Our #MarriageMonday posts are written to help couples dig deeper, connect intentionally,  and to be more equipped to handle the everyday challenges and realities of marriage.

Prayer is such an important part of our relationship with God, as well as our relationship with our spouse. It’s a powerful way we can be unified through what we’re grateful for, understand what’s in the heart of our spouse, and connect on how we’re (together) asking God to move.

But in many marriages, it can be hard to know where to start! I know we felt that. So today we want to share some simple prayer habits that have helped us stay better connected!

You can start these habits anytime.

Mark: Really, these are routines we’ve just implemented in recent years. And one of these routines is to hold hands with each other anytime someone is praying. Whether that’s at dinner, at church, or anywhere else.

Jill: Yes, we might be with a friend or at a Bible study and somebody prays, and we’ll reach out and grab each other’s hand. We find it helps us to feel a little bit more connected, like we’re praying as a team! This was a first step we took towards praying together.

“Ping Pong” prayer together.

Jill: We have also learned how verbally pray together, and when I say pray together, I mean outside of dinner and the “formal” prayer times. For example, sometimes we prayer walk. We’ll be out on a walk and one of us will just start praying. Or sometimes we prayer drive…as we’re driving somewhere we use it as a time to pray together.

Mark: We’ll just start talking to God. You know, prayer is just talking to Daddy God, and not making it a big formal thing, just having a conversation.

Jill: Right. For example, we host marriage intensives in our home. We’re often making the bed before a couple comes to stay with us to work on their marriage. So I might pray, “Lord, we just want to lift up this couple, the ones who are going to sleep in this bed this weekend. We ask that you would open their hearts to what you want to do in them during their time here.”

Mark: And then I might add to that, “I pray that you would prepare them with peace, with confidence, and with courage. Help them know they can do this! Prepare their hearts and mind for the changes you want to help them with.”

Jill: And then I might do another sentence, and then Mark might do another sentence, and we just ping pong back and forth. Sometimes there’s no more words, and we’re just ok in the silence until one of us is prompted to pray something else or one of us closes out with amen.

Mark: We do the same praying for our kids, or situations we’re facing, or decisions we need to make together.

You have to push through awkward to get to a new normal.

Jill: Now I’ll tell you what, if you want to do something new in your marriage by praying together… it’ll be awkward!

Mark: Yes it will be! Anytime you create new habits or venture into unfamiliar territory, it feels uncomfortable. However this is the essence of growth! Remember, you have to push through awkward to get to a new normal. But it’ll be so worth it because a couple that prays together, stays together!

What about you? Where could you implement some of these prayer tips in your marriage? Or what else have you found helpful?