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We are on week 20 of our 30-week marriage devotional series. This week we are diving into something that might sound a little surprising at first — praying for yourself. This is one of the most important things we can talk about when it comes to your marriage and your walk with God.
We want to remind you that this series is based on our devotional books, Husband After God and Wife After God. If you have not grabbed a copy yet, grab them here. You and your spouse can go through them together — discussing, reflecting, and praying side by side.
A committed prayer life is not just good for you personally. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give your spouse and your children. They are the ones who benefit most when you are rooted in God through prayer and His Word. Our spiritual disciplines are not optional extras. They are non-negotiable — especially when you consider how much life throws at us and how real our enemy is. We have an adversary who wants to devour us, and prayer is one of the most powerful ways we stay prepared and protected.
We all understand that we need water, nutritious food, rest, friendship, and connection to function well. Our prayer life is no different. It is just as essential to who we are as any of those things.
Adam was formed from the dust of the earth — he had a body, he had form, he was a man. But he was not truly alive until God breathed life into him. As Acts 17:28 reminds us, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” We cannot exist apart from God. He holds all things together. Every cell of our being is sustained by Him.
An intimate prayer life, and His Word — is more vital than the very food and water we need to survive. We can go through the motions of daily life without prayer. But without being connected to the vine, we are not truly living. True life is only found in God through Christ Jesus. When we are not praying, it is like holding our breath. We are living on something other than oxygen.
We often do not even notice we are starving ourselves. It is only when the drought sets in — when something feels off, when God feels distant, when we feel depleted — that we cry out in desperation and suddenly feel revived again.
When we feel that distance from God, our first instinct is to say that He feels far away. But Job said it best in Job 23:12: “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my portion of food.” Job treasured God’s Word above everything — and that kind of heart posture keeps us close to the One who gives us life.
If you are in a dry season right now, we want to suggest that it might be a sign that prayer and the Word have quietly slipped down the priority list. The beautiful promise is this — those who seek Him will find Him. The Word is clear on that. So the invitation is simply to turn back, to seek, and to trust that He is right there.
The Bible calls us to “pray without ceasing” in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. We know that can feel impossible at first. What it really means is cultivating a lifestyle of prayer. A constant, open conversation with God. Not always out loud, but always present — in the mind, in the heart, in the posture of our day.
When an anxious thought creeps in, instead of letting it spiral, what if we turned it into a prayer right then and there? Lord, I am afraid. Why do I feel this way? What does Your Word say about this? We believe that when we respond to anxiety with prayer, the Holy Spirit meets us there and brings comfort and clarity in a way that nothing else can. We would overcome those moments so much faster if prayer was our first response rather than our last resort.
When we keep that open conversation with God going throughout the day — meditating on His Word, listening, actively looking for Him to speak — we stay tapped into the source of life itself. It is like a lamp that has to be plugged in to shine. Prayer is what keeps us connected to the power source.
We want you to walk away with a sense of how extraordinary and privileged we are to have direct access to God through prayer. It is not a religious obligation. It is intimacy with your Creator — and it changes everything.
If your marriage has felt dry, if you have felt spiritually depleted, we want to encourage you: start with prayer. Start with yourself. And then invite your spouse into that. Pray together. Seek Him together. Because when both of you have a strong prayer life, your marriage will reflect this.
We hope this encourages you today. Listen to the full episode of the Marriage After God podcast for even more on this topic, and grab your copies of Husband After God and Wife After God.
Episode Title: Why Praying for Yourself Is One of the Best Things You Can Do for Your Marriage Series: 30-Week Marriage Devotional Series Primary Keywords: prayer in marriage, Christian marriage devotional, how to pray for your marriage, praying without ceasing, Husband After God, Wife After God
Key Point: The Breath of Life
The Sobering Truth:
The Anxiety Connection:
The Lamp Illustration:
Continue reading...
We are on week 20 of our 30-week marriage devotional series. This week we are diving into something that might sound a little surprising at first — praying for yourself. This is one of the most important things we can talk about when it comes to your marriage and your walk with God.
