Hello Friends,
Last Sunday, Alex and I had the opportunity to speak at our church. We partnered with our pastor as we talked about the importance of giving 100% in your marriage. During the sermon, we shared 5 ways you could give 100%. One of the tips we talked about was the importance of prayer. As we were talking through this it hit me that although we have mentioned the importance of prayer a lot in our blogs, we have never taken the time to break down how you can develop a healthy prayer life between you and your spouse. We wanted to take the time to do that here but, first, let’s look at why this is important.
Divorce-Proof Your Marriage
Although praying together is wildly beneficial it will not happen organically. It will be something you will have to intentionally work at, but the benefits of it will be worth the work. Studies have shown the power of prayer and they are mind-blowing.
Recent studies have shown that while 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce, and 78 percent of second marriages end in divorce, less than 1 percent of couples who pray together daily end their marriages.
This study shows that by simply praying together on a regular basis you can virtually divorce-proof your marriage. Alex and I attended a marriage class a few weeks ago. The teacher shared this same statistic but added that if you hold hands with your spouse while praying it lowers that 1% divorce rate even more.
With this new information about the importance and power of prayer, let’s look at 3 ways to divorce-proof your marriage by establishing a prayer time with your spouse.
Three Ways to Established Prayer in Your Marriage
Push Through the Awkward
When Alex and I first started praying together it felt very awkward. Although both of us prayed regularly it was weird praying with each other. However, weird or not, we chose to push through.
As we continued to pray together it became more and more comfortable for us. Now we don’t have a problem praying about anything with each other.
Take Away #1 – Even if it feels awkward at first, keep at it. The more you pray together the more comfortable you will become.
Find a Rhythm that Works for You
If you want to be successful in this be sure to pick a time and place that works best for both of you.
Alex and I started by praying at night before we went to bed. The problem was we were already tired, and by the time we laid down and got comfortable we were asleep. We tried for months to make that arrangement work for us, but it didn’t happen.
Through a lot of trial and error, we discovered that the best time for us was on our way to work in the morning. Both of us are awake and alert, and it is just a great way to start our day.
Take Away #2 – Find the best rhythm for you and your spouse. Don’t give up if the first few attempts don’t work. Try new places and times until you find what works best for you.
Be Intentional
In the beginning, we had to be extremely intentional to develop our habit of prayer. Like any habit, it takes time to get established. There were times one of us would forget and would need to be reminded.
As time has passed, it has become an important part of our day. We both know exactly when prayer time is, and it happens every day.
Take Away #3 – Being super intentional in the beginning will help you form a habit that happens every day.
Never Give Up
As we said earlier, prayer is a way to divorce-proof your marriage. It will not only cause you to grow spiritually but it will strengthen your marriage in a way nothing else can.
Now let’s be real for a second.
There will be times when you get it wrong. You may pick the wrong time or completely forget altogether. Alex and I have been there. One slip-up doesn’t mean complete failure. You may forget one day, just don’t make it two. If you forget two, don’t make it three. Make it a point not to give up on this. This is far too important to the health and longevity of your marriage.
Push through and don’t give up!
You can do this!
We are praying for you!
To see the full sermon from Sunday where we shared 5 ways to give 100% in your marriage, click here.