Margot Starbuck’s article is a down-to-earth guide not only for singles who date online, but offline.
“When single folks like me—who on many days would prefer to be partnered—talk to God, our prayer life can sometimes sound a bit demanding. When we’re feeling frustrated that dating apps are drying up or that the pandemic isn’t helping our marital prospects, we can get a little bossy with the Almighty.”
“But just as the Bible’s prayer book, the Psalms, includes a variety of prayers for different occasions—Help! and Thanks! and Sorry! and Yikes!—so, too, different prayers fit the various seasons of the dating journey. Here are eight prayers that I and others navigating the online dating world have found useful.”
Prayer of loneliness
“then I tell him how I feel, shed a few tears, and ask him to come alongside me to fill those empty spaces”
I need help seeing…
“It’s easy to notice height or figure, a nice smile, a lucrative profession, or a clever wit. But what about integrity? What about kindness? What about a steadfast commitment to Christ? When we are able to see…the other ceases to be an object to be consumed and is seen rightly, instead, as a brother or sister in Christ.”
“Take my eyes off of myself.”
Self-obsession can become real in the initial phases of online dating – from our obsession with choosing the most flattering photograph to writing and rewriting our profile to showcase the “best” side of ourselves. When I notice that I’m becoming overly consumed with myself, I pray to ask for God’s help to free me from self-absorption. It is God’s good pleasure to help redirect the attention of our hearts.”
“Teach me to love as you love.”
“… my own relationship with Christ was strengthened by a friendship with a man who wasn’t “the one,” but who encouraged me to be praying for my kids. We were created to love, and if we’re dating, then that’s where we’re called to live it out.”
“Guide my next step.”
“Why, Lord, am I still single?” or “Why, oh Lord, have I made poor choices?”
“Not my will, but yours.”
“…we’re called to imitate (His posture) in all facets of life, dating included. Moment by moment we wait to receive what God has for us, even when it’s not what we would choose.”
“Thank you for my singleness.”
The myth of “happily ever after” – and the contentment with our God-given singleness
“Beloved, I encourage you to notice the prayer that wells up inside you when you speak to God about dating. The one who is present to every moment of your journey is listening.”
Eight Prayers for the Online Dating Journey by Margot Starbuck – 14
