Most couples have encountered situations where they feel stuck. Maybe there’s a recurring area of conflict. Or a pain from the past that keeps showing up in the present. Maybe you wish your spouse would utilize your love language more, or that the two of you would be more unified in your parenting.

No matter the area of your marriage that feels stuck, the good news is that change in your marriage is possible! The Bible says when we seek God through prayer, He will do something new in our lives.

We are excited to have Jodie Berndt back on the show with us. She is the bestselling author of the Praying the Scriptures book series, which includes her latest book, Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage. Jodie has been a trusted speaker, Bible teacher, and prayer warrior for 30 years, and she’s here to give us a word of encouragement in our marriages.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How to start a habit of prayer with your spouse
• The ways prayer can powerfully strengthen your relationship
• Practical guidelines for hard conversations
• And more!

We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Links:

• [BOOK] Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage: Trusting God with Your Most Important Relationship
• Free Prayer Calendar
• Episode 36: How to Fire Up Your Prayer Life for Your Kids and Experience God Like Never Before — Interview with Jodie Berndt
• Gottman Institute Love Lab
• The National Marriage Project
• Connect with Jodie on Instagram, Facebook, or her website

Our Takeaways:

1) Not everyone is comfortable praying together. Depending on your background and past experiences with praying in a group, not everyone is going to feel comfortable praying with their spouse. This doesn’t mean they don’t want to; it might just be that they aren’t (yet) comfortable doing so. If this is the case, start by asking your spouse how you can best support them and let them know they are loved. You may even find opportunities to pray for them when appropriate and it is comfortable.

2) Prayer opens the door to intimacy and connection. The act of prayer is one of surrender and acknowledging that we need help outside of ourselves. It also frees us from the responsibility of trying to orchestrate a particular outcome. When we practice prayer as a married couple, it opens the door to true intimacy and connection, with both God and our spouse.

3) Address hard conversations with kindness. When we need to address something with our spouse, it’s important to first identify the main issue. We can have a habit of piling on additional hurts or problems that only serve to convolute the real reason we are hurt. Instead, it’s important to stay positive, address the issue directly, and identify if there is an action step that needs to occur.

Meet Our Guest