The Need for Prayer
In marriage and in families, conflict is a universal inevitability. There is no way around it. Without conflict and opposition, we could never fully appreciate harmony and peace, nor comprehend true joy. So what are some ways we can cope with conflict?
President Thomas S. Monson, while kneeling across the altar from his new bride, was given a "formula" by their sealer for ensuing that any disagreements they had would be short-lived. This formula consisted of kneeling at the side of their bed and praying together - every night. In the sealer's words: "I can ... assure you that any misunderstanding that develops during the day will vanish as you pray. You simply can't pray together and regain any but the best of feelings toward one another."
Regular, sincere prayer with a spouse begins with an understanding that the marriage itself is of holy and sacred value. When we perceive such a union in this way, we are naturally inclined to want to preserve and protect it -- and to seek God's help in doing so. Ecclesiastes 4:12 shares a beautiful message about a "threefold cord" representing the husband, the wife and God in our partnership. When all three elements are actively intact, "a threefold cord is not easily broken."
Other analogies similar to the threefold cord could be the triangle where God, the husband, and wife represent each of the three tips. And yet another could be an oreo. If you think about it, an oreo has three parts. there are the two outer cookies - one of which represents the husband and the other, the wife. Then there's the center -- that sweet creamy white filling. Can you eat the two outer cookies by themselves? Sure you can, but they taste much better with the filling, not to mention the fact that the filling holds the two pieces together. I'd even go so far as to say the center part completes the cookie! It's obvious that this represents God. Sure, a marriage can survive with husband and wife only, but involving God makes for a much sweeter, sacred union.
Likewise, can a twofold cord endure some pressure and weight? Probably so. But it is going to break much faster than the threefold cord is going to. And a triangle with only two corners is not a triangle at all. Removing God simply transforms it into a line. Do you see the common theme here?
President Thomas S. Monson, while kneeling across the altar from his new bride, was given a "formula" by their sealer for ensuing that any disagreements they had would be short-lived. This formula consisted of kneeling at the side of their bed and praying together - every night. In the sealer's words: "I can ... assure you that any misunderstanding that develops during the day will vanish as you pray. You simply can't pray together and regain any but the best of feelings toward one another."
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| Source: timothylutheranbiblestudy.com |
Other analogies similar to the threefold cord could be the triangle where God, the husband, and wife represent each of the three tips. And yet another could be an oreo. If you think about it, an oreo has three parts. there are the two outer cookies - one of which represents the husband and the other, the wife. Then there's the center -- that sweet creamy white filling. Can you eat the two outer cookies by themselves? Sure you can, but they taste much better with the filling, not to mention the fact that the filling holds the two pieces together. I'd even go so far as to say the center part completes the cookie! It's obvious that this represents God. Sure, a marriage can survive with husband and wife only, but involving God makes for a much sweeter, sacred union.
Likewise, can a twofold cord endure some pressure and weight? Probably so. But it is going to break much faster than the threefold cord is going to. And a triangle with only two corners is not a triangle at all. Removing God simply transforms it into a line. Do you see the common theme here?
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