A biblical guide to pray for your wedding

Marriage is a God-ordained institution; which was set in motion at the beginning of creation (Gen. 2: 22-24) when God created help for Adam to be his wife (Eve). In marriage, the two must become one and husband and wife must grow together in their relationship with the Lord. We are not left to ourselves in marriage; we must always look to God, worship God with our spouse and reflect the love of God sacrificially towards each other. When we take marriage vows, we take them before God. This is why the Old and New Testaments are clear that divorce should never be taken lightly, and while there are some circumstances where divorce it is biblically allowed, 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 the reason why we must pray for our marriage through changing circumstances, our commitment is to love our spouse in good and bad moments just as God loves us. We must pray for our marriage when things are going well, when times are difficult, when we feel alone, when we are making goals and excited for the future, and when we feel apathetic and unmotivated. Basically, in all things that relate to our marriage (and our life) we should pray. And when we pray we begin to relieve some of the pressure we have exerted on ourselves and our spouse; God called us to cast our worries about him and tell him our hopes. He is faithful and close and will never abandon us or tire of us. Prayer redirects our minds and hearts to Christ.

[However, if you find yourself in a situation involving unsolicited infidelity, abuse, or neglect, this is something to consider with your pastor, counselor, and close friends in Christ. For some, biblical divorce authorizations are necessary in such circumstances and for others, there may be hopes of reconciliation and renewal. But above all, seek God in prayer for this decision; It won't get you out of the way.]

5 reasons why we should pray

Prayer makes us obedient.
Prayer brings peace to our hearts and minds.
Prayer humiliates us.
Prayer makes our faith grow.
Prayer increases our relationship with God.

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

1. A prayer for unity in marriage
Heavenly Father, we come before you to thank you for all that you have done and continue to do in our life and in our marriage. Today we come before you, God, asking for a stronger bond of unity in our marriage covenant. Father, we ask that you give us the opportunity to be a united front for you, leaving nothing to stand between us. Help us, Father, to identify and work through everything you don't like so that we can continually reach higher levels of unity in our marriage - spiritually, physically and mentally. We are grateful and excited to see the work of your hand as we do our best to look for your face every day. We love you and thank you for all these things. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen! “Make every effort to keep yourself united in the Spirit, binding you 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 physical and spiritual intimacy in our marriage. We are grateful that you called intimacy with yourself and intimacy with each other husband and wife first. Please show us any behavior we have done that has prevented us from entering into a deeper intimate relationship with you and others. Once trust is broken, it can be nearly impossible to regain on your own, however, we know that anything is possible with you, God. Heal our hearts, Father, from the wounds of the past and help us trust you and others again. . We thank you right now for the increased intimacy in our marriage as we try to honor you and each other through our marriage covenant. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen! “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and join his wife, and the two will become one flesh. "(Ephesians 5:31 NIV)

3. A prayer for honesty in marriage
Father God, today we come before you to ask you to help us do everything with absolute honesty in our marriage. Sanctify us with your truth - your word is truth (John 17:17). Help us never lie to each other. Help us to become pure if we make a mistake or make a mistake that can affect our marriage - no matter how bad or embarrassed we may feel. Give us the ability to be completely transparent with each other, no matter how we feel. We thank you for your discernment of knowing your truth and the belief that you are invoking the name of Jesus. If there is something we have not been truthful about in the past, please help us share them with each other and give us wisdom to work on it. We thank you for helping us to be honest as we choose to submit to your spirit. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and put on the new self, which is renewing itself 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 continually build a stronger marriage, helps us forgive each other for things that could hurt or offend us. Help us walk in forgiveness and never lose sight of the fact that you have forgiven us. Help us show your mercy and grace to our spouse whenever they need it and don't make past injuries or failures appear. We try to be an example of forgiveness not only to our spouse but to those around us so that we can continue to show your love to everyone we meet. Help us forgive ourselves too if we struggle with condemnation. Thank you for your words of life-giving truth that we can be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen! "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all injustice." (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, in spiritual life and in marriage. We pray that you let us know whatever we are doing that is not directly related to a healthy life; 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 continually build a healthy spiritual life and marriage with you at the center. Help us always remember the sacrifice you made that gave us the promise of healing and peace. You are worthy of being praised! In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen! “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the punishment of our peace was upon him; and with its stripes we are healed. "(Isaiah 53: 4 KJV)