Couples Praying Together

[WolfGate]

Curious how common this is and also for feedback both from couples that do and those that don't. I'm thinking there may be some out there who can't live without joint prayer as well as those who tried but then made a decision to pray separately.

Personally, we've started doing so a couple of times, but since work takes me on the road a few times a month, we both fall into other routines and the joint prayer becomes sporadic. Right now we're in a "not praying" time. We'll talk sometimes about what we have been praying about, but that's it currently. Honestly, part of me hesitates to start again because I think we'll end up back where we are today.

 

[~Nikki~]

We pray together every day. We try and pray and read the Bible together first thing in the morning, but sometimes prayer kind of gets pushed to later on in the day. However, we always make sure we pray before we go to sleep if we haven't done so during the day. I think I can count on one hand the number of days we haven't prayed together since we've been married.

We find that it's a good way to stay close. It's hard to pray with someone you're angry with...
And also, the willingness to confess our sins in front of each other while we are praying, and to pray about the things that are close to our hearts is sometimes difficult, but so worth it as doing this increases our closeness too...

 

[agyevesam]

We know we should and we know it is the babis for a strong Godly marriage, but we always seem to run out of time or too tires or the "kids" (our puppies) need us, always something.............

 

[Beth1231]

Irregular. We got pre-marriage advice from a trusted professor who advised us not to pray together before we got married unless it was in a group setting or for something simple like a meal. The result is after nearly nine months of marriage, we are still not praying together daily. It's irregular...some weeks more than others. I wish we had not taken that advice and had built a foundation of prayer before we got married. He told us that we would become spiritually "one" too soon if we prayed together before marriage. Sigh. So I voted "irregular".

 

[bliz]

My husband and I have never prayed together very well. It is as if my husband were intruding on my one-on-one relationship with God. We have tried from time to time, but it just does not work well for us. We talk to each other about our prayer lives and we know what the other is concerned about and praying about, but doing it together has always been forced and uncomfortable for us.

I used to feel great guilt and as if we were somehow failing as a Christian couple. I no longer feele that way. There is nothing in the Bible that says that a husband and wife should pray together. I think it is wonderful for those couples who do, but I don't think that those who do not should feel guilt or disappointment.

 

[JimfromOhio]

I voted "Irregular, though we want to do (or should) do so regularly"

Spiritual intimacy in marriage is about partnering with God. In a Christian marriage relationship, God is at the top and my wife and I are at opposite ends on the bottom. As the two of us grow spiritually, we will move upwards together toward God. Engaging in a personal relationship with God is the first and most important step in initiating spiritual intimacy. One of the most intimate activities we can share as a couple is prayer. When we talk to God together, sharing our most private thoughts, prayer becomes a team effort and we bond spiritually. Prayer is about listening too. Praying together isn't a comfortable thing to do since prayer is a very private activity. Disclosing our most personal thoughts to my wife is not easy. My point is "listening to each other's prayer" really helps what we both need to do as christians and husband/wife.

My wife and I have been discussing ways to pray together more often. I will keep you posted !!

Jim

 

[gracefaith]

My husband and I have never prayed together very well. It is as if my husband were intruding on my one-on-one relationship with God. We have tried from time to time, but it just does not work well for us. We talk to each other about our prayer lives and we know what the other is concerned about and praying about, but doing it together has always been forced and uncomfortable for us.

I used to feel great guilt and as if we were somehow failing as a Christian couple. I no longer feele that way. There is nothing in the Bible that says that a husband and wife should pray together. I think it is wonderful for those couples who do, but I don't think that those who do not should feel guilt or disappointment.

Yeah, we feel the same way - though we do occasionally pray before meals and will add on anything pertinent at that time.

 

[Singin4Him]

My husband and I pray together every single night, we cannot go to sleep unless we have done so. We started doing this since we were engaged (we prayed over the phone during that time) and I can't tell you how much of a blessing it has been to us. It has really helped us maintain intimacy with one another as well as intimacy with the Lord. Remember the Word says when two gather together in His name they are stronger for Him. A couple who prays together is a might force for the Lord.

 

[InTheFlame]

How do people 'pray together'? I'm interested in that aspect too...

Beth, don't give up! Hubby and I have only recently started feeling comfortable enough around each other to pray together 'properly'... ie. from the heart, not stilted christianese prayers

We're trying to get into the habit of reading a short bible passage, getting something out of it (often we'll each get something different), and working out something we as a couple, or as individuals, can do to do something about whatever we were challenged about from the reading. Make sense? Then we pray for us as a couple, or each other, depending on what sort of 'challenge' we came up with. This has been VERY sporadic but always good for us when we do it.

Oh... and our church had a prayer day yesterday, and hubby and I prayed together for 1/2 hour. Woohoo!

 

[Singin4Him]

My husband and I have never prayed together very well. It is as if my husband were intruding on my one-on-one relationship with God. We have tried from time to time, but it just does not work well for us. We talk to each other about our prayer lives and we know what the other is concerned about and praying about, but doing it together has always been forced and uncomfortable for us.

I used to feel great guilt and as if we were somehow failing as a Christian couple. I no longer feele that way. There is nothing in the Bible that says that a husband and wife should pray together. I think it is wonderful for those couples who do, but I don't think that those who do not should feel guilt or disappointment.

Could it be that there are issue with intimacy?

 

[LynnMcG]

I'm with Bliz. And no Singin4Him, it has nothing to do with intimacy.

When we were first saved I used to push and push and make my husband pray with me. The truth is, our prayer styles just don't mesh. And, as Bliz pointed out, there is nothing in the bible that requires that we pray together. The point is, we both pray. I spend time in prayer and the Word as soon as I get up in the morning. He leaves at 4:30 a.m. and prays all the way to work. Then of course, we both pray throughout the day as the need arises.

However, we do pray together for urgent matters or where we need to make an important decision.

 

[Singin4Him]

no Singin4Him, it has nothing to do with intimacy.

That was a joke, I wasn't being serious.

However, you are correct the bible does not command couples to pray together but the bible is not always specific about many things. God created marriage, what makes you believe he does not intend the couple to come to Him together?

 

[LynnMcG]

That was a joke, I wasn't being serious.

However, you are correct the bible does not command couples to pray together but the bible is not always specific about many things. God created marriage, what makes you believe he does not intend the couple to come to Him together?

I knew it was a joke. But I had to say it!

I didn't say God doesn't intend for a couple to come to Him together. But I know from our experience that we can't do it daily. It simply doesn't work. To say that we HAVE to pray together is like saying we (Christians) HAVE to go to the same church. Our prayer styles are just different. We pray about the same things, and probably at the same time of day, but we don't pray in the same room. I think it's great when a couple can pray together though. And if they can, then they should!

 

[snarfywarning]

Hmm. We dont pray together for our marriage or anything, but we pray together before meals and travels.

 

[becky81101]

My husband and I do pray together every night before we go to sleep. We each have our own devotion time with God. And we are currently looking for a good couple devotion study to go through (pm me if you know of any good ones!) - But after we finish our Bible reading, we pray together.

 

[buffedstuff]

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