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Preparing Your Heart for Marriage: Devotions for Engaged Couples
The wedding is planned, but are you spiritually prepared for your wedding day? Trusted relationship author Gary Thomas coaches engaged couples on how to grow closer to the Lord in the days leading up to the wedding as a means of preparing them for all the days after the wedding. Engagement is bursting with promise, hope, joy, and anticipation of all kinds. It can also be one of the busiest times your life. For some, planning a wedding, with all the decisions involved, can feel less like the exciting onset of marriage and more like a tedious to-do list. Amidst the busyness, this devotional is designed to encourage and guide you through the spiritual priorities and challenges that lie ahead in order to grow a joy-filled marriage filled with love, grace, and God's blessing. In addition to helping you celebrate the joys of marriage and become radically connected as you create an even deeper passionate relationship, this lovely book also provides encouraging entries that will help you deal with common issues such With a special section on the marriage vows and thoughtful meditations for the bride and groom, Preparing Your Heart for Marriage will help you grow in your relationship as a couple on your journey from “me” to “we.”
208 pages, Hardcover
Published November 6, 2018
40 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
Gary L. Thomas
61 books646 followersGary Thomas is a bestselling author and international speaker whose ministry brings people closer to Christ and closer to others. He unites the study of Scripture, church history, and the Christian classics to foster spiritual growth and deeper relationships within the Christian community.
Gary is the author of 20 books, including "Sacred Marriage" and "Cherish", that together have sold over two million copies, have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and won numerous awards . His writings have established him as a thought-leader in the areas of marriage, parenting, and spiritual formation.
Gary holds a B.A. in English Literature from Western Washington University, an MA degree in systematic theology from Regent College (Vancouver, BC), and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Western Seminary (Portland, OR).
He serves on the teaching team (and as Writer in Residence) at Second Baptist Church, Houston—a congregation with six campuses and 70,000 members—and is an adjunct faculty member at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and Houston Theological Seminary in Houston Texas.
Gary’s speaking ministry has led him to speak in 49 states and nine different countries, and on numerous national television and radio programs, including multiple appearances on Focus on the Family and Family Life Today. Gary’s interviews on Focus on the Family have been chosen among the “Best of 2013,” “Best of 2014” and “Best of 2017.” Gary is a lifelong advocate of using the Christian classics to bring people closer to Christ.
Gary enjoys running in his spare time and has completed 14 marathons, including the Boston Marathon three times. He and his wife Lisa have been married for 35 years and they have three adult children and the smartest, cutest, most adorable granddaughter on the planet.
Gary Thomas – Bringing people closer to Christ and closer to others.
Gary is the author of 20 books, including "Sacred Marriage" and "Cherish", that together have sold over two million copies, have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and won numerous awards . His writings have established him as a thought-leader in the areas of marriage, parenting, and spiritual formation.
Gary holds a B.A. in English Literature from Western Washington University, an MA degree in systematic theology from Regent College (Vancouver, BC), and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Western Seminary (Portland, OR).
He serves on the teaching team (and as Writer in Residence) at Second Baptist Church, Houston—a congregation with six campuses and 70,000 members—and is an adjunct faculty member at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and Houston Theological Seminary in Houston Texas.
Gary’s speaking ministry has led him to speak in 49 states and nine different countries, and on numerous national television and radio programs, including multiple appearances on Focus on the Family and Family Life Today. Gary’s interviews on Focus on the Family have been chosen among the “Best of 2013,” “Best of 2014” and “Best of 2017.” Gary is a lifelong advocate of using the Christian classics to bring people closer to Christ.
Gary enjoys running in his spare time and has completed 14 marathons, including the Boston Marathon three times. He and his wife Lisa have been married for 35 years and they have three adult children and the smartest, cutest, most adorable granddaughter on the planet.
Gary Thomas – Bringing people closer to Christ and closer to others.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 22, 2025
I can’t wait to marry you Savannah💛
February 18, 2019
Pretty sure I am not the right person to read and review this book…
I mean, it reads well. The devotions are well written. And everything sounds good to me, but given my past… my life… my complete and utter lack of anything that could be remotely deemed success in the are of relationships or marriage, I’m thinking there are a lot of people who would be better equipped to review this book.
