Maybe you’ve heard that couples who pray together, stay together. You recognize the importance of praying together as a couple, but you need help. Where do you begin? What if the words don’t come? Is there a right or wrong way to pray? How can I personally do to pray for our relationship?
If you’re interested in establishing the habit of praying together, or praying over your relationship, here is a simple prayer for you and your spouse that might help jumpstart your prayer life. We've also included specific prayers for couples facing life's challenges together.
A Prayer for Couples
Lord, we come to You today because we simply want to pray together regularly. We know we need to set an example for our (family, kids, others), but we also want this for ourselves. We’re not sure about how to start. Help us, first of all, to agree about the importance of praying together. You’ve said that where two or three come together in Your name, You are right there with them. So we are coming together in Your name, asking You to meet with us.
Teach us to be as disciplined in praying together as we are in other areas. Our spiritual lives need discipline just like our bodies need help with a healthy diet and physical exercise. And two are always better than one to help ensure success.
Help us to encourage one another and to set a specific time or times for praying together as a couple often. If we need to get up earlier, stay up later, start with mealtimes, or bedtime—help us to find what works best for us. Even if it requires scheduling a regular “date” or appointment on the calendar to initiate prayer as a priority and habit, we’re willing to do that.
Lord, You’ve promised to meet all our needs, but sometimes we don’t even know what our needs are. Help us to open up with You and with each other as we look to Your Word for guidance in praying together. Guard us from distractions like excessive television, social media, work, or anything else that can steal our time and commitment to pray together.
We want to pray together for our family, for friends, and for our world. We ask You to teach us how to pray—not just “Bless us,” and “Give us,” but really how to talk to You as a friend and as our Father, to focus on You and get to know You better, as well as each other. Help us not to be embarrassed as we take turns praying and not to worry about what words to say or how it sounds. You love honest and submissive hearts, and we want to pray that way together.
Forgive us for allowing other things in the past to keep us from praying together. Help us to be one in our desire to honor You, and to establish honest communication between the two of us so hidden sin won’t hinder our prayers. Teach us how to keep our marriage intentional at all times. We realize that neglect in any area will affect both our desire and our effectiveness to pray together.
We want to know You and to make the desires of Your heart become our desires as well. Teach us how to pray according to Your will and to be patient to wait for Your answers. Thank You for Your sacrificial death, that allows us to come boldly to Your throne and find help and grace for every need we have.
Put strong Christians in our path who can help us with our prayer life and keep us accountable so we can keep growing strong in our own marriage. You are our Heavenly Father, and You love us as Your children. So today, we are coming to You, pledging our desire to begin praying together. Bless us as we seek to honor that pledge every day of our lives.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
A Prayer for For Peace in Our Relationship
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for leading me on the path to everlasting love, peace, and joy. Sometimes I let my circumstances steal my peace, which affects my marriage and other relationships in my life. When that happens, I pray you will search my heart and begin to renew me from the inside out. I fix my eyes on you once again, Lord, as I take steps toward the peace I know is possible.
I will not allow life’s daily frustrations to cause division in my relationships. Even in the most uncertain times, I can hold fast to your promises for my life and my loved ones. Remind me to keep you at the center of my heart and home at all times, so my relationships will honor you.
When I feel like I’ve been wronged in a relationship, help me discover ways to work on my own thoughts and attitude. Develop me into a better person through Your precious Holy Spirit. Guide me in the truth of Your ways and keep me on the path toward peace. Amen. - Kristine Brown
Prayer to Trust God
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are completely worthy of our trust. As my spouse and I commit ourselves to being trustworthy with each other, empower us by Your Spirit. Grant us grace when we fail. And bless us, we pray, with joy and confidence as we make trustworthiness a priority. Amen. - Dr. James Dobson
Prayer for a Dating Couple
Precious Father in heaven, when I am dating someone, it is often hard to tell what’s inside their heart. Please help me to know my partner better so that in dating, I can have clarity as to whether this is the person You would be pleased to have me marry, if it comes to that. I don’t know their heart but I know that You do (1 Samuel 16:7). Please know that I am seeking You and Your righteousness first and foremost above all things (Matt 6:33), including the person I’m dating but the truth is, I can’t know what they’re like in their heart so help reveal to me if this person is who You know would be a good partner for life.
