7 Days of Prayer to Prepare for MarriageSample

What do you do when you’re stressed or need comfort? How about when you need to confess sin—­where do you turn? Do you feel safe and secure approaching your significant other? I hope you would be willing and able to go to them when you need help, when you want to celebrate, and when you need to confess.

No one in the history of the world has been more approachable or safer than Jesus Christ. We see this in Matthew 11:28 when Jesus told His followers to come to Him and He would give them rest. Even though Jesus knows every thought we’ve ever had and every sin we’ve ever committed, He still promises rest to those who come to Him. He provides a safe place for us when we’re stressed, exhausted, and everything in between.

Your spouse should be the safest relationship for you on this planet. Ideally, when you are married, you can be naked without shame with your spouse (Gen. 2:25). You don’t need to fear their response. They won’t reject you; instead, they’ll fight for you, alongside you. You’ll “carry each other’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2), and you’ll seek wisdom. Your spouse should be a gift to you as you approach them with any and every thing.

I’ve worked with couples who take advantage of the weaknesses of their spouse. They use their confessions against them and mock them in their struggles. This is the exact opposite of a one-­flesh relationship (Gen. 2:24). When you see your marriage and spouse rightly, you realize they’re one flesh with you. What hurts your spouse hurts you, and vice versa.

What if your relationship proved to be safe and your spouse secure? What if you could run to your spouse to celebrate your wins and cry with each other in your losses? I want this for you, and more important, God wants it for you.

God, thank You that we can come to You and You will give us rest. Thank You for not rejecting us in our trials and for welcoming us with open arms. We pray that we would act the same way in our marriage, that we wouldn’t blame and point the finger at each other but rather be approachable and safe for each other to come to in the goods and bads of life.