While you’re waiting for that vision – that purpose in your life… while you’re building that meaningful life as husband and wife, do you have restraint?
Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].
Proverbs 29:19 Amplified Bible
In our fourth mid-marriage video, we talked about vision, mission and values. All these could be seen as human endeavors, and almost useless unless God has revealed where He needs us to focus.
Asking God to reveal…
Sometimes it takes years of prayer – asking, seeking and knocking – to understand why God has set the two of you together, and what He wants from you.
Have restraint as you wait… but…
What to do in the waiting?
I think the secret of what to do in the waiting for that Divine revelation (in whatever form it’s given) is found in the second part of this proverb: “But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God]”
Ah. Yes.
How well do we, as husband and wife, follow God’s laws?
Jesus has summed up His Father’s laws into this:
and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.’
This is the second: ‘You shall [unselfishly] love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30,31 Amplified
Restrain Yourself. Love God.
Do you demonstrate your love for God?
How?
If your children or adult siblings, friends, co-workers, or parents were asked, “How does this couple demonstrate their love for God?” how would they respond?
Does your behavior as husband and wife bring glory to God? We’re not talking about grand gestures. Every day – how does your behavior as husband and wife glorify God?
and the second part:
Restrain Yourself. Unselfishly love your neighbor.
Do you begin this loving unselfishly — with your spouse?
Encouraging your spouse when everything is too much – how do you do that?
Too much? What’s too much? Do you ever feel like your life is filled with white-water rivers, mine fields, lava flows, rising flood water, hurricane winds, rotted floorboards, bottomless pits, shark-infested seas… Everything is beyond what you or your spouse can control.
Where do you go from that spot?
Unity matters when everything is too much.
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
~ Genesis 2:24 NIV
Remember – you’re not alone. Husband & Wife. Together. As husband and wife – “one flesh” – you can leave everything else behind to be united against an outside threat . Individual control no longer matters or makes sense.
There’s strength in unity. Are you tapping into that strength?
Encouraging your spouse when everything is too much starts with focusing on unity between you and he/she, and inviting your loving Heavenly Father – who wants what’s good for you both – to take control.
Invite God to take over. (Yes. We know how difficult letting go of control is…)
Remind your spouse that he or she doesn’t need all the answers.
Have faith in God when everything is too much.
Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and God – Faith puts God between us and our circumstances
F.B. Meyer
During the greatest trials and most trying circumstances is when we’ll see the power of God working for and in us -provided we look at our circumstances with the perspective of faith.
3 Actions – Encouraging your spouse when everything is too much:
1 – Listen to each other. Be attentive when your spouse speaks.
Two ears. One mouth. Listen twice as much as you talk. And if your spouse isn’t one to chat easily, perhaps it’s time to cultivate some meaningful questions? Try this Pinterest board for ideas on questions to ask.
… be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…
For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
~ 1Timothy 4:4
We know – it’s hard to be thankful when everything feels like it’s too much. But try. Begin small. Start with the easy stuff:
you have each other, even if neither of you are perfect
Jesus knew the pain He’d endure, and He still decided you and your spouse were worth it.
God loves you, even when it’s all too much. He’ll never leave you. He’s always with you.
3 – Pray together. Invite God into your “too much”.
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:19,20
What if you don’t know where to start to pray?
Prayer can be a simple “thank you”. The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples (and us) is found here. If you want to go deeper, listen as other people pray and develop your own prayer life. Sometimes resources can help…
Rob and I have been reading and putting into practice what’s in the book The Hour the Changes the World. It’s a prayer plan that divides an hour into twelve 5-minute sections. Each section focuses on a different point of prayer. If an hour seems like too much, you can use the idea for 12 minutes – focusing on each of the 12 sections for one minute at a time.
Here are 31 videos if you want to go deeper into exploring prayer with your spouse. They’re less than 5 minutes each. They’re hosted by Dick Eastman, President of Every Home for Christ. and author of the above book. Watch them together with your spouse and do one a day for a month… It’s something to unite the two of you and most days it’ll take less than 5 minutes…
Everything for a time.
Nothing is so constant as change. This “too much” time will shift and change. Encouraging your spouse when everything is too much will only be for a time… Learn to work together through it all and leverage the blessing the Lord has given you both: each other!
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Take action to encourage. Why? Encouraging your spouse, especially in a time of uncertainty and overwhelm, has more of an impact than praise after a success. But sometimes you don’t know where to start.
it’s imperative to encourage your spouse in some small way.
Taking action kicks procrastination to the curb. It releases you to take more action.
Take a small, good action, and feel more in control.
Even if you don’t know what’s next -Take action to encourage.
Take action to learn.
Break it down. Small bites. Take action to encourage.
