A Prayer about the Countercultural Nature of Marriage

Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called Woman,

because she was taken out of Man.” Genesis 2:23

 Creator God,

In our season of history,

the idea that one woman could belong to one man, 

that one man could belong to one woman, 

that the two could “become one flesh” —

well, it’s simply unthinkable…if not despicable 

to many in our Western culture. 

Marriage of one man to one woman 

is unfashionable, 

out of style. 

After all, women can stand alone, 

and men and women can “hook up” 

with anyone anytime 

without all the wear and tear 

of commitment 

and emotional ties. 

Oh, dear Creator, 

that was not your design 

for man and woman 

when you created us. 

You said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18).

The only thing you called “not good” in all of creation 

was for “man to be alone.” 

You said, “I will make a ‘helper’ fit for him,” (Gen. 2:18)

a powerful warrior-companion 

to “help the other up” when he has fallen down (Ecclesiastes 4:10). 

You said, the woman shall submit to the husband as the leader (Ephesians 5:22),

to lean into him for protection (so out of style — I can protect myself, thank you very much), 

and the man shall love his wife 

“as Christ loved the church 

and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25) — 

in other words, the man shall put his wife’s needs and concerns 

before his own (again, so last century). 

Oh, Lord, help us to recover 

the beauty and wonder of your gift of marriage 

to some of us. 

None of us is meant to be autonomous in the family of Christ, 

whether we’re married or single. 

Thank you for being so “old-school.”  

We pray for your providing grace 

to help us live out this countercultural commitment. 

In the name of Jesus, our heavenly bridegroom we pray.

Amen.

Read Genesis 2:18-25; Ephesians 5:21-33.