Successful Mid-Life Marriages

 Prayer Helps Strengthen and Heal Relationships

“Successful marriages are established and

maintained on principles of … prayer”

(The Family: A Proclamation to the World).

Several years ago, I placed a high priority on exercise and getting into the best shape I could. I exercised a lot. I woke up early each morning (5-6 times a week) to exercise for 30-60 minutes. Whether I exercised with a group of friends or in the privacy of my home doing Zumba, yoga, HIIT training, weight lifting, or cardio, no matter what I gave my very best! I was also careful with what I ate. I didn’t work out extremely hard just to disappoint myself later by eating unhealthily.

Exercising and taking care of my body was something I thought about every day. It was a significant priority and I respected the effort I exerted.

So, how come sometimes tangible things (like our bodies) receive so much attention but important eternal matters (like our relationships) get overlooked?

What kind of marriage could you develop, if you placed it as a higher priority?

• You would daily think about your significant other
• You would monitor the words you say
• You would place their interests and happiness above your own
• You would pray for their well-being

President Monson recounted an experience where the sealer for his marriage ceremony emphasized, “Any misunderstanding during the day will vanish as you pray. You simply can’t pray together and retain but the best of feelings toward one another” (Monson, 2001, p. 4).

Inviting God’s presence into your marriage allows you to problem solve and forgive, which creates a relationship that can undergo any trial and succeed. Daily couple prayer is a fairly simple task and can drastically affect the success of your marriage. However, sometimes the simple things are disregarded and we find ourselves wondering how our happiness diminished.

When you view your marriage as an eternal bond between a man and a woman, you place a greater significance on what you can achieve. “A key aspect of coming to view a relationship as sacred is to first include God as an active member of the relationship” (Successful Marriages and Families, Chapter 19, p. 196). Praying for your spouse’s well-being and asking for help to see this person as God does can help you feel deep Christ-like love for them.

You will then be more likely to:

• Communicate effectively
• Establish a win-win mentality
• Work together

Respecting and taking care of your body so it will last for a very long is important. But your body will undeniably age over time.

Our relationship with our spouse, however, does not need to deteriorate and age. Instead, our relationships can flourish and we can increase the bond we have with one another.

Anything worth doing takes time and effort and I would hope that we can all find the benefits of putting forth the effort to pray to feel Christ-like love for our spouse and to be inspired by the promptings of the Spirit.