Regardless of your religion, bringing spirituality into your marriage can create a deeper connection, and allow a husband and wife to share a bond that is more than just a physical reaction. Connecting spiritually with your spouse entwines hearts, interlocks minds, and fuses souls together in such a way that a husband and wife become one while learning more about who they are as a couple, and as individuals. One of the greatest things a couple can do to strengthen their marriage is to connect spiritually and continue to develop that connection throughout their marriage. Here are seven ways to connect spiritually with your spouse.
1. Pray together
When a couple prays together, they are inviting God into their marriage. Not only will he help a couple in times of trouble, he will warn them when their marriage is in danger. Pray together every morning and night, taking turns vocalizing the prayer. Pray for your spouse, and let him hear you pray to God on his behalf. This will knit your hearts together in unity and love for each other.
Prayer has been a powerful element in strengthening my own marriage. When I hear my husband pour out his heart to God on my behalf, I can truly feel his love for me, and his faith in our Heavenly Father. When I pray for my husband, it is my greatest desire to ask God to bless him with all the richest blessings of heaven. Prayer is a powerful thing, especially when you do it together.
2. Read together
There are so many great things that a couple can read together and discuss. A book doesn't have to be religious in order for it to bring a level of spirituality into the discussion. There are essays by Emerson and Thoreau, poetry by Whitman and Longfellow, books by men like C.S. Lewis and Victor Hugo, and women like Emily Dickinson and Louisa May Alcott. There are spiritual books like the Tao Te Ching, and religious texts, like the Bible or the Bhagavad Gita. My husband and I connected spiritually when we read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance together. When a couple reads together, they are not only opening their minds, they are opening their hearts.
3. Spend time in nature while focusing on each other
Go for a walk together and hold hands. Talk about the world around you, the beauty you see in the world, and the beauty you see in each other. Rather than focusing on your spouse's physical appearance, focus on those things that truly make her beautiful to you from the inside out. Then tell her why as you're walking hand in hand. Strive to always see the positive in each other, and in life, recognizing that most of life's beautiful moments are not seen with the eyes, but felt with the heart.
4. Share in life's big questions
Ask and answer life's most intriguing questions together. Why are we here? Where did we come from? Where are we going? Is there life after death? Does God really answer prayers? As you search out these questions together, not only will you grow together spiritually as a couple, you will have a greater understanding of your place in the universe.
5. Go to church together
Attending church together weekly not only allows a couple to connect spiritually, it will help them build a firm foundation for their marriage that is built upon common faith and beliefs. It will also allow a couple to learn and grow together in their faith and their spirituality, and will strengthen a husband and wife both individually, and as a couple.
6. Grow a family together
Whether a couple is blessed with their own children, or adopt, as a husband and wife join to become the sole providers for a young child, that couple has reached a new level of spirituality in their marriage. They become central to that child's universe. For a small moment in time, the couple understands the remarkable nature and awe of that great responsibility. If a couple takes their role seriously, great power and wisdom will pour out on them spiritually as they work together to raise God's children.
7. Take a leap of faith together
As a couple steps out into uncertainty together with nothing more than their faith in God and their trust in each other, they learn to walk by faith and can discover that anything is possible. Their faith and spirituality can increase. If they keep faith as their focus, they learn to hold tight to one another, to support each other, and to rely on God for their wants and needs. There is no greater way to connect spiritually with your spouse then to combine your faith and create a miracle in your life, for the betterment of your marriage and your family.
Connecting spiritually with your spouse takes time. It doesn't happen in 7 simple steps. Spiritually connecting with your spouse is a process that requires daily actions and consistent effort throughout your marriage. As you choose to make a spiritual connection a priority in your marriage, your relationship will be strengthened. Just as love ties your hearts together, the spirit will unite your souls.
