Praying as a Couple

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."- 1 Peter 3:8,9

Have you ever prayed with your husband or wife? Do you mind if I ask, "why not?"

Prayer is conversation between you and your heavenly Father. Don’t forget that God already knows everything about you, everything that takes place between you and your mate, and between you and everybody else for that matter. There are no surprises with Him. God loves you far more than you can ever imagine.

If you’ve never prayed together as a couple, I have a suggestion. Sit together and think of prayer as a simple conversation between you and Jesus Christ. Talk to Him as though He were actually sitting there. Hold hands when you pray. Touching each other as you touch God is a powerful experience.

You can pray together at any time, but unless you pray together at some particular time of the day, you’ll never make prayer a habit. For many years my wife and I have made our time of prayer the first thing in the morning. We will often drink coffee together and pray, voicing thoughts in simple phrases.

What can prayer do for a couple? It can open the door to effective communication, help you address issues that threaten to tear you apart, help you find God’s power in ways you would never discover otherwise, and give you wisdom on how to parent, how to cope with the problems at work, and how to stay on top of circumstances.

Sometimes prayer can be as straightforward as "God, you know what is happening in our lives, and I don’t like it. I need Your help. Lord, we need Your help. Help us to be the couple You want us to be, and forgive us of our sins and failures."

When a couple will agree to pray together–no matter what the problem, from infidelity to poor communication–I’ve discovered that things begin moving towards a solution. There is danger indeed in prayer. It can upset your agenda, but it can also bring healing and hope for a better marriage.

Resource Reading: 1 Peter 3:1-12