Praying together?

[SPB1987]

Do you pray with your spouse? If so, who leads the prayer? How often?

 

[savedbyhim01]

Not nearly enough. I have been convicted about this, but haven't taken the necessary steps to correct it yet. Thanks for your reminder. I believe that since the husband is the head of the family (Ephesians 5) he should typically lead, but of course the wife can initiate prayer to or ask the husband to pray with her.

 

[UK Fred]

I have to agree not nearly enough.

We both lead. And it generates intimacy and connection between us better than everything else.

 

[Avniel]

I have I normally lead but i never feel like I'm praying when I'm doing so around others even my wife. I really enjoy my private prayer time not so much my public

 

[Chaplain David]

Do you pray with your spouse? If so, who leads the prayer? How often?

I pray with my wife every day and when things come up that I think need extra prayer. It is part of being joined and it further enhances our relationship besides just being a wonderful, Spiritual thing to do. I usually initiate the prayer but it is not a burden or difficult. It is my job as a husband and also, I am a minister and I believe I must also lead in that manner. God bless you.

 

[VulturesRow]

I pray often.........in my quiet times. Unfortunately, I do not pray near enough with my wife. I pray FOR my wife, but not often with her .

This is something that I have been working on for years! I want to pray with my wife, pray with my children, but it has been a challenge. Don't know why, but it has been!

 

[LinkH]

I try to pray with my wife every night. Sometimes if we get home late from something or she is really tired, it doesn't happen, but we usually do some prayer together. For quite a while there, I would do a devotion with the kids, and then pray and read the Bible with her, too. Recently, we've just done a big family devotion, and so here recently I haven't been praying with her alone every night. Maybe I can do that several times a week just the two of us, and have family devotions as the nightly thing. Billy Graham had family devotions every night at 8 PM growing up, btw.

 

[Anessa14]

I wish. I have asked and we did for a while, then rushing to get somewhere got in the way. I wish my husband would lead.

 

[edwardtuty]

Thanks and I will do it

 

[katautumn]

My husband and I pray daily, sometimes twice daily when his work schedule permits. I usually let him lead in prayer, although there are times if he isn't well or has something very stressful going on, I will pray over him. We also read a chapter from the Bible together every day.

 

[SPB1987]

My husband and I pray daily, sometimes twice daily when his work schedule permits. I usually let him lead in prayer, although there are times if he isn't well or has something very stressful going on, I will pray over him. We also read a chapter from the Bible together every day.

Have you always done this? How do you determine which chapter to read?

 

[JaneFW]

Do you pray with your spouse? If so, who leads the prayer? How often?

We don't pray together in the sense of just the two of us, no. My husband often leads the dinner prayer, or one of the kids will, and we will all be together for that, but my husband has never been interested in praying together or devotionals.

 

[katautumn]

Have you always done this? How do you determine which chapter to read?

We haven't. We weren't believers when we married and I got saved before my husband did. We started reading a chapter from Proverbs every day. After a few months of repetition, I decided to read a chapter from Romans every evening. After we finished Romans, my husband suggested we just read through the New Testament together, so we went back to Matthew. After we finish the NT we will go back and start in Genesis. The goal is to eventually read through the entire Bible together, since over the years we've both read the whole Bible at some point.

 

[SPB1987]

We haven't. We weren't believers when we married and I got saved before my husband did. We started reading a chapter from Proverbs every day. After a few months of repetition, I decided to read a chapter from Romans every evening. After we finished Romans, my husband suggested we just read through the New Testament together, so we went back to Matthew. After we finish the NT we will go back and start in Genesis. The goal is to eventually read through the entire Bible together, since over the years we've both read the whole Bible at some point.

That is awesome. We have been wanting to do bible studies together but we have a hard time making time. I work 6 days a week and I am a full time college student(so is she). My job is really stressful so I spend a lot of time at the gym. Working out relieves a lot of stress!

 

[SPB1987]

We haven't. We weren't believers when we married and I got saved before my husband did. We started reading a chapter from Proverbs every day. After a few months of repetition, I decided to read a chapter from Romans every evening. After we finished Romans, my husband suggested we just read through the New Testament together, so we went back to Matthew. After we finish the NT we will go back and start in Genesis. The goal is to eventually read through the entire Bible together, since over the years we've both read the whole Bible at some point.

