25 Bible Verses For a Troubled Marriage: Encouraging Spouses

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Bible verses for a troubled marriage - couple reading

A troubled marriage or a broken marriage is something that can truly rob you of contentment, peace, and the joy of life. Unfortunately, marriage problems are not uncommon. And, although that may not make a person feel better about their situation, they can take comfort that many marriage troubles can be resolved – some with a bit of effort – some with a tremendous amount of effort, but worth it.

We believe that God has joined together a husband and wife to remain together for the remainder of their lives. We also believe and have seen marriage restoration in some very difficult situations.

On this page, our goal is not to judge, but to encourage you with God’s word. God loves you and does not want you to have a life that is joyless or a marriage that is hopeless.

We’re going to list some Bible verses that we hope will speak to you, maybe give you direction, or give you hope. The Bible teaches us so much about dealing with life’s problems and God’s grace is big enough to get us through each problem and crisis we face.

Even in our deepest hurts, His peace can see us through, Hold on to Him. Even if you aren’t getting cooperation with a spouse, through Jesus Christ you can find peace in your own heart and the strength to move ahead in the path He has for you.


Bible Verses For A Troubled Marriage – Comfort in God’s Word

Verses of Hope In Our Lord Jesus Christ

First, we will begin with some general verses about our Heavenly Father, our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and how His Holy Spirit wants to work in our life at all times, even in a troubled marriage.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

The above verses found in the Gospel of Matthew encourage us to seek the Lord and make a relationship with Him our priority. Too often those who find themselves in a struggling marriage will be tempted to do that in just the opposite way.

They will put most of their time and resources into working on the circumstances, trying to fix the other spouse, or studying how to fix their marital relationship.

To be clear, working to keep your marriage together or getting your marriage back together is a tremendous thing to do. However, make your relationship with Jesus your priority. Staying in touch with Jesus and being in the word of God is key if you want to save your marriage.

During that time your emotions may feel strained to the maximum, but we have a God who embodies perfect peace. Do we just say a quick prayer or read a couple of Bible verses and have God’s perfect peace in our emotions?

It really helps, but usually, our emotions take a while to calm. Just continue to pray and seek God’s answers and His plan first. He tells us to bring everything to Him.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

This is another verse from the Gospel of Matthew that actually gives some very specific words of Jesus. Even a healthy marriage can have “heavy burdens.” But, so much more can a struggling marriage. Just come to Him. Keep coming to Him. Don’t give up on the power of our Lord God.

“O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.”

Psalm 62:8

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

1 Peter 5:7

Talk to Him. Have a dialogue of open and honest and open communication with Him in prayer. Pour out your heart to Him.

It can be great to talk to very close friends, your pastor, or a counselor. Many times that is a necessary step. However, don’t forget that Christ loved you enough to die for you and He still loves you so very much! Pour out your heart to Him. Listen to what He may be saying to you.


Hope and Peace In and Throughout the Struggle

Troubled or broken marriages may be turned around as one or both spouses turn to God and obey God. Certainly, we know that every broken or struggling marriage doesn’t always turn around and become whole again.

However, no matter what the outcome, you need to be able to have hope and know that life is not over if things start crumbling around you.

But being able to get back to joy and peace requires a power greater than our own. Look here in Romans:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Romans 15:13

So, who can fill you with joy and peace when you are believing in Him? God can. How can you have hope? You can hope because if you have received Christ as your Savior you have the Holy Spirit to guide you.

At that point, you want to live a Spirit-filled life, obey Christ, and follow His word. Sometimes that will require you to wait patiently as you pray that God will work in the other partner’s heart.

So, as you walk through this earthly trial of a troubled marriage or a badly broken marriage, you can’t depend on the circumstances of life to give you peace. So, where does our peace come from?

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

2 Thessalonians 3:16

I know that you may be thinking – “I don’t have any peace at all right now.” That’s when you have to wait patiently and set your mind on God-

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Colossians 3:2

The verse above that the Apostle, Paul, wrote to the Colossian church doesn’t mean that all we do is sit around and think about heaven all of the time. However, God wants us to filter our thoughts in view of a bigger picture where He is in control of all things.

