It's "Marriage Prayer Friday!"

On a daily basis, couples and families face challenging decisions, questions about the future, hopes, and dreams.  Today's prayer is for direction.  Please consider praying it along with your spouse.  Even if you usually pray privately or rarely pray out loud, would you consider reading this prayer out loud with your spouse tonight?  God promises to answer when two stand in prayerful agreement!

This prayer is inspired by Proverbs 3:5-7 and Ephesians 3:18.

A prayer for your own marriage—

LORD, You are completely trustworthy.  We know that we should not lean on our own understanding but it can be so hard to know what You would want us to do sometimes!  My spouse and I want to do what is right.  We want to follow the "straight path" but life is feeling more like a "long and winding road." We confess that we don't like the mystery of it all but we realize that there are some benefits in having to cling to You for direction.  If Your higher ways were perfectly clear to us, Lord, we would be even more tempted to run off on our own and forget about You.  Forgive us for doing that!  Would You point us in the way we should go and lead us one step at a time?  Show us who to listen to, who not to listen to.  Open good doors and close unhelpful ones.  Teach us, Lord, so that we can lead this family in the ways of truth, health, strength, love and joy.  Help us to hang out together with You more — reading the Bible, praying, being with people who know You — so that we know Your heart better and can make wise and discerning decisions.  Keep bringing us, as a couple, to places in scripture where we will see Your ways more clearly and have Your hope.  Thank You, God, for the many good gifts and perfect leadership You provide for this family!  AMEN

Something to pray for a friend's marriage—

LORD, You are completely trustworthy.  Right now I bring before you my married friends who want to do what is right.  They know they should not lean on their own understanding but they need help to find Your "straight path." Use times of unclarity to cause them to cling even more firmly to You for direction.  Forgive them for any times they have run off own their own and forgotten about You.  Please point them clearly in the way they should go and lead them one step at a time.  Show them who to listen to, who not to listen to.  Open good doors and close unhelpful ones.  Teach them, Lord, so that they can lead their family in the ways of truth, health, strength, love and joy.  Help them to hang out together with You more — reading the Bible, praying, being with people who know You — so that they know Your heart better and can make wise and discerning decisions.  Keep bringing them, as a couple, to places in scripture where they will see Your ways more clearly and have Your hope.  Thank You, God, for the many good gifts and perfect leadership You provide for these families I care so much about!  AMEN