A short prayer for my marriage today
Lord, bless my husband or wife today, and bless our marriage. Where we are close, keep us close. Where there is distance, bring us back to each other.
Make me patient and kind toward them, and quick to forgive. Be at the center of our home. Amen.
How to pray for your marriage
Praying for your marriage is not about getting God to change your spouse. It is inviting Him into the relationship -- including into your own heart. These practices can help, whether your marriage is strong, strained, or somewhere in between.
Pray for your spouse before you pray about them
Start by asking God to bless your husband or wife -- their work, health, worries and walk with Him. Praying for their good first changes the way you see them, especially when you are frustrated.
Be honest about your own part
"Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" (Matthew 7:3). Ask God to show you where you need to change, apologize or let something go.
Pray together, even for a minute
"If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father" (Matthew 18:19). Praying together does not need to be long or eloquent -- holding hands and saying one sentence each is a good start.
Pray before and after conflict
Before a hard conversation, ask for a calm heart and listening ears. After an argument, pray for a way back to each other: "let not the sun go down upon your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26).
Pray for the season you are in
A new baby, a job change, money pressure, illness, caring for parents or an empty nest all put strain on a marriage. Name the season you are in and ask God for what it requires of you both.
Ask for help as well as prayer
"In the multitude of counsellors they are established" (Proverbs 15:22). Talking to a pastor, a trusted older couple or a marriage counselor is not a sign that prayer has failed. It is often how God answers it.
A prayer for a stronger marriage
Lord, thank You for my husband or wife, and for the life we are building together. Be at the center of our marriage.
Teach us to listen before we speak, to be patient with each other's weaknesses, and to choose kindness when we are tired. Keep us from drifting apart in the busyness of life, and help us to keep choosing each other. Amen.
A prayer for healing and restoration in marriage
Father, our marriage is hurting. Words have been said that cannot be taken back, and there is distance between us that I do not know how to cross.
Soften our hearts toward each other. Give us the humility to admit where we were wrong, the courage to forgive, and the patience to rebuild trust slowly. Where we cannot fix things on our own, lead us to wise help. Amen.
A prayer for my spouse
Lord Jesus, I lift up my spouse to You. You know what they are carrying -- at work, in their body, and in their heart.
Give them rest, strength and joy. Help me to be a safe place for them, to encourage them more than I criticize, and to love them the way You love me. Amen.
A prayer when we keep arguing
Lord, we keep having the same fight, and we both end up hurt. I am tired of the sharp words and the silence afterward.
Slow me down before I speak. Help me listen to understand, not to win. Show us what is really underneath these arguments, and give us the humility to say sorry first. Amen.
A prayer after broken trust
Father, trust has been broken in our marriage, and I do not know if it can be rebuilt. The pain is deep, and so is the confusion.
Hold me steady while I grieve what has happened. Give me wisdom about what to do next, and wise people to talk with. Where there is real repentance, make a way for healing. Whatever happens, keep my heart from bitterness and keep me close to You. Amen.
A prayer when I am the only one praying for our marriage
Lord, I feel alone in caring about our marriage right now. My spouse is distant, uninterested, or does not share my faith, and I cannot make them change.
I bring them to You instead. Work in their heart in ways I cannot. Help me love them well without losing myself, and give me patience, peace and wisdom while I wait. Amen.
What 1 Corinthians 13 really says about love in marriage
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (KJV)
This passage is read at countless weddings, but Paul first wrote it to a divided church that was arguing and competing. "Charity" is the old English word for self-giving love. Paul describes it almost entirely in actions, not feelings -- which is good news for a marriage going through a season where feelings are low.
"Suffereth long" means patience over time, not just in a single moment. "Is not easily provoked" and "thinketh no evil" describe a love that does not keep a running record of the other person's faults. Many marriages are strained less by one big wound than by years of small scores kept.
"Seeketh not her own" is the heart of it: love looks for the other person's good. Paul says the same elsewhere: "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God" (Ephesians 5:21), and husbands are to love their wives "even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25). Christian marriage is meant to be mutual self-giving.
It is important to read "beareth all things" alongside "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." Biblical love is patient with weakness, but it does not pretend that harm is acceptable or keep wrongdoing hidden. Love does not require anyone to stay in danger or to accept abuse.
No husband or wife loves like this perfectly. That is why this passage works best as a prayer, not a measuring stick: "Lord, make my love patient, kind, and hopeful -- and grow this kind of love in both of us."
Would you like a pastor to pray with you about your marriage?
You can start a private voice call or chat on your own or together as a couple, and talk about what is happening -- gratitude, ongoing tension, a recent hurt, or a hard decision. If a pastor is online, you are connected with them; if none is available, an AI prayer companion answers instead.
You might pray together for your spouse, for healing and forgiveness, for wisdom in a conversation you need to have, or for a stronger bond. This is prayer and spiritual support, not marriage counseling -- for deeper or ongoing problems, a marriage counselor can help alongside prayer. If you are not safe at home, please contact emergency services or a domestic abuse helpline first.
Bible Verses to Hold On To
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 (KJV)
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1 Corinthians 13:7 (KJV)
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Colossians 3:14 (KJV)
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (KJV)
And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8 (KJV)
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Ephesians 4:26 (KJV)
Common Questions
Can prayer save my marriage?
Prayer can change hearts -- often beginning with your own -- and God can restore marriages that seemed beyond repair. A marriage also depends on two people's choices, so prayer is not a guarantee about the outcome. Keep praying, take honest steps of your own, and seek wise help such as a pastor or marriage counselor.
What if my spouse will not pray with me?
Pray for them privately and without pressure. Scripture describes spouses being won "without the word" by the quiet example of a faithful life (1 Peter 3:1-2). Invite them gently, but do not make prayer a battleground. Your own prayers for them still matter.
Should we see a marriage counselor?
If problems keep repeating, trust has been broken, or you cannot talk without fighting, a qualified counselor -- ideally one who respects your faith -- can help a great deal. Going to counseling is a wise step, not a sign of failure, and it works well alongside prayer.
Does the Bible say I must stay in an abusive marriage?
No. God does not ask anyone to remain in danger. If you or your children are being hurt, threatened or controlled, getting safe comes first -- contact emergency services or a domestic abuse helpline. Churches differ on questions about divorce, but your safety is not in question. A pastor can pray with you and help you think through next steps once you are safe.
Can someone pray with me about my marriage right now?
Yes. You can start a private voice call or chat on Pray with Christ at any hour, alone or with your spouse, and your first call and chat are free. You are connected with a pastor when one is online, or an AI prayer companion when none is.
If you are being hurt, threatened or controlled at home, your safety comes first. Please contact local emergency services or a domestic abuse helpline.
If you are in crisis, please contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline right away -- you can find a free helpline in your country. See also our Safety Notice.