I remember talking to a friend about how I prayed for and about my husband even before I met him, and she thought it was odd that I would pray ‘for a man’, but I reminded her that God cared about every aspect of our lives. So, we should absolutely pray for God to bring the right person into our lives. We can pray about singleness and dating as much as we need to.

Praying about singleness

When I was single, the way I prayed about being single was pretty much the way I prayed about anything else. Prayer is communing with God, and I did just that. I talked to God when I was feeling low and lonely, and especially when I found out another friend was getting married or had just met someone!

I remember making dinner for myself one day and specifically pouring my heart to God that I wanted the joy of cooking for someone else and for them to enjoy my food. I shared with God my hopes for a future marriage and family, and trusted that if He put those desires in my heart, He was more than able to grant them.

People always say to enjoy life when you’re single and not to dwell on it, and I agree with this, but it isn’t always easy. We need God’s help to truly enjoy our lives sometimes, so, you can also pray for the grace to appreciate and enjoy the life you have as a single person as well as the grace to be happy for friends that have what you don’t yet have and be able to celebrate with them.

Praying about singleness can also be praying that God helps you to be content and see Him as all that you need. Yes, desiring marriage or a relationship is not a bad thing, but sometimes we think that marriage would solve so many of our problems, and make us happier, but this isn’t always the case. No matter how good it is, when we enter that relationship, we soon realise that contentment in God, whatever our circumstance, is key.

Praying about dating

So, how do you pray about seeking a relationship? Perhaps you’re thinking, ‘where do I start?’ ‘Do I join an online dating site?’ ‘Do I make a conscious decision to go out more, go on holidays or join a group of like-minded singles?’ Sometimes the dating decisions can be overwhelming, and this is where prayer helps.

The Holy Spirit can guide you into what exactly you should do, to lead you to the person God has for you. But you must be willing to step out of your comfort zone, if that is what God is telling you to do. I met my husband online and it wasn’t something I had ever done before or thought I would ever do, but I committed the entire process to God and I’m forever glad I went for it!

If you start meeting people and are unsure whether to pursue a particular relationship, again, ask God for guidance. Ask Him to reveal where it is the wrong relationship, and to give you peace where it is the right person. God speaks to us in different ways, but if we really seek His guidance on something, He will surely lead us in the right direction. Psalm 32 verse 8 says ‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you’.

God wants to lead and guide us when it comes to the area of relationships, but we must be willing to seek His guidance through prayer, if we want to get it right.

So next time you’re thinking about the fact that you’re single, and wondering if God cares, why not talk to Him about it? If you’re considering a relationship, ask for His guidance. Your heavenly Father cares about every area of your life and is just waiting for you to talk to Him. So, go for it!

Enjoyed reading ‘How to pray about singleness and dating’? Read more by Urenna Kiwanuka here