If You Aren't Praying for Your Spouse, Who Is?

If You Aren't Praying for Your Spouse, Who Is?
Written by: Brigette Klackring - Marriage & Family Ministry Director

I could probably end the blog post with that rhetorical question and it'd be enough to stir something in your spirit. But, if you need any further nudging, research shows that only 11% of Christian couples pray together daily. That's startling. No wonder the number one issue in marriages is communication, we're not inviting a key player into the conversation. I share all of this in love, not in shame. My prayer is that the marriages of Sitka AG would not be a statistic, but an anomaly, utilizing this powerful tool that the Lord has made available to us.

I'll be the first to admit in our early years of marriage Mick and I stumbled through praying together. I remember awkwardly dancing around who would go first and how to close. However, I look back on those early years fondly because we pushed through and it is now a cornerstone of our marriage.

As we approach our ten year wedding anniversary the practice has made progress and our days are incomplete without coming to the Lord together. I share our story not to boast about our relationship, but to boast about how good God is to supply our marriages with this infinitely giving resource.

So, what benefits can you expect when praying with and for your spouse?
1. An increase in vulnerability which trickles into an increase in trust.
2. Unity in decision making.
3. Space for confession and forgiveness.
4. Understanding your spouse's struggles and concerns, hopes and dreams.

If this isn't something you've done before, simply turn to the bible for inspiration. Here are a few great verses to pray over your spouse.
1. That he/she would trust God's plan over their own: Jeremiah 29:11
2. That the Lord would bless his/her work: Proverbs 22:29
3. That he/she would seek wisdom: James 1:5.
4. Pray over their finances: Luke 16:13
5. Pray over their health: James 5:15
6. Pray for their spiritual growth: Ephesians 3:16-19

A few practical tips.
If you're not quite comfortable praying out loud yet, practice. Pray out loud when you are alone. Pray for your spouse out loud alone. Then pray for your spouse out loud when you're together.

Start with a consistent time. Maybe that's before you each leave for work, blessing each other for the day or before bed, when the day is coming to close. Then, in time, you will also find yourselves praying together amidst the chaos of everyday moments: when you're exhausted from parenting, when the car won't start, when you're in the middle of a disagreement. I assure you stopping in the middle of an argument will change the direction of the conversation. Prayer breeds life-giving words. When you invite God into the conversation He is able to bless it.

It may feel awkward at first, but I promise the risk is worth the reward. If this sparked any questions or you'd like to speak further about how to better integrate prayer into your marriage shoot me an email Brigette@sitkaag.org and we'll figure out a time to connect.