Nevertheless, I am… So, here goes.
I actually got the book for my daughter and son; who are both in their teen years. And, while it’s a bit above their heads for now, there is still valuable information to impart at the ages they’re at now.
Plus, I hope the advice within will be invaluable to them at some point. I pray and hope, and pray some more every day that neither of them will have the same sort of hopeless, horrible experiences that I have had in my own past relationships.
Where was this book when I was seventeen!?! Gah!
I mean, it reads well. The devotions are well written. And everything sounds good to me, but given my past… my life… my complete and utter lack of anything that could be remotely deemed success in the are of relationships or marriage, I’m thinking there are a lot of people who would be better equipped to review this book.
Nevertheless, I am… So, here goes.
I actually got the book for my daughter and son; who are both in their teen years. And, while it’s a bit above their heads for now, there is still valuable information to impart at the ages they’re at now.
Plus, I hope the advice within will be invaluable to them at some point. I pray and hope, and pray some more every day that neither of them will have the same sort of hopeless, horrible experiences that I have had in my own past relationships.
Where was this book when I was seventeen!?! Gah!
March 23, 2020
A great book to facilitate necessary pre-marital conversations. This would be very helpful to use as a resource in pre-marital counseling, as well as preparing one's mind for such counsel.
May 19, 2025
This is the best book for an engaged couple that I have come across so far. It is manageable, in that it is a devotional so you only have one topic a day. And it is concise and to the point, too many books wander all over the place and are all filler.
December 16, 2025
My husband and I really enjoyed reading this throughout our 10-month engagement! We have been friends our whole lives, so many of the topics discussed were ones we had already had lengthy conversations about, but these readings always prompted even more healthy conversation on those topics. I especially enjoyed Gary L Thomas's marriage vow reflections that dove into the meaning behind every piece, every word, of the traditional marriage vows. This really opened our eyes to PRECISELY what those promises truly mean and why they are so powerful. As Christians, this book was encouraging and exciting to read as my husband and I anxiously anticipated our wedding day and our marriage to come!
January 29, 2021
Great devotional book that my fiance and I went through together during our 4 month engagement. We had already gone through some pre-marital counseling, but this was a nice supplement to spark discussion on various topics and to learn how to love one another differently from how the world views marriage. We love because Christ first loved us. A few topics may be geared toward younger couples getting married, but we are in our mid-30s, so we have a bit more life experience. We were still able to relate to alot of the questions and devotions.
January 20, 2021
Highly recommend this book for Christians who are engaged, or really anyone who wants to prepare for the ups and downs of marriage! It prompted some good conversations between my husband and I as we prepared for marriage. Goes through general pieces of advice and changes that come with marriage, and then also takes traditional vows and explains what each phrase means so that your vows mean more to you and your spouse on your wedding day. Highly recommend.
May 24, 2021
This book was great even after I got married! I read it with my husband and it really blessed us. I’d say this is perfect for newlyweds. I liked the length of the chapters, as well as the prayer portion and the discussion questions. I thought the concepts covered in the book were great! This book aids in keeping the relationship thriving and Christ-centered.
December 3, 2018
In the beginning, I wanted to give this 2 stars. Some of the claims of who invented marriage frustrated me. BUT it regained it stars with the many good pieces of advice. READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE-- http://bit.ly/2Q85OKM
September 7, 2021
Great read for engaged couples. Each chapter has insightful stories and advice, while also being short. I liked the prayer and discussion questions at the end of each chapter. My now-husband and I really enjoyed it :)
January 29, 2019
Strong contender for becoming my go-to for counseling couples about to get married
May 21, 2020
I have no idea why I read this, I have no idea why my mom bought this book, I would really blame it on quarantine. Ummm, since I'm not engaged I have no reflections on this at all.
January 1, 2023
This was super good and very practical! I read it by myself, but would highly recommend to any Christian couples in the engagement season!
October 16, 2025
My husband and I read this together leading up to our wedding and it made the day so much more meaningful and magical.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews