This prayer was written
by Louis H. Evans.
O God of Love,
Thou hast established marriage for the welfare and happiness of mankind. Thine
was the plan and only with Thee can we work it out with joy. Thou hast said,
“It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Now our joys are doubled since the happiness of one is the happiness of the
other. Our burdens now are cut in half when we share them -- we divide the load.
Bless this
husband. Bless him as provider of nourishment and clothing. Sustain him in all
the pressures of his labors for bread. May his strength be her protection, his
character be her pride, and may he so live that she will find in him the haven
for which the heart of woman truly longs.
Bless this loving
wife. Give her tenderness that will make her great, a deep sense of understanding
and a great faith in Thee. Give her that inner beauty of soul that never fades,
that eternal youth that is found in holding fast the things that never age.
Teach them that
marriage is not living merely for each other; it is two joining hands to serve
Thee. Give them a great spiritual purpose in life. May they seek the kingdom of God
May they not
expect of each other the perfection that belongs alone to Thee. May they
minimize each other’s weaknesses, be swift to praise and magnify each other’s
strengths, and see each other through a lover’s kind and patient eyes.
Now make such
assignments to them in Thy will as will develop their characters as they walk
together. Give them enough tears to keep them tender, enough hurts to keep them
humane, enough failure to keep their hands clenched tightly in Thine, and
enough success to encourage them in their walk with Thee.
May they never
take each other’s love for granted, but always experience that breathless
wonder that exclaims, “Out of all this world you have chosen me.”
When life is done,
may they be found then as now, hand in hand, still thanking God for each other.
May they serve Thee happily, faithfully, together, until at last one shall lay
the other into the arms of God.
This we ask
through Jesus Christ, great lover of our souls. Amen.
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