THE PRAYING PARTNER

Prayer is a communication process that allows us talk to God. It is also an invocation or act that
seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the
narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity (a
god), or a deified ancestor. 

A variety of body postures may be assumed, often with specific meaning (mainly respect or
adoration) associated with them: standing, sitting, kneeling, prostrating on the floor, eyes opened
or closed, hands folded or clasped, hands upraised, holding hands with others, laying of hands
among others. Prayers may be recited by hear, read from a book of prayers, or composed
spontaneously as they are prayed. They may be said, chanted, or sung. They may be with musical
accompaniment or not. 

WHO IS A PARTNER?

A partner is a person with whom one shares an intimate relationship with. Prayer serve as a
defense in marriage, there is a popular saying that couples who PRAY together STAY
together. Prayer is deeply personal. For many of us, it is a time where we lay our hearts bare
before God in an attempt to draw closer to Him. As a result, it’s not always a space  we wish to
invite others into. In marriage, however, there should be times where you and your spouse
petition God together.

BENEFITS OF COUPLE PRAYERS

The benefits of praying together as a couple cannot be over stretched although it’s a deeply
personal time, there’s always a place of prayer. When praying with your spouse, you get
something out of it together. A prayer of agreement does great things in a marriage.

1. PRAYER BUILDS INTIMACY

Marriage provides a level of intimacy that other relationships on Earth can’t match. Praying
together helps that intimacy develop. Prayer requires a certain level of vulnerability; you must be

open with God and whoever you’re praying with.

Couples often feel most vulnerable when they are baring their souls to God and to each other.
However, this is exactly the kind of deep intimacy the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony calls
couples to. Once we get over the barrier, this deep intimacy enriches and enlivens our
marriage(s). While it may seem logical to wait until your intimacy has grown in your
relationship before you start praying together as a couple, “the fact is that the earlier you start
praying together in your relationship the easier it will be for you”. The reason this is true is
because you will have established a habit of intimacy. Whereas many married couples stop
growing in intimacy early in the relationship and assume that they know each other well enough.
Then when they try to pray together they discover that their actual level of intimacy is much
smaller than they assumed, and that adds to their discomforts about opening their hearts to God
and each other.

2. PRAYER STRENGTHENS YOUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER

If you pray for anyone, you will grow your love for that person. How much more would this be
with your partner? When you pray for others, you consider their needs, their hurts, and their
heart. It gives you a chance to listen, share what’s going on, and serve them through prayer.

3. PRAYING TOGETHER HUMBLES YOU

Praying about your concerns and struggles keeps you humble as you share with God and your
spouse what things worry you and tempt you, or what you need to figure out. When you pray to
God, you are not only talking and listening to Him but also recognizing that He knows all things
and controls all things.

4. PRAYER REMOVES THE CYCLE OF HURTING EACH OTHER

Again, when you are humbled in your prayer position, your heart opens to understanding instead
of accusing. This helps to plug the loop holes that probably exist in the relationship since you
both have a better understanding of the scriptures’ take on forgiveness.

5. PRAYING TEACHES YOU TO BE OTHER-FOCUSED

Spending time talking and praying together about issues and concerns help you see life and the
troubles of your spouse in a better light. Praying helps you focus on your spouse and even some
other loved ones.

6. PRAYING TOGETHER INCREASES TRUST AND INTIMACY WITH SPOUSE

Intimacy is built on trust, and trust is built on how we respond to being vulnerable with each
other. Praying together helps you show and receive trust that strengthens the bonds of intimacy
in your relationship. It is also a way to seek God’s wisdom together. As you pray and come to
agreements on matters, that discipline then builds unity and strength in the marriage. And prayer
is also where you can fight for your marriage together when the difficult days come.

7. CREATES AWARENESS OF YOUR SPOUSE’S NEEDS

Praying together about your struggles and worries also help you both know how better to pray
for each other throughout the week because you get to know each other more. And prayer
provides insight on how to help and love each other better.

8. AN ASSURANCE OF GOD’S PROMISES

When you pray together, you are focusing your minds, hearts, relationship and marriage on God.
You are making your marriage God-centered. You are making God aware that he’s the almighty
and that there wouldn’t be a union without him. As a couple are sharing with Him your deepest
needs and desires, hopes and dreams. If you understand marriage as a sacrament of God’s love
for his people, it will be very important to you to keep yourself focused on God’s love. This is
the only way that you will be able to identify God’s love in this world. By being in a relationship

with him as a couple, you will easily see your love as a sacramental sign of God’s love.
9. PRAYER BRINGS UNITY AMONGST COUPLE(S)
Holding your spouse’s hands is a physical portrayal of unity. Praying with your spouse
provides spiritual unity through God. Physical unity and spiritual unity are ties that bind
and are not easily broken.

10. PRAYER BREEDS APPRECIATION

When you thank God for the blessings in your life, your spouse (no matter how frustrated you
may be with him) will eventually make the list. When you show your appreciation for him, he
will show it for you, and you will begin to create a list of “loves” rather than “annoyances”.

11. PRAYER GIVES YOU HOPE

When your hearts as a couple are in unity with God’s good and perfect will, then your
prayers will always be answered. Regardless of you actually getting what you prayed for.

“If you haven’t made it a habit to pray with your partner, this can feel awkward at first, but
will then become something you will find comforting and encouraging. I thereby urge you to
cultivate the habit of PRAYING with your PARTNER”.