Too often the most given piece of marriage advice is to “marry your best friend." Sure, this can be an important factor, but it is not the most important factor. The most important piece of marriage advice that I received was “marry a man who loves The Lord more than he loves you." This statement could not hold truer, or be more important when looking for the man you want to marry.

By marrying a man who loves The Lord more than you, you will have someone who is constantly leading you closer to God. You will have someone to worship and pray with you. More importantly, you will have someone who is willing to pray for you. Someone who will help you to strengthen your faith, and remind you that God is there to satisfy the parts of your heart that your partner cannot. You will have someone to hold you accountable. By having these things, you are able to serve God not only together, but on a deeper level. My personal relationship with God has increased so much from the time that I began dating my now husband, and this is what a healthy and God-fearing relationship should do for you. By serving God together we are also able to love each other better and have a different perspective on ways to make our relationship stronger.

“Because He bends down to listen I will pray as long as I have breath!” --Psalm 116:2

If you’re married, dating or even single, here are some prayers that you can pray for your partner or future partner to keep God as the foundation of your relationship. Pray that he would cherish me, his wife or future wife, as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25), that he would love God with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30), that God will instruct him and teach him in the way he should go (Psalm 32:8), that God would protect him physically, mentally and spiritually (Psalm 28: 7-9, Psalm 41, John 17:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:3).

To the ladies who are still waiting to find a God-fearing man, it is not your job to catch a man -- it is only your job to serve God until He leads a man to you. Grow your personal relationship with God and complete the tasks that He has prepared for you. Psalm 27:14 states, “When I wait you strengthen my heart.” During this time God will strengthen your heart and reveal Himself to you in ways that you never imagined. All that is asked of you is to remain faithful to Him and His word, but if you feel your faith wavering remember the following verse. “When I said, ‘my foot is slipping,’ your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:18-19. God will deliver us from all things, so cling to Him and do not settle.