It’s time to rekindle your love with these Christian date night ideas for married couples! Whether you’re newly wedded, comfortably married, working things out, or empty-nesters, you and your spouse are called to nurture your relationship.
Although dating in the modern sense isn’t written out explicitly in the Bible, God provides a foundation for couples to continue nurturing their relationship throughout their journey together.
Date nights improve marriages. In fact, married couples who date are 3.5 times more likely to be “very happy” in their marriages than couples who spend less than once a week engaged in couple time. Divorce is less likely to happen as well.
Love, connection, and respect are integral to successful, long-term marriages. Find inspiration and guidance from biblical teachings and apply them while dating your spouse.
The Christian Call to Date Your Spouse
Before we get into Christian date night ideas for married couples, let’s explore why we should even consider dating our significant other.
God created marriage as a sacred bond between a man and woman to demonstrate a lifelong commitment filled with love, understanding, and companionship. A lifetime feels exponentially longer in our modern society as we demand instant notifications, one-click communication, and endless examples of picture-perfect couples we strive to be.
The demand for quick answers and, “drop everything for the next best thing,” quickly throws us into a tangled web of chaos and disorder that leads to anxiety and depression. As our responsibilities grow and the desire to be perfect Christians mounts on us, we find ourselves walking on eggshells. Meeting our spouses’ needs early in our relationships gets neglected.
Our initial excitement with our spouses as newlyweds begins to fade, which will eventually snuff out the passion and joy we once had.
It’s essential to keep that fire burning within a Christian marriage and stay connected to continue fostering affection and adoration for years to come. The following verses help build the case for married Christian couples to date and nurture their commitment to each other.
Bible Verses That Support Dating Your Spouse
Review the following Bible verses to get into the right mindset as you start considering Christian date night ideas for married couples.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy… In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.” Ephesians 5:25-28 (NIV)
“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.” 1 Corinthians 7:3-4 (NIV)
“May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.” Proverbs 5:18-19 (NIV)
“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” 1 Peter 3:7 (NIV)
These four verses highlight sacrificial love, responsibility toward each other’s physical needs and desires, cherishing each other, and respecting and understanding one another. Husbands and wives should prioritize each other’s well-being, naturally resulting in a healthy marriage. Part of our needs require a loving and intimate bond with our partner. There is beauty and strength in a loving relationship.
The Necessity of Dating Your Spouse
Sweaty palms, dry mouth, and increased heart rate provide us with physical clues of infatuation and attraction to potential partners. More than a physical pull toward another person is required to know you are meant to marry. This initial spark is essential to pique your interest and grab your attention.
Still, a deeper level of intimacy is needed to guarantee a lifetime of devotion. Ensure you include the following tips as you plan with Christian date night ideas for married couples.
Be Intentional.
Dating your spouse doesn’t necessarily mean regularly scheduled romantic dinners out. Investing time, attention, and care into your most important human relationship is a conscious effort. Lasting marriage requires intentional work.
You can still go out on romantic dates, but does the conscious effort to connect deeply exist in moments you take for granted? You can share the same intentions during a simple walk around the block or playing a card game together at home.
Put in the Time.
You don’t commit to follow Jesus and check off the boxes of Christian duties to have a complete relationship with God. You put intentional time in so you can receive all the wonderful gifts He has for you to experience. This is why dating within a Christian marriage is so important. You’ve got to put in the work and the time!
Communicate.
We must be in constant, regular communication with God to stay connected. Even when life gets busy, we still need to make the time to stop and reach out to God. Date nights give married couples a platform to allow them to stop and reach for each other. We can quickly lose touch with one another amid noise and distraction. When we can focus on each other, we can listen to each other’s thoughts, dreams, and emotions.
How excited were you when you decided to give your life to Christ? Do you remember how you felt after baptism? It’s like planning for and experiencing a successful first date! And when you put thought and intentionality into planning for subsequent dates, you relive that experience over again. Each day together and every date should feel like those early days. Seeking new and novel experiences will make you feel like it’s the first time.
