Here are 3 prayers for couples that are dating that I hope you can use or pass along to someone you know who’s still dating.
We can pray for things but we must be sure that it’s God’s will for our lives. For example, we know it is not God’s will that we be unequally yoked with non-believers. This means that our best friends shouldn’t be unsaved people so how much more should we not be dating someone who’s not a Christian. Paul wrote “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness” (2nd Cor 6:14)? This is not a suggestion but a command from God because “What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2nd Cor 6:15-16). Paul’s conclusion should be ours, “Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you” (2nd Cor 6:17).
Great God in heaven, please help me to control my natural urges and impulses and to live a life of holiness, controlling my own body and not taking advantage of the one who I am dating. I know that only the marriage bed is undefiled (Heb 13:4) and that all the sexually immoral will not be inheriting the kingdom of heaven (1st Cor 6:9) so help me to run away from my desire to commit sexual immorality which is sinning against my own body (1st Cor 6:18) but against the one I am dating too. I do not want to cause my partner to sin but it is so hard in this world because of the promiscuous nature of mankind. I know that you have called us to live lives that are pleasing to you and to be holy as you have called us to be holy. God, please help me to restrain my natural impulses and to control my own body for the sake of the one I’m dating. I do not want to take advantage of someone else just to satisfy my own flesh and in the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.
Righteous God in heaven, I need Your Spirit to help me be unified with the one I am dating. Since we are both believers, we must know that we should live a life above reproach and that others are watching us, particularly those who are not saved and if we are not living a holy life, we can bring shame to the cause of Christ by our bad example. I ask for Your Spirit to help me live in unity with the person I’m dating and that we live respectable lives and show caution in how we show affection toward one another. I know that in private, it’s easier to get caught up with one another so help me to know how to date, where to take my date, and how I should treat them because I know they’re made in the image of God just like I am. Please help us to agree together in the way we act, the things we do, and to show that we are putting You first, above even the one I’m dating (Matt 6:33). I know that I will have to give an account to You someday so please convict me when I am considering something sinful or thinking about something that is contrary to what You teach in the Bible. I know I can’t do it on my own so help me in my weaknesses and help me to live a life that would be pleasing to You and in the precious name of the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, amen.
Precious Father in heaven, when I am dating someone, it is often hard to tell what’s inside their heart. Please help me to know my partner better so that in dating, I can have clarity as to whether this is the person You would be pleased to have me marry, if it comes to that. I don’t know their heart but I know that You do (1st Sam 16:7). Please know that I am seeking You and Your righteousness first and foremost above all things (Matt 6:33), including the person I’m dating but the truth is, I can’t know what they’re like in their heart so help reveal to me if this person is who You know would be a good partner for life. Help me to not rush into anything because I might live to regret it if once we’re married and the true person is revealed, I am bound to them for life. How important it is to know who to marry and how hard it is to see what’s inside of a person so I truly need your help Lord. Make it clear to me that I am dating the right person or make it obvious that I am not and to know whether I should move on because I know You know them better than I do and you obvious know what’s best for me and in the name above all names I pray, Jesus Christ, amen.
If you are dating an unbeliever, then you are living is disobedience to God. We cannot mix oil and water together any more than we can light and darkness. I know it’s hard to be alone and live the single life but it’s better to be single than to be biblically bound to someone for life who turns out to be an unbeliever or one who is living in disobedience to God. Some of the loneliest people I know are people who married someone that is radically different than who you thought they were. Many have married someone that deceived them into thinking that they’re Christian and they’re not. It is better to live a life of singleness than to live in a marriage that is unequally yoked because that can bring a lot of misery.
Article by Pastor Jack Wellman