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of the spiritual disciplines, “God intends the Disciplines of the
spiritual life to be for ordinary human beings: people who have
jobs, who care for children, who wash dishes and mow lawns.
The Disciplines are best exercised in the midst of our relation-
ships” (p. 1).
Couples must understand that prayer not only supports the
relational and spiritual health of the marriage, but also fosters
healthy thinking, a key component in managing stress and
increasing relational satisfaction. Through the spiritually and
relationally bonding act of prayer, couples are better equipped
to “begin to think God’s thoughts after him: to desire the things
he desires, to love the things he loves, to will the things he wills”
(Foster, 1998, p. 33).
References
Anderson, C. J. (2011).
Pastoral burnout and marital satisfaction
(Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Disserta-
tions and Theses.
Clunan, M. (2016).
Factors impacting marital satisfaction within
church planter marriages in the United States.
(Doctoral
dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and
Theses.
Foster, R. (1998).
Celebration of discipline: The path to spiritual
growth.
New York, NY: Harper Collins.
Gottman, J. (2011).
The science of trust: Emotional attunement for
couples.
New York, NY: Norton.
Li, P., & Wickrama, K. (2014). Stressful life events, marital
satisfaction, and marital management skills of Taiwanese
couples.
Family Relations, 63
(2), 193-205.
Lips-Wiersma, M. (2000).
The influence of spiritual meaning-
making on career choice, transition and experience
[e-book].
U.S.: ProQuest Information & Learning. Available from:
PsycINFO, Ipswich: MA. Accessed January 6, 2016.
Olson, J. R., Marshall, J. P., Goddard, H. W., & Schramm, D.
G. (2015). Shared religious beliefs, prayer, and forgiveness
as predictors of marital satisfaction.
Family Relations, 64
(4),
519-533.
Rosenau, D. (2002).
A celebration of sex: A guide to enjoying God’s
gift of sexual intimacy.
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
Scazzero, P., & Bird, W. (2010).
The emotionally healthy church,
Expanded edition.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Stetzer, E. (2007).
Research reflection: Church planting and surviv-
ability.
Nashville, TN: North American Mission Board.
Thomas, S. (2005).
A study of PCA church planter spouse stress
and satisfaction levels.
Lawrenceville, GA: Mission to North
America, Presbyterian Church in America.
Megan Clunan, Ph.D.,
is a Licensed Mental
Health Counselor in Florida and is an Assistant
Professor of Psychology and Human Services at
Montreat College. In addition, she is a Supervisor
for post-Master’s students pursuing licensure in
Mental Health and Marriage and Family Therapy.
“Couples must understand
that prayer not only
supports
the
relational and spiritual
health
of the marriage, but
also
fosters healthy thinking
,
a key component in managing
stress and increasing relational
satisfaction.”