"Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and if a young woman comes out to draw water and I say, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will water your camels too,' let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac."
Genesis 24:12-14 (NIV)Genesis 24:50-67, Proverbs 19:14, 2 Corinthians 6:14
They Are Already Out There
Right now, somewhere in the world, the person your child will marry is alive. They are going to school, making mistakes, learning lessons, being shaped by their own family, their own church, their own struggles. You do not know who they are. You do not know where they are. But God does. And you can pray for them today.
Most parents pray for their children's futures. They pray for their health, their education, their faith, their safety. But few parents pray for their children's future spouses. And it is one of the most powerful prayers you can pray, because it covers a relationship that does not exist yet but will shape your child's entire life.
When you pray for your child's future spouse, you are not trying to control who they marry. You are asking God to shape the person they will become before they ever meet your child. That is intercession at its most forward-looking and most selfless.
Abraham's Servant Prayed for Character
Abraham's servant prayed for Isaac's future wife before Isaac even met her. He did not pray for beauty. He did not pray for wealth. He prayed for character. For kindness. For a woman who would go above and beyond. He prayed for the kind of person who would make a good partner, not just an attractive one. That is the model.
What to Pray
Pray that God would draw them close to Him. That their faith would be real, not performative. That they would know who they are before God ever has to figure out who they are with your child. Pray for their character. For their integrity. For the way they handle conflict, money, stress, disappointment. Pray for the wounds they are carrying and the healing they need.
Pray for the family that is raising them. Whoever they are, whatever their situation, pray that God would surround them with people who love them well. Because the person your child marries is not just an individual. They are the product of a whole history, and that history matters.
And pray for your child too. Pray that they would become the kind of person a good spouse would want to marry. Not just find the right person. Be the right person. That is the prayer that changes everything. Because marriage is not about finding perfection. It is about two imperfect people who are both committed to growing.
Tonight, Pray This Prayer
Tonight, pray this simple prayer over your child's future spouse: "God, I do not know who they are, but You do. Shape them. Draw them close to You. Heal their wounds. Build their character. And when the time is right, bring them and my child together in a way that honors You. Until then, keep them safe and keep them Yours."
- What qualities do I want my child's future spouse to have?
- What would it mean to pray for my child to become the right person?
- How can I pray for the family that is raising my child's future spouse?
- Am I praying for my child's future spouse by name or by character?
- Am I focusing on my child finding the right person or becoming the right person?
- Am I including their future family in my prayers?
You are praying for someone you have never met. Someone who may be a child right now. Someone who is being shaped by forces you cannot see. And your prayers are reaching them in ways you will never fully understand until eternity.
Lord, I lift up the person my child will someday marry. I do not know who they are, but You do. Draw them close to You. Heal their wounds. Build their character. Make them someone who will love my child well. And help my child to become the kind of person a good spouse would want to marry. Use these prayers to shape the future You have planned. In Jesus Name, Amen.
You are praying for someone you have never met. Someone who may be a child right now. Someone who is being shaped by forces you cannot see. And your prayers are reaching them in ways you will never fully understand until eternity.
Day 6. You are praying for a stranger who will become family. And God hears every word.
With honesty and hope, Claire