This is an extract from 5 Things to Pray for Your Spouse by Michael and Melissa Kruger. The book offers a series of Biblical prayer prompts for 21 different areas and situations—whether you’re newly-weds or have been married for decades. Below are five prayer prompts for loving each other well based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-6.
Father, I pray that your love will allow us to love one another…
“Love ... does not envy” (1 Corinthians 13:4)
Praise God for the love he has poured out on each of us in Christ Jesus! Yet often, when we distrust the fullness of God’s love, envy creeps in and causes discontentment, quarrels, and conflicts (James 4: 1-2).
Prayerfully consider how envy might be causing disagreements in your marriage. Pray for a renewed understanding of God’s love for you both so that you can love one another without envy.
"Love ... does not boast” (1 Corinthians 13:4)
In what ways are you tempted toward pride in your marriage? Ask God to grow you in humility, considering your spouse’s needs as more significant than your own. Pray that the Lord will allow you to see his blessings on your family and praise him for them, rather than boast in your own accomplishments.
“Love ... does not dishonor others” (1 Corinthians 13:4)
It’s painful to see the ways our words and actions can hurt one another. Consider how you can show honor to your spouse in your thoughts, words, and actions. If needed, confess to one another and ask God to forgive you. Ask God to grow you and your spouse in mutual respect and love for one another.
“Love ... is not proud ... it is not self-seeking” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)
It’s so easy to seek our own desires without giving thought to our spouse’s needs. Pray for a self-sacrificing spirit in your marriage, asking God to make you Christlike in your love for one another.
Whether it’s choosing a restaurant for dinner, making the bed, or deciding who will take out the trash, how can you love your spouse selflessly today?
“Love ... is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5)
We often keep long lists of past hurts and wrongs committed. Old grievances awaken painful new conflicts with the words, “Remember when you did this or that.”
Pray that the Lord would give you both a rich love for one another that isn’t easily angered and shows grace instead of keeping score.
Melissa Kruger is the author of Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know as well as several books for adults. She blogs at Wit's End, hosted by The Gospel Coalition. Her husband, Mike, is the president of Reformed Theological Seminary, and they have three children.
