THE K.I.S.S. MARRIAGE –Praying Together
Posted: January 4, 2015
Prayer is the most uncomfortable yet powerful topic for marriages. I know it’s uncomfortable because every time I bring it up at any marriage teaching session or marriage mentoring, the room falls silent. Yet prayer is the most powerful source we have in our marriages to create intimacy, receive healing and find hope and peace in our tumultuous lives. What is it that is holding us back from embracing this supernatural FREE power that, reluctantly we know, will save most marriages?
When Jack and I got married 18 years ago, we instantly became parents of a large blended family of 5 children and many grandchildren. They all lived away from us and we are smart enough to know that families run into difficulties, stresses, illnesses and they need help. But living so far away from everyone we could not be there to help them. Jack and I made a deliberate choice to pray for our families each morning. We have done this our entire married life.
Our family has become so familiar with our prayer time that our grandchildren still remember crawling up the stairs early in the morning and climbing onto our laps and snuggling in our arms until our prayer time was over. To this day our phones might light up during our prayer time and it will be one of our children asking us to pray for something that is challenging for them that day. Someone might be running a fever, a difficult day at school, a disappointment, or someone needs to make a big decision that day. Over the years Jack and I have seen incredible answers to prayer, for school admissions, new jobs, health concerns and marriage struggles. Through these challenges, we were always reminded during our prayer times that we are God’s children, and that He loves is deeply and that if we ask Him to help us He hears our prayers and will answer us in the way that will be best for our lives. They may to always be the answers we are looking for, but we have to believe and know that they are best for us.
In the last year there were many difficult situations where all I could do was just sit and cry. But I had a husband beside me who laid his hands on me and prayed strength, healing and new hopes into my spirit.
There is no greater expression of love than to have someone speak God’s words into our lives. It was always enough and exactly what I needed to get through that day.
There is no greater power in a marriage than to know that:
- We cannot control this world no matter how hard we try.
- There is a God who loves us and knows best for our lives and will help us if we ask Him to.
- W e are not strong or smart enough to figure out this complicated and challenging life.
- We are not walking this marriage journey alone, but that there is a partner who will share the burden.
So it may seem awkward at first to speak out loud to someone who you cannot see. But it takes time and practice. We cannot expect to build muscle in our body if we don’t work out at the gym. We can’t expect to play good game of golf if we don’t practice. But we are willing to spend hours putting together a puzzle, fixing a car, renovating a room, reading a great novel or producing a great meal or dessert. Why don’t we put that same effort into learning how to pray together? I guarantee you; it will be most powerful, life changing positive transformation you will experience in the coming year.
Here’s how you can start:
- Read our some pre-written prayers.
- Start with short simple prayers-perhaps around the dinner table.
- Set a particular time that is suitable for both of you.
- Make a list of specific things to pray about.
- Get excited to pray and wait for God to reveal His answers.
- Just do it.
