It's "Marriage Prayer Friday!"

To struggle in marriage is normal. Yet many marriages today are stuck in misunderstanding, pain or loneliness and some couples have lost hope. If you know someone who may be needing a miraculous breakthrough or renewal, please join us in praying for married family and friends today. If you are in a marriage that needs a special release of God's healing insight, grace and strength, please keep praying. Know that many are praying this prayer today with you in mind too.

A prayer for your own marriage—

GOD WHO SEES (El Roi), I praise You that there are no circumstances in my life that escape Your awareness and care (Ps 139:7-12). Your ears are always attentive to my cries for mercy (Ps 130:2). Thank You for creating marriage to be an intimate partnership that reflects that kind of love and affection. Yet we are weak, Lord. My husband/wife and I sometimes struggle to really hear and understand each other.

I don't want to be one of those people Jesus described as having his/her eyes closed (Mat. 13). I need Your help to have a soft heart. Forgive me for becoming easily wounded or calloused when I'm disappointed. Strengthen me to have grace and patience for my spouse, recognizing that each of us is still in process (2 Cor. 3:18) — not yet perfected. Draw my attention to those times when he/she reaches out to know me and show me how to graciously express my gratitude. Yet protect me from making my own needs and feelings more important than my husband/wife's. Teach me to esteem my spouse as Your Beloved. Your grace is available to each of us equally. What a wonderful place to be, Lord — TOGETHER under your watchful, compassionate and powerful eye!

AMEN

Something to pray for a friend's marriage—

GOD WHO SEES (El Roi), I praise You that there are no circumstances that escape Your awareness and care (Ps 139:7-12). Your ears are always attentive to our cries for mercy (Ps 130:2). Thank You for creating marriage to be an intimate partnership that reflects that kind of love and affection. Right now, I I have married friends who are struggling to really hear and understand each other. Make them aware of ways they are being like

those people Jesus described as having their eyes closed (Mat. 13). Soften their hearts. Forgive couples for becoming too easily wounded or calloused when they are disappointed. Strengthen my loved ones to have grace and patience for each other, recognizing that they are both still in process (2 Cor. 3:18) — not yet perfected. Draw their attention to those times when their spouse reaches out to know them. Show them how to graciously express their gratitude to each other. Please protect them from making their own needs and feelings more important than their spouse's. Teach them to esteem each other as Your Beloved. Your grace is available to each of them equally. What a wonderful place for any of us to be, Lord — TOGETHER under your watchful, compassionate and powerful eye!

AMEN