The topic for today is Praying as A Couple:Do you pray together?
First my answer to this question: YES!!! But it has not always been that way.
We came into our marriage both as Christians who prayed independently. Surely, as I think back some 12 years ago, we prayed together over many things. However, we did not experience the joy of really praying together, hearts as one, till a few years ago. Certainly God granted us the blessing of Carys's illness to teach us that united together under His power - we can see all sorts of things come to pass.
We are so blessed. Recent events in our family and with our friends have taught us the true blessing it is to have the type of closeness that we share. Not many people these days who claim to become one in marriage, succeed in allowing the Father to transform their hearts to the point they can understand what that type of love he really intended for husbands and wives to share.
The Benifits!
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~Unity ~
Justin and I pray over everything. But something special happens when we begin praying over things together. Now, not only can we experience the joy when God reaches down ans directly answers a prayer, but we get to do that together! I think about when our kids were born. We were blessed to be in the same place, at the same time, to experience that joy together. It is the same sort of thing when we pray together. Lets say we are praying for a certain friend to come to know Christ, or simply join us in church for worship. When God sees fit to grant that request we get to reap the fruit of our labor (being prayer) together.
Before, when I prayed completely alone, there were times when I was so excited that God had answered my prayers. But, because I had not shared those request with Justin, and he had not taken those on as his prayers, it was difficult for him to get excited over what God has done - maybe because it was for me. But now, when we discuss our prayers and join one another in those request we have a valued interest in the outcome or results - because now it is for us!
Couples who pray together present a more united front to satan. If Justin and I prayed independently, it would be possible for me to be praying for something to happen while at the same time, he was praying it would not happen! See where that is an open invitation for satan to get right in your business!?! However, if we pray together, we know the truw feelings of one another and can be more united in prayer. A husband and wife on a praying mission is NO match for satan!
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~Intimacy~
Praying together creates closeness and intimacy between husband and wife. Who are you most honest with. I would like to say Justin, but I know that the truth is that I am most truthful with God beacuse He already knows my thoughts and desires. If I open up myself before Justin in that same way and allow him to expereince my prayers - the truest desires of my heart - how much closer would we be?
It is clear in God's Word that He designed the married couples to expereince things about each other and with each other that did not share with others. (There is one thing you are ALL thinking about!) But I believe that our conversations with God are one of the most personal things about us. Being able to share things in prayer with Justin that no one else even knows exists in me (this could be faults or hopes) is a wonderful thing to share. I also find that I am more honest about how I feel about Justin in my prayers, and he gets to expereince that as well. Things (good or bad) that I might not tell him but would talk to God about, I find myself sharing with him.
Toghter prayer creates an intamicy between us that no one can share in. We could be in public and a topic come up that we have been praying about - he already knows how I feel. Maybe we have been praying for opportunities to witness to others and I have shared a fear that I have. When that opportunity comes, if he is with me he can begin praying without a word from me beacuse he alreay knows what I need. If he is not with me, I can rest assure that he has been praying for me in this exact situation.
When we married, we promised each other that we would walk together no matter what life brings our way, knowing God would guide us. I cannot think of anything in life that I want to experience without Justin. Heartache or joy, we believe that the Bible teaches that He formed us in our mothers' wombs to be as one. However, we have to work to make that happen. Pray- it is just one of many verbs that God gives to work together to become one heart!
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing and joining in the discussion!
-Ashley
Amen, Alison. I agree that Jeremy and I have never been as close as when we are united in prayer. It has been such a blessing in our marriage. And, truly brings us closer. We have spend many late nights praying over the beds of our sleeping children, or just on our knees together. We, too, always were 'praying people', but not until we started doing it together were our eyes opened to each other's intimate heart. Thanks for sharing!
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