the answer to a maiden's prayer

1. obsolete An eligible bachelor, especially one of stable means or good character; a man who would be ideal for a young woman to marry. The handsome young gentleman dismounted his horse. He was courteous, well educated, and wealthy—the answer to a maiden's prayer, to be sure.

2. An ideal or seemingly miraculous solution to some problem or predicament. The oil industry is touting the new technology as a way to preserve the environment without giving up fossil fuels, but can it really be the answer to a maiden's prayer?