Cory was just a small toddler when I started praying for his future spouse. It wasn’t something I prayed for every day or even every week. But I prayed when God stirred my heart. I prayed when I struggled in my own marriage. I prayed when my marriage grew stronger and full of joy. And I honestly believe my prayers made a difference. Prayer always does.
I adore my daughter-in-law, Katie. She and Cory have been married more than three years and have two beautiful babies. She’s thoughtful, caring, fun and godly. Most of all, she adores my son. (What more can a mother desire?)
“Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes. … We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy” (Dan. 9:18, NIV).
So, what things do you pray for? These are things we encourage young women to pray for in our book Praying for Your Future Husband—and you can pray these very things for your child’s future spouse!
What to pray for:
- Pray for his/her heart.
- Pray he/she will be a God lover.
- Pray for patience.
- Pray for understanding.
- Pray for trust.
- Pray for loyalty and faithfulness.
- Pray for strength.
- Pray for protection.
- Pray for intimacy.
- Pray for “the list” (God’s list for your child!).
- Pray for contentment.
- Pray for commitment.
You can pray for all of these things for your children’s future spouses, and don’t forget to pray the same things for your children, too. I have one child who is married, and I’m continuing to pray all these things for the five other children still unmarried. And since my youngest just turned 3 years old, I’ll be praying for quite a while!
Prayer makes a difference. And make sure you let your child know that you’re praying, too. Help them to form their own prayers, even at a young age. It’ll help them to prepare their heart for the person to come.
Tricia Goyer has written more than 35 books, including both novels that delight and entertain readers and nonfiction titles that offer encouragement and hope. She has also published more than 500 articles in national publications such as Guideposts, Thriving Family, Proverbs 31, and HomeLife Magazine.
