Proverbs 18:22 (NKJV) says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.” I love how the New Living Translation (NTL) translates this verse: “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD.” From both of these translations, we can clearly see that marriage is a good thing and a God thing.

What most stands out to me in Proverbs 18:22 is the first part of that Scripture, which states, “He who finds a wife…” I don’t know about you, but the two key words, “find” and “wife,” seem to scream for my attention. Are you ready for your future husband to find his wife? I strongly believe that, in order to attract and be found by the man who is to be your husband, you must already be a “wife.” In my opinion, this is a “key” prerequisite to marriage that every single woman desiring to be married should zero in on.

Having seen it play out in my own life, as well as in the lives of former single women who are now happily married, I have deduced that there are certain things that must be in order in your life to make way for you to attract, meet, and marry the man whom God has prepared for you. Are you ready? In your present state, can you be recognized and identified as a wife? I’ve concluded that, while there may be tons of single women out there, a wise and suitable man (and I stress “wise and suitable man”) searching for the person with whom to spend the rest of his life in Holy Matrimony is searching for not just a woman but a “wife.”

With that point established, as a single woman desiring marriage—and as a single woman living with a biblical worldview—it’s important that you prepare for marriage. I feel it’s necessary that you develop the mindset of a wife long before you actually walk down the aisle to become a wife. Preparation is key. It puts you on the path to being “found” by your future husband, who is searching for “his wife,” with the ultimate goal of having a successful marriage. Are you ready?