We want to remind you that this series is based on our devotional books, Husband After God and Wife After God. If you have not grabbed a copy yet, grab them here. You and your spouse can go through them together — discussing, reflecting, and praying side by side.
Prayer Is Not Selfish — It Is Necessary
A committed prayer life is not just good for you personally. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give your spouse and your children. They are the ones who benefit most when you are rooted in God through prayer and His Word. Our spiritual disciplines are not optional extras. They are non-negotiable — especially when you consider how much life throws at us and how real our enemy is. We have an adversary who wants to devour us, and prayer is one of the most powerful ways we stay prepared and protected.
We all understand that we need water, nutritious food, rest, friendship, and connection to function well. Our prayer life is no different. It is just as essential to who we are as any of those things.
Adam was formed from the dust of the earth — he had a body, he had form, he was a man. But he was not truly alive until God breathed life into him. As Acts 17:28 reminds us, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” We cannot exist apart from God. He holds all things together. Every cell of our being is sustained by Him.
An intimate prayer life, and His Word — is more vital than the very food and water we need to survive. We can go through the motions of daily life without prayer. But without being connected to the vine, we are not truly living. True life is only found in God through Christ Jesus. When we are not praying, it is like holding our breath. We are living on something other than oxygen.
We often do not even notice we are starving ourselves. It is only when the drought sets in — when something feels off, when God feels distant, when we feel depleted — that we cry out in desperation and suddenly feel revived again.
God Is Not the One Who Moved
When we feel that distance from God, our first instinct is to say that He feels far away. But Job said it best in Job 23:12: “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my portion of food.” Job treasured God’s Word above everything — and that kind of heart posture keeps us close to the One who gives us life.
If you are in a dry season right now, we want to suggest that it might be a sign that prayer and the Word have quietly slipped down the priority list. The beautiful promise is this — those who seek Him will find Him. The Word is clear on that. So the invitation is simply to turn back, to seek, and to trust that He is right there.
Can We Really Pray Without Ceasing?
The Bible calls us to “pray without ceasing” in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. We know that can feel impossible at first. What it really means is cultivating a lifestyle of prayer. A constant, open conversation with God. Not always out loud, but always present — in the mind, in the heart, in the posture of our day.
When an anxious thought creeps in, instead of letting it spiral, what if we turned it into a prayer right then and there? Lord, I am afraid. Why do I feel this way? What does Your Word say about this? We believe that when we respond to anxiety with prayer, the Holy Spirit meets us there and brings comfort and clarity in a way that nothing else can. We would overcome those moments so much faster if prayer was our first response rather than our last resort.
When we keep that open conversation with God going throughout the day — meditating on His Word, listening, actively looking for Him to speak — we stay tapped into the source of life itself. It is like a lamp that has to be plugged in to shine. Prayer is what keeps us connected to the power source.
A Word of Encouragement
We want you to walk away with a sense of how extraordinary and privileged we are to have direct access to God through prayer. It is not a religious obligation. It is intimacy with your Creator — and it changes everything.
If your marriage has felt dry, if you have felt spiritually depleted, we want to encourage you: start with prayer. Start with yourself. And then invite your spouse into that. Pray together. Seek Him together. Because when both of you have a strong prayer life, your marriage will reflect this.
We hope this encourages you today. Listen to the full episode of the Marriage After God podcast for even more on this topic, and grab your copies of Husband After God and Wife After God.