We must seek God first. What it takes to heal broken marriages or struggling marriages won’t be figured out or understood with human reasoning alone. This thought takes us to one of the most often quoted passages of scripture about trusting God

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

We must understand that our emotions are sometimes going to be crying out for a quick fix in a marriage relationship. We may want an answer, an easy answer – so the temptation is to just try to figure out a solution through compromise and human reasoning alone. But, all alone we need the wisdom of our Lord Almighty to show us the pathway from broken marriages to Godly marriages.


Bible Verses For A Troubled Marriage: Action Steps

So, we have looked at some verses to give us hope and comfort in times of trouble. Lean on and meditate on those scriptures that have the capability of making a heart-sick person begin to have more peace even in the struggle.

Now let’s turn our attention to verses that may require actions and steps that may be harder to take. First of all, I encourage you to commit this next verse to memory. The degree of your marriage problems may be minimum or they might be extreme. Maybe it seems hopeless to you. Perhaps you think it’s too late to repair a broken marriage.

Bible verses for a troubled marriage

He can do so much more than we can imagine if we trust and obey God. As we look toward steps to help us, look first at the big picture of His power:

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

Ephesians 3:20

What a great Bible verse this is for any who may be without hope…

“Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.

Matthew 19:26

God said that when a man and wife are married that the two will become one flesh. God is serious about marriage. As is quoted at many wedding ceremonies-

“What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

Mark 10:9

God is serious about the two becoming one flesh and that the marriage bed is undefiled. He has a great interest in keeping spouses together.


Seeking Wise Counsel

For those who have a broken marriage or if you are in a marriage that needs help in some way, please don’t rule out getting outside help.

There are so many broken marriages that could have been or still can be saved. But, a couple should lay aside any pride, shame, or stubbornness that might be prohibiting them from getting help from Godly counselors who can help save their marriage.

“Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.”

Proverbs 13:10
Bible verses for a troubled marriage

King Solomon, who was so famous for his incredible wisdom, also warns us about the foolishness of not listening to counsel-

“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”

Proverbs 12:15

Has your marriage problems gone on so long that you see no hope? Did a spouse commit adultery or other sexually immoral actions? Perhaps a pornography addiction? There can be forgiveness and restoration.

However, in some of these more severe situations, we especially urge you and pray that you will seek a Christian counselor or take actions that give you greater outside help.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 1:5

Verses of Instruction

To the Husband

Husbands, God chose you, and the Bible gives you a unique role in the leadership of your family. That does not mean that the wife has no responsibility in helping lead the family. However, husbands are given the responsibility of loving their wives as Christ Jesus loved the church.

That is a task that we can only do if we allow Christ to do it in and through us.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”

Ephesians 5:25

Jesus loved the church (His bride) and put the needs of the church over His own, even to the point of giving His life for her (the church). Under God’s plan, husbands love their wives in the same way Christ loves the church. So, let’s look at a bit of what that means in this verse found in Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth:

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

1 Corinthians 13:17
  • Husbands, do you have a love that is not going to give up? If not, ask God for that kind of love. Surrender yourself to what God desires rather than what your emotions are telling you. Love doesn’t give up.
  • Love never loses faith. Do you have faith that God can repair your marriage troubles? Do you believe that God can repair your emotional hurt, help you both forgive, and also heal sexual relations as well?
  • Can your love endure the trying circumstances of a struggling marriage? If you set your mind on loving your wife in the same way (unselfishly) as Christ loved the church, you can endure! You can win through the circumstance of a struggling marriage or broken marriage.

So, husbands, for a moment, set aside your own way or your own plans for a moment.

How many harsh words or deeds have been spoken or done by you? Have you been self-seeking rather than putting the needs of your wife first as God has asked you to do?

Would you have a prudent wife or an excellent wife if you were loving her in the unselfish manner that Christ loves the church? I think so. It sure looks like God thinks so!


For the Wives

If you are a wife, God wants you to love your husband. However, Scripture teaches about the role of the wife in a different way. Some people think it’s an old-fashioned or controversial passage in Ephesians, chapter 5, about wives “submitting” to their husbands.

