Marriage is a God-ordained institution; which was set in motion at the beginning of creation (Gen. 2:22-24) when God created a helper for Adam, to be his wife (Eve). In marriage, the two are to become one and the husband and wife are to grow together in their relationship with the Lord. We are not left to our own devices in marriage; we are always to look to God, to worship God with our spouse, and to reflect God’s love sacrificially to each other. When we take marriage vows, we take them before God. This is why the Old and New Testament are clear that divorce is never to be taken lightly, and while there are certain circumstances where divorce is biblically permitted, nowhere is it commanded.
Crosswalk.com Contributor Sharon Jaynes wrote,
“Wedding vows are not a declaration of present love but a mutually binding promise of future love, regardless of changing circumstances or fluctuating feelings.”
This is why we must pray for our marriage through changing circumstances, our commitment is to love our spouse in good times and bad just as God loves us. We should pray for our marriage when things are going well, when times are tough, when we feel alone, when we’re making goals and are excited about the future, and when we feel apathetic and unmotivated. Basically, in all things involving our marriage (and life) we should pray. And when we pray we start to relieve some of the pressure we’ve put upon ourselves and our spouse; God has called us to cast our cares on Him and to speak our hopes to Him. He is faithful and near, and He will never abandon us or tire of us. Prayer refocuses our minds and hearts toward Christ.
[However, if you are in a situation involving unrepentant infidelity, abuse, or abandonment this is something to consider with your pastor, counselor, and close friends in Christ. For some, the biblical permissions of divorce are needed in those circumstances, and for others, there may be hope for reconciliation and renewal. But above all, seek God in prayer over this decision; He will not lead you astray.]
5 Reasons Why We Should Pray
Prayer makes us obedient.
Prayer brings peace to our hearts and minds.
Prayer humbles us.
Prayer grows our faith.
Prayer grows our relationship with God.
-’5 Reasons’ excerpted from If God Is Sovereign Why Pray? By Debbie McDaniel on Crosswalk.com. Below, you will find prayers for a stronger marriage, prayers for restoration, prayers for your husband, and prayers for your wife among others.
5 Simple Prayers for a Strong Marriage
(by Michael and Carlie Kercheval)
1. A Prayer for Unity in Marriage Heavenly Father we come before you to thank you for all you have done and continue to do in our lives and marriage. We come before you today, God, asking for a stronger bond of unity in our marriage covenant. Father we ask that you will give us the ability to be a united front for you letting nothing come between us. Help us, Father to identify and work through anything that is not pleasing to you so we can continually reach higher levels of unity in our marriage – spiritually, physically, and mentally. We are thankful and excited to see the work of your hand as we do our best to seek your face daily. We love you and thank you for all of these things. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen! “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” (Ephesians 4:3 NLT)
2. A Prayer for Intimacy in Marriage Heavenly Father, we ask you today to strengthen the bonds of both physical and spiritual intimacy in our marriage. We are thankful that you have called husband and wife to intimacy with you first, and intimacy with one another. Please show us any behavior we have been committing that has been preventing us from entering into a deeper intimate relationship with you and one another. Once trust is broken it can be nearly impossible to regain on our own, however, we know that all things are possible with you God. Heal our hearts, Father of past hurts and help us to trust in you and one another again. We thank you right now for increased intimacy in our marriage as we seek to honor you and one another through our marriage covenant. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen! “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” (Ephesians 5:31 NIV)
3. A Prayer for Honesty in Marriage Father God we come before you today to ask you to help us do everything with absolute honesty in our marriage. Sanctify us by your truth – your word is truth (John 17:17). Help us to never lie to one another. Help us to come clean if we mess up or make a mistake that can affect our marriage – no matter how bad we may feel or embarrassed we may be. Give us the ability to be completely transparent with one another regardless of how we feel. We thank you for the discernment to know your truth and the conviction to call on the name of Jesus. If there is anything that we have been untruthful about in the past, please help us to share it with one another and give us the wisdom to work through it. We thank you for helping us to be honest as we choose to submit to your spirit.In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:9-10 NIV)
