Here at the Orlando Mom Blog, we take marriage seriously. There’s this moment in marriage where you stare at your coffee and think, “This is not what I pictured when I said ‘I do.’” Maybe it’s quiet fights. Maybe it’s the loud ones. Maybe it’s that ache that comes when you’re lying in the same bed but feel a hundred miles apart.
I’ve been there. Not necessarily in the “packing a suitcase” way, but in the “what are we even doing?” kind of way. Marriage is messy and beautiful and sometimes feels like trying to fold a fitted sheet—with tears.
But prayer? Prayer is what keeps that tiny thread of hope from snapping. It’s not magic dust, but it’s the whisper that says, God, please step in where I keep messing this up.
Here are some verses and prayers that have carried me—and a few friends who’ve sat crying on my porch swing—through the shaky seasons.
1. Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
This one hits like a gentle (or not-so-gentle) reminder. Forgiveness doesn’t mean pretending everything’s okay. It means unclenching your fists a little. Dave and I once had a week where we couldn’t even agree on what to watch on Netflix without tension. But when I prayed this verse, it wasn’t about fixing him—it was about softening me.
Prayer:
“God, help me forgive even when I don’t feel like it. Help me see my spouse the way You see them—broken, but loved. Help me remember that grace isn’t just something You give me—it’s something I can give back.”
2. Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Sometimes all you can do is sit in the quiet and cry. And you don’t have to fake joy or strength for God. He’s near in the broken bits, not just the shiny ones.
Prayer:
“Lord, I don’t even know what to say. I just feel tired. Please sit with me in this hurt. Hold both of us—me and the person I love—even if we feel far apart. Be the closeness we can’t find right now.”
3. 1 Corinthians 13:7 – “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
If I had a dollar for every time this verse made me roll my eyes during an argument, I’d have enough for a good bottle of wine. But once the dust settles, these words start to feel less like a cliché and more like a quiet challenge. Love endures—yes—but not on our own strength.
Prayer:
“God, teach me to love the hard way. The kind that stays even when feelings fade. The kind that believes You can still heal what’s cracked. I don’t have it in me, but You do.”
4. Philippians 4:6–7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
This one always reminds me that worry and prayer can’t share the same seat. When I’m spiraling about our future or feeling like we’re off track, I try to swap the panic for prayer. Sometimes I just repeat, “God, You’ve got this,” until my brain believes it.
Prayer:
“God, I’m anxious about what’s next. I feel like I’m holding on by a thread. Please trade my fear for peace. Help me hand You what I can’t carry anymore.”
Marriage isn’t a tidy story—it’s a messy one, written in pencil with a lot of eraser marks. If you’re praying for someone’s broken marriage (or your own), remember you’re not alone. The God who spoke the universe into being can whisper healing into hearts that feel too far gone.
Sometimes the prayer isn’t for the marriage to go back to what it was, but for it to become something new—something honest and healed and still standing.
And if all else fails, pray this:
“God, please fix what we can’t. Teach us to hold on, even if it’s just by the fingertips.”
Then take a deep breath, hug your kids tight, and maybe pour that coffee again—because grace refills too.