Devotional for Sexual Intimacy in Marriage

Sex was never the world’s idea; it was God’s, and He called it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). He created it for pleasure, oneness, comfort, procreation, and as a living picture of Christ’s love for His church (Ephesians 5:31-32). When we treat it any other way (cheaply, shamefully, or fearfully, or selfishly), we miss the glory He intended.

We live in a culture that screams two opposite lies at the same time:

“Sex is no big deal; do whatever feels good.”
“Sex is dirty, embarrassing, or only for the young and perfect.”

Both lies rob marriages.

The truth is: inside the safety of a lifelong, covenant marriage, sex is holy, healing, fun, and powerful.

Many couples struggle here. One spouse wants more, the other wants less. Bodies change. Seasons of exhaustion, babies, illness, or past wounds make intimacy feel impossible. Shame from past sin or present comparison keeps the lights off and the hearts closed.

Hear this with all the grace in the world: God is not shocked by any of that. He is the Redeemer of sex, just like He is the Redeemer of everything else. He can restore desire, heal pain, replace shame with joy, and turn duty with delight.

In marriage, God-honoring sexual intimacy looks like:

Choosing to see your spouse’s body as a gift to be cherished, not a problem to be fixed
Pursuing each other with the same passion you had when you were dating (Song of Songs says it’s okay to be passionate!)
Confessing pornography, fantasy, or withholding to each other quickly, because secrecy is the enemy of oneness
Praying together about your sex life—yes, out loud—because God cares about every part of your marriage
Believing that even when it’s hard, God can make your bedroom a place of laughter, safety, and deep connection again

Take the time to read the scriptures below and truly focus on what they are saying to you. (These are the verses the church often skips, but God didn’t.)

Genesis 2:24-25

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Proverbs 5:18-19

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth… May her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

Song of Songs 7:6-9 (selected)

How beautiful you are and how pleasing, my love, with your delights! … I said, “I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit.” May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine…

1 Corinthians 7:3-5

The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer…

Hebrews 13:4

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Ephesians 5:31-32

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Here’s a short prayer if you can’t find the words: Father, You created sex and called it very good. Forgive us for the ways we’ve let shame, comparison, busyness, or hurt steal the gift You gave us. Heal every wound, renew our desire, and teach us to love each other’s bodies with the same delight You have for us. Make our bedroom a place of laughter, safety, and oneness that points the world to Jesus and His Bride. In His name, Amen.

Try one of these today:

Tell your spouse one specific thing you love or miss about being intimate with them—no pressure, just gratitude.
Pray together (even 30 seconds) over your sexual intimacy: thank God for it’s His gift and ask Him to restore or protect it.
Turn off screens 30 minutes early tonight and simply hold each other—no agenda, just presence.

God is for your marriage bed. He’s not embarrassed. He’s not disappointed. He’s cheering you on.

You’re allowed to enjoy each other, fully and freely, for the rest of your lives.

God bless your marriage—and your bedroom,

Melissa