This June my wife and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage.  One of the most important parts of our marriage has been our weekly time we have set aside to pray together.  There have been weeks we haven’t done this but this has been a pattern of our marriage and the area of our marriage that we think has made the biggest difference.  It doesn’t mean you need to apply what I am about to describe in your marriage 100% but I would absolutely look for ways to layer prayer into your marriage on a consistent basis.

 

3 Ways to Pray For Your Spouse

It’s possible that praying with your spouse (we will get to that in a minute) can be difficult or uncomfortable.  A great way to start praying with your spouse is to start praying for your spouse on your own.  Here are some small steps that will help you move toward praying for your spouse:

 

1. Ask specific questions about their day.

Did anything make you laugh today?  Did anything make you frustrated?  Now you know more about what to pray for your spouse.

2. Ask directly.

“How can I pray for you?”.

3. Implement our P.R.A.Y. model.

On your own and during the Pause and Yield, ask the Holy Spirit to help you see your spouse and put things on your heart and mind about how you can pray for them.

 

9 Tips for Praying With Your Spouse

Praying for your spouse can create pathways between the two of you—and God—that spur you on to pray with one another. While there’s no set formula to use here, these ideas can help grow your prayer life together: 

 

1. Schedule a time.

Austin is a busy city.  If we wait till we feel like praying with our spouse it won’t happen.  Put it on the schedule!

2. Start small.

Prayers can take 30 seconds!  You don’t have to light candles, turn down the lights and put on music.  Start simple!

3. Gratitude.

Take a moment to express appreciation for how the Lord has provided for the both of you.  

4. Confession. 

We all fail in marriage.  Why not use this time in prayer to confess where you fall short as a spouse?

5. Gospel.

There’s no need to end prayer in failure. Jesus is the ultimate spouse. Jesus is the One who meets all our needs. Why not remind ourselves of the gospel in prayer?

6. Affirmation. 

In marriage we get to learn our spouses greatest areas of weakness.  Why not pray for encouragement over our spouse in prayer?

7. Purpose / vision. 

Have you had a chance to clarify the vision of your marriage?  If not, take some time to go through our Yearly Rhythms material available at the resource center.  If you have, then pray for your purpose and vision over your marriage as a reminder.

8. Dreams. 

Have you identified dreams you want to accomplish for your marriage or as individuals?  Pray for the big and little things the Lord might do in you and through you in marriage.

9. Salt and Light. 

Each of us are engaging supernatural opportunities where we live, work and play, so use this time to pray for how the Lord might move in your spouse and through your spouse for His glory.

 

As you cultivate a life of praying for and with one another in marriage, you’ll find that you’re growing in the gospel together and growing closer to one another. That’s the gift of prayer in marriage—it points us beyond marriage itself to the one who holds our lives together for His glory! 

 

North Village Church

This article was written by Pastor Michael Dennis, Lead Pastor at North Village Church; a non-denominational church in Austin, TX, established in 2009 and built around Jesus and Bible teaching.

Are you looking for a church in Austin? At North Village Church we put Jesus at the center of our church family. We worship together every Sunday at 10:30am, encourage Christ centered fellowship through groups, and host special events such as Bible studies and Theological Training, to ensure that we are rooted in in God’s Word. We also serve our local community in association with several Austin based organizations.

North Village Church is made up of professionals, married couples, singles, and families who are wanting to experience the life-transforming power of Jesus. If you are a family with children or teens, we can support you with either or both our Kids Ministry and Youth Ministry.

Check out our North Village Church calendar highlights such as our Christmas Eve Service in Austin and Easter Sunday Service.

You are welcome to contact us if you would like more information, please call (512)-623-9272 or email [email protected]

NVC Online

Unable to attend this Christian Church in Austin? Don’t worry, because, through God’s provision, we have created NVC online, an Online Church streaming a worship service every Sunday from 10:30am Central Time. You can also watch our short, powerful sermons on demand and follow us on Instagram for daily Christ centered content.