You may not know everything about your situation. Or your spouse’s situation. You may not know the way forward. You might not even have a clue on how to get past this situation…
However, you can take action to learn. Learn more.
One step forward. One action farther.
Make it a good step – an encouraging action.
Just because you don’t know… is not a pass to procrastinate!
You don’t get to stand still.
What action?
1 – Pray. Take action to encourage.
Yes. Prayer is an action. Let your spouse hear you praying. Build reminders into your life to remind you to pray. Pray together. Reach out – ask others to pray for and with you.
2 – Search for a mentor/role model to take action to encourage.
What you’re going through is not new – someone else has had these moments/hours/days/years of trial and anguish. There is nothing new under the sun. You’re not the first person to be overwhelmed and overcome…
Maybe the “someone” you find for inspiration and consolation isn’t close – or even alive. You don’t need to intimately know a particular person – it’s possible to use a stranger as a role model.
Dig into this person’s life to understand their values, their strengths (and weaknesses), what actions they take when under pressure, who they admire and from where they get their encouragement.
Don’t forget to look at Biblical role models as an example.
Those people in the Bible were real people – like you and me. Their stresses and discouragements might not have been outwardly shaped like yours or mine, but they had the same root – and the same liar tried to tear them down and separate them from their Hope – their God. How did they react when faced with disaster? From where did their help come? Who surrounded them?
Who are you most like – behavior wise – as a Biblical persona? What about your spouse? How can you know? (Robert and I are exploring this concept right now using this tool. The exploration has prompted some interesting discussions.)
How do you find ways to remember to pray? Do you start every morning in prayer and end every day in prayer? Have you set aside a specific quiet time for prayer? Is prayer a focus on Sundays when you go to church?
Or is your desire to pray greater than your actual time spent in prayer?
I’m guessing your life is like mine. You’re busy. Time is chewed up by all the “to-dos” on your list. (Maybe prayer isn’t even on your list?)
It’s not that you don’t want to pray for your spouse and loved ones. You do. But you need ways to remember to pray. Yeah. Me too.
23 Easy Ways to Remember to Pray
To help all of us, I’ve divided these 23 easy ways to remember to pray into 2 sections: Cues to Pray, and Read, Write, Color and Pray Together.
Cues to Pray
Put a sticky note on your beside lamp. You’ll be reminded to pray when you see the note. Keep these at your bedside and decide which shape corresponds to what you want to pray for,… it’s fun to change them out and nobody needs to know except you. In fact, you could place them near the light switches around your house, on the dashboard of your car, or at your computer. Lots of ways to remember to pray!
Set up daily reminders on your smart phone. Use the alarm option on your smart phone as a cue. Consider a special tone to pray for your spouse and sync the times to pray to know you’re both praying for each other at the same time. Years ago I knew families who stopped what they were doing at 10PM and prayed. If they were driving, they’d pull over and pray. Hmmm. Maybe we can renew that idea…
Use these to write a big “PRAY” on your microwave. We often waste the seconds when microwaving our food by watching it go in circles inside the microwave. Instead use those 30 seconds to pray. And if you don’t want to write the word “pray”, then just do a big, decorative “P”! Let visitors inquire what the “P” means and you can talk about your faith and all the ways to remember to pray.
Pray for your spouse when you see the make/model of the vehicle they drive. If you’re on the road use the cue of other cars as your reminder to pray. Know your loved ones’ make or model of vehicle and the opportunities become a regular reminder.
Colors can be a reminder to pray. What’s your spouse’s favorite color or print? When you see that color, it will be a reminder to pray for her or him. If your spouse doesn’t have a favorite color, then use the color of their eyes. You can do the same for your children. (Whenever I see lime green I think of Alex, our son. A deep royal blue is my reminder of Sarah, our daughter. And yellow triggers prayers for Alisane, our daughter-in-love.)
Link social media and prayer. Each time you open the Facebook app on your phone and see the first post, pray for that person. (If you don’t want to pray for that person, then why are you “friends” on Facebook?) Or you could discipline yourself to pray for your spouse before you open Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. If you have time for social media, then you have time to pray! 😉
Use your television (or computer monitor) to remind you to pray. Use your digital photos, wifi and Chromecast to stream them to your television. Pray for each person in the photo. Our son and daughter-in-love have this set up on their television. Here’s a lnk to learn how to do it for yourself. You can configure your computer screen saver to do the same for many ways to remember to pray.
A shower of prayer. Use your time in the shower to pray. Write prayer prompts on these note pads for the shower or write on your shower walls with these to remind yourself.Moms and Dads of small children have very few moments of “alone time”. We see our daughter-in-love and son grasping at finding the energy and time to do anything other than the essentials. (I understand because after grandparenting for the day, I go to bed early!) However, we all still shower. And a few moments alone can be the perfect time to pray.
