5 Scriptures to Read When Fasting for Your Marriage

1. 1 Peter 4:8

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” - 1 Peter 4:8

When you’re fasting and praying for your marriage, it’s easy to get caught up in the problems between you and your spouse. You may be replaying arguments in your mind, thinking about past pain, or feeling frustrated by your spouse’s actions. This verse reminds you that what’s most important is to “love each other deeply.” But what does it look like to do that when you and your spouse are struggling in your marriage?

The key is to choose to love, because love is more than an emotion; it’s an action you both can choose. Deciding to love each other deeply involves looking beyond the sins that you and your spouse have committed and asking God to help you each see each other from his perspective. The word “covers” here is especially powerful, because it reminds you how God’s love covers you both in grace and mercy and protects you from getting stuck in pain and empowers you to move forward into a better future. As you fast, you’re taking a step back from the physical cravings that can distract you, so you can focus on spiritual growth. Use this time to ask God to reveal any unforgiveness in your heart. Have you been holding on to a list of your spouse’s mistakes? Are you quick to point out their mistakes but slow to face your own? Fasting can help you let go of bitterness.

When you’re hungry from fasting, your physical weakness can remind you of your need for God’s strength to forgive your spouse for the ways he or she has hurt you. Pray that God will fill you with his deep love, which will empower you to forgive your spouse and to see the person you fell in love with originally. That will inspire you to move forward into the future with hope.

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2. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

These verses describe the wonderful strength and resilience that come from unity. When you’re fasting and praying for your marriage, this scripture encourages you that God has designed life for people to walk through together. It highlights how God made you and your spouse for a life where you mutually support each other on a your shared journey through life. The image of a “cord of three strands” describes you and your spouse (the first two strands) with God, who is third strand that makes the cord so strong that your relationship can’t be quickly broken. As you fast, meditate on this image. Where have you placed God in your marriage right now? Have you and your spouse kept close relationships with God so that he’s an active third strand in your marriage? Or, have you and your spouse tried to build a strong marriage on your own, without relying much on God?

The reality is that a marriage without God at the center is a cord of just two strands, which is far more vulnerable to breaking than a marriage that’s centered on God. Use your time of fasting to invite God into the center of your relationship. Pray that God would become the primary focus for both of you in your lives together. This Bible passage also mentions the value of helping each other, when it says: “If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” Is your spouse struggling with something right now? Is he or she “falling down” in some area of life? Your role, even in difficult times, is to pray for them and to be ready to help them up. Your fasting is a powerful way to “labor” on behalf of your marriage, and this scripture reassures you that your effort will have a “good return.”

Pray for unity, for a renewed sense of partnership, and for God to be the unbreakable third strand that holds you and your spouse together, no matter what challenges you both face.

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3. Ephesians 4:2-3

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” - Ephesians 4:2-3

This passage shows how to live in healthy relationships with others, and it can be especially useful for marriage. These verses describe four key qualities: humility, gentleness, patience, and love. When you’re fasting for your marriage, these are the qualities you should be praying for – not just for your spouse, but also for yourself. It’s easy to see how your spouse needs to be more patient or more gentle, but fasting can help you ask the Holy Spirit to help you develop these qualities in yourself. A humble attitude will help you to let go of your pride and of your desire to win every argument. Realize that you and your spouse are both works in progress, and that you need God’s grace just as much as your spouse does. Gentleness and patience are the opposite of harshness and frustration.

When you’re fasting, you may feel physically and emotionally drained. This is a good time to practice patience. When you feel your frustration rising, use that as a trigger to pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be patient with your spouse, just as God is patient with you. The goal, as this passage says, is to “keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Your fasting can help you do so, because it promotes peace in your marriage. Pray for peace by asking for help to be a peacemaker and for you and your spouse to both be willing to make every effort to maintain unity through the bond of peace between you.

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4. Matthew 6:33

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:33

This is one of Jesus’ most well-known teachings. When your marriage is in trouble, you can become consumed by the problems you want to solve, like a communication breakthrough or a change in your spouse’s heart. It’s good to want your problems to be solved, but Jesus reminds you that you should focus first on God instead of on your circumstances. When you “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,” your focus changes from your relationship with your spouse to your relationship with God. This helps you stop trying to fix your marriage on your own and trust God to be the one who fixes it.

As you fast, use this time to re-center your life and your priorities on God. Pray for God’s will (not just your own will) to be done in your marriage. Ask God to show you your part in your marriage problems and to give you the ability to change. Trust that if you put God first, he will take care of the “all these things” that you want to happen in your marriage. Fasting is a way of showing God that you’re serious about your faith that he will help you with whatever you need. You can trust that as you fast and pray, God will provide everything you need to see your marriage transformed.

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5. Philippians 4:13

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” - Philippians 4:13

This verse can encourage you while you fast and pray for your marriage. Fasting requires discipline and determination, and when you’re also dealing with the emotional weight of a troubled marriage, you can feel exhausted. You may feel like the problems you and your spouse face are too big to overcome, or that you don’t have the strength to keep fighting for your relationship. This verse encourages you that your strength doesn’t come from yourself, but from God.

As you fast, you’re weakening your body, which can be a powerful way to remind yourself of your spiritual dependence on God. When you feel hungry, weak, or doubtful, say this verse out loud to declare your faith in God to give you the strength you need – not just to complete your fast, but to do all the hard work that a marriage requires. God will give you the strength to forgive, to be patient, to communicate with love, and to hold on to hope. Pray this verse over yourself and your marriage, and look forward to how God will send the strength that both you and your spouse need! 

In conclusion, as you continue on this journey of fasting and praying for your marriage, remember that God hears your prayers and is with you every step of the way. The scriptures in God’s Word are valuable tools for you to use while you fast and pray. Let them encourage you and help you trust God to help you with your marriage in fresh ways.

Related Resource: 3 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Strong When Life Changes

Life is full of change—new jobs, moves, kids growing up, and health challenges. The question isn’t if change will happen, but how we’ll face it together. The good news? Change doesn’t have to push you apart. It can actually bring you closer.

In this episode of Team Us, we share 3 practical ways to not just handle change, but to embrace it as a couple. If this episode helps your marriage, be sure to subscribe to Team Us on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode.

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