If you do not mind me asking, what drew you to wanting to become a Christian?

 

[katautumn]

If you do not mind me asking, what drew you to wanting to become a Christian?

This could be lengthy, but I love sharing our testimony, because God is so gracious and amazing

I got baptized at the age of 13. My family was heavily involved in a very large church. We were the "popular" family, if you will. Eventually I got burnt out. I never had that full-blown, heart changing conversion experience believers talked about. My "Christianity" was more of a show than anything else. After a painful experience and betrayal in my church I abandoned Christianity altogether. When I was pregnant with my son I helped teach a VBS class at the church up the street from where I live, but I ended up wandering into occult practices and settled on Wicca for awhile. Between the ages of 19 and 22 I was sexually promiscuous, a drunk, a partier, and I dabbled in bi-sexuality. At 23 I met my husband. He was Pagan as well, but had been raised in a foot washin' Baptist family. His grandfather was a preacher.

We met, fell in love, moved in together. We read tarot cards and played with crystals and burned incense. We dabbled in the gothic subculture for awhile and flirted with LaVeyan Satanism. The stereotypical stuff most people think is made up for Chick Tracts and whatnot. The problem was that I was in a very dark place mentally and emotionally. I was a self-mutilator, extremely depressed and was suicidal for many years. I attempted suicide on four occasions, contemplated it daily. I had a severe drinking problem and used drugs socially. My husband and I openly scoffed, mocked and blasphemed Christ and ridiculed Christians for sport. I was, what the Bible calls, an enemy of God. I hated everything about Christianity at that time in my life.

When my mother-in-law passed away in October of 2009 that was the first time I'd set foot in a church building in probably six years. It was the first time my husband and I had ever been in one together. As the primitive Baptist preacher shouted the Gospel message during the funeral service, as that ninety year old preacher shouted "testify!" from the amen corner, something caused me to weep. Hard. I was overcome with a grief that went beyond the loss of my husband's mother. I went home and pushed it from my mind and life went on.

I remember I was once caught reading the Bible by my husband, who said, "if you become a Christian, I will divorce you". My hatred for Christianity was surpassed only by his. I decided to emerge myself deeper in New Age practices and I amassed a collection of rocks, books, herbs, and tarot decks. I had a colored candle for any occasion, and herb that could cure whatever ailed you and rocks for every chakra. I studied Reiki and thought pendulums could answer the most important questions I had. But it was empty. I remember my dad once saw my "altar", with all of the candles and incense and rocks and shells and statues and bells and cauldrons and books and he asked me, "why are you willing to follow a religion that costs you hundreds of dollars that comes with hundreds of books with thousands of different opinions when you can buy a Bible at the Dollar Tree and follow Christ for free?" I didn't have any answer for him.

It wasn't until about a year and a half ago that I turned to Christ in earnest. My husband was supportive on a superficial level. The threat of divorce was no longer looming over me. I started to see some hope when my husband presented me with a Bible, with my name engraved on the cover, for Easter last year. He had bought it at a Christian book store. The gesture moved me immensely. I never stopped praying. I had resolved to not be preachy. I wanted to "win him without a word", as the Bible says. Sometime around August of last year, my husband shocked me when he agreed to attend church with me some time. He told me, emphatically, that he would not join, however. I decided to yield to his decision and settled on not officially joining a church unless my husband decided we would.

I prayed and prayed and prayed some more. There were so many things God changed. We stopped swearing, for one thing. My husband started praying with me every day. In November we joined a church. He became more calm and patient, especially with my son. In January, God moved my husband in the most unexpected way ever - he decided to have a vasectomy reversal so that we could try to have children together. That was one source of pain for us for awhile. We were unequally yoked on so many levels once I accepted Christ as my Savior, but God reached out His hand and touched my husband's heart.

And while we still have our moments where we will disagree or be snippy with one another, our relationship is in such a beautiful place it amazes me.

