15 Ways to Keep God at the Center of Your Marriage

Practical Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage by Building a Strong Spiritual Foundation

Marriage is one of the most beautiful, yet challenging, relationships we experience. When God is at the center of your marriage, it becomes more than just a partnership between two people—it becomes a reflection of Christ’s love. A Christ-centered marriage not only deepens the bond between spouses but also strengthens your relationship as you lean on God for guidance, wisdom, and love.

No matter where you are in your marriage journey, keeping God at the center is essential. It’s not just about attending church together or praying before meals—it’s about living out your faith in your relationship daily. It’s about creating a marriage that glorifies God and aligns with His purpose for your lives.

In this article, we’ll explore practical, faith-filled ways to keep God at the center of your marriage. These steps will help you grow closer as a couple while strengthening your bond with God.

1. Pray Together Daily

Prayer is one of the most powerful ways to keep God at the center of your marriage. When you pray together, you invite God into your relationship and open the door for His guidance, blessings, and protection. Praying together allows you to share your burdens, hopes, and dreams with one another while seeking God’s will for your marriage.

Make it a habit to pray together daily, whether it’s in the morning, before bed, or during a quiet moment in the day. You can pray for each other’s needs, your marriage, and your shared goals, asking God for wisdom and strength to overcome any challenges you may face. When prayer becomes a regular part of your marriage, you create a strong spiritual connection that deepens your bond.

Tip: If you’re not used to praying together, start with short, simple prayers and gradually build from there. The important thing is to be consistent and intentional.

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2. Study the Bible Together

Studying scripture as a couple helps you both grow spiritually and strengthens your understanding of God’s design for marriage. The Bible provides guidance on how to love, serve, and forgive one another, offering timeless wisdom for a strong, faith-filled relationship. Setting aside time to read the Bible together allows you to reflect on God’s word and apply it to your marriage.

You can choose to follow a Bible reading plan for couples, focus on specific topics such as love, patience, or forgiveness, or simply read through a book of the Bible together. After reading, take time to discuss what you’ve learned and how you can apply it to your daily life as a couple.

Tip: Make Bible study a regular part of your weekly routine, perhaps by dedicating one evening to dive into scripture together. Reflect on verses that speak to your marriage and how you can grow in faith as a team.

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3. Attend Church Together

Being an active part of a faith community is important for keeping God at the center of your marriage. Regular church attendance allows you to grow spiritually, worship together, and hear God’s word. Being part of a church also connects you with other Christian couples who can offer support, encouragement, and wisdom as you navigate your marriage.

Church involvement goes beyond Sunday services. Consider joining a couples’ Bible study, volunteering together, or attending marriage workshops. Surrounding yourselves with a Christ-centered community helps strengthen your faith and keeps you accountable in your walk with God.

Tip: If you and your spouse have different preferences for church activities, find common ground. Choose events that nourish both of your spiritual lives and give you opportunities to grow together.

4. Serve Each Other Selflessly

In a Christ-centered marriage, serving one another selflessly is key. The Bible calls us to love as Christ loves—sacrificially, humbly, and without expecting anything in return. By serving your spouse, you demonstrate Christ’s love in action, putting their needs above your own.

This doesn’t mean grand gestures are necessary—sometimes, it’s the small, everyday acts of service that speak the loudest. Whether it’s helping with household chores, preparing a favorite meal, or simply listening when your spouse needs to talk, these acts of service reflect a heart committed to love and humility.

Tip: Look for ways to serve your spouse daily. Ask yourself, “How can I show Christ’s love today?” and act on it, even in the smallest ways.

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5. Forgive Quickly and Often

Marriage isn’t perfect, and mistakes are bound to happen. However, one of the most important ways to keep God at the center of your marriage is to practice forgiveness, just as God forgives us. Holding onto resentment, bitterness, or anger only creates division in your relationship. Forgiveness, on the other hand, fosters healing, growth, and unity.

When conflicts arise, be quick to forgive and seek reconciliation. Let go of the need to keep score or hold grudges. Instead, extend grace and forgiveness to your spouse, trusting that God will help you both grow through the challenges.

Tip: When forgiveness feels difficult, pray together and ask God for the strength and humility to let go of hurts. Remember that forgiving your spouse doesn’t mean excusing wrongs but choosing to love them through it.

6. Surround Your Marriage with Prayer

Prayer should not be limited to just the two of you. Surrounding your marriage with prayer means inviting others to pray for your relationship as well. You can ask family, close friends, or members of your church to lift your marriage in prayer, especially during difficult seasons. Knowing that others are praying for your relationship can be incredibly comforting and affirming.

In turn, pray for other couples and their marriages. By creating a community of support through prayer, you strengthen not only your own relationship but also the relationships of those around you.

Tip: Create a prayer list of couples, friends, and family who you can pray for regularly. Lifting others up in prayer is an act of love and faith that reflects God’s call to care for one another.

7. Align Your Goals with God’s Will

Setting goals together is important in any marriage, but in a Christ-centered relationship, those goals should align with God’s will. Whether you’re planning for your future, managing finances, or making decisions about your family, it’s crucial to seek God’s guidance and trust in His plan. Instead of pursuing your own desires, ask God to lead you toward His purpose for your marriage.

Pray together over your goals, asking God for wisdom and clarity. As you move forward, check in regularly to make sure you’re still following the path He has set for you, both individually and as a couple.

Tip: Write down your shared goals and prayers for your marriage. Revisit them often, reflecting on how God is guiding your journey.

8. Worship Together in Everyday Life

Worship doesn’t just happen on Sunday mornings—it’s something you can incorporate into your daily lives. Whether you’re singing praise songs together, playing Christian music at home, or simply giving thanks to God in prayer, worship can be a beautiful way to keep God at the forefront of your marriage.

Take time to recognize God’s presence in your everyday activities. Worship can happen while you’re cooking, cleaning, driving, or walking outside. When you make worship a regular part of your day, it keeps your focus on God and His role in your marriage.

Tip: Create a playlist of worship songs you both love and play it during everyday activities. It will set a peaceful, worshipful tone in your home and keep your hearts centered on God.

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9. Build a Strong Faith Community

Being part of a faith community is essential to keeping God at the center of your marriage. Surrounding yourselves with other Christian couples provides support, accountability, and encouragement. Regular fellowship with like-minded believers helps you grow spiritually and strengthens your relationship with God.

Attend church events, join small groups, and seek out other couples who share your commitment to Christ-centered marriage. By building a network of support, you’ll have a solid foundation to lean on during both the highs and lows of your relationship.

Tip: Make an effort to regularly connect with other couples who share your values. Whether it’s through church, Bible studies, or social gatherings, building a faith community will enrich your marriage.

10. Keep Christ’s Example at the Heart of Your Marriage

At the core of a Christ-centered marriage is the desire to live out Christ’s love. His example of humility, sacrifice, and servant-hearted love should be at the heart of your relationship. Christ’s love was selfless, patient, and enduring—qualities that serve as the foundation for a strong marriage. By keeping His example in mind, you can strive to love your spouse unconditionally, putting their needs above your own and seeking to serve them daily.

Living out Christ’s example in marriage means offering grace when it’s needed, supporting each other in tough times, and always being willing to forgive. It’s not about perfection but about the daily commitment to love one another as Christ loves us.

Tip: Regularly reflect on how you can better model Christ’s love in your marriage. Whether it’s through words of encouragement, acts of kindness, or showing patience, aim to reflect His heart in your relationship.

11. Embrace the Beauty of Traditional Roles in Marriage

In a Christ-centered marriage, there is beauty and strength in accepting and pursuing traditional roles. The Bible teaches about the concept of male headship, where the husband is called to lead the family, and the wife is called to support and respect her husband. This isn’t about hierarchy or inequality—it’s about embracing God’s design for marriage, where each person plays a vital role in building a strong, loving, and balanced relationship.