Christian Date Night Ideas for Married Couples
Pack a picnic basket, find a quiet spot, and spend time praying together, expressing gratitude for each other, and seeking guidance for your marriage. Volunteer at a local charity or community event, allowing your shared values to shine as you work together to make a positive impact. Or, choose a book or a chapter and explore its meaning, applying it to your life and marriage.
Dating and loving your spouse doesn’t have to be complicated! Some of the most loving couples I know have shared that just being together and enjoying each other’s company and conversation is enough. Many emphasized the importance of being kid-free on date nights.
The following are real-life examples of date night locations from people at my church:
- Walking the aisles at Lowe’s
- Coffee shops
- Boardgames by candlelight
- Cooking class
- Long car rides and sightseeing
- Antique and thrift shopping
- Redo the first date experience
- Progressive dinners
- Beach walks
- Painting nights
- Free events around town
- Dinner and a movie
And they followed up with some of the sweetest words:
“When we are together (which is often), we talk so much and enjoy our conversations. We talk about life, church, kids, visions, and everything. That connection can definitely contribute to being more intimate in a myriad of ways.
“It is enough to be in each other’s presence and share our thoughts.”
How to Communicate During Your Date
Tonight is the big night! You and your spouse have planned out your date using the list of Christian date night ideas for married couples for inspiration. Together, you fill the time with walking, sightseeing, eating, and talking. It’s all good, but you can do these with a friend. So, what can you do to take your conversation and connection to the next level with your spouse?
Active listening.
Be genuinely interested in your spouse’s thoughts and feelings. Jesus commanded us to “pay attention to how we hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, but for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.” (Luke 8:18). More will be given and in abundance to those who listen intently and put thoughtful consideration into each of their spouse’s words.
Therefore, remove distractions and focus on what your partner is saying.
Be vulnerable.
Create a safe space where you and your spouse can share your hopes, dreams, fears, and anxiety without judgment. Remember that God says his power is made in perfect weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Being vulnerable allows God to work through us, and our spouses can witness Him in us as we glorify Him! How wonderful and intimate are these moments of vulnerability?
As a couple, you can identify where your limitations end and anticipate where God’s work can begin. Here are some questions to help get your conversation started:
- What are your current dreams and aspirations?
- How can we better support each other’s spiritual growth?
- What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do but have yet to have the chance to do?
Make allowances.
Marriage isn’t immune to challenges; sometimes, we must take a moment and step away from each other. We never stop loving our spouses, but falling back in love is entirely possible. Rekindle your joy together and foster gratitude and understanding. You can reflect on the qualities you love about each other.
Make each other a priority and “make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13).
Sealing the Deal
“The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife” (1 Corinthians 7: 3).
Case closed, right? Having sex sounds pretty straightforward, but many couples find themselves clueless about how to meet each other’s sexual needs. For explicit examples, the Song of Solomon is a long poem about lovemaking. Sexual intercourse with your spouse is an intimate expression of physical love. Sex celebrates the passion and desire between a husband and wife.
As in effective communication, where there is speaking and active listening. Effective sexual connection requires the right kind of touching and receiving. Communication and sharing each other’s desires are important. Let the other know what works and what doesn’t in bed. Lovemaking is a celebration of love between two people and a gift from God as a powerful tool for connection.
“Oh, how beautiful you are! How pleasing, my love, how full of delights! You are slender like a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters of fruit. I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree and take hold of its fruit. May your breasts be like grape clusters, and the fragrance of your breath like apples. May your kisses be as exciting as the best wine–‘” (Song of Songs: 7:6-9).
Go Date Your Spouse!
Dating your spouse as a Christian couple is more than just a romantic notion; it’s a way of honoring your commitment before God. By prioritizing reconnection, nurturing passions, and fostering effective communication, you can build a marriage that’s not only strong but also full of joy and love.
Christian date night ideas for married couples can help inspire you. Take it to the next level and embrace the journey of dating your spouse. Use it as an opportunity to deepen your spiritual and emotional connection, ensuring that your marriage remains a shining example of God’s love.
Written by: Charlotte Singletary. Charlotte lives in Jacksonville, FL with her husband and three kids.