Pray as your loved ones leave. Rob and I try to pray together before we leave our little house-on-wheels. (We’re not always successful.) But I ask God silently to be with him in his day as I hear the truck start. I silently pray for my adult children and the grandboy as I leave their house. Even if your spouse leaves your home before you’re awake, as soon as you wake up you can pray for him or her.
Pour your coffee and pray. It only takes a few moments to make your coffee (or wait as the barista makes your coffee 😉 ) You can use those seconds before you take your first sip of that exilar of energy to pray.
Let what you hear be your cue. A specific song could be your cue to pray for your loved ones. The sound of a train whistle, helicopters or planes could be a cue to pray. We hear many sounds during a day, and we could make use of those noises. When I hear the bubbling of a boiling tea kettle I think of my parents-in-law and pray for them. (They love their afternoon tea.) Are there specific television theme songs that remind you of your loved ones?
Sing and pray. Use your Praise and Worship CDs/MP3s to tune your heart to pray. Or use an old-fashioned hymnal. The words in our traditional Christian hymns are deep and comforting. Many of them are taken directly from scripture. I have memories of my grandmother sitting with her hymnal, reading the words of the hymns. Keep a hymnal near a comfortable chair, and when your eyes fall on it, sit down and pray a while, using the hymns as your starting point.
Active prayer. Do you run or swim laps? Discipline yourself to use that time to pray. Even a simple evening walk around the block with your spouse can include a time of prayer.
When you wash your hands look at your wedding ring and pray for your spouse. Instead of singing “Happy Birthday” 3 times, use the time to pray for your husband or wife. Those wedding bands are a promise and a symbol of your vows. Bring honor to your role as husband and wife by praying for each other.
Let your hand provide a cue. We take our hands everywhere we go… “Your fingers can be used to bring to mind different things to pray for. Your thumb is the strongest digit on your hand. Give thanks for all the strong things in your life, like home and family, relationships that support and sustain you. Your index finger is the pointing finger. Pray for all those people and things in your life who guide and help you. Friends, teachers, doctors, nurses, emergency services and so on. Your middle fingerthis is the tallest finger. Pray for all the important people who have power in the world, like world leaders and their governments. Your ring fingerthis is the weakest finger on your hand. It can not do much by itself. Remember the poor, the weak, the helpless, the hungry, the sick, the ill and the bereaved. Your little finger is the smallest and the last finger on your hand. Pray for yourself.” I found this prompt here on the Church of England’s website and adapted it for this post.
Make prayer an act of service for one person. (Do for one what you’d do for everyone… if you could.) Is there a widow or widower in your neighborhood that you could help? Perhaps take them for groceries, or mow their lawn. What about a single mother/father who needs some time for themselves? Could you take care of their children so they could go get a coffee? Perhaps it’s as simple as delivering Meals-on-Wheels once a week or volunteering at a soup kitchen. During that time when you’re serving, spend some time praying. You could even pray with them.
Read, Write, Color and Pray Together
Sometimes a book will remind you to pray. If your attention is on a subject, there’s a greater chance to take action. Here are 6 opportunities to surround yourself with books and apps that encourage you to pray.
Maybe words escape you and you need a different way to pray… As a visual or kinesthetic learner, a distractable or impatient soul, or enjoying the adventure of trying new things, this book will answer your needs. Why not use color instead of words to pray?
This book has made a huge difference in how I pray. It includes a12 step prayer plan for an hour in prayer or 12 minutes…. There’s an introduction by Joni Erickson Tada and how this plan changed this physically challenged woman’s view of needing to go to bed early every evening because of her paralysis. Every time I deepen my understanding of prayer, it becomes easier to remember to pray.
The Power of a Praying…
This book, The Power of a Praying Grandparent is just one of the series of books by Stormie Omartian about making prayer specific. I received a free copy from NetGalley, and read it right away. This book deepened what and how I prayed for our grandboy, even though we’ve been praying for him since before he was born.
I first become aware of the Omartians through their books, the Power of a Praying Wife and the Power of a Praying Husband. Robert and I recommend these books to every couple. Just by looking at the table of contents of each book, you’ll see how much you haven’t thought of… I go back to my copy of praying for husbands regularly. It keeps prayer top of mind when I start to get lazy.
This is a free app for your iPhone specifically designed to remind you to pray and I’ve been adding in reminders to pray for specific things (things from the Praying for books above) for our grandboy, our adult children and Rob. My phone is usually with me, and the reminders are a way to keep my prayer life active.
