37 WAYS OF MARRIAGE AND FAITH

1. You need to know God has brought you together.

2. You need to know you’ve made a covenant with your spouse. Not a business contract.

3. You need to know to turn your marriage over to God every morning. He has some thoughts about it.

4. You need to know to agree beforehand what role faith will play in your marriage. And what role it will play when things go south.

5. You need to know that you must be at peace with God before you can be at peace in your marriage.

6. You need to know that if you make your spouse your god, they will always disappoint you.

7. You need to know to not try to change your spouse’s beliefs. That’s God’s job. Not yours.

8. You need to know a spiritual foundation is vital to a healthy marriage. There will be times when it carries you.

9. You need to know that marriage isn’t about the two of you. It’s about the three of you.


10. You need to know not everyone drawsclose to God in the same way. You and your spouse may be on different paths. Perhaps even on different planets.

11. You need to know that if you make your spouse the source of all your happiness, you’ve limited what God can do for you.

12. You need to know that instead of arguing with your spouse about going to church, ask him or her to pray with you about something: your finances, your children, your health. Take baby steps.

13. You need to know you can pray tobecome a better husband or wife. God pays attention to those prayers.

14. You need to know that saying grace at mealtime is one way to start praying together.

15. You need to know that sometimes having a strong faith in God can cause a fight. Evidence we live in a fallen world. And a great time to practice forgiveness, patience, and faith.

16. You need to know that prayer brings divine power into your relationship.

17. You need to know that giving back to God somehow strengthens your marriage.

18. You need to know to talk to each other about your beliefs. You don’t have to agree. You do have to talk.

19. You need to know that when you focus on the wonderful things about your partner, God can focus
on providing for your needs.

20. You need to know that praying to God to change your spouse is telling God what to do.

21. You need to know to find a place of worship that you can support wholeheartedly and attend regularly.
If your spouse comes, even better.

22. You need to know a strong marriage means someone is praying for you every night.

23. You need to know you can spice up your marriage with a spiritual retreat. And you thought you needed Vegas.

24. You need to know the only way to change a person is to start praising them. This is really hard when you see credit card bills piling up and laundry lying on the floor, but it works.

25. You need to know both optimism and pessimism work as intended on a marriage.

26. You need to know to be gentle.

27. You need to know to admit when you’re wrong. Single people can’t do this.

28. You need to know to thank God daily for the love you’ve found in each other.

29. You need to know to find a place to worship when you’re on vacation. Don’t leave your spirituality at home.

30. You need to know that rock-solid marriages aren’t built on watching TV every night, but on daily discussions that begin with “Tell me about your day.”

31. You need to know forgiveness isn’t a sign of weakness. Resentments are.

32. You need to know to agree beforehand if your baby boy will be baptized or circumcised. Or both.

33. You need to know God didn’t call us to love one another only when the other person is lovable.

34. You need to know to not get in the way of your spouse’s relationship with God.

35. You need to know friends, family, faith, and traditions can strengthen a marriage. Or shake it up.

36. You need to know that teaching a Sunday school class or leading a youth group together is a good way to learn about kids before you have them.

37. You need to know to keep a place inside you reserved for God alone.