We’ve all heard the well-worn cliche that “a marriage that prays together, stays together”. While it is easy to gloss over such popularized cliches, it is important that we give this one a serious second look.
Regular prayer time as a couple is what separates good marriages from great marriages.
As of this writing, I have been married over thirty years. But, I am just beginning to really understand the power of “perfecting prayers”. Perfecting prayers are deeply personal. They are rooted in one’s own individual need to become more Christ-like. Perfecting prayers reflect our sincere effort to live out Christ’s words to “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”.
These are not one-time prayers that are offered and forgotten. Rather, they are prayers offered in perpetuity–continually cleansing us from our iniquities.
Perfecting prayers serve as a constant reminder that our marriage is designed for God not for ourselves.
The Five Prayer HABITS
Prayer #1: Prayer for Healing
Key truth: Healing is wholeness, which by definition demands faithfulness. Healing creates the atmosphere of your marriage.
- Prayer: “Lord, make my marriage whole.“
Prayer #2: Prayer for Abundance
Key truth: Abundance is generosity. Abundance is the mindset of your marriage.
- Prayer: “Lord, help us to generously sow but to abundantly reap (reap beyond the seed I sow).“
Prayer #3: Prayer for Brokenness
Key truth: Brokenness is a repentant spirit. Brokenness is the spirit of your marriage.
- Prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10
Prayer #4: Prayer for Integrity
Key truth: Integrity is righteousness modeled. Integrity is the character of your marriage.
- Prayer: “Lord, help us to be a dependable model (as individuals and as a couple) of good works that demonstrate the light of Christ to all who see us.”
Prayer #5: Prayer for Trust
Key Truth: Trust is belief in action. Trust is the cornerstone of your marriage.
- Prayer: “Lord, help us to trust your vision for our lives and your voice to order our steps more than we trust ourselves.”
Which prayers speak most to you today?
What needs to be perfected in your marriage?
Who do you need to become to have a perfect marriage?
