Couple Prayers -- Stuck in the Routines of Life
A Suggested Prayer for Two People Bored by Monotony
Oct 14, 2009
Couples may experience problems when the thrill of courtship is history, the wedding is old news and life has settled down — way down — into repetitious and boring cycles. Gloom may surround the consciousness, attempting to spread the gray shadow of depression across the landscape of life.
Yet for the religious couple, faith can bring new life to a relationship if it is what the couple truly desires.
Biblical Examples of Christian Couples With Strong Relationships
Christians believe that God’s design for committed relationships between two people is shown throughout the Bible. These are only a few of the many examples that Christians point to:
- Providing a husband with heirs was seen as a wife’s duty and failure to do so was a personal imperfection. Yet Abraham loved his wife Sarah even though she couldn’t have children. (Genesis 15, 17-18, 21)
- Jacob fell in love with Rachel and worked for her father for seven years so he could marry her. Then, when Rachel’s father tricked Jacob by substituting Rachel’s older sister in the marriage ceremony, he worked another seven years for Rachel. (Genesis 29)
- In the New Testament, Aquila and Priscilla were strong Christians who worked together as tent makers and as leaders of the fledgling church. Each time they are named in the Bible, both names are given. They were a team, a committed couple in a strong relationship. (Acts 18)
Even when two people have shared goals and desires, giving them voice, hearing the spoken words and talking about them strengthens the bonds between the couple. For the religious couple, praying aloud together does more than request divine intervention; it focuses the attention and efforts of two into a common path.
Domino Days – A Prayer for Christian Couples Caught in Monotonous Routines
The following is an example of a prayer that a Christian couple might offer as a couple to help them break out of a monotonous routine.
"Changeless and All-knowing God, the days seem to be rushing past us so swiftly we don’t have time to live. We exist, doing the things that must be done each day so that we can continue to exist and do them all over again.
"Working, cleaning, shopping, eating. . . repeating the same things, five days a week. We have such hopes that our weekends will be different, that we will have time for each other and for You. Special events happen on weekends: weddings, funerals, celebrations and family gatherings. Then all of the leftover tasks from the week get bumped to the end of the must-do list and consume what’s left of our weekends. We seem to be existing, not living.
"Looking at the days, lined up one after another, they look like dominoes standing on end in a line. Everything is in black and white. The shapes are the same, only the names and the contents vary, but not very much.
"Where are You, God, in our lives?
"You are in the little details: the brush of our lips as we say good-bye before running in opposite directions, the quick hug after our day apart, the good-natured teasing that spices up our in-between times.
"You give us the love for each other that is evident when we cheerfully perform unwelcome tasks like cleaning the bathroom and taking out the trash. It’s from You that we get our strength to keep going when the monotony of life becomes depressing.
"That our domino days are still standing is a gift from You. Sometimes one single event – accident, illness, or job change – will send dozens of them crashing as our carefully ordered lives fall apart for a time. Yet even in the midst of disaster, You are there, loving, nurturing, and keeping us.
"Thank You for giving us the security of knowing we have a warm place to sleep at night, for providing us with the ability to work, and allowing us to earn the money to pay our bills and buy food. Give us new eyes to see You and all of Your marvelous works, lips that praise You for all that we receive, and a thankful heart that remains constantly fixed on You. Put a new joy in our hearts that makes us want to sing your praises every moment.
"Remind us that You have called us by our names, we are Yours and that it is in our humdrum domino days that our faithfulness – and yours – can best be seen.
"In the name of Jesus Who knew how to live each day to Your glory, Amen."
How To Use a Prayer for Couples
Reading a prayer for couples can help two people find common ground, and a common goal. The words are not magical; the process of praying is a simple method that allows the Christian couple to get started on a common path.
The aforementioned prayer may be shortened, the words changed to reflect the couple’s own situation, or the names of the people praying can be inserted to make the prayer more personal. Many Christians believe the number of times a prayer is prayed is not significant.
The key to praying is remembering that prayer is simply communicating with a higher power, whether it's God or another divine entity. Speaking about what is in one’s heart, sharing hurts and hopes with a partner is essential to the bonding process that ultimately leads to the construction of a strong, intimate relationship.
Readers may also enjoy other prayers for couples including, A Prayer for Friends and After a Fight.
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