I am a sucker for self-help books. Marriage self help books are also on my easily gravitated toward book topics. My husband and I are in a good place in our marriage (8+ years); I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to read a book about couples and prayer.
Book Description:
Couples Who Pray is an entertaining, highly readable book where couples learn that a fabulous marriage can be the outcome of learning to pray together, causing a 20 to 30 percent increase in romance, conversation and happiness.
Best-selling author Squire Rushnell and his wife, entertainer and talk show host Louise DuArt, take readers step by step through The 40 Day Prayer Challenge™ in which couples commit to praying together five minutes a day for forty days. Backed by compelling research from Baylor University and Gallup Poll, the true-life experiences of 24 test couples, including Denzel and Pauletta Washington, Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford, Donna Summer and Bruce Sudano, Scott and Tracie Hamilton, reveal that daily prayer is a “life changing experience” in which most couples report positive outcomes in less than two weeks.
Couples Who Pray includes an easy questionnaire prepared by Baylor University to help couples to chart their own progress during The 40 Day Prayer Challenge™.
Personal Opinion:
I must admit the first few lines of this book caught my attention, and I was excited to begin reading to see what was in store for me:
BE AWARE: Reading this book will change your marriage!
Sadly, reading this book did NOT change my marriage. I did find that what DID change while reading the book was that my husband and I BOTH were spending time in God’s Word (both together and separately). We did NOT do the 40 Day Prayer Challenge that the book pushes.
I found that the book is an easy read, with great information regarding the power of prayer and God’s word. However, it doesn’t tell you HOW to pray together, or even where to get started.
Finally at the end of the book, the authors suggest you go online and purchase (for a latte price) tips, tools, and resources from their website on HOW to pray with your spouse. Once I read that I was turned off by the whole book.
I just spent $15 on a book… and now I am to spend MORE money to help me stay accountable and learn tools how to pray with my spouse?
No thanks!
I personally would MUCH rather spend that latte money WITH my spouse in a coffee shop ALONE (no kids) and reconnect. Whether praying together or even connecting with our time, conversation, and attention.
I did like alot of aspects of this book and was left with some great thoughts to ponder. However, I do not think that reading this book will change your marriage.
If only it were that easy.
As with everything in life – to be successful at ANYthing you must WORK at it. In order to have a good marriage, you must work at it (spend time with your spouse… and having Christ at the center of your marriage is DOUBLY important).
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