Mathew 19:6
‘So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined
together, let no one separate.’
Hi All,
Welcome to
my second post on relationships. Praying together as a couple should be the
first habit a couple should learn. With this post I would like to help couple
on how to pray together and what to pray for. This is just an example, so
please adjust it and make it work for the two of you.
Before I
carry on any further, here is a prayer for you and your spouse to pray over
your relationship/marriage:
Dear Lord,
Help us to
remember when we first met and the strong love that grew between us. To work
that love into practical things so nothing can divide us. We ask for words both
kind and loving and hearts always ready to ask for forgiveness as well as to
forgive. Lord, we put our marriage into your hands.
Amen.
How to pray
together as a couple:
- Set time aside.
This sound pretty easy, right? But when busy
schedules and kids come to play it gets pretty difficult to find some time
alone. But make it a priority, talk to each other when it will work best for
you both. Maybe it’s in the morning or maybe in the evening. Have a coffee
outside and use that freedom to pray together. There is no perfect spot.
- Length doesn’t matter.
I believe that it doesn’t matter for how long you
pray. As long as you pray and as long as you mean it.
- Pray out loud.
It’s when each spouse takes a turn to pray out
loud. And the other listens.
- Take turns.
When sitting to pray together talk what you two
would like to pray for and decide who is going to pray for what. For example
let one spouse say thanks for all the blessings and the other pray for family.
- On the spot.
If you feel like an argument is building up. STOP. Pray
together for forgiveness and peace and hand over all issues to God.
What to pray
for in a relationship.
- Protection
Psalm 91:9-11 “If you make the Lord your refuge, if you
make the most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come
near your home. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in
all thy ways.”
Pray, ask
and beg God to keep your relationship in his hands and protect it from evil.
Even when things are going okay, pray. Never cease to pray, don’t allow any
chance for Satan to creep in.
- God’s will over your marriage
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, ‘declares
the Lord, plans to prosper you and not
to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God has a
plan for you and for your marriage. Submit your marriage to him. Let him guide
you and your spouse on the right path. Enjoy the peace that comes from trusting
the Lord.
- Commitment to one another
Genesis 2:24 “Therefore a man shall leave his
father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
Proverbs 3:5-7 “Trust in the Lord with all your
heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the
Lord, and turn away from evil.”
As God has
said in Genesis 2:24, the two will become one flesh. You can’t get it more simpler
than that. God tells us to commit to that one person. And why do that? Well, in Proverbs 3:5-7 God tells us, ‘Trust in the
Lord and he will make paths straight. Therefore if we keep our
relationship/marriage holy, God will do the rest, he will guide and protect.
Even in the Ten Commandments it says: You shall not commit adultery. It’s
written in black and white, cast in stone, that you and your spouse are to
become one.
- Finances
Matthew 6:33: “ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and
his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Most of us
know what it means to be in a tough
financial situation. It’s a big pressure point in a relationship and sadly,
many relationships fail because of financial problems. There is just so many
references in the Bible about not putting worldly things before God and your
relationship. Many people don’t understand the concept marrying for good and
bad. As soon as things get tough financially, they separate. What happened to
that promise? But not to worry, God has a promise for us that we can be assured
he will never break. All we ought to do is to lay our relationship and troubles
in his hands. He promises us that he will take care of it. We just have to have
faith in him and love each other like he loves us.
- Good attitude
Phillipians 4:13: “ I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.”
Pray as a
couple for a good and positive attitude. Have a joyful heart and it will be a
natural medicine in your relationship. Ask God to help you to uplift your
spouse when times are tough. And stay positive.
- Patience
Romans 12:12: “Rejoice in Hope, be patient in tribulation,
be constant in prayer.”
Galatians 6:9: “And let us not grow weary of doing good,
for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Patience is not
an easy thing to practice. Especially in hard times or if there is two very
strong willed partners. But God promises us that we shall reap rewards by being
patient. Remember that words spoken can be forgiven but not forgotten.
- Supporting each other
Exlesiasles 4:12: “And though a man might prevail
against one who is alone, two will withstand him- a threefold cord is not
quickly broken.”
There is a reason why there is two people in a
relationship. It is to support each other and to build a strong fort that
nothing can break. Pray to God to help you support each other and to be a
leaning shoulder for one another.
- Affection
Song of Solomon 1:2:” Let him kiss me with the kisses of
his mouth: for your love is better than wine.”
Pray to God
to keep reminding you both to cherish the physical part of your relationship
and to keep on re-igniting the passion. Never forget that your bodies belong to
both of you only. Think simple, think what sparked the relationship in the
first place, that first kiss…
- Communication
James 1:19: “Know this, my beloved brothers, let
every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;”
Proverbs 15:1 :”A soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh
words stir up anger.”
Through the
last 11 years of my relationship with my husband, I have truly learnt the meaning of communication. And not just
any communication, good communication. No-one is a mind reader, therefore you
have to talk. If you don’t talk you leave a gap of doubt which allows Satan to put bad thoughts into your mind. And
at the end of the day it was just a misunderstanding, or it all started with
something small that could have been solved. Talk, talk and talk again. No
matter how long it takes to solve a situation, DO NOT STOP.
- Love and respect
Ephesians 5:33 :”However, let each one of you love his wife
as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
This one
should be easy and yet so many people can’t get it right. Give love and respect
like you would want to receive it. Don’t expect something you simply cannot
give. Ask God to help you be a better spouse and to love and respect each other
like he does.
Thank you
for reading this post. It is just so important for us to live our marriage like
God wants us to and to teach our kids by example. Praying together is an amazing
way to become closer as a couple and learn about each other.
Something I
also want to share with you all:
The greatest
thing a man can do for a woman is to lead her closer to God than himself.
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