A Gospel Prayer For Marriage

The analogy used in the Bible for marriage is that of Christ and the church, as shown in Ephesians 5:22-33. Just as Christ pursued and loved the church, a husband should also pursue and love his wife. Just as the church ought to respect and submit to Christ, who is the head of the church, a wife should also respect and submit to her husband, who is the head of the family. A marriage centered on the Gospel is a beautiful sight to behold.

Father in heaven, I pray that my marriage will reflect the Gospel of Christ, that just as Christ gave Himself up for and loved the church, I shall also do the same for my wife. I pray that people will see the Gospel whenever they look at my marriage. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

What Is A Gospel Prayer For Marriage?

A Gospel prayer for marriage consists of remembering what Christ has done for us on the cross and reflecting that very same Gospel in one’s marriage. Just as Christ died for us, a husband can pray that he will also die to himself daily for his wife. Also, just as the church responds in submission to Christ, in line with His love, so too should wives pray that they will submit to their husbands.

To further understand what a Gospel prayer for marriage really is, it would be good to get into what the Gospel is. The Gospel is basically the good news that God came down to earth in the person of Jesus Christ and dwelt among His people (John 1:1-5; John 1:14-18) (In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.John 1:1-5). Jesus lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died (1 Peter 2:22; Romans 5:8)(Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:. 1 Peter 2:22) (But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8). However, Jesus didn’t stay dead but was resurrected after three days, proving indeed that He is the Son of God, as He conquered even death (John 20:1-10; 2 Timothy 1:10). He now offers eternal life and forgiveness to anyone who believes in His finished work, restoring their standing before the Father and continuing to work in their lives (Romans 5:1; Philippians 3:9; Philippians 1:6)(Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6) (Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Romans 5:1)(And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: Philippians 3:9).

 

 

 

 

The Gospel is God’s beautiful plan and His story of redemption for us. We have sinned against God, so we were separated from Him. We are also recipients of His wrath because of sin. However, because God is also loving and gracious, He sent His Son Jesus to pay for the penalty of our sin. Jesus was not obligated to do so to rescue us of our sins; it is something that we have brought upon ourselves. However, because Jesus loved us, was gracious, and perfectly obeyed the Father, He died for our sins. Christ’s death on the cross is the ultimate display of God’s love, grace, and mercy toward us.

That is why, as written in Ephesians 5:22-33, husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the church. How did Christ love the church? We see it in the passage above by dying for the church and giving Himself up for it. That means that husbands should die to themselves daily for their wives and give their lives for their wives if they have to. That is why agape love, as mentioned in the Bible, is not self-seeking but sacrificially seeks the well-being of others. As men to whom their wives ought to submit, they must be Gospel-centered men who are transformed by the Gospel and know that they must die to themselves daily for their wives and love them just as Christ loved the church.

Likewise, wives ought to submit themselves to their husbands and respect them. We, the church, respond to Christ respectfully and submit to His Lordship, living our lives for Him. That does not mean that wives ought to make a god of their husbands, but they ought to submit to and respect their husbands, for he is the head of their family.

A husband who sacrificially seeks the well-being of his wife and a wife who submits and respects her husband makes for a beautiful picture of marriage. Such a mindset only comes if a husband or wife is a believer that has been transformed by the Gospel of Christ. Seeing the grace and mercy of God in the person of Christ is what draws husbands to love their wives and wives to submit to their husbands.

How Can I Pray A Gospel Prayer For My Marriage?

Ephesians 5:22-33 is a good pattern or guide for a Gospel prayer for your marriage. It reminds us of the Gospel, where it says that Christ loved the church and died for it, so the church responds to submission to Christ, who is the head of the church. Therefore, you can pray a Gospel prayer for your marriage by patterning your marriage to the Gospel itself.

Below is an example of this prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Your Son Jesus to die for our sins on the cross. In Christ, we have found life; therefore, we shall live our lives for Him and submit to Him. Just as Christ died for the church and loved her, may I also die to myself daily for my wife and always seek her well-being, even at the cost of my life. Likewise, may my wife also respond in a similar way; just as the church submits to Christ, she shall also submit to me. Just as the Gospel is full of love, grace, mercy, humility, and dying to one’s self, may my wife and I consistently show the same values to each other: May the Gospel be our very motivation for why we do it. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

A good marriage is a Gospel-centered marriage, where the husband loves his wife and the wife respects her husband. Such a thing is only possible if both the husband and wife are saturated by the Gospel, such that their lives are changed by Christ. A husband can lay down his life for his wife, knowing that Christ also laid down His life for Him, and a wife can submit to her husband because she has first submitted her life to Christ.