Marriage Investors,

Can we be honest about something? For a lot of couples—even couples who love God deeply—praying together out loud feels awkward. You can talk about the kids, the budget, and what to watch tonight without a second thought, but the moment one of you says, “Should we pray about this?” a strange shyness creeps in. If that’s you, please hear us: you are not doing marriage wrong. You’re simply standing at the edge of one of the richest investments you’ll ever make in your relationship, and the first deposit is always the hardest.

We’ve walked this road ourselves. Early on, our prayers together were short, a little clumsy, and sometimes interrupted by a giggle or a long pause. But we kept showing up. And slowly, that awkward little habit became one of the strongest threads holding our marriage together.

Why Praying Together Feels So Vulnerable

Prayer is intimate. When you pray beside your spouse, you’re letting them hear what’s really on your heart—your fears, your gratitude, the places you feel weak. That kind of honesty can feel more exposing than any other conversation in your home. It’s easier to keep prayer private, tucked safely between you and God.

But that vulnerability is exactly where the value is. A marriage grows close in the tender places, not the tidy ones. When you invite your spouse into your prayers, you’re saying, “I want you to know the real me, and I want us to bring our life to God together.” You don’t have to have the right words. You just have to be willing to be seen.

Start Small: The Daily Deposit

You don’t need a 30-minute prayer session or a seminary vocabulary. Just like a strong marriage is built on small, consistent deposits rather than one grand gesture, praying together grows the same way—a little at a time. Here are a few gentle ways to begin:

• Pray one sentence each before you fall asleep—just one honest line to God.
• Hold hands and thank God for one thing about your day before dinner.
• Ask your spouse each morning, “How can I pray for you today?” and carry that with you.
• When worry shows up—about money, a child, a decision—pause and pray about it together in the moment instead of stewing alone.

Notice that none of these require you to be eloquent. They simply require you to show up. And if all you can manage some nights is, “Lord, we’re tired, thank You for us, amen”—that counts. Small deposits, made faithfully, compound into something beautiful over the years.

What This Investment Returns

Something shifts when a couple prays together consistently. It’s hard to hold a grudge against someone you just asked God to bless. It’s hard to feel alone when you’ve invited a third Person into your struggles. Prayer softens us, aligns us, and reminds us that our marriage isn’t just the two of us carrying life on our own—it’s the two of us, held together by God.

Scripture puts it beautifully: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). You and your spouse are two of those strands. God is the third. When He’s woven through your daily life—including your prayers—your marriage becomes far more resilient than it could ever be on its own.

So don’t wait until it feels natural. It may never feel perfectly smooth, and that’s okay. Start clumsy. Start tonight. Start with one sentence. The awkwardness fades; the closeness remains.

If you’re not sure where your marriage stands right now, take a few quiet minutes with our free Marriage Score—it’s a simple way to see where you’re strong and where you might invest next. When you’re ready to go deeper, our book and resources in the shop can walk you through building connection one habit at a time, and if you’d like a guide alongside you, we’d be honored to work with you personally through coaching.

Keep investing,
Marcellus & Valerie