These daily marriage devotionals are compiled from verses that we have shared with Christian couples in many counseling sessions over many years. Please read one per day and meditate on how it applies to your marriage. (Note: if you are not certain you are a Christian, please read The Sinner’s Prayer)
Rooted Together: Building Your Marriage on Christ
Dear reader, marriage is a beautiful covenant established by God Himself. When we commit to building our union upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ, we give our relationship a foundation that can withstand any storm. Let us explore how this divine rooting strengthens both hearts and homes. *** The Command to Walk in Him Together The passage from Colossians 2:6-7 is a profound instruction for Christian living: "As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving." Paul’s words are not merely advice; they describe the pattern of life that flows from genuine reception of Christ. To "walk in Him" means to live our daily lives—our habits, decisions, and affections—in continuous alignment with His character and commands. While this principle applies to every believer individually, it holds immense power when applied corporately within the sacred covenant of marriage. When a couple commits to being rooted and built up in Christ together, they are not simply adding another activity to their schedule; they are establishing the central authority for their entire relationship. This shared focus shifts the dynamic from two individuals trying to manage a partnership to two disciples growing together toward Christ. Understanding the Biblical Blueprint for Marriage To truly understand what it means to be "rooted and built up" in Christ, we must look at Scripture’s foundational principles regarding marriage. The Bible presents marriage not as a contract of convenience, but as a sacred covenant reflecting the relationship between Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:25-33). This divine model gives us specific roles and responsibilities that guide our growth. For instance, Ephesians 5 instructs husbands to love their wives sacrificially, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. It calls them to lead with sacrificial love, mirroring Christ’s ultimate obedience. Similarly, it teaches wives to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22). These passages are not merely suggestions; they describe a pattern of mutual submission and respect that is rooted in Christ's authority. The Practice of Shared Spiritual Disciplines So, how do we practically achieve this spiritual rooting? The devotional correctly identifies key practices, but we can deepen our understanding by viewing them through the lens of biblical obedience. First, **Shared Study and Prayer**. Making time to read Scripture together and pray over your marriage is essential because it keeps Christ at the center of every disagreement and decision. When you are discussing finances or parenting styles, for example, asking, "What does the Bible say about this?" ensures that Scripture remains the final authority (Sola Scriptura). This practice prevents the couple from relying on cultural norms, personal feelings, or emotional arguments to dictate their path. Second, **Individual Spiritual Growth**. The devotional rightly emphasizes individual walk with God. It is crucial for each spouse to maintain a strong, independent relationship with Jesus Christ. When you are individually rooted in grace and truth, you bring stability and strength to the marriage because your identity rests not on your spouse's approval or the success of the union, but solely on Christ’s finished work (Colossians 2:7). This prevents codependency and ensures that each person is drawing life directly from the Fountainhead. Third, **Mutual Accountability**. Being rooted means being accountable to truth. A healthy marriage requires both spouses to be willing to confess sin and seek forgiveness—first from God, and then from one another (Matthew 18:15-17). This willingness to submit our weaknesses and failures to the grace of Christ is perhaps the most profound act of spiritual rooting a couple can undertake.
As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7)
In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul tells us to continue to live our lives in Christ, rooted and built up in him. This is not only true for our individual walk with God, but also for our marriage. When we are rooted and built up in Christ in our marriage, it helps to strengthen our relationship and to provide a solid foundation for our union.
But how do we go about being rooted and built up in Christ in our marriage? One way is to make a conscious effort to seek and follow Christ together as a couple. This can include reading the Bible together, praying together, and serving together. When we make a habit of seeking and following Christ together, it helps to bring unity and purpose to our marriage.
Another way is to prioritize growing in our individual walks with God. When we are individually rooted and built up in Christ, it allows us to bring a sense of stability and strength to our marriage.
So, as you go about your day, remember the importance of being rooted and built up in Christ in your marriage. Seek and follow Christ together as a couple and prioritize growing in your individual walks with God. When you do this, it will help to bring unity and purpose to your marriage and provide a solid foundation for your union.
Prayer
Dear God, help us to be rooted and built up in you in our marriage. Help us to seek and follow you together as a couple and to prioritize growing in our individual walks with you. We pray for unity and purpose in our marriage as we seek to be rooted and built up in you. Amen.
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If you miss one, two, or many days, don’t worry about it and don’t try to catch up. Just start where you are and keep going. We have found the Holy Spirit can prompt you to return to just the passage you need for today.
This is an ongoing labor of love because these marriage devotionals will never be finished, but we have to start somewhere, so we will update often. We appreciate your support and prayers because this is a work of God not us. And please forgive us because we have never found a verse that doesn’t apply to marriage somehow.
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (Proverbs 30:5)
Going beyond marriage devotionals
- Leave and cleave – God gave husbands instruction to leave and cleave because they need to break ties with their birth-families to forge their marriages
- The perspective of a successful marriage – If this perspective can lead to an incredible Olympic victory, imagine what it can do for your marriage. It’s almost a miracle!
- Biblical relationship checkup – This Biblical relationship checkup helps couples find where they are on God’s map of a successful marriage and find direction for improvement
- Help for hurting marriages – When I am weak, then I am strong. Help for hurting marriages is found in the wisdom of these Bible scriptures. Apply them as often as needed.
- Tying the Knot: A Premarital Guide to a Strong and Lasting Marriage by Rob Green – Field-tested and recommended by multiple counselors in a thriving counseling practice, Tying the Knot has already guided many couples into a stronger and more joyful union. Let this nine-week pre-marriage study reorient your life and marriage around Christ, so you both will experience all the blessings of marriage as God designed it.
- Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs by Emerson Eggerichs – Cracking the communication code between husband and wife involves understanding one thing: that unconditional respect is as powerful for him as unconditional love is for her. It’s the secret to marriage that every couple seeks, and yet few couples ever find. While both men and women deserve both love and respect, in the midst of conflict the driving need for a woman is love and the driving need for a man is respect. When either of these needs isn’t met, things get crazy. Taking God’s biblical practice of marriage and applying it with practical techniques, Emerson Eggerichs shows how mutual Love and Respect can balance a marriage and encourage a successful relationship.
- Love Life for Every Married Couple: How to Fall in Love, Stay in Love, Rekindle Your Love by Ed Wheat – This is a favorite classic book because it has stood the test of time. Physician Ed Wheat has helped thousands of couples improve their love lives and build happier marriages. In Love Life for Every Married Couple, he’ll help you improve your marriage through sharing, touching, appreciating, and focusing healing attention on your mate.