When a husband leads with love and humility, as Christ leads the church, and when a wife supports with grace and respect, both spouses experience a deeper sense of purpose and harmony. Pursuing these roles doesn’t limit you but allows you to serve each other in ways that glorify God and strengthen your bond.

Tip: Regularly check in with your spouse to ensure that your roles feel balanced and rooted in love, mutual respect, and biblical values. Leadership and submission should always reflect Christ’s love and sacrifice.

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12. Practice Gratitude in Your Marriage

Gratitude is an essential part of keeping God at the center of your marriage. When you intentionally focus on being grateful for your spouse and the blessings in your relationship, it shifts your mindset from focusing on shortcomings or frustrations to seeing God’s goodness in your life. Expressing gratitude for one another, even for the small things, builds a culture of appreciation in your marriage and keeps your relationship rooted in positivity and joy.

Make it a point to regularly thank your spouse for the things they do—whether it’s for a kind word, an act of service, or simply for being there during difficult times. A grateful heart invites God’s presence and makes room for more joy and peace.

Tip: Start a gratitude journal together where you write down things you’re thankful for about each other and your marriage. Share your entries with each other regularly to strengthen your bond.

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13. Encourage Each Other’s Spiritual Growth

A marriage centered on God is one where both spouses are continually growing in their faith, individually and as a couple. Encouraging your spouse’s spiritual growth is an important way to keep God at the center of your relationship. This could mean supporting them in their personal prayer life, encouraging them to pursue Bible study, or helping them explore new ways to connect with God.

It’s also important to pray for your spouse’s spiritual journey. Ask God to guide them, give them wisdom, and draw them closer to Him. When both of you are committed to growing in your faith, your marriage will naturally grow stronger.

Tip: Set spiritual goals together, such as reading through a book of the Bible, praying over specific concerns, or attending a faith-based event or retreat as a couple.

14. Seek Wise Counsel

No marriage is without its challenges, and sometimes keeping God at the center means seeking help from those who can offer godly wisdom. Surrounding yourselves with trusted Christian mentors or counselors who can offer support and guidance is a powerful way to strengthen your marriage. Whether you’re dealing with a difficult season or just looking for ways to grow, wise counsel can help you stay on track and navigate issues with faith and understanding.

It’s also helpful to seek counsel from older, more experienced Christian couples who have been married longer and can offer practical advice and spiritual insight. Hearing about their journeys can provide encouragement and remind you that every marriage has its ups and downs.

Tip: Don’t wait for a crisis to seek counsel. Regularly talking with a mentor or attending marriage workshops can help keep your relationship strong and grounded in faith.

15. Keep a Christ-Centered Perspective on Conflict

Even in the healthiest marriages, conflicts are bound to happen. The key to maintaining a Christ-centered marriage during conflict is to approach disagreements with humility, patience, and a desire for resolution. Remember that your spouse is not your enemy—Satan often uses conflict to create division. By inviting God into your disagreements and asking for His wisdom and guidance, you can resolve issues with grace and love.

When you face conflict, focus on listening first, seeking to understand your spouse’s perspective before responding. Pray together for clarity and forgiveness, and ask God to help you navigate the situation in a way that honors Him.

Tip: Before diving into an argument, take a moment to pray together, asking for God’s peace and wisdom to guide your conversation. This simple act can help shift the atmosphere from defensive to collaborative.

The Takeaway

A Christ-centered marriage requires intentionality, daily commitment, and a heart that seeks to honor God in every aspect of the relationship. Through prayer, scripture study, forgiveness, and embracing your God-given roles, you can build a marriage that reflects God’s love and purpose. When you keep God at the center, your bond grows stronger, and your relationship becomes a source of joy, peace, and fulfillment that glorifies Him.

Whether through daily acts of love, spiritual growth, or seeking wise counsel, keeping Christ as the foundation of your marriage will create a deep and lasting connection between you and your spouse.

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As always, I’d love to hear from you – leave a comment below with your top tips for how to keep faith at the center of your marriage!

Last update on 2025-10-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API