One of the single best things you can do is develop the habit of prayer in your marriage. Even if you and your spouse are strong, devout Christians, prayer (among other things) can easily take the back seat. Whether you already have a sturdy prayer life or desperately desire to have one, here are some practical tips that you can begin implementing today.
The Power of Prayer in Your Marriage
We all know how important prayer is, especially when it comes to having a relationship with Heavenly Father. If we rarely talk to Him, how can we genuinely say that we’re building anything? We can place that same mirror on our marriages and quickly see that without communicating with one another, things begin to shift.
So, let’s first see prayer from the powerful communication piece that it is. Prayer isn’t something to be treated as a once-and-done thing, let alone a mundane act. In fact, Scripture speaks very highly of prayer. We are encouraged to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17); be faithful in prayer (Rom. 12:12); and, pray with confidence (1 John 5:14).
With this in mind, how much stronger could your relationship with both God and your spouse be if you both decided to develop the habit of prayer in your marriage? We’d say the chances are 10 out 10. There are so many benefits to praying with your spouse, for one another, and especially for your marriage. The question now becomes, how do you do that exactly? Here’s how.
How to Develop the Habit of Prayer in Your Marriage
Say yes.
In other words, you both need to decide that prayer is going to have a place in your lives. You’d be surprised by all the things that can (and will) happen just to get you sidetracked from this somewhat simple task. Decide, today, right now, that you and your spouse are going to be serious about making prayer a high priority in your marriage.
Start small.
Then, the next key action is to start small. Decide on a set time of day that you and your spouse can come together, join hands, and pray for just a few minutes. You don’t have to start with long-winded prayers that last 30 minutes. Just pray. If it’s the morning time, ask God to bless your day and pray specifically over anything going on for the day (meetings, travels, etc.). If it’s nighttime, thank God for the day and everything that happened (the good and the bad).
Find prayer prompts.
There are many prayer prompts available, but you can also start with the best ones – Scripture. Do you or your spouse have a favorite Scripture? Start praying them together. You could also look up some that deal with specific topics. If there’s a certain area in your marriage you’d like to pray about, find Scriptures around that and pray them aloud with one another.
Stick with it.
It’s easy to start something new but just as quickly fall off the bandwagon. Even if you miss a day, gently remind your spouse of what you committed to. If changes in time of day need to happen, do so. But keep every effort to be intentional because this is the way you will truly develop the habit of prayer in your marriage. It’s also something worth praying about.
God, help my spouse and I be completely devoted to You, to one another, and to pray for our marriage. Open specific times of our day so we can come together and talk with you, our Abba Father. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Final Thoughts
Studies show that it can take as little as 18 days to form a new habit and around 65 days for it to become automatic. As you start the journey of putting prayer in its rightful place in your marriage, give you and your spouse grace. Have mercy on yourselves and one another, always keeping the goal at the forefront of your minds. Prayer is a powerful weapon against the enemy, as well as a building block to draw you closer to Jesus. We promise that it will change your life and your marriage for the better.
More to Consider
