Christian marriages are under attack. They are not immune to the devil’s attack. He would love to destroy them, but we can fight back. The answer is easy; the commitment is difficult.
Pray Together
Praying the first thing in the morning is the best time for most people. It is good to start the day with God on your mind and it is even better to do so as a couple. Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit and give you strength for the day ahead. Praying together brings you closer together and helps you to care for each other every day. As you think about what the day ahead holds for your partner, your loving affection goes beyond the physical realm to the emotional and spiritual realm. This develops true intimacy with each other and with God. Perhaps a better time for you as a couple might be just before you go to bed each night. It’s impossible to fall asleep angry when you’ve just held hands together in God’s presence.
Read the Bible Together
This might also be described as a time of daily devotions. Begin setting aside some time each weekday morning to read the Bible and pray together — a couple’s devotional time. Try to read to each other from the Bible and then spend a few minutes in prayer together. Be cautious of distractions. You may have to commit to rising from sleep about 30 minutes earlier in order to do this, but it’s a wonderful, intimate time of strengthening your marriage. It may take some time, but what a sense of accomplishment both of you will feel when you realize you’ve read through the entire Bible together!
Make Decisions Together
I’m not talking about deciding on what to eat for dinner. Major decisions, like financial ones, are best decided as a couple. One of the greatest areas of strain in a marriage is the sphere of finances. As a couple you should discuss your finances on a regular basis, even if one of you is better at handling the practical aspects, like paying the bills and balancing the check book. Keeping secrets about spending will drive a wedge between a couple faster than anything. If you agree to come to mutual decisions on how the finances are handled, this will strengthen trust between you and your partner. Also, you won’t be able to keep secrets from each other if you commit to making all important family decisions together. This is one of the best ways to develop trust as a couple.
Attend Church Together
Find a place of worship where you and your spouse will not only attend together, but enjoy areas of mutual interest, such as serving in a ministry and making Christian friends together. The Bible says in Hebrews 10:24-25, that one of the best ways we can stir up love and encourage good deeds is by remaining faithful to the Body of Christ by meeting together regularly as believers. You cannot have a healthy commitment to your spouse if you don’t have a healthy relationship with God.
Continue Dating
Once married, couples often neglect the area of romance, especially after the kids come along. Continuing a dating life may take some strategic planning on your part as a couple, but it is vital to maintaining a secure and intimate marriage. Keeping the romance alive will also be a bold testimony to the strength of your Christian marriage.
These 5 steps require real, committed effort on your part. Falling in love may have seemed effortless but keeping your Christian marriage strong will take ongoing work. The good news is—building a healthy marriage is not all that complicated or difficult if you’re determined to follow a few basic principles.
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