Marital_and

SCRIPTURES

Respect your father and mother. Exodus 20:12

Do not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Never forget these commands that I am giving you today. Teach them to your children.
Deuteronomy 6:5-7a

If the Lord does not build the house, the work of the builders is useless. Psalm 127:1

A good wife is her husband's pride and joy; but a wife who brings shame on her husband is
like a cancer in his bones. Proverbs 12:4

Teach a child how he should live, and he will remember it all his life. Proverbs 22:6

Listen to your father; without him you would not exist. When your mother is old, show her
your appreciation. A righteous man's father has a good reason to be happy. You can take
pride in a wise son. Let your father and mother be proud of you; give your mother that
happiness. Proverbs 23:22,24-25

Jesus answered, Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator
made people male and female? And God said, `For this reason a man will leave his father
and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.' So they are no longer
two, but one. Man must not separate then, what God has joined together. Matthew 19:4-6

A man should fulfill his duty as a husband, and a woman should fulfill her duty as a wife,
and each should satisfy the other's needs. I Corinthians 7:3

Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents, for this is the right thing to do.
`Respect your father and mother' is the first commandment that has a promise added: `so
that all may go well with you, and you may live a long time in the land.' Parents, do not
treat your children in such a way as to make them angry. Instead, raise them with Christian
discipline and instruction. Ephesians 6:1-4

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, for that is what you should do as Christians.
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, it is your Christian
duty to obey your parents always, for that is what pleases God. Parents, do not irritate your
children, or they will become discouraged. Colossians 3:18-21

PRAYERS

Great God, Father of families: guard the laughter of children. Bring _____ safely through
injury and illness. Give _____ patience when their children are demanding. Do not let them
be so preoccupied with their concerns that they fail to hear their children's voices, or to pay
attention to their needs; but keep them ready to listen and to love, even as in Jesus Christ
you have loved them. Amen.

Merciful God: we pray for understanding when wills, schedules, values, and resources
clash in the _____ family. Help them to be candid, but not cruel. May they respect one
another even as they each grow in their independence and ability to make decisions. May
the strength of their family allow each to be their best self in the world. Amen.

Almighty God: in the beginning you made man and woman to join themselves in shared
affection. As a husband and wife may _____ and _____ be so sure of each other that no
fear or disrespect may shake their vows. Help them to build a home where no one is a
stranger. At work or in leisure, let them enjoy each other, forgive each other, and embrace
each other faithfully, serving the Lord of love, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Eternal God: you have led _____ and _____ through many years as a couple and as
parents. They have matured in wisdom and faith; but now the children are grown and gone.
Be with them in this time of re-discovering one another and your purposes for them. As
they continue to mature, may they not find life empty or their work stale; may they devote
themselves to worthy tasks and loves. Amen.

Lord God, who set us in families, where we learn to live together in love and truth:
strengthen weak bonds of love. Where separation threatens _____, move in with your
forgiving power. Melt hard hearts, free fixed minds, break the hold of stubborn pride. Lay
claim on each, so that their separation claims may be set aside in love. Amen.

God of grace: you are always working to hold us together, to heal division, and make love
strong. Help _____ and _____ whose marriage is breaking up. May they know that you
remain faithful. Help them make the tough decisions, restore confidence, bring
self-understanding, and ease the hurt. Let your healing allow them to enter healthy
relationships. Amen.

God our Father: watch over _____ who has lost a parent by death (or is separated from a
parent by divorce). Help them cope with the loneliness and bitterness. Show them that they
are under your protection, so that they have not less love, but more. Give them friends who
understand, affirm their worth, and enjoy them for all they are. Amen.