Holy Matrimony: The Power of Prayer in Marriage

Have you ever reached that breaking point where all your efforts to fix your relationship fall short? That's exactly where I found myself—exhausted, heartbroken, and finally ready to surrender. The moment everything changed wasn't when my circumstances shifted, but when I stopped trying to control them and simply prayed, "Lord, I need you. I don't know what to do, but I trust you."

Prayer transforms marriage in profound ways by creating a three-strand cord that isn't easily broken—you, your spouse, and God working together. This spiritual practice builds unity by reminding couples they're on the same team, deepens emotional and spiritual intimacy during life's challenges, and invites divine power into your relationship. The beautiful truth is that prayer doesn't require eloquence or perfection—God desires honest hearts, not polished performances.

For couples wondering how to begin, start small with simple prayers like "Lord, help us love each other well today." Establish consistent prayer times, perhaps before meals or bedtime. Try holding hands while praying to reinforce physical connection. Bring specific challenges to God together, whether they're financial concerns, parenting struggles, or work stress. And don't forget gratitude—thanking God for each other cultivates appreciation and love. I've witnessed countless marriages transform through prayer, including couples on the brink of divorce who discovered renewed connection and understanding when they began praying together daily. This week, I challenge you to set aside just a few minutes for prayer with your spouse. Start where you are, be patient with the process, and watch how God moves in your marriage in ways you never imagined possible.

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Episode Transcript

Renee Richel (00:07):
Hi, I'm Renee Richel, the founder and
president of 1 True Match.
I'm here to help you find andcultivate the love of your life.
For over a decade, I'vededicated my life to the
importance, purpose and dynamicof human relationships.
My team and I are disciplinedby faith, love and integrity to
help our clients find thequality relationship they've

(00:28):
always dreamt of.
Each week, I will be sharingthe tools and tips I've learned
that have rooted my success as amatchmaker with other leaders
around the world.
Hello, loves, welcome back.
I hope you've had an incredibleweek.
I am excited to talk about thepower of prayer in marriage this

(00:51):
week.
Let's dive in.
Have you ever had a momentwhere you realized you couldn't
fix something on your own?
Like, no matter how hard youtried, no matter how many
conversations you had, nothingseemed to change.
I remember a time in my lifewhen I was doing everything I

(01:13):
could to make things work.
I was trying to fix things inmy own strength, trying to hold
everything together, but insteadof feeling peace, I felt
exhausted.
My heart was heavy.
Then, one night, I finally letgo.
Instead of trying to figureeverything out, I just sat with

(01:36):
God and prayed, not with fancywords, not with a long speech,
just an honest raw.
With a long speech, just anhonest, raw.
Lord, I need you.
I don't know what to do, but Itrust you.
And that's when everythingchanged.
Not because my situation wasinstantly fixed, but because I

(01:58):
changed myself.
My heart shifted when I startedbringing prayer into my
relationships.
When I invited God into my lovelife.
I saw transformation in a way Inever had before.
Today I want to talk about howprayer can do the same for your

(02:22):
marriage, can do the same foryour marriage, how inviting God
into your relationship throughprayer can bring peace, unity
and strength in ways you neverimagined.
So grab your cup of coffee,your tea, your journal and let's
begin.
Before we talk about prayingtogether as a couple, let's
start off by talking aboutprayer itself, because I know

(02:45):
for some people prayer can feelintimidating.
You might think what do I evensay?
Or what if I don't say it right?
Here's the truth.
There is no right or wrong wayto pray.
Prayer is simply talking to God.
It's like having a conversationwith a close friend, someone

(03:08):
who already knows your heart,your struggles and your desires.
In Matthew 6-7, jesus tells uswhen you pray, don't babble on
and on like the Gentiles do.
They think their prayers areanswered merely by repeating
their words again and again.
This means God isn't lookingfor polished, perfect prayers.

(03:32):
He's looking for honest ones.
So how do you pray?
Number one be real.
If you're struggling, tell God.
If you're grateful, tell him.
Just speak from your heart.
Number two keep it simple.
Your prayers don't have to belong or complicated.

(03:53):
A simple Lord help me today isjust as powerful.
Number three listen.
Prayer isn't just about talking.
It's about taking a moment tobe still in God's presence,
allowing the peace and the HolySpirit to wash over you and
through you.
There is something so beautifulabout spending quality time

(04:18):
with you and the Lord.
The most important thing isjust start.
Whether it's a few words in themorning, a quiet moment before
bed or even a whispered prayerin the middle of your day, god
really wants to hear from you.
Why is prayer together sopowerful?