4. Prayer for Forgiveness in Marriage Heavenly Father, as we strive to continuously build a stronger marriage, help us to forgive one another for things that may hurt or offend us. Help us to walk in forgiveness and never lose sight of the fact that you have forgiven us. Help us to show your mercy and grace to our spouse each time they need it and not bring up past hurts or failures. Let us be an example of forgiveness to not only our spouse but to those around us so we can continue to show your love to all we meet. Help us to also forgive ourselves if we struggle with condemnation. Thank you for your life-giving words of truth that we may be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NIV)
5. Prayer for Health for You and Your Spouse Father God we thank you for divine health in our physical bodies, spiritual life, and marriage. We pray that you will make known to us anything that we are doing that does not directly correlate with healthy living; body, spirit, soul. Give us the strength to honor you through our bodies as they are the temple of the Lord. Give us the wisdom to continuously build a healthy spiritual life and marriage with you at the center. Help us to always remember the sacrifice you made that gave us the promise of healing and peace. You are worthy to be praised! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen! “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4 KJV) -’5 Prayers for a Strong Marriage’ excerpted from 10 Prayers for a Stronger Marriage by Michael and Carlie Kercheval on Crosswalk.com.
Related Prayers:
A Prayer for a Strong Marriage by Amelia Rhodes on Crosswalk.com
3 Prayers for the Strongest Marriage by Gina Smith on iBelieve.com
5 Hope-Filled Prayers for Your Marriage by Jennifer O. White on Crosswalk.com
10 Simple Prayers to Pray for Your Marriage by Jennifer O. White on iBelieve.com
30 Day Prayer Challenge for Your Marriage by Michelle Lazurek on iBelieve.com
3 Powerful Prayers to Restore Your Marriage (by Rebecca Barlow Jordan)
1. A Prayer to Save a Marriage from Divorce Lord Jesus, we’re desperate for your help. Our marriage is crumbling, and we’re stumbling over the word, “divorce.” We’ve both been listening to other “voices,” telling us just to give up—it’s not worth the fight. We don’t want to destroy our relationship or break the promises we made to each other until death do us part. And we know Your desire is for healing too. But we don’t know what to do. Show us where to start to hedge up the gaps and exits we’ve created through selfishness, apathy, or pride. Reveal to us what we cannot see for ourselves. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We’ve abandoned our first love for each other, and we need help to find the way back again. Restore in us a willing spirit, and help us not to point fingers or respond defensively. Teach us how to listen to each other and to really hear. The actions, attitudes, and emotions that have brought us to this place didn’t happen overnight. And we know it will take time to undo all the things that brought us here. You have promised to teach us in the way we should go. You are a wise Counselor, and You know exactly what we need. All our hopes and expectations are in You. If outside Christian counsel is necessary to lead us back and “start over,” then direct us to ones who truly can help. You are the answer, Lord. Divorce is not what we want. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
2. A Prayer for Restoration of a Marriage in Trouble Lord Jesus, nothing seems to be going right in our marriage. Lately, we argue over so many things. Or we walk out in anger or silence, too upset to deal with any issues. Sometimes we fuss about little problems that don’t really matter or hide things that really are important. But in Your eyes, Lord, everything matters. Pebbles grow to mountains when they pile up, day after day. When did it all start? Did we retreat into our own worlds? Become too busy to care? Did we stop listening to You and to each other? Teach us how to communicate—to simply talk to each other again with courtesy and kindness. Show us again what love and respect look like, and what it means to honor and mutually submit to the other as a man and woman in love with You, Lord. We’ve forgotten all the basics. And we sense that if we don’t deal with even small problems now, we’ll be facing a much greater roadblock later. Maybe we’ve forgotten what love is really like. Or maybe we never really knew. Regardless, Lord, our marriage is in trouble. We need you. No matter how difficult the circumstances, we want to face them together—with You on our side. You’ve told us we would experience troubles on this earth, but that You are the great Overcomer. With You, Lord, we can mend the tears and amend the errors. With You, we can build a successful marriage. In Your name, Amen.