Episode Summary
Episode Title: Why Praying for Yourself Is One of the Best Things You Can Do for Your Marriage Series: 30-Week Marriage Devotional Series Primary Keywords: prayer in marriage, Christian marriage devotional, how to pray for your marriage, praying without ceasing, Husband After God, Wife After God
I. Introduction & Series Update
- Welcome to week 20 of the 30-week Marriage After God devotional series
- Series is based on Husband After God and Wife After God devotionals
- Available at shop.marriageaftergod.com
- Why the devotionals are worth having in hand:
- Additional content not covered in the podcast
- Space for personal notes, questions, and written prayers
- Designed to be done together as a couple
- This episode kicks off a mini-series within the series focused entirely on prayer
- Next several episodes will each explore a different dimension of prayer in marriage
II. This Week’s Focus: Praying for Yourself
- It may sound selfish — but it is actually essential
- A personal, committed prayer life is one of the greatest gifts you give your spouse and children
- They are the primary beneficiaries of a person devoted to prayer
- Spiritual disciplines are non-negotiable, not optional
- Life is unpredictable and hard
- We have a real enemy who wants to trip us up
- Prayer is one of our most important forms of preparation and protection
III. Why Prayer Is More Necessary Than We Realize
- Just like food, water, rest, and friendship — prayer is essential to who we are
- Our relationship with God through prayer is intimacy with our Creator
- It is an extraordinary privilege we often take for granted
Key Point: The Breath of Life
- Adam was formed from dust — he had form, but was not alive until God breathed life into him
- Acts 17:28 — “In Him we live and move and have our being”
- We cannot exist apart from God; He holds all things together
- As His offspring, our entire existence is reliant on Him
The Sobering Truth:
- Our need for God — for prayer and His Word — may be more vital than the food and water we need to survive
- Without being connected to the vine, we do not have true life
- Not praying is like holding our breath — we are living on something other than oxygen
- Most of us, if we are honest, are doing exactly that without realizing it
IV. Recognizing Spiritual Drought
- We often do not notice we are spiritually starving until the drought sets in
- Signs of drought: feeling depleted, empty, distant from God, something feels “off”
- The truth: God has not moved — we are the ones who drifted
- Job 23:12 — “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my portion of food”
- Job’s heart posture is one we can learn from
- He valued God’s Word and commands above physical nourishment
- When we cry out in desperation, we feel revived — because we are reconnecting with our Creator
- The promise: “Those who seek me will find me” (Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:7)
V. What It Means to Pray Without Ceasing
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 — “Pray without ceasing”
- This is often dismissed as impossible — but that misses the point
- It is not about being on your knees 24/7 — it is about a lifestyle of prayer
- What praying without ceasing actually looks like:
- A constant, open conversation with God throughout the day
- Meditating on His Word even when not speaking out loud
- Actively listening and looking for Him to speak
- Turning anxious thoughts into prayers in real time
The Anxiety Connection:
- When a fearful or anxious thought comes, turning it into a prayer changes everything
- “Lord, I am afraid. Why do I feel this way? What does Your Word say?”
- The Holy Spirit meets us there and brings comfort and clarity
- We overcome those moments faster when prayer is our first response, not our last resort
The Lamp Illustration:
- A lamp has to be plugged in to shine
- Prayer is what keeps us connected to the power source — to God Himself
- When we stay tapped in through continual prayer, we are connected to the source of true life
VI. Why This Matters for Your Marriage
- A prayer life does not just benefit you — it overflows into your marriage
- When both spouses are individually rooted in prayer, the marriage reflects that
- Praying together deepens intimacy, builds trust, and aligns a couple under God
- Your children are watching — modeling prayer shapes their faith for life
VII. Practical Encouragement & Call to Action
- Start with yourself — commit to an open, honest conversation with God today
- If you feel dry, do not wait until you feel desperate — seek Him now
- Invite your spouse into your prayer journey
- Grab Husband After God and Wife After God at shop.marriageaftergod.com
- Use them together on your nightstand
- Discuss, reflect, and pray through them as a couple
- Stay tuned for the next episode — more on prayer in marriage is coming
Scripture References
| Reference | Theme |
|---|---|
| Acts 17:28 | In Him we live and move and have our being |
| Job 23:12 | Treasuring God’s Word above food |
| 1 Thessalonians 5:17 | Pray without ceasing |
| Jeremiah 29:13 | Those who seek Him will find Him |
| Matthew 7:7 | Ask, seek, knock |
| John 15 | Connected to the vine |
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