 

[SPB1987]

This could be lengthy, but I love sharing our testimony, because God is so gracious and amazing

I got baptized at the age of 13. My family was heavily involved in a very large church. We were the "popular" family, if you will. Eventually I got burnt out. I never had that full-blown, heart changing conversion experience believers talked about. My "Christianity" was more of a show than anything else. After a painful experience and betrayal in my church I abandoned Christianity altogether. When I was pregnant with my son I helped teach a VBS class at the church up the street from where I live, but I ended up wandering into occult practices and settled on Wicca for awhile. Between the ages of 19 and 22 I was sexually promiscuous, a drunk, a partier, and I dabbled in bi-sexuality. At 23 I met my husband. He was Pagan as well, but had been raised in a foot washin' Baptist family. His grandfather was a preacher.

We met, fell in love, moved in together. We read tarot cards and played with crystals and burned incense. We dabbled in the gothic subculture for awhile and flirted with LaVeyan Satanism. The stereotypical stuff most people think is made up for Chick Tracts and whatnot. The problem was that I was in a very dark place mentally and emotionally. I was a self-mutilator, extremely depressed and was suicidal for many years. I attempted suicide on four occasions, contemplated it daily. I had a severe drinking problem and used drugs socially. My husband and I openly scoffed, mocked and blasphemed Christ and ridiculed Christians for sport. I was, what the Bible calls, an enemy of God. I hated everything about Christianity at that time in my life.

When my mother-in-law passed away in October of 2009 that was the first time I'd set foot in a church building in probably six years. It was the first time my husband and I had ever been in one together. As the primitive Baptist preacher shouted the Gospel message during the funeral service, as that ninety year old preacher shouted "testify!" from the amen corner, something caused me to weep. Hard. I was overcome with a grief that went beyond the loss of my husband's mother. I went home and pushed it from my mind and life went on.

I remember I was once caught reading the Bible by my husband, who said, "if you become a Christian, I will divorce you". My hatred for Christianity was surpassed only by his. I decided to emerge myself deeper in New Age practices and I amassed a collection of rocks, books, herbs, and tarot decks. I had a colored candle for any occasion, and herb that could cure whatever ailed you and rocks for every chakra. I studied Reiki and thought pendulums could answer the most important questions I had. But it was empty. I remember my dad once saw my "altar", with all of the candles and incense and rocks and shells and statues and bells and cauldrons and books and he asked me, "why are you willing to follow a religion that costs you hundreds of dollars that comes with hundreds of books with thousands of different opinions when you can buy a Bible at the Dollar Tree and follow Christ for free?" I didn't have any answer for him.

It wasn't until about a year and a half ago that I turned to Christ in earnest. My husband was supportive on a superficial level. The threat of divorce was no longer looming over me. I started to see some hope when my husband presented me with a Bible, with my name engraved on the cover, for Easter last year. He had bought it at a Christian book store. The gesture moved me immensely. I never stopped praying. I had resolved to not be preachy. I wanted to "win him without a word", as the Bible says. Sometime around August of last year, my husband shocked me when he agreed to attend church with me some time. He told me, emphatically, that he would not join, however. I decided to yield to his decision and settled on not officially joining a church unless my husband decided we would.

I prayed and prayed and prayed some more. There were so many things God changed. We stopped swearing, for one thing. My husband started praying with me every day. In November we joined a church. He became more calm and patient, especially with my son. In January, God moved my husband in the most unexpected way ever - he decided to have a vasectomy reversal so that we could try to have children together. That was one source of pain for us for awhile. We were unequally yoked on so many levels once I accepted Christ as my Savior, but God reached out His hand and touched my husband's heart.

And while we still have our moments where we will disagree or be snippy with one another, our relationship is in such a beautiful place it amazes me.

So happy you both have been able to become Christians!

 

[JaneFW]

Wow Kat. That is a truly amazing testimony and it gave me goosebumps. We have a lot in common - the bad, yes, stuff, but also the good stuff of being saved from it all.

 

[OnlyBelieve]

Hubby and I pray often together, he works away, so sometimes it's over the phone, but is usually most days either way. We "bounce" off each other about scripture, how we interpret it, or what God is showing us.

 

[xDenax]

I don't know if my husband has ever prayed in his entire life. So..no, we have never prayed together. I generally pray with my community. He goes to services with me occasionally but as for actual prayer, no.