3. A Spiritual Warfare Prayer for Relationship Restoration Lord God, we can no longer remain stagnant in our marriage. Yet we can’t move forward, and we refuse to go backward. Our relationship feels broken like an old fashioned phonograph needle stuck on the same groove. So we are reaching out to You. Protect us from becoming another divorce statistic. In the name and through the blood of Jesus Christ, we resist our enemy who wants us to end this marriage. Lord, we ask You to rebuke the devour who is trying to rip apart the beautiful covenant began in us as a couple. We run to You, our Defender and Protector, our Refuge and Shelter in the time of trouble. We declare in the name of Jesus that our enemy, the devil, has no right to interfere in the sacred building of our relationship because You live in us and You are greater than the one who roams around looking for victims to destroy. -’3 Powerful Prayers to Restore Your Marriage’ excerpted from 3 Hopeful Prayers for Marriage Restoration by Rebecca Barlow Jordan on Crosswalk.com.
Related Prayers:
A Prayer for the Newly Divorced by Meg Bucher on Crosswalk.com
A Prayer for Those Walking through Divorce by Dena Johnson Martin on Crosswalk.com
A Prayer for a Spouse Who Won’t Communicate by Sarah Nichols on iBelieve.com
3 Prayers That Will Change Your Marriage by Jennifer Slattery on Crosswalk.com
4 Powerful Prayers to Protect Your Marriage from Divorce by Jennifer O. White on Biblestudytools.com.
5 Bold Prayers for Your Husband (by Jennifer O. White)
1. A Prayer for Satisfaction in God Alone I praise You, the God of all wisdom for husbands. Thank You, God, for knowing the longings of my husband’s heart far better than I do. You know why he hungers for ______ and ______. You know how these yearnings affect his decisions and how those decisions affect our marriage. You are the God who satisfies the longing soul. You fill the hungry soul with good things. Here is _____’s heart and soul, Lord. I lift him up to You and ask You to fill him with the good You know He needs (Psalm 107:9; Matthew 6:8). The world offers _____ so many things to temporarily satisfy his needs. Temptations abound, but You are his shield and his defender. Please train him to resist the devil (Psalm 28:7; Psalm 59:9; James 4:7). I celebrate that You triumph over every one of Satan’s schemes and the scars he has left on my husband’s heart. You are Jehovah Rapha, _____’s Healer. You are the restorer of his soul. Let the balm of Your perfect love and mercy touch the brokenness of his heart (Genesis 50:20; Exodus 15:26; Psalm 23:3; Jeremiah 17:14). You joined Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and when they came out unharmed, they didn’t even smell like smoke. Use their courage to inspire ____ to fear You only. I trust You to give him rest and satisfaction while protecting him from harm (Daniel 3:8–30; Proverbs 19:23). Amen.
2. A Prayer to Be A Man of God’s Word Father, Your Word amazes me. The world is looking for the next “perfect” solution to their problems, and You are always offering it through Your Word. You sent Your Word to deliver, nourish, and counsel us. My heart’s desire is for ______ to feast on Your Word and find It immensely satisfying (Psalm 107:20; Proverbs 3:8; Psalm 119:24; 103). With Your Word as His source of wisdom, I will rest secure in his leadership of our home. I trust Your Word to fill ____ with the insight he will need for our relationship, his work, and so much more (Ephesians 1:8,17; James 1:5). Your Word will unite his heart to Yours. His oneness with You will lead his pursuit of oneness with me. Your ways will become His ways. Your faithfulness to me will become His faithfulness to me (1 Corinthians 6:17; Mark 10:8; Galatians 5:23). Send him an abundance of confidants whose faith in You is bold and courageous. Let them be men who do not lean on their own understanding, but always acknowledge You and Your Word (Psalm 119:63; Proverbs 28:1; 3:5–6). Amen.
