How to Build a Godly Marriage: 12 Principles for Flourishing and Lasting

by Joel R. Beeke, Mary Beeke

Is your marriage drifting into routine? Has joy given way to quiet distance? Is spiritual vitality absent?

Rediscover the Beauty and Purpose of a Christ-Centered Union

Drawing on decades of pastoral and counseling experience, Joel and Mary Beeke offer twelve clear, biblical principles that strengthen love, deepen communication, and restore hope. Whether your marriage feels solid or strained, this short guide will help you pursue God’s glory together and increase your joy in the covenant you share.

Contents

Part Build Your Marriage by Loving God

1. Build Your Marriage on the Word of God
2. Nurture Spiritual Fellowship
3. Pray Together
4. Practice Family Worship

Questions for Further Study and Discussion

Part Build Your Marriage by Loving Your Spouse

5. Show Sacrificial Love to Your Spouse
6. Practice the Art of Kindness
7. Embrace the Duties of Marriage
8. Develop Good Communication Skills
9. Compliment Your Spouse
10. Cultivate Sexual Intimacy
11. Foster Close Friendship
12. Parent as a Team

Conclusion
Questions for Further Study and Discussion

102 pages, Paperback

Published January 27, 2026

About the author

Dr. Joel R. Beeke serves as President and Professor of Systematic Theology, Church History, and Homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He has been in the ministry since 1978 and has served as a pastor of his current church, Heritage Reformed Congregation, since 1986. He is also editor of the Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth, editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, president of Inheritance Publishers, and vice-president of the Dutch Reformed Translation Society. He has written, co-authored, or edited fifty books and contributed over fifteen hundred articles to Reformed books, journals, periodicals, and encyclopedias. His Ph.D. (1988) from Westminster Theological Seminary is in Reformation and Post-Reformation Theology. He is frequently called upon to lecture at Reformed seminaries and to speak at conferences around the world. He and his wife, Mary, have three children: Calvin, Esther, and Lydia.

Reviews

[Caleb Nedimyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have liked a bit more scripture for the foundations of their principles but very helpful for those seeking to grow in the fundamentals