2 Steps to a Great Relationship: Praying Together and Being Thankful
Photo by Franciele Cunha
I recently heard a statistic about the power of prayer in a relationship. While 50 percent of couples get divorced (according to this statistic), the rate of divorce is drastically different for couples who pray together. In fact, only 1 percent of couples who pray together get divorced.
So I have simple advice if you want to make your relationship work! Pray with your significant other.
Prayer and Thanksgiving
Prayer connects us with the heart of God, and as the following two verses reveal, one important aspect of prayer is thanksgiving:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6–7 NIV)
You can pass through his open gates with the password of praise.
Come right into his presence with thanksgiving. (Ps. 100:4 TPT)
There is something about a thankful heart offered to God in prayer that moves Him. It impacts Him deeply. When we are thankful for our significant other and actively express that thankfulness, both to God and to the other person, we are taking part in a powerful spiritual act.
One Way Thankfulness Can Change Your Outlook
One of the incredible things about developing a thankful heart is that you become a person who looks for good things. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, whoever you’re with—you are always looking for the good. This is so important when it comes to delighting in your partner.
Philippians 4:8 talks about setting our mind on what’s pure, what’s good, what’s trustworthy, what’s noble, etc. When we think about good and godly things, we invite God’s peace (v. 9). A thankful heart draws us away from focusing on what we don’t have, which produces anxiety and discontent, and refocuses us on what God has already given us.
The Power of Good Words
Some people don’t recognize the weight of their words and how powerful it can be to speak their heart to someone else. “I don’t need to thank God for everything. I don’t need to get together with my significant other and pray. There are more important things to do.”
However, something special happens when we intentionally set aside time to thank God with our words. When we voice our thankfulness, we encourage ourselves—and our significant other—and we deepen the relationship.
“This is what I see you doing, and it matters so much to me. This is who you are to me, and this is how thankful I am for all the small things you do on a daily basis.”
When we acknowledge the small things in thankfulness, we are delighting in the other person. A thankful, expressive heart makes the relationship better and sets us up for a marriage that will last.
What Beautiful Things Has God Given You?
Take a few minutes to think about what you have.
What do you like about the person you’re dating? What delights you? Don’t just think about the “big” things, but really consider the tiny things too. Then purposefully voice your thanksgiving for those things.
Here are a few examples of what “everyday thanksgiving” might look like in your relationship:
When you cook together: “Hey, thank you for buying these things. This means a lot to me.”
When you watch a movie together: “I’m just happy to be with you. I’m glad you’re here.”
When you go to church together: “I want to let you know how much it means to me that we can do this together.”
When you pray together, even if it feels uncomfortable at the beginning: “Thank you for wanting to do this with me. This is a big deal to my heart, and I think this will be really good for us.”
Simple moments of thanksgiving have a bigger impact than most of us realize.
Develop a habit of being thankful even at the beginning of your relationship, so you can learn to see the good with this person. Get over the “awkward hump” when it comes to praying with them, and—together—learn how to thank God for the good things He’s brought into your life. Like each other.
Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize. Other articles from Salomé Roat and Becoming the One:
For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.