What Happens When We Pray for Our Marriage
I’m happy to have Valerie with you today. She has some amazing words to share about marriage. I needed this message today…maybe you do too!
I opened its tattered cover and found a handwritten note on the back addressed to my husband and I.
My Mother-In-Law’s words gripped my heart as if she was still alive or speaking to me from the splendor of Heaven down to my earth-worn soul.
She wrote:
“This book is a beautiful guide to a strong and loving marriage. This scripture is dedicated to my precious son and his wife, may this bring hope and fulfillment; a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) In His Love, Your Loving Mother. 11-24-09
Seeing her words 8 years later felt like divine confirmation and assurance of not only starting my blog but its name and message.
I started my blog based on this verse in 2014 and named it Cord of 6. We are a family of 6 and it is God who holds us together.
Her use of the word strong is also woven into the tagline for my blog: Keeping Family Strong Through Christ.
Over the last 21 years of my marriage Christ has helped keep my marriage strong when it felt like it was breaking apart.
And a huge part of that has been through the power of prayer.
I believe in the power of prayer to change my marriage.
What happens when wives pray?
When we pray, we invite God in!
Do you ever wallow in your hurt? When we are struggling in marriage it’s easy to build up a wall between ourselves and God. Prayer chisels that wall down. Prayer invites God into the messy places of our heart where confusion and bitterness often fester. Prayer helps us surrender our desire to take control and fix everything and places our trust in the God who is in control of everything.
When we pray, we invite the power of the Holy Spirit to lead us
God doesn’t force himself on us. He doesn’t make us turn to him. We need to seek him for answers. Praying is like turning on the light switch. Once the switch is on we can learn how to let the light of the Holy Spirit guide our thoughts, decisions and actions.
When we pray we gain wisdom
God is the source of all wisdom. As we seek the Lord to work in our marriage we’ll begin to see our marriage through spiritual eyes instead of through our own limited perception.
When we pray, we learn to endure
Our flesh wants to give up when times get hard. Our human reaction is to harden our hearts and disengage from the relationship. But God teaches us how to love even when we don’t feel like it. This doesn’t mean that we don’t resolve issues or that we hide emotions. But it does mean that we do the hard work of working it out. Whatever it takes. Prayer helps us to endure.
When we pray, we are filled with peace.
Our circumstances may feel unsettling. Maybe we don’t know how to fix things. Maybe our future feels uncertain. Whatever it is, God can settle your soul. He can give you peace even when the problems aren’t solved.
Do you want to replant the hope you’ve lost for your marriage? Are there places in your marriage that need restoration? I’ve written 31 Days of Mending Marriage Prayers—each based upon a scripture verse to help you grow in learning to love your spouse with grace.
I would love for you to join this free email series HERE.
Valerie Murray is a wife of 21 years and a busy mom to 4 energetic children. She writes at ValerieMurray.com about keeping faith and family strong through Christ. Her heart’s desire is to offer hope to others and declare the glory of God in her life through her writing. Her mission is to offer encouragement to struggling marriages, overwhelmed moms and people striving to face their fears and know their worth. Coffee, chocolate and a good movie always makes her happy! You can find her on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Instagram & Google+.
Thank you for inviting me to share on your lovely blog today Sarah. I appreciate you and your ministry. Have a blessed day. ❤️