Help me to not rush into anything because I might live to regret it if once we’re married and the true person is revealed, I am bound to them for life. How important it is to know who to marry and how hard it is to see what’s inside of a person so I truly need your help Lord. Make it clear to me that I am dating the right person or make it obvious that I am not and to know whether I should move on because I know You know them better than I do and you obvious know what’s best for me and in the name above all names I pray, Jesus Christ, amen. - Jack Wellman
Prayer for Protection
Dear God, we want to protect our relationship from any threat. We want to live freely and securely as a result of having chosen to live wisely. By Your Spirit, show us how to honor each other and please You. Amen.
To Forgive One Another
Dear Lord Jesus, forgiveness sometimes costs so much and hurts even more! But You forgave us - and now You ask us to forgive others. Teach us the healing power of forgiveness. Help us to bring this gift of love to our marriage again and again. Amen.
A Prayer to Cherish One Another
Please cause us to cherish each other in a way we never imagined and knit us together from the heart in a way that only you can knit two people together. Please grow in us a loving relationship that will weather the storms that come as we continue to learn how to walk this marriage journey together. - Gina Smith
For True Love
We pray that our lives would be filled and overflowing with the power of your love so we can make a difference in this world and bring honor to you. We ask for your help in reminding us that the most important things are not what we do outwardly, it’s not based on any talent or gift, but the most significant thing we can do in this life is simply to love you and to choose to love others.
Help us to love as you love. Fill us with your Spirit so that we can choose what is best. We are weak Lord, but we know also, that even when we are weak, you are strong within us. Thank you that it’s not all up to us. Thank you that you equip us to face each day with the power of your love, your forgiveness, and your grace. - Debbie McDaniel
Think About One Another
Lord, You ask us to keep our marriage partner’s interests uppermost in our minds, but sometimes this doesn’t come naturally. Help us to be more thought- ful, giving, and forgiving in how we tend each other’s hearts. Amen. - James Dobson
For the Opposite Couple
Heavenly Lord, thank You for the differences that You weave together to make our marriage strong. Help us to respect, appreciate, and affirm these unique qualities more each day. Amen.
10 Tips for Praying as a Couple
If you haven’t experienced praying as a couple, these suggestions will help you get started (excerpt from Praying as a Couple by Janet Thomson):
- Make praying together a priority in your day.
- Find a place where you can pray without interruption.
- Determine a time that fits both your schedules, and put it on your calendars.
- If you choose morning, make it a pleasant time over a cup of coffee or tea.
- If you choose evening, pray before you get into bed, because both of you probably will be exhausted at the end of the day and it’ll be hard to stay awake.
- Take turns praying. If one of you is more comfortable than the other praying aloud, have that person start and the other spouse join in or say his or her own prayer. Or do conversational prayer, in which you alternate praying, just like talking to each other.
- Start with short prayers until you get used to praying together.
- Write down things you want to remember to pray about. It’s okay to pray with your eyes open so you can look at your notes.
- Hold hands or embrace while you pray.
- Remember that prayer is simply talking to God. You don’t have to use big theological terms or sound “spiritual.” Just pour out your heart to the only One who can really help.
Rebecca Barlow Jordan is an inspirational author, speaker, and passionate follower of Jesus who loves to encourage others heart to heart. She has written 11 books and over 1700 other articles, greeting cards, and other inspirational pieces. Her daily devotional Daily in Your Presence is available for delivery through Crosswalk.com. You can find out more about Rebecca at www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com.
This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Strength
Prayer for Protection
Morning Prayers
Good Night Prayers
Now available is our new Daily Prayer devotional! An easy way to start your day with prayer; read today’s prayer and sign up to receive it by email.
Image credit: ©Pixabay/Congerdesign
This article is part of our Prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
The Lord’s Prayer
Prayer for Peace
Morning Prayers
Good Night Prayers
Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Protection
Prayer for Anxiety
Prayer for Strength
Now available is our new Daily Prayer devotional and podcast! An easy way to start your day with prayer: read or listen to today’s prayer and sign up to receive it by email.