For ladies who take offense at that passage, there is a chance that they have heard it in a way that is misinterpreted. Some translations use the term “submit to your husband.” That can be interpreted that a wife should be somewhat inferior or at worst a doormat for the husband. That is not the case at all. Let’s look at it in the Contemporary English Version of the Bible.

“Honor Christ and put others first. A wife should put her husband first, as she does the Lord. A husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head and the Savior of the church, which is his own body. Wives should always put their husbands first, as the church puts Christ first. A husband should love his wife as much as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.”

Ephesians 5:21-24

So, basically, we are seeing a clear pattern that God has outlined for the success of a marriage. The husband is required to seek to love the wife as Jesus loved the church. Would any wife not want that kind of unselfish, sacrificial love where the husband put the needs of the wife before their very own needs? I don’t think so.

On the other hand, the passage above says that wives should always put their husbands first.

So, for a healthy marriage, each spouse should honor Christ and put their spouse first in the marriage.

With all of the pushback by many in terms of wives being “subject to their husbands” or “submitting to their husbands” you have to always look at that in the context of what that scripture means. The wife is honoring and respecting the husband as he is loving her with a love that is overwhelming.

There is actually a sense of mutual submission to each other as each spouse obeys God in their Biblical roles of husband or wife.


happy couple with Bible verse for a troubled marriage

Broken Marriages and Forgiveness

Maybe you and your spouse are dealing with issues in a troubled marriage that require just a bit of tweaking and you are nowhere near a divorce.

On the other hand, you may have a broken marriage that is severe in nature. You might be on the brink of a divorce, or perhaps you have already divorced your spouse.

Either way, forgiveness must be involved if we are to be obedient to Christ. As Christ forgave us, we should forgive others. That, especially, includes our spouse. That doesn’t mean that they are not responsible for their sin against you.

It is tough to have the honest and open communication that is needed to heal a marriage without the willingness to forgive.

There is a verse that I used when I performed the wedding ceremony for both of my daughters. All of the Bible is true, but the truth of this particular passage can save marriages, friendships, and family relationships. It can help us be successful as we associate with other people in a variety of ways.

This is one of my favorite bible verses:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:2

The forgiveness offered by God the Father through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross is paramount to everything in scripture. If you are a Christian, born-again, saved…whatever name you put on the true experience of salvation, then you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you.

Through the power of that Holy Spirit, you can forgive other human beings who sin against you in word or deed.

Depending on the sin, it can be much harder to forgive in some situations than in others. And remember, that if you choose to forgive someone, that doesn’t excuse the sin or make it less hurtful to you.

However, it can begin to open up a pathway of restoration in a marriage.


Wrapping It Up

I hope that these Bible verses and the small bit of commentary may have helped you in some way.

To conclude, I will return to the passage in Ephesians that we just used. However, this time I will put it in the context of the other Bible verses that are written with it.

These are the last four verses of Ephesians chapter 4, written by the Apostle, Paul. This is taken from the New Living Translation (NLT) of the Bible. It is a very accurate interpretation here of what God wants for us,

“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

Ephesians 4:29-31

If only we could apply those Bible verses to a troubled marriage! Wouldn’t that marriage have a great chance to survive? I surely think so!

Many, many times it’s not too late to save your marriage. Certainly, there can be abuse or consistent adultery from which you may not recover. Or, perhaps, you have gotten a divorce and the spouse is remarried. In those cases, just let God love you and know that He is there for you.

However, for many, there is still hope for your marriage. If it’s bad, please see a Christian counselor. Don’t put that off until it’s too late.

And, most of all, if you have never received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and given your heart to Him for the forgiveness of your sins, please start there. That can change everything.

God bless you and we pray for any marriage troubles that you might be facing.

About the author

2 responses to “25 Bible Verses For a Troubled Marriage: Encouraging Spouses”

  1. MGL Avatar
    MGL

    Your comments and verses helped me in facing my marriage problem – my husband ch on me on our matrimonial bed, so painful

    1. Brian Sloan Avatar

      God bless you for commenting and you have my sincerest prayers.

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