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Japanese Whether a couple are dating, engaged or married, this prayer fits: “Lord, you know us both. Make our love honest, patient and kind, keep us faithful to you and to each other, and show us the future you want for us. Amen.” It can be said alone or together.
Prayers for a good relationship
Put your partner’s name where [name] appears.
For a boyfriend and girlfriend
Lord, thank you for [name]. Help us treat each other with respect, talk honestly, and enjoy each other without hurrying what should wait. Keep us close to you as we get closer to each other, so that whatever comes of this, neither of us is ashamed of how we behaved. Amen.
For honesty
God, keep us truthful with each other, even when the truth is uncomfortable. Let neither of us hide things, and let us speak “that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). Amen.
For purity and good boundaries
Lord, we want this relationship to honor you. Give us the self-control to keep the limits we have agreed, and a way out when temptation is strong. You have promised that you “will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Amen.
For protection over the relationship
Father, guard what you are building between us. Keep away gossip, jealousy and the people who would pull us apart, and keep each of us from being careless with the other’s heart. Amen.
For healing from past relationships
Lord, each of us brings old hurts into this: things said and done by people before. Heal them, so that we do not make [name] pay for someone else’s mistakes. “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing” (Isaiah 43:18–19). Amen.
For our future
God, we do not know yet where this relationship is going. Show us plainly, in your time, whether we should marry. Keep us from rushing ahead of you or holding back out of fear. Amen.
For the person God is preparing
Lord, I am not in a relationship now, but I would like to marry. Wherever the person you have for me is tonight, keep them safe, make them faithful to you, and make me someone worth marrying. Until then, keep me content and useful where I am. Amen.
When the relationship is struggling
After a fight
Jesus, we fought and both said things we should not have. Cool our tempers. Help me listen to what [name] is really upset about, and give us a way to make peace before the day ends. Amen.
When trust has been broken
Lord, one of us broke the other’s trust, and it hurts. Give the one who did wrong real sorrow and the honesty to own it. Give the one who was hurt the strength to heal, and show us both whether this can be rebuilt and how. Amen.
When it may be ending
God, this relationship may be over, and I do not know whether to fight for it or let it go. Give me clear sight and the courage to do what is right, not only what is comfortable. If it ends, help us part without cruelty. Amen.
Is this relationship right for me?
Scripture gives a few plain tests. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). Paul warns believers, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14), which many churches read as a caution against marrying someone who does not share the Christian faith. Proverbs says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Paul describes love, which the King James Version calls charity: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:4–5).
Jealousy that checks your phone, fear of your partner’s temper, and pressure to cut off your friends and family are warning signs of abuse. If you are afraid of your partner, get help as well as praying. In the US, call Love Is Respect, the national helpline for dating abuse, on 1-866-331-9474, or text LOVEIS to 22522; for any abuse at home, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. In the UK, call 0808 2000 247 in England, 0800 027 1234 in Scotland, 0808 80 10 800 in Wales or 0808 802 1414 in Northern Ireland. In Russia, the national helpline for children, teenagers and parents is 8 800 2000 122. There is more on how to know if a relationship is abusive, and there are more Christian and crisis lines.
Orthodox prayers from the betrothal service
In the Orthodox Church, a couple are first betrothed, exchanging rings, and then crowned in the marriage service. Isabel Hapgood’s 1906 English translation of the Russian Orthodox service book gives these prayers. Among the deacon’s petitions at the betrothal, each answered by the choir with “Lord, have mercy,” are these two:
That he will send down upon them perfect and peaceful love, and succour …
That he will preserve them in oneness of mind, and in steadfastness of faith …
Hapgood, Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic (Greco-Russian) Church (1906), The Betrothal Service, p. 292
The priest then prays:
O eternal God, who hast brought into unity those who were sundered, and hast ordained for them an indissoluble bond of love; who didst bless Isaac and Rebecca, and didst make them heirs of thy promise: Bless also these thy servants, N. and N., guiding them unto every good work.
Hapgood (1906), The Betrothal Service, p. 293
After the crowning, the priest prays for the married couple, recalling Jesus at the wedding in Cana:
O Lord our God, who in thy saving providence didst vouchsafe by thy presence in Cana of Galilee to declare marriage honourable: Do thou, the same Lord, now also maintain in peace and concord thy servants, N. and N., whom it hath pleased thee to join together. Cause their marriage to be honourable. Preserve their bed blameless. Mercifully grant that they may live together in purity; and enable them to attain to a ripe old age, walking in thy commandments with a pure heart.
Hapgood (1906), The Rite of Holy Matrimony, p. 300
A couple can say these prayers for themselves, putting their own names in place of N. and N.
Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom
Russian Orthodox Christians ask Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom to pray for couples and families. According to the Orthodox Encyclopedia of the Russian Orthodox Church, Peter was a prince of Murom, perhaps of the thirteenth century, and Fevronia his wife. Almost everything told about them comes from a tale written by Ermolai-Erazm in the sixteenth century, long after their lives, from local tradition, and it contains very little history. In it Fevronia heals Peter of an illness and becomes his wife; Peter gives up his rule rather than send her away; and at the end both take monastic vows, die on the same day, and, though buried apart, are found together in one tomb.
The Russian Church canonized them at its council of 1547 and remembers them on 25 June in the church calendar, which is 8 July in the civil calendar. Its Council of Bishops in 2011 referred to them as the patrons of marriage. Since 2008 Russia has kept 8 July as the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity. Most Protestants do not ask the saints for their prayers, as Orthodox and Catholic Christians do.
Prayer for a God-Centered Foundation
Every strong house needs a solid foundation. For a relationship to last, its foundation must be Jesus Christ. This prayer asks God to be the center of your partnership, guiding every step you take together and holding you steady.
Heavenly Father, we come before You today and humbly ask that You would be the rock upon which we build our relationship. We want You to be our firm foundation, the unshakable center of our lives and our love for one another. Forgive us for the times we have tried to build on our own strength or understanding. We know that without You, we are building on sand.
Lord, guide our decisions, our conversations, and our future plans. May we seek Your will above our own desires. Help us to put You first, not just in our individual lives, but as a couple. We want our relationship to be a testament to Your goodness and a reflection of Your love for the church.
Teach us to lean on You during challenges and to praise You in times of joy. Let our love for each other be an overflow of our love for You. Knit our hearts together in a bond that cannot be broken because You are the one holding it together. We place our relationship in Your hands, trusting that Your plan is perfect, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Making God your foundation gives your relationship a strength and purpose that goes beyond feelings. As Matthew 7:24-25 says, building your house on the rock allows it to withstand the inevitable storms of life.
Prayer for Open and Honest Communication
Talking and listening are the lifeblood of a relationship. True communication means sharing our hearts with honesty and gentleness. This prayer asks for the wisdom to speak truth in love and to listen with a humble, understanding heart.
Lord, we ask for Your guidance over our communication. Father, guard our tongues and our hearts. Help us to speak to each other with kindness, respect, and honesty. Remove any fear that keeps us from sharing our true thoughts and feelings. Grant us the courage to be vulnerable with one another, knowing that in You, we are safe.
Teach us to be quick to listen and slow to speak, as Your word instructs. When we listen, help us to truly hear and understand, not just wait for our turn to talk. Give us hearts of empathy, that we might feel what the other person is feeling. When disagreements arise, help us to fight for our relationship, not against each other.
Let our words be used to build each other up, to encourage, and to affirm. May we never use our words as weapons to wound or control. Fill our conversations with grace and truth, reflecting the way you communicate with us, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Good communication builds trust and deepens your connection. Always strive to listen to understand, not just to reply. Ephesians 4:29 is a perfect guide: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up.”
Prayer for Patience and Forgiveness
We are all imperfect people, so disagreements and hurt feelings will happen. A healthy relationship is not one without conflict, but one that knows how to forgive. This prayer is for the grace to be patient and quick to forgive.
Lord of Mercy, you are so patient with us, and you forgive us more than we could ever deserve. We ask for that same spirit to fill our relationship. Grant us a deep well of patience for one another. When we feel frustrated or annoyed by our differences, remind us of the grace you have shown us.
Father, help us to be quick to forgive. Do not let us hold onto bitterness or keep a record of wrongs. When we are hurt, soften our hearts and help us to release the offense to You. Give us the humility to ask for forgiveness when we are the one who has caused pain. Let pride have no place between us.
We want our relationship to be a place of healing and restoration, not a place of lingering resentment. Thank you for the ultimate example of forgiveness we see in Jesus on the cross. Help us to love and forgive each other as you have loved and forgiven us, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Forgiveness is a choice, not always a feeling. It frees both you and your partner from the heavy weight of bitterness. Colossians 3:13 reminds us to “bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.”
Prayer to Love Like Christ
Our world often defines love as a fleeting feeling. God’s love—agape love—is different. It is a selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional commitment. This prayer asks God to help you love your partner with the same love that Christ has for you.
