The closeness found in marriage can provide a really beautiful space in which you learn together, grow in maturity and enjoy a deep friendship and intimacy. It was for me an extraordinary trigger to becoming more of who God created me to be and is such a blessing. However, that same close perimeter can be hard to live in if you are both encountering darkness, rejection, despair or confusion. Loving each other through the challenging times can be difficult as the closeness and intimacy of a marriage means that it is here that we are real, here where we let off steam, here where we will need to offload!

The following prayer is a helpful reminder that marriage is a three-cord relationship, that the cord of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit weave into our lives and within our love. The prayer asks for God’s light to shine in the dark days, for protection to cover our weaknesses, hope to return by the wind of God’s Spirit and sight to have new vision. So even if the road is so arduous that your marriage has taken the toll, take your partners hand and pray. Pray together if that is possible, pray silently if easier and on your own if your loved one has lost faith. Light will come, a shield will surround you, hope will arise, and vision will be found again. Your marriage is a beautiful thing, a rich treasure, and a great gift – to each of you and those who surround you. Here is the prayer:-

Lord be our Light

Lord be our light.
When the darkness seeps in,
brighten our days with the power of praise.
Lord be our light.

Lord be our shield.
When the arrows of hurt tear us down,
help us to hold a covering of gold.
Lord be our shield.

Lord be our hope.
When despair starts to rise
keep us afloat, blow the sails of our heart.
Lord be our hope.

Lord be our sight.
When confusion ensnares,
free us to see, to hold onto our dreams.
Lord be our sight.

Lord, come be our light,
our shield, our hope and our sight.
For in you we trust,
in you we arise.

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