“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” Corrie Ten Boom
That is a provocative question. For many of us, prayer is an afterthought, or something we do when
facing a crisis. However, when we talk with God regularly, our relationship with Him deepens and
we learn to recognize His fingerprints on our lives. Prayer in itself has huge benefits for us
personally and likewise, when husbands and wives pray for each other, wonderful things can
happen in our marriage. However, when we take the time to actually pray together, the power of
our prayers multiplies and so do the benefits.
“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in
heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among
them.” (Matthew 18:19-20)
Prayer Strengthens the Bonds of Marriage
Prayer not only opens communication between you and God, it strengthens the bonds of
marriage. Studies have found the old adage, ?Couples that pray together, stay together? to be
true. In a recent poll from Gallup it was revealed that ?among married couples who attend church
together regularly, the divorce rate is one out of two. That is the same statistic for marriages outside
the church. However, among married couples who pray together daily, the divorce rate drops to one
out of 1,153.? Prayer reinforces the connection between couples and as a result, their marriages are
strengthened!
Prayer Encourages Unity
As we come before God as a couple, we are coming as a team and reminding ourselves that we are
on the same side. Team players have common goals and direction. Praying together reinforces
those goals and that connection. When we offer our prayers to God together we are naturally
aligning our hearts as couples for one shared hope and outcome.
Prayer Promotes Emotional Intimacy
Sharing our desires and deepest longings with each other in prayer gives one another an intimate
glimpse into the other person’s heart. The tender moments that are created when our hearts are open
and vulnerable to each other grow our love and level of intimacy in our relationship.
Prayer Invites God into Your Relationship
When God is at the center of our marriage, we have a ?built in? compass and guide. God gives
direction and wisdom that we as couples long for in our relationship. By praying together we are
inviting God into our marriage and welcoming His hand on our lives. He will bring healing and joy
as He tenderly leads us on the path He has set out for us.
Prayer Changes Marriages
Praying together cannot help but change our marriages for the better. The connection that develops
and grows when we pray together deepens our love and strengthens the bond in our relationship.