(04:40):
First, prayer brings unity.
When a husband and a wife cometogether, they're reminded that
they are on the same team.
In Ephesians 4, 23 through 3,it says Be completely humble and
gentle, be patient, bearingwith one another in love.

(05:00):
Make every effort to keep theunity of the spirit through the
bond of peace.
Second, prayer builds emotionaland spiritual intimacy.
Let's be real, marriage isn'talways easy.
Life throws challenges our way.
But when you take thosestruggles to God together, you

(05:24):
grow closer.
You learn to rely on each otherand on him.
And third, prayer invites God'spower into your marriage.
When you invite God into yourmarriage, it reminds us that
marriage isn't just about twopeople.
It's about three God, husbandand wife.

(05:46):
Ecclesiastes 4.12 says a cordof three strands is not easily
broken.
Okay, I know some of you mightbe thinking that sounds amazing,
but where do we even start?
Maybe you and your spouse feelawkward about praying out loud,

(06:07):
or maybe life just feels toobusy to pray.
Here are a few simple ways tomake prayer a part of your daily
routine in your marriage.
Number one start small.
Prayer doesn't have to be longor complicated.
A simple Lord, help us loveeach other well.

(06:28):
Today is powerful.
Number two choose to set time,whether it's in the morning,
before bed or even before meals.
Make prayer a habit, just likebrushing your teeth once in the
morning and once in the eveningbefore bed.
Number three hold hands whileyou pray.
There's something intimateabout physical touch while

(06:51):
praying.
It reinforces the unity betweenyou and your spouse.
Number four pray over specificneeds.
Maybe you're facing financialstress, parenting challenges or
work pressures.
Bring those topics to the tableand surrender those burdens to

(07:13):
God together.
Number five thank God together.
Gratitude is a game changer.
Thanking God for each otherbuilds appreciation and love in
your marriage.
Each other builds appreciationand love in your marriage.
If you're new to prayer, don'tstress.
Just start where you are.
God isn't looking for a perfectprayer.

(07:34):
He's looking for hearts thatseek him.
Remember you are his belovedchild.
He is always willing to meetyou where you are and love you
just as you are.
I've seen firsthand how prayerchanges relationships.
I've heard stories from coupleswho were on the brink of

(07:58):
divorce, but when they startedpraying together, their hearts
softened.
Resentment turned intounderstanding and distance
turned into closeness.
One couple told me that beforethey started praying together,
they felt disconnected, likeroommates, but when they made
prayer in a daily habit, theirintimacy deepened.

(08:21):
They started communicating moreeffectively, engaging in
healthy conversations,practicing action, listening
with one another and, ultimately, leaning on each other in ways
they never had before.
So if you're struggling in yourmarriage, I want to encourage

(08:43):
you today to start prayingtogether.
It doesn't have to be perfect,it just needs to be honest, and
I promise you, when you inviteGod in, things shift.
He moves in miraculous ways wecan't even imagine and remember.
In Romans 8, 28, reminds us heis always working things for the

(09:08):
good.
So in conclusion, before wewrap up, I want to challenge you
this week.
Set aside a few minutes to praywith your spouse.
Start small, even if it feelsawkward, just do it and watch
how God moves in your marriage.
Let's close in prayer.
Father Lord, thank you for thegift of marriage, thank you for

(09:38):
the power of prayer and how itbrings couples close to you and
to each other.
Lord, I pray that every couplelistens today.
Lord, I pray that every couplelistens today.
May you strengthen their bond,find their heart with love and
guide them to unity, teach themto see you together, to trust
you together and to love eachother the way you designed.

(10:02):
In Jesus' name, amen.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Thank you so much for joiningme today.
If this episode encouraged you,be sure to share it with a
friend or leave a comment downbelow.
It means so much to me andremember, love starts with you,
with God, and when you invitehim in, amazing things happen.

(10:22):
And when you invite him in,amazing things happen.
Next week, we are going to talkabout how to speak your
spouse's love language.
I hope you have a blessed day,a wonderful week and cannot wait
to see you next chat.

(10:42):
It's been another great talk onthis episode of 1 True Talks by
Renee Richel.
I look forward to our next chat.
Please write in your questionsand comments so I can be sure to
talk about whatever it is youwant to discuss in our next
upcoming episode.
Lots of love, God Bless XOXO.