What happens when you start to pray regularly with your spouse?

For many couples, figuring out how to start praying together can feel daunting. It’s easy to feel ill-equipped and, at times, maybe even embarrassed. And while these feelings might be very real for some of us, praying with your spouse – like any other intentional practice – gets easier over time.

A recent study conducted by the Southern Baptist Convention found that the divorce rate for couples who prayed daily together was less than 1%! Yet, even knowing this, only around 11% of married couples actually practice praying together regularly. Is it time, intentionality, planning, or not knowing exactly what to do or how to do it? Yes, it’s probably all the above.

Recently, we were challenged to take a more intentional step in our prayer life together. We wanted to prioritize time together, seeking the face of God, not simply his hands. So, we committed to a plan. When we get the kids down to sleep and have a quiet minute at night, we’ve committed not to turn on any entertainment (TV, movies, social media, etc.) until we have had time to connect and pray. That simple shift has let us prioritize “when” we will do this.

As with most spiritual disciplines, having a framework to go alongside your commitment is always helpful. Frequently, we use the BLESS acronym to help guide our time in prayer together. This method basically gives us a roadmap for our prayers. We focus our time on those we are living in community with and keep a prayer list of their needs that come up naturally. As we decide who to pray a prayer of blessing over, we usually each take a letter and go back and forth praying over this individual, couple, or family to BLESS them together as a couple.

B – Body: Pray for good health, protection, and strength. 

L – Labor: Pray for their work experience and their financial security. 

E – Emotional: Pray for emotional health and a good quality of life, joy, peace, and hope. 

S – Social: Pray for their relationships with their family and friends. 

S – Spiritual: Pray for their salvation, that they will come to faith in Jesus Christ.

We encourage you and your spouse to pray together for the next 15 days. Need somewhere to start? Try the BLESS method. Let us know if you’re joining us for this 15-day challenge. We’d love to hear your success stories!

Together for marriage,

Mike and Holly