Your love is a light to those around you. The love Bill and I share is the tool God has used more than anything else to bring people into a love relationships with the God who created love. We chose 1 John 4:19 as the verse inscribed on our wedding gifts: We love because, he (God) first loved us. And it was Jesus who declared, in John 13: 35: By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
So, how can you can make the love you share more apparent to those you encounter outside the walls of your home? How can your marriage help lead others to Christ? You don’t have to announce you have a red-hot love life, but there are small things you can do to pull back the curtain on the stage of your love and let people have a glimpse of what you two share. Select something simple like:
- Ending each phone conversation with an “I love you.”
- Using your affectionate names (“honey,” “sweetie,” etc) when around close friends and family.
- Touching as you walk by (a shoulder massage, an arm around the waist, a hand in his back pocket, walking holding hands to and from the car).
- Speaking positively and with a smile when you make reference to your mate.
- Complimenting him or her in public.
The Power of Prayer
We’ve seen small gestures of love add up in a big way. And while these simple outward signs can build your marriage up and convey the love of Christ to the world, there is one action you can take that will ensure the love of Christ really is growing in your marriage. By far, the gesture that is simple but has incredible power is the act of praying together. We’ve observed that couples who pray together on a daily basis hardly ever call it quits. So instead of opting out of marriage, stay and pray. Bill and I have never seen a couple divorce, no matter how bad the hurt and big the baggage, when they committed every day to stop, kneel, and pray together in humility.
There is something profound about prayer. It gives you a glimpse into the heart of your spouse. Understanding and compassion are built into prayer. That is probably why couples who pray together daily also rate their sex lives with the highest possible rating!
Don’t forget to add in times you pray for one another. One man committed to pray for his wife every day. At night, as he emptied his pockets, he would toss his car keys under the bed so in the morning he’d be forced to get on his knees by his bed. That became his reminder to pray for his wife at the start of every day.
One wife walks her husband to the car each morning and prays for him as they walk. Other couples we know have coffee and pray each morning. We pray each night as we hold each other and drift to sleep. Pam’s brother and his wife stay in shape physically and romantically with their 4 mile morning prayer walk. You can even send prayer emails, call and leave prayer voicemails, or simply text: I m prayin 4 u.
Do something simple to express your devotion today.
This article originially posted on March 3, 2008.
Pam and Bill Farrel are relationship specialists, international speakers and best selling authors of Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti, Red Hot Monogamy and The First Five Years: Make the Love Investment (www.farrelcommunications.com)