7 Prayers That Work

  Lord God, I want a good marriage that edifies you  and models your love to the world . So, Lord, convict me to make my marriage about representing you, not about trying to make myself happy or get my spouse to live up to my standards. Remind me to be patient and be kind, even when my spouse isn't. Convict me when I think or say hurtful things to my spouse. Prompt me to apologize immediately,  instead of making excuses or blaming my spouse for our problems. Fashion me into the Bride of Christ, helping me function like the Church should respond to you, the Bridegroom : Make me loving , f orgiving , encouraging, hopeful, and committed forever. Help me fulfill this list of intentions: I will assume the best of my spouse when I'm not sure what he/she meant. I will wait to react when something hits me wrong. I will pray for my spouse every day-- not to be more like I want, but to be more like Christ. I will confess my selfishness to my spouse and to God. I will ask questio...

Lord God, You are the lover of my soul, my Bridegroom , my Savior, my friend forever. Thank you for inventing marriage, for having this incredible idea that two people are better than one if they are joined in unity with You. Thank you for my spouse and for all our years of marriage. I praise You for working in us and through us and between us. Thank you for going before us in the hard times, for carrying us through trials and trauma, for blessing us always. We owe you everything. Every happiness. Every parcel of maturity and wisdom. Every comfort. Lord, put a guard around my spouse . Protect his/her heart, mind, and soul. I pray the power of the Holy Spirit over his/her life each day. Enlarge his/her territory--expand his/her reach and influence, may he/she impact the world in the way you designed and imagined. May we both be obedient and compliant to all your plans  and most of all, to staying in close relationship with you. We want to hear You every time You speak. Obey You e...

Dear Lord Jesus, the Bridegroom of the Church, You understand everything about marriage, even though you were never married. (You created marriage, after all.) And you created me and my husband, so you fully anticipated the areas where we would clash and the areas we would jell. Thank you. Even when we disagree or become irritated, because of you, we grow stronger. We grow deeper in love and appreciation for each other and more awed by your love and grace. Thank you for my marriage--for all of it-- for the good days and the difficult days, for the joys and sorrows, for the realism of living my whole adult life with one person. I am the luckiest girl alive. You have blessed me so much! Thank you, thank you thank you! I love you, Amen.