked the road of marriage. May married couples be receptive and patient as we ask honest questions, and may they be willing to guide us and pray with us as we consider the beautiful gift of married life together.
It can be painful to think that we may not end up with the person that we thought we would. May you be close to us if we have encountered the end of a relationship, whether through broken relationships within our own families growing up, or perhaps having to let go of someone we thought we would always be with. May we be surrounded by models of faithfulness that point us to your faithfulness toward us.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
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7. A Prayer for Christ-Honoring Communication
Dear Lord,
Thank you that you have given us your Word in the Bible which helps us to know and understand you more. Thank you that you want to have a relationship with us, and that you died for us to reconcile us to yourself. I praise you for your words of love to me. As we share more of our life together, we can open ourselves up to potential hurt. We may misunderstand or be misunderstood in some way. Help me to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry (James 1:19) toward the one I am dating.
Remind me of how much you have forgiven me and show me how to forgive them if they have wronged me. Help my words to build up and be grace-filled, not words that tear down (Ephesians 4:29). May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, my Lord (Psalm 19:14).
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
8. A Prayer of Remembrance and Praise
Dear Lord Jesus,
I rejoice as you are the Bridegroom and that the church is your bride. Oh, how you love us. As I date, help me to remember what marriage is all about and what it points to. May I hold fast to the truth of all that marriage was intended to represent. One day your bride will be with you at the marriage supper of the Lamb: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).
If and when we consider marriage together, may we never lose sight of how it is pointing to you, Lord Jesus, as the Bridegroom. We are your church and bride. Thank you for laying down your life for us. May we choose to do the same as we consider our lives together as a one flesh marriage union. May our lives, both individually and together, be set apart as a holy bride, waiting for you, our Bridegroom, to return in power and glory.
Hallelujah and Amen!
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Originally published Tuesday, 22 August 2023.
