For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. Ephesians 5:31

God designed marriage to show the intimacy between Him and the church. We should be able to look at Christ’s relationship with the Church to see how to pattern our relationships. This has not always been true, especially in the body of Christ. The evidence is found in the high divorce rate among Christian couples today. As a minister, I have witnessed many relationships falling apart based on selfish reasons: irreconcilable differences and compatibility issues, to name a few. In order to have successful relationships, we must be willing to die to self and allow God to work in our hearts. Granted, there are difficult situations that may require time apart or divorce — but this should not be our only option. God’s ultimate plan is restoration.

If you find yourself in a strained relationship today, take a moment and refocus. Erase the portrait of what you think your relationship should look like, and begin to allow God to help you create a new picture, based on the principles of His Word. I will be the first to admit that our feelings can sometimes get in the way when it comes to applying God’s Word to our relationships. But we have to lay our pride aside and be obedient in order to see results. Scripture should always be our lamppost as couples.

Father, I thank You for being a repairer of the breach, even in our marriages. What the enemy has stolen, we thank You for restoring today. Father, we ask that You cleanse our hearts and our spirits from any selfish desires that are robbing us from experiencing the passion and the desire that You have created us to have. I thank You that spouses will begin to experience and express unselfish love towards one another. I thank You that husbands and wives will have the same mind concerning relationship goals. I thank You for a new level of oneness. I thank You that both will begin to give 100 per cent and place their spouse’s needs above their own needs. May there be no dissentions among them. If there are, I pray that You will sever every ungodly assignment against their relationship. I pray that You will cause spouses to recognize when to set boundaries, so that other people and things will not take the place of their spouse. I pray that You will help couples to recognize offense and unforgiveness when it arises. Most of all Father, help us as couples to remember that our hope and earnest expectation should be in You. Show us the way to go in our relationships. You have called us to be a light to those around us. May our relationships speak of Your unconditional love for us. May we walk in forgiveness as we interact with each other and our children. Show Yourself strong and faithful on behalf of marriages nationwide. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Take Action

Spend some time in prayerful intercession for your own marriage or the marriage of someone you love.



Tags: family marriage