I was just thinking back to when my husband and I were engaged. I loved that 6 month season of our relationship. It was a time when I knew he would be my husband very soon, but the anticipation of our wedding was still building up.
Our relationship didn’t change much, but our commitment level had. Marriage was on the horizon for us and we were beyond excited to enter into a deeply intimate relationship…for the rest of our lives!
Marriage is a fantastic blessing, and I brag about the benefits every chance I get. However, marriage also has hard seasons that tested our love and character.
There are a few things that my husband and I did that really helped fortify the foundation of our relationship. I know these things were vital to the success of our marriage, because when those hard times came for us, we never gave up. We struggled and we fought at times, but we remained together.
Today we are stronger then ever…and we still do these 3 things!
I wanted to encourage those of you who may be in the engagement season, anyone who is dating, courting, preparing for marriage, as well as couples who are already married…I strongly believe implementing these 3 things will radically impact your marriage for the better! And if you are already doing these things, maybe you can leave a testimony in the comments for others to be encouraged by.
3 Things To Do While You Are Engaged
- Praying Together. We started praying together very early in our relationship. The first thing we did right after my husband proposed to me was pray together! I know not everyone feels comfortable praying out loud with others, but this is a very intimate act of bringing your relationship to God. I say go for it, even if it is a challenge for you! Truth be told, you
will get more comfortable with it over time and it will help you tremendously when those marriage challenges come your way. The awesome thing about this is that you get to hear your significant other approach God, you get to hear their heart, and the affirmation you receive from that is priceless. You can pray for each other, your relationship, friends, family, future plans, and God’s will – the list is endless!
**Grab a copy of 31 Prayers For My Future Husband & 31 Prayers For My Future Wife**
- Reading The Bible Together. This does require discipline, to take time and do, but the growth and understanding you receive from doing it is incredible. Simply read a passage of scripture and then take turns discussing what those verses mean to you. This helps put God and His will for you at the center of your lives. Reading the Bible together and hearing your perspectives on it will also show the level of understanding each of you have for God’s Word. You can encourage each other to grow in understanding when you know where each other are at. You can do this periodically or regularly depending on your schedules. In the Bible you will find many answers to the questions you will be faced with as husband and wife. Know it well!
- Serving Together. My husband and I began our friendship by serving together as we volunteered as youth leaders in our church. As we pursued a more serious relationship with each other and then in marriage, our passion to serve others intensified. Serving others is a blessing to marriage because it takes the focus off of you and current circumstances and reveals what the needs of others are, often times confirming that where you are is not so bad. Serving together is an intentional act of kindness and love motivated by Christ’s love. Serving together usually stimulates great conversation that glorifies God and creative ways to continue serving others. The reward is eternal, as well as an opportunity to draw closer to one another and to God. You can serve in church, you can do serve in your community, you can even turn date night into an opportunity to serve others by baking a pie together and giving it to a family in need of encouragement.
These are just a few foundational things that positively impacted our relationship. I hope and pray that this list inspires you to be able to engage with your significant other in a very powerful way. Please take the time to consider implementing one or all of these things into your intimate relationship with your significant other, future spouse, or spouse!