Father God, Your love is the most powerful force in the universe. It is patient, kind, and unconditional. We confess that our own love is often selfish and weak. We ask You to pour Your divine love into our hearts. Teach us to love each other not just with our emotions, but with our actions and our will.
Help us to love as Jesus loves. Give us the strength to be patient when we feel rushed, and to be kind when we feel hurt. Remove envy, pride, and rudeness from our interactions. Help us not to insist on our own way, but to honor and prefer one another. May we believe the best, hope for the best, and endure through any hardship together.
Lord, let our love be a safe harbor, a place of unconditional acceptance and support. May it point others to You, the source of all true love. Fill us, and our relationship, with a love that reflects Your glorious character, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
This kind of love is a high calling, but it’s what we are called to in a Christian relationship. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 provides the perfect blueprint: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
Prayer for Unity and Oneness
In God’s design, a relationship is a journey of two people becoming one team. This unity isn’t about losing your identity, but about joining your lives for a shared purpose. This prayer is for a spirit of oneness in your goals and hearts.
Lord Jesus, You prayed that all believers would be one, just as You and the Father are one. We ask for that same supernatural unity in our relationship. Tear down any walls of selfishness or independence that keep us from true partnership. Help us to see ourselves as a team, united under Your leadership.
Align our hearts, our goals, and our dreams. When we have to make decisions, big or small, give us one mind and one spirit. Help us to support each other’s passions and carry each other’s burdens. Let us be more powerful for Your kingdom together than we ever could be apart.
Protect our unity from the enemy who seeks to divide us. Let our home be a place of peace, cooperation, and mutual respect. We want to stand together, work together, and serve You together, creating a bond that is strong and resilient, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Unity makes a couple strong and effective. Ecclesiastes 4:12 reminds us of this strength in numbers: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken”—with that third strand being God himself.
Prayer for a Shared Future and God’s Guidance
Looking toward the future can be both exciting and scary. Placing your shared future in God’s hands brings peace and confidence. This prayer asks for God’s clear guidance and wisdom as you walk into the future together.
God of our past, present, and future, we entrust our future to You. We thank You for bringing us together, and we trust that You have a beautiful plan for our lives as a couple. We lay our hopes, dreams, and anxieties about what lies ahead at Your feet.
Please give us wisdom and clarity as we make plans. Guide our steps in decisions about career, family, finances, and ministry. Help us to desire Your will more than our own plans. If Your path for us looks different than what we imagined, give us the faith to follow you with joyful and obedient hearts.
Lord, let us not worry about tomorrow, but instead trust in Your provision and timing. Help us to build a future that honors You and brings You glory. May we walk forward hand-in-hand, with our eyes fixed firmly on You, our faithful Guide, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Trusting God with your future doesn’t mean you stop planning, but it means you hold those plans with open hands. Proverbs 3:5-6 is the ultimate promise for guidance: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…and he will make your paths straight.”
Prayer for Strength Against Temptation
Every relationship faces temptations, both from the outside world and from our own sinful nature. This prayer is a shield, asking God for the strength to guard your hearts, minds, and your commitment to one another against all harm.
Almighty God, our Protector and Defender, we know that we are in a spiritual battle. The enemy desires to steal, kill, and destroy the good thing you have created in our relationship. We ask You to build a hedge of protection around us. Guard our hearts and minds from temptation.
Give us the strength to flee from anything that would threaten our purity and our commitment to one another. Help us to be wise and discerning, to recognize temptation before it takes root. Fill our minds with what is true, noble, right, and pure. Let us never give the enemy a foothold through lust, envy, secrecy, or discontent.
Help us keep our eyes only for each other and, above all, for You. Make us accountable to one another and quick to confess when we are struggling. Let our relationship be a fortress of faithfulness and a testimony to Your power to keep us from stumbling, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Protecting your relationship is an active, daily choice fueled by prayer. As 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out.”
Prayer for Joy and Gratitude
It can be easy to focus on flaws or fall into a routine, taking each other for granted. This prayer is to cultivate a spirit of joy and thankfulness, helping you see your partner and your relationship as a precious gift from God.
Joyful Father, author of every good and perfect gift, we thank you for the gift of each other. Forgive us for the times we take our relationship for granted or focus on what is wrong instead of what is right. Open our eyes to see the countless blessings you have poured out upon us.
We ask you to fill our hearts with overflowing gratitude. Help us to notice and appreciate the small, everyday acts of love and kindness. Give us a spirit of joy that does not depend on our circumstances but is rooted in You. Let laughter fill our home and our time together.
Remind us to express our thankfulness to You and to each other often. Let us be a couple known for our joy and our grateful hearts. May this attitude of gratitude protect us from comparison and discontent, keeping our love fresh and vibrant, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Gratitude is the antidote to discontentment and a powerful way to nurture love. Choosing to be thankful changes your perspective. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 commands us, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you.”
Prayer for a Servant’s Heart
In a world that shouts, “What’s in it for me?”, Jesus modeled a different way: leadership through service. A strong relationship thrives when both partners seek to serve, not to be served. This prayer is for a selfless, servant’s heart.
Lord Jesus, You came not to be served, but to serve, and to give Your life for us. We ask You to shape our hearts to be like Yours. Remove our natural selfishness and pride, and replace it with a genuine desire to serve one another. Show us how to put each other’s needs and desires before our own.
Help us to see the daily opportunities to serve—in small chores, in listening, in offering encouragement, and in carrying burdens. Let us not serve with a grumbling spirit or in hopes of getting something in return, but with a joyful heart that simply wants to bless the one we love.
Teach us to follow Your example of humble service. May our actions show our love more powerfully than our words ever could. Let our relationship be defined by a mutual spirit of giving, generosity, and loving service, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Serving each other builds a powerful bond of love and mutual respect, reflecting the heart of Christ. Philippians 2:3-4 gives us this beautiful instruction: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition…Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Prayer for Healing Past Wounds
Everyone enters a relationship with baggage—past hurts, fears, and brokenness from previous experiences or even from within the relationship itself. This prayer asks for the healing touch of Jesus to mend those wounds and set you both free.
Healer of our hearts, Lord Jesus, we come to You with our broken pieces. You know the wounds we carry, both the ones we have inflicted on each other and the ones we brought with us into this relationship. We ask for Your miraculous healing power to wash over us.
Lord, where there is pain from past words or actions, bring forgiveness and restoration. Where there are deep-seated fears or insecurities, bring Your perfect love that casts out all fear. Help us to be gentle and patient with each other’s healing process. Give us the wisdom to be agents of Your healing for one another, not sources of more pain.
We release the past to You and refuse to let it define our future. Heal our memories and bind up our wounds, making us stronger and more compassionate than we were before. We trust You to make all things new, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
God’s healing is essential for a healthy future. Don’t let past hurts poison your present and future. Isaiah 43:18-19 encourages us to look forward to the new thing God is doing: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”
Prayer for Wisdom in All Things
A relationship is filled with countless decisions, from daily choices to life-altering ones. Seeking God’s wisdom is vital. This prayer asks for divine insight and discernment to navigate life’s complexities together as a unified team.
God of all Wisdom, we acknowledge that we do not have all the answers. Your Word says that if any of us lacks wisdom, we should ask You, and You will give it generously. So today, we ask for Your wisdom to flood our relationship. Guide us in every decision we face, both big and small.
Give us discernment to know right from wrong and Your best from what is merely good. Help us to see situations from Your eternal perspective, not just our limited human one. When we disagree on a path forward, grant us the humility to listen to each other and to seek Your truth together through prayer and Your Word.
Let us be a couple known for making wise, God-honoring choices. Protect us from foolishness and rash decisions. We want to build our life together on the foundation of Your timeless wisdom, knowing it leads to peace and flourishing, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Seeking God’s wisdom together is a powerful act of unity and humility. James 1:5 offers a clear promise for every couple: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
Prayer for a Lasting Legacy of Faith
A God-honoring relationship is not just about the two of you; it’s about the impact you have on the world for Christ. This prayer is for a shared purpose and legacy that will outlast you, pointing others to the love of God.
Eternal God, we desire our relationship to be for something more than just our own happiness. We want our love to count for eternity. We ask you to give us a shared vision for how we can serve You and build Your kingdom together. Use our relationship as a light in this dark world.
Show us how to use our home, our resources, and our gifts to bless others and share the good news of Jesus. Let people see our love for each other and be drawn to Your love. May we be a safe place for the broken, a source of encouragement for the weary, and a living example of Your grace.
Lord, we want to leave behind a legacy of faith for our family, our friends, and our community. Let the story of our life together be a story about Your faithfulness, Your redemption, and Your incredible love. Let our oneness glorify the one true God, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Your relationship can be a powerful ministry tool. Matthew 5:16 calls us to this purpose: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Live for a purpose bigger than yourselves.
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