It's "Marriage Prayer Friday!"

We pray weekly here for marriages to be refreshed, renewed, healed, restored and thriving. Being that today is also Good Friday, we are focusing on the crosses we bear in marriage.

A prayer for your own marriage—

HOLY GOD, I am gripped on this Good Friday by the profound reality of who You are and the deep things I can learn from what happened at the cross. When I slow down to reflect on the enormity of the burden you bore for me and the infinite love you extend to me, I am compelled to better reflect that kind of love to my spouse. Show me how to express love towards my husband/wife the way Christ did for the Church. Help me to more gracefully receive my spouses’ imperfect but heartfelt expressions of love toward me. As our family celebrates Easter this weekend, show me how I can lighten a burden for my husband/wife the way Simon shared the load of Christ’s cross when it got too heavy to carry alone. Thank You, Jesus, for the hope and power of Easter! Please bring that same holy intervention into the “crosses” my family is bearing today. Help me never to forget that there is power in the blood! AMEN

Something to pray for a friend's marriage—

HOLY GOD, I am gripped on this Good Friday by the profound reality of who You are and the deep things I can learn from what happened at the cross. As I reflect on the enormity of the burden you bore and the infinite love you extend to me, I am compelled to share that with others I love. Specifically, I want to pray right now for the married couples I know. Many of them are struggling with burdens and are still learning how to love each other well. Show them how to express love towards each other the way You did for Your Church. Help them to more gracefully receive each other's imperfect but heartfelt expressions of love. As my friends celebrate Easter this weekend, show them how they can lighten a burden for each other the way Simon shared the load of Christ’s cross when it got too heavy to carry alone. Thank You, Jesus, for the hope and power of Easter! Please bring that same holy intervention into the “crosses” my friends are bearing today. Help them never to forget that there is power in the blood! AMEN