Day 2: When Should I Pray? - How to Pray for Your Marriage

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:6

Prayer is a gift of access to God. When we pray, we experience a deeper closeness with Him. In this verse, Jesus teaches that when we pray, we should do so in secret. This is in contrast to the previous verse about praying loudly in the streets in order to be seen by others. Jesus highlights the beautiful gift of intimacy with the Father. He wants us to know that in the secret, quiet places, God is there.

Christ showed the importance of prayer when He found a quiet place to speak with the Father. He spoke about intimate things He was enduring and about to endure. With this example, we can see that it is important for us to share with the Lord what we are enduring and sincerely, with faith, ask Him to help us through it. This is especially true for our marriages.

There have been times in our marriage when one of us saw something in the other that needed to be changed. Before bringing it up in conversation or confronting the issue head-on, the simple choice to pray about it changed everything. The Holy Spirit answered that prayer without anything ever being said. Many times the prayers we end up praying convict our hearts on the matter, and God uses those moments to convict and change us. There is power in prayer! That is why Scripture tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing.

Can we pray while walking around the store or driving in the car? Of course!

Can we have a conversation with the Lord throughout the day? Of course!

However, there is something spiritually different about actively setting aside time to pray, to intentionally “shut the door” to the many distractions of life.

When we seek to make time to quiet ourselves before God and commune with Him, our hearts and minds are tuned in so that we can hear better and speak more freely, honestly, and raw. It is in those private moments of prayer that vulnerability takes place and trust is built.

Building a daily habit of prayer helps us focused on heavenly things instead of what the world offers. It also keeps our hearts preoccupied with God’s will instead of our own.

Daily seek a quiet place and time with your Heavenly Father in secret. Lift your spouse up in those intentional quiet times and expect that He will move in you, in them, and in your marriage.