O God of love, You have established marriage for the welfare and happiness of mankind.
The plan was Yours, and only with You can we work it out with joy. Our burdens are now cut in
half, since when we share them, we divide the load.
Bless this husband as provider of nourishment and clothing and sustain him in all the
demands and pressures of his battle to support his wife and their family. Protect him in his job
and grant him safety in his travels. May his strength be his wife’s protection, his character be her
boast and her pride, and may he so live that she will find him the answer of her expectations of a
model husband.
Bless this loving wife with a tenderness that will make her great, a deep sense of
understanding, patience as she raises her children, and a great faith in You. Give her that inner
beauty of soul that never fades. Impress upon her the truth of Your Word which states, “the wife
God gave (husband) is his best reward down here for all his earthly toll.” (Ecclesiastes 9:9, TLB)
Remind this couple that marriage is not living merely for each other; it is two uniting
hands and hearts to serve You. Give them a great spiritual purpose in life. May they seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and the other things shall be added unto them.
May they not expect that perfection of each other that belongs alone unto you. May they
minimize each other’s weaknesses, be quick to praise and magnify each other’s strengths, and
always see each other through a lover’s kind and patient eyes. Now make such assignments to
them that will bless them and develop their characters as they continue to walk together. Give
them enough tears to keep them tender, enough hurts to keep them humble, enough of failure to
keep their hands clenched tightly in Yours, but enough success to make them sure they are
walking with God.
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 and the sun is setting, may they be found then, as now, still hand in
hand, still thanking God for each other. May they serve you happily, faithfully, together, all their
lives long. Bless them abundantly, as they renew their vows to each other and to you, today. This
we pray, through Jesus Christ, the great lover of our souls. Amen.
(Husband and wife) have come to this church today to reaffirm their lives in marriage. They have
said in our presence that they wish to be husband and wife. They have given pledges to each
other of their love. They have invited the Almighty God to be a part of their marriage
relationship. Therefore, (husband and wife), I (along with all who are assembled together here
today) express the hope and expectation that in all your togetherness, you will steadfastly love
one another, as Christ has tenderly and steadfastly love you.”Those whom God has joined
together, let man not separate.”
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and love of God the Father, and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit… guide you… bless you… and make perfect your love to each other, now and
forever more. Amen.
(Husband and wife), as Peter writes in his letter, I now invite you to “Greet one another
with a kiss of love.”
Formal Introduction: