How do you pray with your spouse?

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Boatswain2PA

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Sounds like such a silly question, doesn’t it.

Here’s our abbreviated story. Wife is cradle Catholic, grew up in huge Catholic family where they prayed the traditional Catholic prayers together. I am NOT a cradle Catholic, and only led to Catholicism because of my wife’s grace. We just celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary.

We have talked about praying together, but we haven’t really done it yet aside from going to Mass together, saying grace together, funeral rosaries, etc.

Last night we talked about it, and realized we have a interestingly different way of praying. She offers intentions, and then goes into the established prayers (Hail Mary, Glory Be, Our Father, etc). I, on the other hand, kind of just try to stay focused on my intentions, thanking God for how he has blessed me, asking for his help, and asking for him to help others. I thought that difference between us was interesting.

So, anyone care to share HOW they pray with their spouse? My wife and I are curious…
 
Hey there.

So I’m the former non-Catholic in our relationship and I honestly hate all those weird pre-formatted prayers that everyone repeats from rote. I mean, they’re fine for Mass, but don’t really cut it for actual praying in my mind. I’m more like you with wanting to actually just talk to God about what I’m thinking.

We have a rule about Grace that we take turns saying it and whoever’s turn it is gets to say whatever they want. So sometime’s it’s that full traditional Catholic grace, sometimes its the one my parents said when I was a kid, and sometimes it’s just “Thank you God for this food. Amen.”

My husband has a little prayer he likes to say at bedtime for the two of us. If we don’t go to bed at the same time he says it in the living room before either of us calls it a night.

Beyond that, we just pray our prayers separately. I think alone time with God is probably just as important as alone time in general for a relationship, right?
 
My husband and I join hands and pray from our hearts. We offer our thoughts, hurts, hopes and gratitude. I find it an intimate way to pray. We sometimes sing contemporary worship songs together as a family. I used to pray the liturgy of the hours regularly but my husband prefers not to use structured prayer. Although, “Protect us Lord as we stay awake, watch over us as we sleep, that awake we may keep watch with Christ and asleep rest in His peace” is a great way to end the day…very simple too (that is from the Liturgy of the Hours)

Whatever ever way you decide to pray together is good. In general, I don’t think a large number of couples pray together on a regular basis.
 
We say grace at every meal and we try to pray the rosary together. We would also read chapters from the bible, out loud, together.
 
we pray evening prayers together on our knees at the foot of the bed before retiring. just started a few months ago, after i became catholic and 36 years of marriage.
 
When we were a young family we said the Rosary together most nights kneeling or sitting on the beds in the boys room. When I was young and living at home, we all knelt around Mum and Dads bed and said a decade each.

I’ve done with my family the way my parents did taught us. That was to mention the mystery and a short summary of what it was about ie. the first joyful mystery, the Annunciation when the Angel Gabriel came to tell Mary that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Saviour, Jesus. Then we would say the decade each thinking about that scene in our minds and what it would be like for Mary or Jesus in that moment.

We would also say the morning offering in the car on the way to school every morning. We most often don’t eat together anymore but when we did we would bless ourselves and I would say, thankyou God for dinner. We say full grace when its a special occasion.
 
boatswain,

I want to encourage you to stick with the desire you have to pray with your spouse. A prayer life together as a couple is a blessing to sacramental married life. There is so much wisdom and grace to be found there. Take turns praying your different styles and let your own style as a couple unfold.

I know for my husband and I it has been a source of strength to be able to embrace and prayer together when going through trials…even after we have had a fight. It brings much healing.
 
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