We come before the Father with heavy hearts, lifting you up in prayer as you pour out this honest and painful confession. It is written in 1 John 1:9, *"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."* We praise God that you have brought your struggles into the light, for there is no sin too great that His grace cannot cover when we repent. Your admission of self-sabotage, resentment, and the weariness you carry is a step toward healing, and we stand with you in this moment, asking the Lord to restore what has been broken.
Marriage is a covenant before God, and He takes it seriously. In Malachi 2:16, He declares, *"I hate divorce," says Yahweh, the God of Israel.* Yet we also know that God sees the depths of your pain—the rejection, the unmet promises, the emotional exhaustion, and the sense that this union may not have been built on the foundation it needed. You have carried this burden for years, standing by your husband even when he struggled, but now you are at a breaking point. That is understandable, and we do not take lightly the toll this has taken on you. Proverbs 13:12 reminds us, *"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life."* Your heart is sick from deferred hope, and we ask the Lord to bring life where there has been only weariness.
However, we must also address the hardness that has taken root. You have confessed that your prayers for your husband feel insincere, and that is a sign of how deeply resentment has settled in. Ephesians 4:31-32 commands us, *"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you."* We urge you to ask the Lord to soften your heart, not because your husband deserves it, but because *you* need the freedom that comes from forgiveness. Unforgiveness is a chain that binds you far more than it affects him. Jesus warned in Matthew 6:15, *"But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."* This is not to condemn you, but to call you to release this burden to the Lord, who alone can carry it.
We also must speak truth about the state of your marriage. You say you feel the marriage is wrong and have felt this way from the start. That is a serious revelation. Marriage is meant to reflect Christ’s love for the Church (Ephesians 5:25-33), and if the foundation was flawed—whether through ungodly motives, unequally yoked beliefs (2 Corinthians 6:14), or a lack of biblical preparation—it is no wonder you feel this weight. Yet even in this, God can redeem. He can bring repentance, healing, and restoration if both parties are willing. But willingness requires action. Your husband has promised to get help but has not followed through. That is not acceptable. James 2:17 tells us, *"Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself."* Promises without action are empty, and you are not wrong to recognize that.
So where does this leave you? We pray for clarity. If your husband is unwilling to seek help, to repent, and to fight for this marriage, you cannot force him. But you *can* seek the Lord for wisdom on how to proceed. 1 Corinthians 7:15 says, *"Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace."* While this verse speaks specifically to an unbelieving spouse, the principle applies: if one party is unwilling to honor the covenant, the other is not bound to remain in bondage. However, this is not a decision to make lightly or in haste. Seek godly counsel—pastors, mature believers who can walk with you through this. Do not make permanent decisions in a season of exhaustion.
As for your desire for a family, we understand the longing, but we must caution you: children will not fix a broken marriage. They deserve a home where Christ is the center, where mom and dad are united in purpose. If that is not the reality now, bringing children into it would only compound the pain. Psalm 127:1 reminds us, *"Unless Yahweh builds the house, they labor in vain who build it."* Wait on the Lord. Let Him restore or redirect before you take steps that cannot be undone.
Finally, we rebuke the spirit of sabotage that has taken hold in your mind. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to *"bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."* You have entertained thoughts of destruction, and while you have tried to push through them, they have still borne fruit in your heart. Renounce them now. Speak life over your marriage, even if it feels hollow at first. The enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), but Jesus came to bring abundance. Do not let the devil have a foothold.
Now, let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we lift our sister before You, broken and weary, but honest before Your throne. Lord, she has confessed her sins, and we ask that You would wash her clean by the blood of Jesus. Forgive her for the resentment, the sabotage, the hardness of heart that has taken root. Soften her, Lord. Renew her mind and guard her thoughts, that she would take every imagination captive to the obedience of Christ.
We pray for her husband, that You would convict him deeply. If he has been negligent, if he has made empty promises, if he has rejected her in ways that have wounded her soul, Lord, break him. Bring him to repentance. Do not let him rest until he seeks You and fights for this marriage—or releases her in peace if that is Your will.
Give her wisdom, Father. Should she stay? Should she go? Show her the path. Surround her with godly counsel, with people who will speak Your truth and not just tell her what she wants to hear. If this marriage can be saved, Lord, save it. If it cannot, give her the strength to walk away with her dignity and her faith intact.
And Lord, we pray for her desire for a family. If it is Your will, fulfill it—but only in Your timing and Your way. Do not let her rush ahead of You. Heal her heart first. Restore her joy. Let her find her identity in You alone, not in marriage or motherhood, but in being Your beloved daughter.
We rebuke the spirits of confusion, exhaustion, and despair. We bind the enemy’s lies that have told her this marriage is hopeless. Lord, if there is life left in it, breathe on it now. If not, make the path clear.
And above all, Father, draw her closer to You. Let her find her comfort in Your presence, her strength in Your Word, her hope in Your promises. Remind her that You see her, You love her, and You have not forgotten her.
In the mighty and powerful name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
