In just eight years of marriage, it’s hard to believe what my husband and I have walked through: job loss, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, grief and loss, complicated family relationships, lack of community, and so much more. Yet even through it all, we’ve not just stayed together, but we’ve grown closer to one another and closer to our loving Father.
And if I could name one reason why, as simple as it may seem, it would be this: prayer.
I don’t mean the kind of prayer that checks a box or uses all the right words; I’m talking about raw, desperate, sometimes tear-filled, honest prayer.
I believe that whether you’re a dating, engaged, or married couple, prayers can help deepen your spiritual intimacy and set you up for a healthy, lasting relationship.
Below, you’ll find some simple example prayers for couples to help you get started.
The Power of Prayer in Marriage
When the world failed us, prayer held my marriage together. When we didn’t know what to do next, prayer aligned us. When emotions ran high, prayer steadied us. When we couldn’t fix each other or solve the problem, prayer reminded us who could. Through the years, we’ve learned that even if prayer didn’t change our circumstances, it always changed us.
When we seek our Savior, we find His unconditional love and unfailing truth. Our hearts are softened in His presence, and our perspectives come back into focus as we remember:
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV
Praying together is what keeps us present as we pause to recognize His goodness, praise Him for His grace, and petition our requests in the areas where we hope for things to be different.
It’s within our prayers that we celebrate what God has accomplished in and through us. It’s where we find rest from a wearisome day. Through prayer, we can run to our Father in repentance of our sins, and He renews us over and over again. Prayer is the continuous thread of conversation in which we choose to share our lives with Christ, knowing that as we remain in Him, He will also remain in each of us (John 15:4).
7 Prayers for Couples
Every couple has days that feel easy and days that take a little extra grace. Prayer helps you stay close through all of it. These prayers are here to give you a place to start. Take a breath, slow down together, and talk to the God who cares about your relationship even more than you do.
1. A Prayer for Unity in Marriage
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Philippians 2:1-2 NIV
God, thank You for creating us both so wonderfully in Your image, detailing even the inmost parts of us, and calling us good. We know that You’ve created us uniquely, with many differences, all designed for a purpose and a plan that You have for us. We are so grateful that You are our common ground.
In a world where nothing seems steady or sure, You are both. In a world filled with contradictions, disagreement, and polarization, we can look to You and find alignment in what moves Your heart and is worthy of Your focus. Unify our spirits in the areas where You desire like-mindedness, and let Your love for us be the binder that brings us back to one another always. Help us to remember that what You join together, nothing can separate. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
2. A Prayer for Peace in Your Relationship
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3 NIV
Father, thank You for sending us Your Son—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. It is in the presence of Jesus that we can find peace in every moment and invite peace into every space.
We pray, God, that as we connect with You, we would reflect humility, patience, and love. We know that Your desire for our marriage is unity, and it is by keeping our bond of peace that we will remain united with one another and with You. Show us how to achieve peace in both heart and home. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.
3. A Prayer for Humility as a Couple
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus … Philippians 2:3-5 NIV
God, thank You for trusting me to love and honor Your masterpiece. Marriage is an ongoing process of learning holiness, denying our selfish desires, and surrendering our pride to become more like You.
It’s an honor that You chose me to serve my spouse as You have served us, and we pray for a posture of humility as we try our best to serve one another. This goes far beyond doing chores, joining an errand, or offering the last bite—we ask for humility in even the hardest moments, when we feel tempted to turn against one another and fight.
Show us that when we value one another above ourselves, we don’t lose, but find blessing and favor in being obedient to Your will for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
4. A Prayer for Trust to Strengthen Your Marriage
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 NIV
Lord, thank You for Your good and consistent instruction. We ask You for a spirit of obedience so that when we receive Your instruction, we will put it into practice and become steady just as You are.
For we know that when we walk in Your ways and are careful to follow Your instruction, we will become more like You—trustworthy, reliable, and consistent. We pray that we would be a safe place for each another—a fortress, steady and unmoving, regardless of the circumstances life may bring our way. Strengthen our foundation of trust. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
5. A Prayer for Emotional Intimacy in Your Marriage
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
Father, thank You for bringing me this person to share life with. It is a vulnerable thing to walk through the brokenness of this world and of ourselves, and to invite another in on it.
We pray for boldness as we choose to continually let each other in, and we ask that as we receive vulnerable moments from one another, we would respond with empathy, gentleness, and understanding, even if we may not always agree.
Help us to rest in the truth that even if we can’t fix it, we can be present and seek the One who can. Show us how to make one another feel heard and seen, and know that we are supported. In Jesus’ name, amen.
6. A Prayer for Joy That Fills Your Relationship
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky … Philippians 2:14-15 NIV
We praise You, Lord, that because of Your saving grace, we always have a reason to be filled with joy. Lord, when the world shouts lies about where joy comes from, be the whisper in our ear, reminding us that our joy comes from You and it cannot be taken away. Remind us that when days are hard and people are frustrating, our joy is what sets us apart from others.
We pray that no matter where we go, we will shine like stars, causing others to wonder where our joy comes from, so we can tell them all about our Savior. Today we rejoice with each other, and we set our hearts on Your eternal glory! We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
7. A Prayer for Holiness and Spiritual Growth Together
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV
Heavenly Father, thank You for the new life we have received through salvation. Help us to daily put off our old selves and put on the new self, walking with confidence in the new life You’ve called us to. Remind us that holiness is an ongoing process of growing in spiritual maturity, and give us patience for that process.
When we fall back into old patterns, show us how to both give grace to ourselves and receive grace from one another as we turn back to You and are renewed again. Lord, show us how to love not just who we were when we first met, but to fall in love with who we are becoming in You over and over again.
We strive for holiness because You are holy, and it is by holiness that people will see You in us. We ask this in Jesus’ precious name, amen.
Keep Growing Together
Every prayer you pray as a couple is a small step toward a stronger, more grace-filled relationship.
God is already at work in the places you’re asking Him to move, and He’ll keep guiding you as you keep seeking Him.
If you want to take another step together, I challenge you to choose one of these prayers to revisit this week, or start a simple habit of praying together for one minute a day.