What makes someone ready for marriage? Is it about what someone has or who they are? If you are currently single, I believe that God is preparing you for the person He is preparing for you. This 3-Day reading plan is designed to guide you through the essential aspects of a healthy, God-centered relationship.
Vladimir Savchuk
Day 1
Scriptures: Ephesians 5:25-33, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Colossians 3:14
Every successful marriage has three components, and I believe that the first one is commitment. In this day and age, boys are quickly becoming boyfriends and deciding to live together instead of committing to marriage.
However, there’s a certain maturity that takes place when the commitment is made not only to date someone but to take them to the altar. Many men can say, “I love you,” but when it comes to true commitment, they get cold feet.
As a man, part of your maturity is shown when you make the commitment to marry that woman.
Being ready for marriage isn’t about just feeling ready or having enough stuff. It’s about being mature enough to say, “I’m with you forever,” and actually mean it. This means sticking together through thick and thin, not just when it’s easy. It’s about making a promise and keeping it, no matter what.
Commit to marriage for life. When you enter into this covenant, divorce should never be in your mind, much less in your mouth.
Remember, when you decide to make your marriage permanent, all your problems will be temporary.
Let’s Pray:
Lord, I ask that you would help me understand the real meaning of commitment. Teach me and my future spouse to be serious about our commitment to each other and our commitment to serve You together for the rest of our lives. Give us the wisdom to navigate whatever may come our way.
Challenge: Take time to think about a list of the values that you wish to uphold in your future marriage, then pray into that list as time passes.
Day 2
Scriptures: James 1:19-20, Proverbs 18:13, Ephesians 4:25-26
As you’ve probably heard, communication is one of the most important things in any relationship, but especially in marriage.
Often, when people are dating, communication seems to come easily, but when they get married, it comes as a miracle! Difficulty communicating effectively can lead to misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts.
I want to encourage you to invest in growing in this area as a couple and as individuals. Fight for good communication in your relationship.
Read books, receive counseling, find a mentor–do whatever it takes to develop this area in your marriage. It’ll only be a blessing when this area is strengthened.
Remember, marriage is like a beautiful garden from which you must pull weeds and plant seeds. Weeds represent bad habits that will be exposed during your time together, such as bad communication. Seeds represent your good attitude and behavior towards your spouse.
Be intentional, and your marriage will flourish.
Let’s Pray:
God, I pray that You will give me the ability to say what’s on my heart with wisdom and love. Please help us grow as individuals and as a couple in this area of communication. Help us understand each other and grow closer through our words.
Challenge: Practice active listening in your conversations, making sure to fully understand before responding.
Day 3
Scriptures: Matthew 18:15-17, Ephesians 4:31-32, James 5:16
It’s not possible to have a good marriage without disagreements.
Every couple argues. It’s normal. But it’s how you handle those disagreements that matter. It’s about learning to fight right. The only problem is when couples begin to see disagreements as a sign that their marriage is unhealthy or when it becomes violent, physically and/or verbally.
It gets dangerous when people don’t know how to communicate to get their point across, and instead, when they are unsuccessful, they begin to threaten divorce. This kind of fighting destroys your character and will lead to the destruction of your marriage. This behavior has repercussions far beyond just the dissolution of your marriage. It goes on to become a generational behavior.
This is especially true if children are watching as their parents argue. They’re subconsciously learning how to talk and treat a significant other.
I want to encourage you to keep these truths in mind as you prepare your mind and your life for marriage. Maturity and spirituality are not just going to church and learning how to preach. Instead, it is seen practically in the way you learn to communicate, resolve conflict, and love others. When you learn to honor your husband, love your wife, and manage your home in a way where the peace of God resides in it, you’re learning to be spiritual.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Lord, help me to handle disagreements with grace and love. Teach me and my future spouse to work through our problems together, always keeping You at the center of our decisions.
Challenge: Reflect on a past disagreement and identify how it could have been resolved better.