Choose a journal and use it as a reminder to pray. Keep it with you as you go throughout your day, and you’ll remember that prayer needs to be a regular activity.
Your surroundings show what you value. If you value prayer, then let your environment demonstrate that focus.
We live in a little house-on-wheels, so our decor and possessions are minimal. After researching this post, I’ll be adding a pillow to my couch with a reminder to pray. (Hey- a pillow is both decorative and functional, right? 😉 )
Last, but not least… join a group and/or find a prayer partner.
One of our favorite Bible chapters is John 17 – where Jesus was praying with and for his disciples and those who would follow Him in the future – that’s us! (John 17:20)
Want to remember to pray? Don’t pray alone! Your spouse is an ideal prayer partner. If you’ve never prayed together, or haven’t prayed for a while, then just start in a simple way. Here’s a post that’ll give you ideas.
Or you could join a prayer group at a local church. Or begin one yourself. How deeply do you feel the calling to pray?
I started out compiling the best list I could for ways to remember to pray, but this post has gotten quite long. To help you remember all your options, here’s a free 1-page PDF to download. It should make this easier for you.
Remember to pray for your spouse.
This is a general list all pointing to prayer. However, the person you first need to pray for is your spouse.
Pray together, you say? But how? Maybe you can’t remember the last time your prayed with your spouse… maybe never? And plus – there’s stuff goin’ on!
Is life a bit crazy right now? Maybe finding a moment alone together as husband and wife is hard. Maybe the cray-cray cycle is spinning so fast, that you and your spouse feel like you’ve lost your stuffing. Maybe you can’t put two words together before you fall asleep at night, so how can you devote yourself to prayer?
Is life a bit hard right now? Maybe you are struggling. Struggling with finances, with relationships, with health… Maybe you don’t really feel like talking to God when life sucks the big one… He knows everything. Does He really need to hear you whining again?
Is life a bit too good right now? Whoa, there! Yes. I did say “too good”! Maybe you’re on track and shining. Maybe those things you’ve been praying for are real now. Maybe you’re all “prayed-up”, and you’ve already said a great big thank you to God. Yup. You’re thankful. You’ve told Him.
Why Pray Together?
Why should you pray together as husband and wife? If it’s hard enough to pray on your own, why even try to pray together?
Everything is better with God included.
The first reason to pray together is that everything is better when you’ve invited God to participate – or rather, when you’ve drawn close to Him. (He doesn’t go anywhere, we’re the ones who move away a step or two… or ten…)
Our crazy cycle can become less crazy if we draw closer to God. look at Matthew 11:28
Start simple. Hold hands. Thank God for each other.
Here’s “A TIP”
And here’s A TIP if you want to go a little bit further – take turns:
A – Adoring Him. Tell God how amazing and awesome He is.
T – Thanking Him. Thank God for all the wonderful gifts in your life – including your spouse.
I – Interceding for others. Consider all those around you who need God’s help. Ask for help – for them.
P – Petititioning for yourselves. Sometimes the simplest words are the most effective – “Father, help!”
Prayer doesn’t need to be fancy. It’s a conversation.
Prayer doesn’t need to take hours. But take as long as you need. No hurry.
Scripture and Prayer
Robert’s favorite chapter in the Bible is John 17 – it’s the chapter where Jesus is praying to His Father. It’s conversational. He prays for those with him and those that come later and believe in Him. (that’s us!) Read that chapter to begin to feel what prayer can become. Try different Bible versions: The Message – International Children’s Bible – New King James.
Sometimes understanding comes after reading and pondering. Read just a few verses before you pray your own prayer together.
Spend time with other couples who pray together.
Maybe you didn’t grow up in a house where you heard your parents pray together. It happens. However, it’s never too late to find a couple from whom you can learn. (There’s something to ask God for the next time you pray together as husband and wife!) Yes. Ask God to to bring you close to another praying couple.
But to begin… take Jason and Tiffani’s suggestion to heart: Hold hands and thank God for each other.
check out the post on Jason & Tiffani’s site that birthed the tweet: http://songsix3.org/do-you-pray-with-your-wife/
Rob and I have been reading and putting into practice what’s in the book 
Pray as your loved ones leave. Rob and I try to pray together before we leave our little house-on-wheels. (We’re not always successful.) But I ask God silently to be with him in his day as I hear the truck start. I silently pray for my adult children and the grandboy as I leave their house. Even if your spouse leaves your home before you’re awake, as soon as you wake up you can pray for him or her. 
Use your decor as ways to remember to pray
One of our favorite Bible chapters is 
I started out compiling the best list I could for ways to remember to pray, but this post has gotten quite long. To help you remember all your options, here’s a free 1-page PDF to download. It should make this easier for you.
-01.png)
