Have you ever read the Oneness Covenant that FamilyLife gives each couple as they leave the Weekend to Remember? It starts like this:

We Believe God created marriage to be holy, to exemplify the glorious, eternal marriage between His Son and His Church.

We Believe our marriage is a sacred and lifelong covenant.

We Believe God calls us to pursue unconditional love for each other as modeled by His promise never to leave or forsake us.

MAY 5 (This is the devotion for today from Dennis and Barbara Rainey's book, "Moments with You")

Rising to Pray

Where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst. MATTHEW 18:20

We believe—and have learned from long experience—that the true secret to spiritual intimacy in marriage is praying together. Yet surveys from FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember conferences indicate that less than 8 percent of couples actually do this regularly. 

This really troubles me. It means that 9 out of 10 Christian couples today are resisting the number one thing that could draw them closer together spiritually. I often receive encouraging emails from couples who understand the power of this daily spiritual discipline. One gentleman said he purchased a picture frame and places it on his pillow the moment he rolls out of bed in the morning. Inside the frame is a special reminder of something very important to do before he goes to sleep each night: “Have you prayed with Janet today? It’s not too late.”

Another guy wrote to tell me he had tried praying with his wife at night before bed, “but I would always find an excuse not to. One day God really convicted me that I needed to step up as a husband and commit to pray with my wife nightly. I came home that day and told her of my conviction.” In tears the wife said, “I’ve been praying about this for months, but I didn’t want to tell you and pressure you into it. I wanted God to do the work in you.” I want to challenge you to begin praying together daily. I can promise you, on the authority of the Scripture, that if you pray together daily for two years, you will not be the same couple that you are today (see Matthew 18:19). Inviting the God of the universe into your marriage on a daily basis will change things!

Will you think about starting this essential daily routine for the health of your marriage?  Start small: "Thank you Lord for the day and the blessings that flowed from it. Please be with us tomorrow as we start our day".  OR "God, just take over, please!"  It is not so important the words you use, but the fact that you are listening to the Lord and doing something to bring both of you closer to Him.  We will pray that you try this!