May 9, 2017July 25, 2017

Honey, Let’s Pray

Honey, Let’s Pray

Originally Posted by Mike Young February 2006

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

I guess my favorite hobby, other than spending time with my family, is woodworking. I started making things with wood many years ago and have progressed from simple projects to much more complex ones. Currently, my favorite projects are large furniture pieces. I built an armoire for our bedroom, our kitchen table, the island in our kitchen, the cradle in which all our children have slept, beds for our three boys and the pencil post bed that Stacy and I sleep in. Sometimes, I wood-burn a significant scripture passage on the piece in an inconspicuous location. (The edge of the kitchen island top is inscribed with, Let them give glory to the LORD and proclaim his praise in the islands. Isaiah 42:12)

The headboard of our bed is inscribed with the last two lines from the passage at the top of the page. Some mornings, the alarm wakes me and I reach behind my head and run my fingers across the texture of the words and think about the significance of the verses. I’m glad Stacy’s there so we can keep warm together, help each other up and defend each other.

I’m also glad and thankful that God is the third strand in our cord. Consequently, I believe that if we continue to include Him in our relationship, our marriage cord will not be easily broken.

I’ve never claimed to be an expert in this business of marriage (I make many mistakes), but I know that keeping God involved is a key to success. Both you and your wife should pursue spiritual growth individually, but you should also be growing together. As I have mentioned before, a key to that is praying together. Stacy and I pray together, but the consistency could be better. I need to step up. Perhaps we could all gain some traction in this area by purposefully discussing, as a couple.

What are the things we should be praying for? Consider the following general suggestions:

Thanking and Praising God for – family, children, home, resources, friends, opportunities, church, etc.

Family management issues – time management, financial disciplines, schedules, etc.

Parenting issues – wisdom in parenting, spiritual development of children, physical wellness, etc.

Extended Family issues – health of parents, spiritual condition of relatives, etc.

Community issues – lift up others who need a blessing, encouragement for a friends’ marriage in stress, etc

Personal Issues – wellness, joy in work and/or serving, closeness to each other and God, strength for your marriage, etc.

Again, the list could go on forever. I think you will find that your marriage will be stronger and you will feel closer together when the three of you (you, your wife and God) get together to work on the issues and challenge that you face on a regular basis. Talk to your wife about praying together and then make it happen. You’ll probably find, like we do, that once you start that prayer, there is much ground to cover. It’s just that we have trouble getting started, every time. Let us (you and me) stop putting it off and start praying more regularly with our wives. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

Mike Young
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