mk The love we have for and show our beloveds may initially be romantic, but ultimately, we should strive to give them an “agape” kind of love. In the Bible, we can see the agape kind of love portrayed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7. In essence, agape love is a sacrificial love: it always seeks the well-being of another and denies one’s self for their sake. This might sound familiar if you know Christ—it’s the kind of love that Christ gives us! He showed us agape love when He sacrificed Himself, died the death we should have died, sought our eternal well-being before His own, and saved us from sin. Hence, Christ is our very motivation to seek to show our partner agape love.
Heavenly Father, whether in deed or through prayer, may I always be selfless, mindful, and considerate of the welfare of the one I love. May I display the same agape love as Christ did, always die to myself, put the person I love first, and always seek my beloved’s well-being. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
A Goodnight Prayer for a Lover
Agape Love and Prayers
Since it means always thinking about our beloved and seeking their well-being, we put agape love in deed and prayer. We serve them and make them feel seen, known, heard, and understood. We tell them that we love them. We comfort them if they are feeling down and uplift them. We can put such love into action through many different deeds, but another way we can show agape love is by praying for them. One of the sweetest expressions of love we can offer is mentioning them to our heavenly Father as we commune with Him.
When we pray for our partner, we should pray for the concerns they have. Perhaps something is troubling them, or they are feeling down and emotionally distressed. In these times, we pray to God for comfort upon them, that God will bring peace and serenity to their hearts (2 Corinthians 1:3–4; Psalm 94:19). When our beloveds have any needs or desires, we also pray for such matters to God as if they are also ours (Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.). We pray fervently for such needs and hopes that our beloved is trusting God to fulfill. Likewise, in times of celebration, you can also thank and praise God as your love rejoices and give thanks to God (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.).
A Goodnight Prayer for a Lover
A Goodnight Prayer for a Lover
A Goodnight Prayer for a Lover
We pray for our partners not only because it is a way for us to love them, but because we humbly acknowledge that ultimately, they are not dependent on us but on God. It is God who sustains them, preserves them, and takes care of them, just as God does towards us (Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?; Psalm 121:3-4).
A Goodnight Prayer for a Lover
How Do We Pray a Goodnight Prayer for Them?
Now that we know what to pray for our beloveds, how do we pray a goodnight prayer for them? We can do this by simply seeking their well-being in prayers. In line with agape love and trusting in God, a simple principle to guide us in praying a meaningful goodnight prayer is by paying attention to our beloveds and always thinking about them.
How do we do this? For example, let’s say your partner had a difficult day at work. When you’re always thinking about your beloved and their well-being, then you know to pray for them regarding their bad day. If you know something has been bothering them recently, you can also pray for that matter. In other words, whatever the situation at hand—whether they have a concern, worry, fear, or hope they lean on God for—think about them always. This serves as our principle when praying for them as we go to sleep.
Exactly how you pray for them depends on your preferences. You can call your beloved, ask how they are doing, and pray for them—either together or on your own—before going to sleep. If you pray on your own, you can let them know that you prayed for them. There is room for flexibility here—how you pray is entirely up to you. The main principle is to love your partner with an agape love through prayer and trust in God.
Father in heaven, I pray for the person I love that you will give him/her a refreshing rest tonight as he/she sleeps. Give my loved one peace and calmness in his/her heart and comfort him/her in times of distress. Give him/her the strength that he/she needs at work. I pray for the things that he/she believes in You for and that You will provide for the upcoming needs he/she has. Thank You for all the grace and mercies You have given him/her. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
Remember that as you pray a goodnight prayer for your beloved, your motivation for doing so is love (1 Corinthians 16:14). In fact, the Gospel is our very motivation. The sacrificial and selfless love of Christ for sinners like us and his act of adopting us as God’s children moves us to love our partners in the same way.