3. A Prayer for Humility: The Courage to Admit His Need of God Thank You, Father for the gift of Jesus and His perfect example of humility. Jesus displayed His love for us with great humility and submissiveness to You. He denied Himself the comforts of heaven to save us. He chose to experience temptations, mockery, rejection, and even death. He rated our needs higher than His own. You require _______ to love me as Christ loved the church. With great love for ____, I’m asking You to empower him to do this (Ephesians 5:25). You know the pressure _____ feels to be successful and strong. You know how he is influenced to be self-reliant. You understand his fears and insecurities. He is simply human and at risk of denying his need for You, God. I do not want to see him destroy his life or our marriage because of pride (Proverbs 18:12). I bring ____ to You, the river of life, and ask You to anoint him with a supernatural portion of Christ’s humility. With it he will be a ready recipient of Your grace. He will be free to boast about his weaknesses to You and wait for You to satisfy his needs with Your strength (Psalm 36:8; James 4:6; 2 Corinthians 11:30, 12:9–10). You’ve promised that humility is rewarded with riches, honor, and life. Those are gifts I want for my husband, Lord. Help him to let go of any pride and false humility so that he can enjoy the abundant life Jesus died to give him (Proverbs 22:4; John 10:10). Amen.
4. A Prayer for God’s Praise to Be on His Lips There is no one who compares to You, Lord. You are worthy of our spellbound attention (1 Samuel 2:2; Psalm 16:8). Give ______ eyes to see that You deserve the highest praise. Let him personally experience Your grandeur and strength. Let him live with great conviction that Jesus has authority over all things on earth and in the spiritual realm (Psalm 145:3; Ephesians 1:22). You inhabit the praises of Your people, and I want ____ to enjoy the comfort and power of Your presence every moment. So, Father, please grant him an irrevocable gift of praising You. Let Your Spirit continually offer up a sacrifice of praise through _____ so that his lips always acknowledge Your name (Psalm 22:3; Philippians 2:10; Hebrews 13:15) Teach him to praise You in his lowest moments. Train him to exalt Your name during the trials and before the victories. Let his faith in You lead him courageously into our own promised land despite the ominous giants of fear and doubt. Use the psalmists to mentor him in lifting His head to praise Your faithfulness despite his present burdens (1 Corinthians 15:57; 2 Chronicles 20; Numbers 13–14; Psalm 43:5). Amen.
5. A Prayer to Transform His Wife You have promised _____ that a wife is a good gift from you. I want to be an excellent wife to my husband, one who consistently brings him honor (Proverbs 18:22, 12:4). You know every one of my weaknesses and how they are impacting my role as ____’s helpmate. Lead me, Lord, to recognize the ungodliness hiding in my will, my expectations, and how I express my emotions. I want to surrender them to You for healing. Show me where I am investing my attention in things that will deteriorate my relationship with _____ (2 Corinthians 12:9–10; Luke 12:2; 2 Corinthians 4:18; Ephesians 1:8,17). Let the power of Your Word transform my motives. Coach me relentlessly to be a wife who respects her husband in word and deed. Cause Your tenderness, gentleness, kindness, and humility to become my own (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 5:22–24; Colossians 3:12). I want to be a content wife who does not harass my husband with quarrels and fretfulness. Please use me to create a peaceful home for him. Use me to encourage him, bear his burdens, and reflect Your extravagant love for him (Hebrews 13:5; Philippians 4:11–12; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Galatians 6:2; Ephesians 3:18–19). May our souls feast on only on You (Psalm 63:5). I pray these things with complete confidence in Jesus and Your Spirit at work in our marriage. Amen. -’5 Prayers for Your Husband’ excerpted from 5 Powerful Prayers Every Wife Needs to Pray over Her Husband by Jennifer O. White on Biblestudytools.com.
Related Prayers:
4 Ways to Pray When Your Husband Struggles by Janet Thompson on Crosswalk.com.
7 Prayers That Changed My Heart for My Husband by Lori Freeland on Crosswalk.com.
10 Ways You Need to Pray for Your Husband by Tamela Turbeville on iBelieve.com
20 Essential Prayers for Your Husband by iBelieve.com Contributors.
30 Day Prayer Challenge for Your Husband by iBelieve.com Contributors.
*Here’s Our Guide to What the Bible Really Says about Divorce
4 Beautiful Prayers to Pray for Your Wife
(by John UpChurch)
1. A Prayer to Protect Her Joy Thank you, Father, for the gift of my wife. You are the giver of all good and perfect blessings, and I’m amazed how You show Your love through her. Please help me to cherish such an amazing gift (James 1:17). Each day, circumstances and frustrations can easily steal the joy from ________. Please keep her from letting these challenges turn her focus from You, the author of her faith. Give her the joy that Jesus had as He accomplished the Father’s will on earth. May she consider each struggle as a reason to find hope in You (Hebrews 12:2-3; James 1:2-3). When she feels tired, Lord, renew her strength. Surround her with friends who love You and will bear her burdens. Give her reason to feel refreshed by their encouragement (Isaiah 40:31; Galatians 6:2; Philemon 1:7). May she know that the joy of the Lord is the source of her strength. Protect her from growing tired of doing what You’ve called her to do each day (Nehemiah 8:10; Galatians 6:9). Amen.
2. Please Give Her a Growing Need for You Father, You supply all our needs according to Your riches in Christ. I’m amazed that you care about us enough to meet our daily concerns and to notice every detail of our lives. Even the hairs of our heads are numbered because You take care of Your children (Philippians 4:19; Matthew 7:11, 10:30). I confess that I sometimes think of myself as being the one who takes care of _______. Forgive me for taking to myself what truly belongs to you. Her help comes from You. If she depends on me, I know I’ll disappoint her. But You never fail, and You make her like a garden that always has enough water. You’re always faithful, always enough. Help her to know that You are all she needs (Psalm 121:2; Lamentations 3:22; Isaiah 58:11; John 14:8-9). If she is tempted to look for comfort in anything else, may she instead realize how the power of Your Holy Spirit allows her to overflow with hope and peace. Nothing on this earth compares to the greatness of knowing You (Romans 15:13; Philippians 3:8). Amen.
3. Please Shield Her from Spiritual Attack You, God, are a shield around us. You protect us from the enemy who seeks to destroy, and you will not let us be put to shame. Your arm is mighty, and Your Word is powerful (Psalm 3:3, 12:7, 25:20; Exodus 15:9; Luke 1:51; Hebrews 1:3). When the enemy attacks her, let her faith in You protect her so that she may stand her ground. Bring your Word to her mind so that she may turn aside his assaults and fight the good fight. Help her to remember that You give us the victory through Christ (>Ephesians 6:10–18; 1 Timothy 6:12; 1 Corinthians 15:57). You have conquered and disarmed the spiritual powers, and everything is in complete submission to You. Because of the cross, ______ is a new creation, and nothing can separate her from Your amazing, unfailing love (Colossians 2:15; 1 Peter 3:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; >Romans 8:38–39). The enemy is defeated. You have crushed his head (Genesis 3:15). Amen.
4. A Prayer to Build Her Love Father, You loved us first—so much so that You sent Your Son to take our place. How incredible it is to think that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Nothing we do could ever compare to the riches of Your grace (1 John 4:19; John 3:16; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:7). Help ________ to grow first in her love for You. May she be increasingly in awe of Your power, beauty, and grace. May she know more each day about the depth and width of Your love and respond with increasing love of her own (Psalm 27:4; Ephesians 3:18). Help her to love me through all my failures while I learn to love her as Christ loves the church. May we see each other as You see us, and may we enjoy fulfilling each other’s desires in our marriage (Ephesians 5:25; 1 Corinthians 7:2-4). Please give her a growing love for others in all that she does. Show her how to be Christ’s ambassador in the world and to be a woman defined by love so that others may glorify You. Because of that love, may she share the gospel with everyone (2 Corinthians 5:20; Matthew 5:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:8). Amen.
Comments