10 Habits to Strengthen Your Marriage

Much advice exists to educate us on how we can strengthen our marriages over time. This information is important to heed, but implementing daily habits into your routine serves to fortify your marriage in the long run as well.

Here is a list of 10 daily habits we can practice to strengthen our marriages.

Talk and Text Throughout the Day

Communication is the cornerstone of every marriage and household. While our daily routines may differ, my husband and I make it a point to talk or text throughout the day.

Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) wisely reminds us, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Texts throughout the day offer the opportunity to check in and see how each other’s day is going, give updates about the kids’ activities, and even flirt.

Cook and Clean Up Together

We discussed the need for communication. An organic follow-up to talking is communicating via action.

1 John 3:18 tells us to not just love through our words but also our actions. What better way to practice that advice than to share it during the nightly kitchen duties?

It’s great to cook and clean together as it promotes togetherness and helps with daily household chores.

Show Affection

Showing affection might seem obvious, but it’s surprisingly often overlooked. It’s so easy to get caught up in the everyday busyness and then realize that you haven’t shown affection to each other in a while.

1 Corinthians 7:3 reminds us to be affectionate with one another. A goodbye kiss in the morning, hugs while cooking together in the kitchen, and cuddling on the couch to watch TV are simple but important daily habits that can help you stay close and connected while building intimacy.

Express Gratitude

It’s important to express genuine gratitude to our spouse. When someone does something nice for us at work or provides a service, we often say thank you without even really thinking about it. However, when our husband or wife does those things, we tend to take it for granted.

It’s important to make it a habit to thank each other for the things we do. Proverbs 16:24 (NIV) reminds Christians, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Go For Evening Walks

Taking a leisurely walk together sets the stage for making a conscious effort to be active while also allowing for conversation and hand-holding along the way. We like to bring the kids and dogs along so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of being out in nature and active.

Acts of Service

Every week, I organize my husband’s medications to help him remember to take them. I also handle tasks such as hanging and folding his clothes and managing most of the household cleaning so that he doesn’t have to do them. I take care of his doctor appointments, and I also enjoy making things to show him how much I love and appreciate him.

My husband does many things to help me as well. I have never been fond of driving, and I avoid using the freeways at all costs. When I was working outside of the home, my job required me to drive all over the city and visit people at home. My husband would take the time to map out backroad directions and do a dry run with me, so we knew what the commute looked like.

I can’t tell you how much anxiety he relieved doing this for me. While acts of service aren’t required in marriage vows, making them a priority in our daily lives strengthens our marriage. Engaging in acts of service follows Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:8 about choosing to think about the praiseworthy and the “lovely.”

Celebrate and Cherish the Little Things

Remember to appreciate the little things. Celebrating special occasions like birthdays, holidays, graduations, weddings and births is important, but it’s also worth celebrating everyday accomplishments.

Finding joy in simple things like paying the bills, keeping the kitchen clean or catching up on laundry is key. Savor that five whole minutes of being caught up! Celebrate these daily victories together, maybe with extra cuddles on the couch?

Eat a Meal Together

Sitting down to eat together at least one meal every day is a delicious time for catching up with each other on the events of the day. How are things going at work? What’s new? What do you want to do this weekend?

Tech Free Hour

I have recently decided that cell phones are inherently stressful. They don’t just ring for a phone call or a text anymore. When I hear the notification bell, I get drawn into the world of social media.

Once I am there, it’s all “Alice Through the Looking Glass” for me—down the rabbit hole, lost in time and space. My husband loves TikTok, and what seems like five minutes of scrolling videos can easily turn into hours.

These things take up valuable time that should be spent together. Our rule is no technology an hour before bed. For one, limiting the blue light is helpful in melatonin production and sets the stage for everyone to be ready for bed at bedtime, but it is also an opportunity to practice Ecclesiastes 9:9 by enjoying your spouse while making a concerted effort to focus on distraction-free time together.

Pray & Read the Bible Together

Here we are at number ten. I saved the best habit for last. God must be at the head of marriage. Reading His Word, talking to Him directly together, and praying for each other are essential in strengthening your marriage.

This dynamic duo of reading scripture and praying together daily is as sure to strengthen your marriage as lifting weights at the gym will strengthen your muscles.

For beginners who may feel uncomfortable praying out loud, I really like the book Prayers that Avail Much by Germaine Copeland. A friend gave it to me in High School, and I still reference the prayers scribed between its covers.

Additionally, many resources, from Our Daily Bread to savvy phone apps, can assist with various Bible reading plans.

The Power of Prayer

In closing, remember the power of prayer and the impact of this simple act on strengthening marriage as illustrated in James 5:16 (NIV), “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

If you were to start with any of the ten daily habit suggestions I made on this list, I would encourage you to choose to pray and read the Bible together first. It can make all the other ideas more fruitful in strengthening your marriage!