Build Your Marriage with Prayer with Brad and Heidi Mitchell

When you’re dealing with conflict or tension in your marriage, praying together and for each other might be the last thing you want to do. Brad and Heidi Mitchell join AllMomDoes host Julie Lyles Carr for an eye-opening discussion about how you can bring prayer into the toughest times in your marriage and ideas for how to pray when conflict is high.

Listen to "Build Your Marriage with Prayer with Brad and Heidi Mitchell" on Spreaker.

Special thanks to George Fox University for sponsoring the AllMomDoes Podcast!

Show Notes:

Main Topics Covered:

The transformative power of prayer in marriage, especially during conflicts
How perceptions of marriage have evolved culturally and the impact of social media
Recognizing spiritual attacks at different marriage stages, including empty nest and “gray divorce”
Building resilience through authentic, raw prayer, and shared spiritual practices
Strategies for praying for a struggling spouse and fostering long-term faithfulness
The enemy’s tactics today, from cultural influences to the rise of pornography
The importance of intentionality and preemptive prayer during life transitions

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction to the importance of prayer in marriage
00:29 – The Mitchells’ personal journey through marriage challenges
01:18 – Building a Christ-centered marriage ministry
01:47 – The role of experience in guiding married couples
02:23 – Cultural shifts and the portrayal of marriage on social media
03:10 – The decline of marriage and its implications in the church
04:19 – The dark times that shaped the Mitchells’ ministry call
05:38 – Strategies to keep marriage strong amid cultural pressures
06:08 – Challenges faced during different marriage stages, including long-term marriages
07:28 – The importance of vigilance against spiritual attacks
08:20 – Specific timing vulnerabilities in marriage, such as raising kids or becoming empty nesters
09:32 – The role of complacency versus active spiritual protection
10:25 – Preemptive prayer and strategic spiritual defense
11:18 – Rethinking prayer beyond ritual, embracing raw authenticity
12:22 – Overcoming barriers to prayer during conflict
13:46 – Psalm prayers and Scriptures as tools for unity
15:11 – How to pray when conflicts or tension are high
16:24 – The significance of prayerful agreement and seeking divine guidance
17:48 – Praying separately and then coming into agreement
18:40 – Supporting a spouse in a faith crisis through prayer and patience
19:37 – Engaging in silent, ongoing intercession for a spouse’s spiritual health
22:49 – Maintaining faith and strength in long-term spiritual battles
23:47 – Living a prayerful life that witnesses to a struggling spouse
24:40 – New tactics of spiritual attack in current culture
26:31 – How societal pressures and media influence marriage expectations
27:37 – Romanticizing marriage and the pressure to meet high ideals
29:04 – The shallow portrayal of marriage today and the need for biblical foundation
30:46 – The rise of quickie divorces and the erosion of biblical values
31:57 – Pornography’s infiltration and its devastating effect on marital intimacy
32:07 – Resources available: the Mitchells’ book Build Your Marriage with Prayer
33:19 – Connecting with the Mitchells online and where to find their ministry
34:07 – Key research findings on prayer and marital success

Resources & Links:

Build Your Marriage – Ministry website with books, resources, and conference info
Spiritual Mismatch by Lee and Leslie Strobel – Insights on faith dynamics in marriage