‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ‘ Philippians 4:6(NLT)
‘But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’ Matthew 6:6-13(NLT)
Jason and Kristy are best friends who’ve been married 10 years. They’re often on the road with their hound and four kids, adventuring to water, mountains, and family.
Kristy:
“Holy Spirit we invite You into this marriage. We need You in this marriage. We invite You to our wedding, to our honeymoon, and to our life when we go back home together.” Everything was planned for on our wedding day. Then my new husband did something unplanned. He whispered this impromptu prayer at the altar. I didn’t know how this prayer would move through time and situations to bring more freedom and blessing than we ever anticipated. It’s moments like these, when you discover the power of prayer, that you’re inspired to humbly lift your priorities and thanks to God.
The more I pray, the more I realize God doesn’t usually move your life in the exact direction of your prayers. However, the more you pray, the more you become sure He’s working for your good as He moves within and through your life. Deciding to pray—both together and apart—won’t make your marriage easy or perfect, but it will make it whole. Almost ten years in, our prayer sounds like this, “God, what’s Your mission for our marriage?”
Jason:
As Kristy mentioned, I vowed to make prayer a part of our marriage early on. But, most of my prayers are full of information for God. “Hey God, Kristy’s kind of giving me a hard time today,” or, “I’m kind of a grump today. Can You help?” Or maybe, “The boys’ asthma is acting up, the house needs work, our van needs a mechanic, and money is tight right now, God. Did You know that?” Don’t get me wrong, I thank Him for stuff too, but even my thanksgiving is full of info. “God, this thing and that project and this relationship is working out—thanks for that.” You know what I realized recently? Prayer is far less about making God more aware of your life, and far more about making your life more aware of Him. So, now I pray to make my marriage, my family, my work, and even my stuff more aware of Him. I still tell God about how life is going because we’re close and I like to share my life with Him. But now when I pray, I also let His truth, His presence, and His love speak to my life about who He is. How? By listening. Next time you pray, spend as much time listening as you do talking. And spend as many words honoring Him as you do informing Him.
Pray: If you’re married, pray with your spouse today out loud and decide when you’ll pray together next. If you’re not married, now’s the perfect time to make prayer a regular part of your life.
from The Vow