Being With God Together: Plan for Married CouplesSample

Notice Each Other’s Worship

One way we can be with God together is to notice each other’s worship of God. Pay attention to the way your spouse loves and praises God. Watch them do it and thank God for it.

When I was in college we had an incredible college ministry and the worship was amazing. The worship team was very talented, but more than that, they led worship in a way that invited and compelled others to truly worship God. A lot of students would raise their hands in praise as they sang. One time a friend of mine said that she felt like when one person raised their hand, everyone else would. She said it felt forced and phony to her.

I was so bummed when she said that, because she was right: when one person raised their hand, many would follow. Was it all a facade? Were people not really being moved by God and instead just following the crowd? Was I too just a copycat raising my hand because the person in front of me did?

I decided to pray and take my thoughts to the Lord. What I found was scripture that pointed to believers encouraging believers. Faith of believers spurring on the faith of fellow believers. Paul was encouraged by Philemon’s faith and service to God (Philemon 1:4-7) so much so that he praised God for it. In Romans, Paul also speaks about how he and the Romans are “mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”

I don’t believe people raising their hands in worship one after the other is counterfeit. I think when we see someone praising God, it moves us to also praise God. May our marriages be marked by this kind of catalyst. May our faith and worship inspire our spouse’s faith and worship and vice versa.

After all, faith is not meant to be a solo thing. It’s meant to be a communal experience.

Experience God together this week by noticing how your spouse worships. Even if your spouse isn’t outwardly expressive during praise songs (not everyone is, and that’s okay) you can still notice them. You can ask them, “How did you experience God in worship this week?” “What was your favorite worship song we sang at church? Why?” If worshiping God through songs isn’t your favorite way to worship God, talk about other ways you worship God and pay attention to your spouse in those ways. We can worship God through generosity, studying Him through His word, prayer, and so many other ways!