There are few things more precious than a Christ-centered marriage.
And few things more challenging to develop.
Aren’t you thankful for God’s grace that always promises to be enough?
Even for two imperfect people who come together in all their imperfection and expect to cleave to each other for many imperfect decades.
Yes. Enough grace even for that.
There are many enemies acting against godly marriages these days, and it’s imperative that we cover ourselves and our spouses in prayer.
These prayers come from Scripture, and while some of the original contexts weren’t specifically referring to marriage, the principles still undoubtedly apply.
Will you join me in praying the Scriptures for our marriages?
Prayers for Christian Marriage
Ask the Lord to instill in your hearts His definition of love – an unconditional, sacrificial pattern of behavior that puts another’s best interests above your own. Pray that He would implant a love that is patient and kind; a love that does not envy or boast; a love that is not arrogant or rude; one that does not insist on its own way and is not irritable or resentful; a love that does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Thank God for His example of true love – a love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and that never ends (I Corinthians 13:4-8).
Pray that as iron sharpens iron, you and your spouse would “sharpen one another,” challenging each other and encouraging each other toward Christ-likeness (Proverbs 27:17).
Share with the Lord your high regard for the sanctity of marriage, and ask that He would help you maintain purity within your marriage, understanding that God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous (Hebrews 13:4).
Ask God to help you and your spouse prioritize your marriage above all other earthly relationships, holding fast to each other, and becoming one flesh (Genesis 2:24). Ponder the wonder of God’s design for marriage!
Ask God to help you and your spouse Claim God’s promise that no weapon fashioned against your marriage shall succeed (Isaiah 54:17).
Let God know of your desire to be faithful to your spouse, the person with whom God made you one flesh, with a portion of the Spirit in your union. Commit to guarding your spirit against faithlessness to your spouse (Malachi 2:13-16).
Pray that the Lord would enable the two of you to live in agreement with each other, empowering you to walk in harmony through life together (Amos 3:3).
Pray that the husband in your union would love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, having a vested interest in her holiness and purity. Pray that the husband would love his wife as his own body, remembering that he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church (Ephesians 5:25-29).
Ask the Lord to help the wife in your union to be subject to her husband, so that even if he does not obey the Word, he may be won without a word by her conduct, when he sees her respectful and pure conduct (I Peter 3:1).
Praise God for the partnership He planned for husband and wife. You can work together; you can help each other if one of you falls; you can keep each other warm at night; and you can fight together against your common enemy. With Jesus Christ at the center of your union, you form a cord of three strands, which is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
Acknowledge to the Lord that in Christ, woman is not independent of man nor man of woman, but they are meant to rely on each other and support one another (I Corinthians 11:11).
Ask for God’s grace to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32). Confess to Him any unforgiveness or bitterness, remembering how lavishly God’s grace has been granted to you, and resolving to grant it as freely to your spouse.
Thank God for His design for purity within marriage. Ask Him to help you to freely offer your bodies to one another, not depriving one another (except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again), so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (I Corinthians 7:3-5).
Pray that God would help you to sober-minded and alert about protecting your marriage, being watchful against your enemy the devil, who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (I Peter 5:8). Ask for God’s protection over your marriage.
Ask God to help you love one another with brotherly affection, cultivating a friendship within your marriage. Pray that He would grant you and your spouse the grace to outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10).
Confess to God that Jesus Christ is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the One who can sustain your marriage! Pray that He might be preeminent in your marriage, and that your union would point unbelievers toward Him (Colossians 1:17-18).
Pray that the Lord would help you treat each other with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2-3).
Claim that what God has joined together, no man should separate (Mark 10:9).
Ask that above all, you would keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins (I Peter 4:8).
Pray that you and your spouse would be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Ask that God would grant you hearts that are free from selfish ambition or conceit, and that in humility you would count each other more significant than yourselves. Pray that you would follow Christ’s example, being willing to give up what you may be entitled to and instead being willing to serve your spouse in tangible and sacrificial ways (Philippians 2:1-8).
Dear Heavenly Father, how I thank You for the good gift of marriage! It is a relationship that satisfies, and one that sanctifies, as You use it to refine me from the impurity of self-centeredness and pride. My heart’s desire is that You would be glorified in my marriage. May I live in such a way that my actions and attitudes bless my husband and bless Your Name. It’s in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, that I pray. Amen.
Take the Challenge!
Are you a Christian who longs for spiritual victory and wants to grow in holiness? I want to come alongside you and support you in your quest for purity. That’s why I created a FREE 21-day email challenge called Praying the Scriptures for Purity. You can get more information and sign up here.
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So beautifully and thoughtfully written, Jennifer. Being a veteran of a 42+ marriage, I can honestly say you touched on just about everything required for a solid, joyous marriage. My husband and I are very blessed and we know it. It did not come easy, and still requires a serious commitment to the Lord and each other. Even after all these years, their are constant challenges. Not so much concerning us, but issues outside the marriage that require our time and energy. Elderly, ailing parents, problems with one’s adult children, work… some days, the list seems endless. But one thing never changes. God is always faithful, and His love for us is eternal and unconditional. For that, we are both extremely grateful, and so strive to be worthy. You are a joy to me.
Laura, thank you for sharing your words of wisdom with us here, and for living your life and your marriage in a way that reflects the glory of our Savior. I’m glad this post resonated with you!
Amos 3:3 is not meant to be a prayer for marriage. Taken in context, this verse is meant to highlight impending judgement for repetitive sin. Amos 3:6 is the final thought in a list of comparisons. It is not meant to be a warm fuzzy verse. Please look deeply into scripture before quoting it.
Hi, Mona! Thanks so much for reading and for taking the time to chime in. I’m glad you addressed the context of Amos 3; in verse 3, in particular, God is pointing out that His people cannot expect to have ongoing fellowship with Him without being at peace with Him through repentant forsaking of their sin. But the question posed there is a rhetorical one, implying that walking with someone with whom there is discord is impossible. While not originally written in the context of marriage, Amost 3:3 certainly applies and completely coincides with other Scripture about marriage and relationships.