FamilyFire

Prayer is one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines. It is the opportunity to bring the cares of our hearts to the very throne of God.  What a blessing it is to have an audience with the God of the universe who cares about the concerns that weigh on our hearts.

When we cast our cares on God, we’re free to walk around without a lifetime of baggage. It is a natural tendency to want to fix all of our problems on our own. We are overwhelmed with anxiety over so many things that we have no control over! We need to keep handing the baggage back to God, and trust our issues to his care.

When we bow our heads together, as a couple, we have the opportunity to hear the spiritual aches that our spouse carries. Can you be trusted with that information? Do you trust your spouse enough to be spiritually naked together? It can be scary to take those risks. We may pray after an argument and find our hands trembling as we pray. Our grievances with each other feel petty in the presence of God.

As I look at some of the most intimate moments in our marriage, they involve prayer. When one of us stopped the flow of anxiety, by taking the others hand and praying, it changed the whole situation. It is amazing to see how perspectives are altered when we become aware of God’s presence in the midst of our struggles. We are called to confess to our spouse and pray for them. How are you doing in your prayer lives?

When we pray together as a couple, it knits our hearts together with God’s heart. The cord of three strands is not easily broken. We should share our prayer concerns with our spouse. We should also ask what is weighing on their heart that you can lift up in prayer today. Are we remembering to pray for our spouse? Prayer is one of the most powerful tools we have for strengthening our relationships, use it today.