"When two or more are gathered in His name, there He is also." Matthew 18:20
Do you struggle to communicate with your spouse? Are there roadblocks to your intimacy, and do you wish you were more deeply connected? We have all been there. Marriage is hard, although ordained by God, and can be one of the most challenging relationships we have.
When we get married, there is so much hope emanating from both people. We say our vows wholeheartedly and are so sure we are going to be so strong to get through all the hard things…good and bad, in sickness and in health.
Then life happens. Some couples power through and some don’t.
While love and communication are key, prayer has a unique power to deepen a relationship and offer guidance, especially in tough times.
"When two or more are gathered in His name, there He is also." Matthew 18:20
Incorporating prayer into your marriage can help couples connect on a deeper, spiritual level. This adds a level of dependence on God instead of only depending on ourselves or each other.
Marriage is a covenant before God, and when we pray, it strengthens the covenant and reminds us of the sanctity of our bond. Aligning our hearts with God's will through prayer can bring understanding, peace, and unity to our marriage.
When my husband and I got married it was our second marriage for both of us. One of the things that stuck with us in our premarital counseling was how important it is to pray together.
The pastor encouraged us to pray every night before bed, thanking God for each other. There is something so intimate about praying for each other and thanking God for specific things about our spouse while they are listening.
We have been married ten years, and we still do this nearly every night.
This was not implemented in either of our previous marriages and the intimacy was not nearly as deep.
Prayer is powerful. When we include God in all the things going on in our lives, it might not make everything perfect, but we can learn to see God’s hand working in everything that we go through. Good and bad.
We are a blended family so there is a lot to pray for, and we have seen miracles in the lives of our children. We have walked our kids through hard, disappointing things, but God has given us the grace and wisdom to handle all of it.
When we lay it all down at the feet of Jesus, it frees up our spirit to fully trust God, no matter what our circumstances look like.
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16
Here are some practical ways to incorporate prayer in your marriage:
1. Pray daily together. Set aside time in the morning, afternoon, or before bed. Even the shortest, simplest prayers can have the biggest impact.
2. Pray for each other. Pray for your spouse's faith, well-being, and purpose. Pray for each other when you're apart and when you’re together.
3. Pray in difficult times. When challenges come, sit on your knees, holding hands with your spouse, lifting all the hard things to God. This will help you connect to God and each other. Of course, any posture is great but being on your knees helps you focus on God.
4. Celebrating Milestones. Pray for big events, big decisions, or big troubles. And also pray for all the little mundane things that you don’t think God cares about because He certainly does.
Try incorporating prayer into your marriage. It is a powerful tool that encourages intimacy with each other and with God. When we link arms and include God in our daily lives, we will start to see a shift. We will notice the big and little ways that God cares about us and how He shows up in unexpected ways.
A simple prayer to begin:
Lord, thank you for my spouse. Thank you for bringing us together in such a unique way. I thank you for our relationship and the covenant that we share with you. Please help us incorporate prayer time into our busy lives. Help us recognize our need for you in our daily tasks, big decisions, and all the little things in between. We long to be connected more intimately and deeply, and we want you right in the center. Give us creative ways to incorporate prayer time every day. Show us who you are as we learn to speak out loud our requests, our gratefulness, and all the things we are petitioning for. We are excited to see you show up in unexpected ways. Thank you for your desire to be in our relationship with us and to be the center of our marriage. Amen.
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Heidi Vegh is a writer, speaker, and ministry leader living in Western Washington. She is a remarried mother of four, navigating the blended family life after the loss of her first husband to cancer in 2013. She longs to use her writing as a way to encourage others who have experienced loss and guide them on the road to healing. She contributes to her blog found at www.mrsheidivegh.com , sharing stories and devotionals of faith stemming from her loss and healing, mothering, and her blended and complex family. She graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Creative Writing and English and is working on her first book. Heidi is the Women’s Ministry Director at her local church and has a deep heart for sharing Jesus with women and encouraging them in their faith walk. When she is not writing, she loves to travel, read, craft, and experiment in the kitchen. Visit her Facebook and Instagram (@mrsheidivegh) to learn more.
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Originally published Wednesday, 29 January 2025.
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