My Prayer for Your Marriage

The Challenges of the Past

I grew up in a family with broken branches. My parents' marriage was marked by brokenness, which reached its sad climax in a tragic event. Yet the cracks were visible long before that event.

The world wants us to believe that if we have only known fragments and falling leaves, our marriage will suffer the same fate. That the new family tree we begin in marriage will bend in the storms and break in the cold. That when marital happiness turns into "What have I missed?" there is only one way out: to jump and flee.

A Prayer for Steadfastness

I pray that you stay. That you do not run away, with weary feet and aching hearts. I pray that you turn away from the world and turn towards the Word. Its living pages are made from the same wood that creaks beneath you.

I pray that you remember that God has nurtured the seeds that have shaped your love. That He was present at the covenant, the planting of your tree. That He was with you in growth, holding your roots firm in the storms. That, although the winds of life have broken branches and twisted vines, He has carried you through the days.

Shared Steps in Faith

May your pursuit of God's unwavering will in your lives lead the steps of your journey as one flesh.

I pray that your hands and feet, weary from climbing and sore from holding onto fleeting love, find their way back to each other. I pray that your knees become calloused as you kneel in prayer for your partner. I pray that your weathered hands find their way into each other's palms.

Humility and Service

Above all, I pray that your tired feet are washed. Not by a stranger whose allure is enough to ease your fears, but by each other. Wives, I pray that you kneel to wash your husband's feet. Husbands, I pray that you kneel before your bride and wash her feet.

In Scripture, we are shown a picture of Christ's humility and service when it comes to foot washing. Early in the Gospel of John, we see Mary anointing Jesus' feet. John 12:1-3 describes:

"Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume..."

Love Until the End

Husband and wife, may you always come together with the attitude of Mary. In the midst of a busy world filled with expectations and selfish ambitions, may you never fail to kneel before the throne of grace, giving all that you have in reverence for Christ. May you never fail to kneel in humility and sacrificial love before each other, giving all that you have for your beloved.

May your commitment to your partner — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually — always reflect your devotion to Christ. May these commitments remain your priority, no matter the circumstances. May your pursuit of God's unwavering will in your lives lead the steps of your journey as one flesh. And when the world is harsh and your feet grow tired, may you always return to this position of covenant love.

We see the picture of Christ's love fulfilled later in the Gospel of John, when Jesus, whose feet were anointed, kneels to wash the feet of his disciples. The Scripture tells the story of Jesus' dedication and love for his bride, the church, and one of the most poignant passages runs through the narrative. John 13:1 gently reads:

"... Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end."

Husband and wife, may you love each other to the end. May you learn daily what it means to love another as Christ loved the church. And when you disappoint each other — may you forgive to the end. And when you grow weary of each other — may you seek strength to the end. And when you find joy in each other — may you hold fast to faithfulness to the end. And when you challenge each other — may you grow to the end. As you learn to love another who is in the world, love them to the end.

May your family tree be strengthened and fortified through the storms it has weathered and the amazing grace it has found.