

{"id":2090,"date":"2015-09-22T04:34:40","date_gmt":"2015-09-22T04:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=2090"},"modified":"2026-03-31T08:37:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:37:23","slug":"a-guide-to-christian-marriage-readiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/readiness\/a-guide-to-christian-marriage-readiness\/","title":{"rendered":"An Essential Guide to Christian Marriage Readiness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2092 size-full\" title=\"christian marriage readiness\" src=\"http:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/christian-marriage-readiness.jpg\" alt=\"christian marriage readiness\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"are you ready to get married\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":31489,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"11\":0,\"12\":0,\"14\":[null,2,0],\"15\":\"Calibri\",\"16\":11,\"17\":1}'>Are you ready to get married?&nbsp;what is readiness in marriage?&nbsp;<\/span>If you are a Christian and are thinking about marriage, then you may have been considering the topic of <strong>Christian marriage readiness<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The topic can be complex and, in some circles, even controversial&mdash;but it&rsquo;s important to remember that marriage readiness is a personal choice between you and your partner that should be mutually agreed upon beforehand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>So if you happen to be someone who is struggling to understand the concept of&nbsp;<span data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"readiness for marriage\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":15105,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"11\":0,\"12\":0,\"14\":[null,2,0],\"15\":\"Calibri\",\"16\":11}'>readiness for marriage<\/span><span data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"are you ready to get married\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":15105,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"11\":0,\"12\":0,\"14\":[null,2,0],\"15\":\"Calibri\",\"16\":11}'>&nbsp;or are not sure of&nbsp;how do you know if you&rsquo;re ready to get married.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&rsquo;s take a closer look at the essential things about Christian marriage readiness that might help you interpret the&nbsp;<span data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"signs you are ready to get married\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":15105,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"11\":0,\"12\":0,\"14\":[null,2,0],\"15\":\"Calibri\",\"16\":11}'>signs you are ready to get married.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-is-Christian-marriage-readiness\"><\/span>What is Christian marriage readiness?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Christianity, marriage readiness is an informal term which refers to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/pre-marriage\/5-premarital-tips-that-guarantee-a-great-marriage\/\">couple&rsquo;s preparations before they get married<\/a>&mdash;and no, we&rsquo;re not talking about wedding reception preparations! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Christian marriage preparations,<\/strong> as a general rule of thumb, are intended to help a couple confirm that they are meant for each other, that they truly want to be married, that they understand what it means to be married, and that they are actually ready to be married.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are-there-any-specific-obligations\"><\/span>Are there any specific obligations?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Christian marriage readiness takes on many forms. For some couples, and in some churches, marriage readiness is as simply as the couple being asked to reflect on marriage, their reasons for marrying, their commitment to each other and their hopes for the future before they marry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, some Christians and churches have more specific readiness requirements that go a lot more in depth than simple reflection. For example, some churches require couples to go through several weeks, months (and sometimes even longer) of classes and programs before they marry. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These classes will typically include books and lessons on what the Bible says about marriage, the expectations of marriage according to modern religious teachings, the importance of the marriage partnership, and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other churches may even require couples to live apart for several months before marriage or see <strong>church-approved <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/\">marriage preparation<\/a><\/strong> counselors who will talk to them about marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Churches sometimes require couples to show proof of &lsquo;readiness&rsquo; before they will agree to marry the couple in the church.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1699 size-full\" title=\"Christian Marriage Readiness\" src=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/How-to-enhance-intimacy-in-a-Christian-marriage.jpg\" alt=\"Christian Marriage Readiness\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do-all-Christians-go-through-%E2%80%98readiness%E2%80%99\"><\/span>Do all Christians go through &lsquo;readiness&rsquo;?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No. Some Christian couples do not go through any <strong>specific readiness preparations. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This does not mean that they marry without thought or aren&rsquo;t ready to be married&mdash;again, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/\">marriage readiness preparations<\/a> are a personal decision that can depend on a person&rsquo;s particular belief structure, their church, and even what denomination of Christianity they personally practice. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In general, &lsquo;readiness&rsquo; is considered more of an expectation in Baptist, Catholic and more traditional churches than it is in modern churches or denominations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Recommended<\/strong>&nbsp;&ndash; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/marriage-courses\/pre-marriage-course\">Online Pre Marriage Course<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-if-a-couple-doesn%E2%80%99t-wish-to-go-through-%E2%80%98readiness%E2%80%99\"><\/span>What if a couple doesn&rsquo;t wish to go through &lsquo;readiness&rsquo;?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If one half of the couple does not want to go through any particular <strong>readiness preparations<\/strong>&mdash;such as a required church program&mdash;then the couple will need to have a serious discussion with each other about how they feel they should go forward. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a best-case scenario, the couple may resolve their differences or come to some sort of compromise; in a worst-case scenario, it may cause a potential problem for the marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pre-marriage-checklist-to-determine-%E2%80%98readiness%E2%80%99\"><\/span>Pre-marriage checklist to determine &lsquo;readiness&rsquo;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When we talk about wedding planning, we tend to focus on preparations for the big day but neglect to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">plan <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the marriage. To help you plan your marriage better, it is important to include a <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/pre-marriage\/5-premarital-tips-that-guarantee-a-great-marriage\/\">pre-marriage<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/pre-marriage\/5-premarital-tips-that-guarantee-a-great-marriage\/\"> checklist<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take for example your social media habits. How are they different from your partner&rsquo;s? Is anyone of you addicted to social media? Will this interrupt or intervene in your marriage? These are just some of the things you need to discuss and ponder over. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Marriage-readiness-questionnaire\"><\/span>Marriage readiness questionnaire<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, ask the following questions that will help you assess your marital readiness. Be honest while answering them.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol><li>Do you understand yourself as an individual?<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you feel comfortable to discuss each other&rsquo;s differences?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you fully committed to each other to make your relationship work?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How much time would you be willing to devote to your life partner?<\/span><\/li>\n<li>How is your relationship with your family?<\/li>\n<li>How comfortable are you when making tough decisions?<\/li>\n<li>Are you compelled to please others when you make your decisions?<\/li>\n<li>Would your marriage be your highest priority in life?<\/li>\n<li>How good are you at resolving conflicts in your relationships?<\/li>\n<li>Do you understand the necessity of compromise in a marriage, and are you willing to practice it in your marriage?<\/li>\n<\/ol><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure to be fully prepared for the journey that you are about, to begin with, your partner. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Read Christian books before marriage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, know the Christian beliefs about marriage, take a marriage readiness test, and you can always rely on a marriage readiness questionnaire to mentally prepare you for marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":""},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you ready to get married?&nbsp;what is readiness in marriage?&nbsp;If you are a Christian and are thinking about marriage, then you may have been considering the topic of Christian marriage readiness. The topic can be complex and, in some circles, even controversial&mdash;but it&rsquo;s important to remember that marriage readiness is a personal choice between you and your partner that should be mutually agreed upon beforehand. So if you happen to be someone who is struggling to understand the concept of&nbsp;readiness for marriage&nbsp;or are not sure of&nbsp;how do you know if you&rsquo;re ready to get married. Let&rsquo;s take a closer look <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":2092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[21],"tags":[2623],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2090"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2090"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2090\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118974,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2090\/revisions\/118974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}