How to Pray for Your Marriage

Marriage is one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind, allowing a man and a woman to find a partner for themselves in the presence of God, willfully agreeing to a lifetime partnership, a union, and companionship. Of all the billions of people in the world, each person has one divine match blessed by the heavens and earth, forming a new family that will impact the world and bring glory to God. Marriage is a journey between three people—the husband, wife, and God—overcoming all odds together and keeping the love fresh from beginning to end. Yes, God must be a part of marriage. Many people think they can have a successful marriage without God, not knowing that marriage, much of the time, is a form of spiritual warfare. Without God on your side, there’s no way to achieve victory, as only through Christ Jesus can you be victorious in all your journeys in life. Consistent and persistent prayers are vital to keep a marriage healthy and thriving in the long run.

So, how do you pray for your marriage? You can pray for your marriage in this manner:

Heavenly Father, You are the source of life, joy, and peace in this marriage. My spouse and I are truly blessed to know You through the Lord Jesus Christ. You alone can satisfy us, and Your presence alone can make us content. We want You to continuously be at the center of our partnership, guiding us, molding us, and lavishing Your love upon our marriage, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

There are many things you can pray for in your marriage. You pray by speaking and declaring life, joy, the presence of God, and all other good things in your marriage; you pray for your spouse daily, for your children, and for yourself. You can also declare the Scriptures or pray the Word of God upon your marriage. You can pray for your marriage as a couple, individually, or as a whole household of faith, by encouraging your children to pray for you both. What matters most is that you follow the lead of the Holy Spirit as you pray for your marriage. The Holy Spirit teaches and reveals to you what to pray for and how to do so.

The Holy Spirit is our Helper and Intercessor, especially when praying, because He knows it is one of our weaknesses (see Romans 8:26). When you allow Him to lead you in prayer, you focus on what God truly wants for your marriage. Sometimes, when we pray on our own, we can beat around the bush without really hitting the real targets; that is why Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit–to help us, lead us, guide us in our spiritual life, and help us walk with God.

Here are other articles that may help you pray for your marriage: “How to Pray for Your Husband,” “A Couple that Prays,” and “A Christian Marriage Prayer.”

How do you pray for a marriage in trouble?

Experiencing the ups and downs of marriage is common and natural. Encountering troubles, disagreements, fights, and trials are a part of married life. God allows such things to happen, as it helps the couple grow in Christlike love for each other, strengthening their faith in God, persevering and enduring in all seasons of life. James 1:2-3 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” If you both can make every trial into an opportunity to become a better person, your love for each other will continuously grow and be kept fresh in the long run. You both need God to give you the strength and grace to move forward every day with fresh love for each other.

So, how do you pray when your marriage is in trouble? As discussed earlier, you must pray consistently, persistently and unceasingly. Just as you put your hopes in God to work on your marriage problems, so too does He expect you to keep praying and never give up. Some battles in marriage can be challenging and painful, such as having your trust broken, your heart torn to pieces, or your value and worth overlooked. All these painful feelings are pointed towards the self, if you pause and observe the pattern. The moment you start looking at yourself and feeling sorry for yourself, you lose sight of marriage; you lose sight of Christ. Marriage is not about the self, but about your other half, your partner. Try communicating with them, and get to know how they feel about whatever is on your mind. In most marriages, the enemy’s tactic is to make communication more difficult, so he can lie and deceive us more, but the moment you communicate with your spouse, those lies are exposed. The truth comes out!

Moreover, when the enemy bombards your marriage, it is a powerful choice to raise the flag of heaven—the flag of victory in Christ—by worshiping God. The moment you begin thanking God for all that He does, magnifying His goodness, faithfulness, and grace, the enemy trembles. He will be confused by your actions, as he was expecting a breakdown, but you instead started praising God. Some things in marriage are out of your hands and control, so all you can do is let God lead and surrender unto Him. You are not supposed to control anything in your marriage, but simply let God take the wheel and take charge for both of you. His ways are always better and higher than ours.

Marriage can be seen as a death of self, but this is sometimes the key to resolving problems within the marriage. Sometimes, it means dying to pride, dying to feelings, and considering the other more than yourself. God created marriage in the context of unconditional love, sacrifice, and the death of self. That is why Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it,” because Jesus loved the Church unconditionally, and gave His life for the Church. Likewise, Ephesians 5:23 says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” Marriage affirms, accepts, and understands your other half. God wants every spouse to produce the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23).

What bible verses help with marriage problems?

There are many Bible verses that help renew the mind, especially when a person is encountering marital problems. However, it helps to meditate more on God’s love, since He is the source of true love. You cannot give true love to your spouse out of your flesh, but based instead on knowing how much God loves you. For instance, you cannot be patient with your spouse if you don’t understand how patient God has been with you in your unloving moments; you will keep returning to your spouse’s wrongs if you’re not aware that God does not keep a record of your wrongs. It is important that you continually seek God and the knowledge of His unconditional love for you, as this is the only way to truly give unconditional love to your spouse.

Here are some helpful Bible verses for your marriage that you or you both can meditate upon:

1. 1 John 4:19

We love him, because he first loved us.

2. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

3. 1 Peter 4:8

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

4. Colossians 3:13

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

5. John 13:34

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

6. Ephesians 6:12

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

7. Romans 12:21

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

8. Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

9. John 15:9-10

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

10. 1 Peter 5:6-7

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

11. John 10:10

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.