“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work,” wrote the wisest man on earth (Ecclesiastes 4:9). This is certainly true when it comes to prayer, especially when husbands and wives pray together.

Praying as Husband & Wife

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You may already have an active prayer

life—on your own—but discovering the joy of praying with your husband or wife can add a whole new dimension to your prayer life. “A couple praying together,” says Larry Keefauver, “will see God do powerful and wonderful things!”

Partnership adds power to prayer because it is based on one of the Bible’s most important prayer principles, the power of agreement. Jesus promised, “If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19).

Be Creative

Be creative when you pray. Try these ideas.

r Jesus showed His disciples the “full extent of His love” when He washed their feet (John 13:1). Surprise your husband one evening by getting a towel and warm basin of water. As you massage his feet, express your love to him. There may be tears and tender words you’ve never spoken before. Praying on your knees softens your heart. Now trade places. Take a seat and invite him to pray for you.

r Touch is a powerful conduit for prayer. Pretend that your finger is a pencil and trace the features of your wife’s face. Lightly run your finger over her forehead…her eyebrows…her nose. As you do this, pray silently for the love of Jesus to flow into her, blessing and affirming who she is. Then let her pray for you.

r Take a prayer walk together, keeping silent for an agreed amount of time. Open all your senses. Let God speak to your hearts through what you see, hear, feel and observe. At the end of your walk, share what you’ve learned.

Take a prayer

walk together.

Open all your

senses. Let God

speak to your

hearts through

what you see,

hear, feel and

observe.

“A couple praying

together will

see God do

powerful and

wonderful things!”

-- Larry Keefauver

by Betsy Lee

The Power of Prayer Partnership

In silence—longer,

leisurely spaces of

quiet together—

you may feel

closer to one

another and to

God than you ever

have before.

It takes love to agree and strive toward a common goal, almost supernatural love at times. This releases supernatural power.

Jesus also said, “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). When you pray together, Jesus is present in a special way. You may sense a surprising tenderness between you, gain new insights that seem “heaven-sent” (they are!) or find new resolve to tackle the problems you face (Philippians 4:13).

Finally, God blesses unity (Psalm 133:1,3). The Bible says that when a man and woman become husband and wife, they become uniquely one (Genesis 2:22-24). In marriage we can experience the deepest level of intimacy between two people and with God Himself. Through this spiritual union, God is free to release His fullest blessings to us and through us as we pray.

Getting Started

Once you are convinced that there is real power in praying together, you might wonder, “How do we get started?” There is no right way or wrong way to pray. No specific time, no specific location. Find what works for you. If you are morning people, pray together before you begin your busy day. If evenings are better, pray before you go to bed.

Praying together as husband and wife may not be easy at first. Prayer is so intimate it can be intimidating. A husband may be afraid to be honest and vulnerable with his feelings; a wife may be self-conscious about not saying or doing the right thing in prayer. Be patient with each other and affirming.

For a partnership to work well, both partners need to be mutually hospitable. For example, one of you may be very comfortable praying aloud while the other has never done this before. To

help the less experienced partner feel more confident, the more seasoned partner can let the other person pray first, which avoids the problem of “grandstanding,” covering everything in one long-winded prayer.

Praying in agreement also requires a cooperative spirit. After one of you prays about a topic that concerns you both—perhaps children, career decisions or an unexpected life crisis—listen carefully and add some of your own thoughts to reinforce what was said instead of being preoccupied with what you are going to say next. Let prayer flow back and forth, moving broader and deeper in the same direction, rather than wandering aimlessly from topic to topic.

Use the Bible as you pray. You might like to read through a passage together, each person reading aloud an alternate verse. Or you can turn Scripture into prayer by personalizing it. For example, you could pray for a friend needing peace: “Lord, extend peace to Jane like a river” (Isaiah 66:12).

As you pray together, don’t be afraid of silence. In silence—longer, leisurely spaces of quiet together—you may feel closer to one another and to God than you ever have before.

Becoming One Through Prayer

Praying together as husband and wife will take you to new depths in your relationship. As you pray with each other, sharing your innermost thoughts and feelings, God may do surprising things. A barrier that has kept you apart for years may suddenly crumble. Damaged emotions from the past may be healed. You will find an increasing desire for oneness and intimacy.

Christian counselor Larry Crabb says, “God affords each married partner a unique opportunity to minister in a special way to his or her mate.” Learn in prayer not only to pray for others, but also to minister to one another.

There is no right way or wrong way to pray.

No specific time, no specific

location. Find what works

for you.