Prayer Requests and Learning How to Pray

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A Biblical Guide for Praying over Your Marriage

A Biblical Guide for Praying over Your Marriage

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

  1. Prayer makes us obedient.
  2. Prayer brings peace to our hearts and minds.
  3. Prayer humbles us.
  4. Prayer grows our faith.
  5. 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:

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:

5 Prayers for Your Husband Every Wife Needs to Pray

(By Mindy Jones)

1. Prayer for Your Husband's Individual Spiritual Growth

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:8 NIV

"But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." Luke 8:15 NIV

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6-7 NIV

Prayer: Father God, thank you so much for my husband. Lord, I ask for continued growth in grace and knowledge of you in him. Thank you for beginning good work in him and for his salvation, and that one day you will bring it to completion. Renew in him a desire for you, God, and a desire to read and be firmly planted in your Word. Let his soil be that of someone who hears and receives your Word and produces good fruit. In Jesus' name, Amen.

2. Prayer for Your Husband to Have Wisdom and Discernment

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7 NIV

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:5 NIV

Prayer: Lord, I lift up [name] right now to you and ask that you fill him with all wisdom and discernment. Every day there are so many decisions he is faced with, whether big or small. I ask that you help him grow more in knowledge and love for you so that he would heed your instruction and keep your words close to his heart. Help him seek you and ask, for you want to give generously to him. Help him seek you in all decisions and give him the discernment to see what is good and what is not good. In Jesus' name, Amen.

3. Prayer Against Temptation in Your Husband's Life

"But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:14-15 ESV

"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Galatians 5:16 NIV

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

Prayer: Father God, I ask that you help [name] in his areas of temptation. Remind him of your Word, Lord, and that you will always provide a way of escape. I ask for protection against temptation or the footholds that could eventually lead him into temptation. Help him to renew his mind daily and to understand the seriousness and consequences of giving into sin. Help him not to gratify the desires of the flesh but to walk by the Spirit instead. In Jesus' name, Amen.

4. Prayer of Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Protection Over Your Husband

"But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one." 2 Thessalonians 3:3 NIV

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV

Prayer: Lord, I ask for your protection over my husband in all areas of his life - physically, mentally, and spiritually. I pray for good health and the desire to take care of the temple (body) you have given him. Renew and protect his mind to not dwell on negative thoughts or things that are not of you. I pray against the schemes and attacks from Satan that are not seen. Thank you for your faithfulness in his life, and I ask that you remind him of those times so that he will remember that you are always with him. In Jesus' name, Amen.

5. Prayer for Spiritual Leadership

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4 NIV

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." Ephesians 5:25 NIV

"Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money." 1 Timothy 3:2-3 NIV

Prayer: Father God, I ask that you help my husband be the spiritual leader you have called him to be. I can't imagine the amount of pressure he may feel at times or the burdens and weight he carries, but Lord, you are good to give in your yoke, which is easy and light. Remind him that you have called him for a purpose, and he can operate in your strength alone. I ask for specific prayer in his parenting that you would help him lead our children and train them up in righteousness. I ask that you help him fulfill his calling as a husband and love me as you loved the church, Jesus. I ask that he be above reproach and seek after the qualities of a godly man. Thank you for him, Lord, and bless him. In Jesus' name, Amen.

-5 Prayers for Your Husband Every Wife Needs to Pray, excerpted from '5 Powerful Prayers For Husbands Every Wife Needs to Pray' by Mindy Jones on Biblestudytools.com.

Related Prayers:

*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.

-’4 Prayers to Pray for Your Wife’ excerpted from 4 Prayers Every Husband Needs to Prayer over His Wife by John UpChurch on Biblestudytools.com.

Related Prayers:

*Read more about what the Bible says about the roles of husband and wife in our Marriage Guide that walks through many hot topics surrounding marriage today in light of God's Word.

Prayer Resources for Future Marriages:

Sources

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