20 Bible passages to nurture a strong and enduring marriage

By GH Newsroom

Marriage is an astounding blessing from God, yet this greatest gift of life is so often underappreciated and undervalued. Maybe life got too busy, or we became too hurried and distracted, or we started taking each other for granted, or we let disagreements and disappointments linger longer than they should. 

There is no magic in prayer verses, but there is power in God’s truth to bring forgiveness, healing, renewal, and restoration, no matter how disastrous things seem to be. God’s touch is broad, His love is immense, and His grace can cover everything. Prayer + God’s Word = Power, this is the formula God works His miracles through.

We’ve picked out 20 Bible passages to pray for your marriage with, as listed below:

1. Adoration - Song of Songs 2:16
“My beloved is mine and I am his.”

2. Belief - Acts 16:31
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household."

3. Commitment - Ecclesiastes 4:12
"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

4. Discernment - Philippians 1:9-10
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”

5. Encourage - Ephesians 4:29
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

6. Endurance - 1 Corinthians 13:7-8
"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

7. Favor - Psalms 90:17
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us, establish the work of our hands…”

8. Fruitful - Galatians 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

9. Generous - Proverbs 11:25
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

10. Intimacy - 1 Corinthians 7:5
“Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”

11. Kindness - Proverbs 31:26
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”

12. Peace - Psalms 19:14
“May there be peace within your walls…”

13. Purity - Psalms 19:14
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

14. Purpose - Romans 8:28
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

15. Servant Attitude - Joshua 24:15
“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

16. Submission - Ephesians 5:21
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

17. Thankfulness - 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
“Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

18. Trust - 1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”

19. Understanding - 1 Peter 3:7
“Husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way…”

20. Value - Proverbs 31:10
“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”

(This article was adapted from Crosswalk)