Couples Who Pray: The Most Intimate Act Between a Man and a Woman

by Squire Rushnell, Louise DuArt

This book will change your marriage!
Yes, it’s true. The most intimate act between a manand a woman is prayer. And praying daily with the one person you love more than any other takes you to a level of joy and satisfaction that you simply will not believe until you try it.Author of the bestseller When God Winks at You , SQuire Rushnell, and his wife, entertainer and talk-show host Louise DuArt, know firsthand what praying together as a couple can do. They were amazed at the happiness and harmony this simple act brought to their relationship. With the confirmation of groundbreaking, never previously published research from Baylor University, SQuire and Louise developed The 40 Day Prayer Challenge and, step-by-step, have guided other couples through this process.Those who bare themselves before God in prayer for a minimum of five minutes a day for forty days have achieved extraordinary Inside this book you also learn how to compare your test scores to the national average. Couples Who Pray has everything you and your partner need to begin a more intimate, rewarding relationship, including simple tips that can make your marriage thebest it has ever been!
Couples Who Pray™ and The 40 Day Prayer Challenge™ are trademarks of SQuire Rushnell.

Genres: Marriage, Christian, Religion

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 5, 2008

Reviews

[Mackenzie Ente · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected it to be. It felt at times that they were trying to put God and prayer in a box and that’s just not how that works. I think the idea behind this book is wonderful but the way the authors presented it was very off putting.

[Sadie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea of this book is phenomenal, but I had a problem with the way it was presented. To me it seemed like the authors were more concerned about showing off the celebrities they know, than about the content matter. I didn't like that they were repeatedly going back to these celebrities stories. I am not interested in the celebrities stories. I'm more interested in the normal, every day couples who have tried the 40 day prayer challenge and succeeded.
There were, however, some very insightful and helpful suggestions and wonderful stories. I do very much like the basis of the book, a prayer challenge for couples. I only wish the authors would have left off all the fluff and celebrity stories. I think it soiled the good content and felt incredibly fake. I almost couldn't take the book seriously after reading the first couple of chapters. It was awkward; it was uncomfortable, and most of all it didn't hold my attention. The only reason I read to the end and finished the book because I made a commitment to Book Sneeze to do an honest review. I was highly disappointed because the book seemed to have so much potential, but fell flat in my opinion.

[Hadlie Gaming · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this book about finding new ways to bring prayer into a relationship. What I found was flat and uninspiring. I thought it would give you an outline for a few weeks of pray guide and of course some background / stories on how this has worked for other. The whole book is just different various stories (and not very good ones) about couples who pray together. OK - I get that lots of couples pray together. But, I was looking for something that laid a stronger foundation for couples looking to explore prayer together. Finally, at the end of the book there are a few prompts for praying together but it left much to be desired. I was very disappointed in this book and will continue to search for a better book about bringing prayer into a relationship.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I got this book to review, my husband and I were very excited. We both wanted to start praying more, and specifically start praying together more. Shortly after we discussed doing so, we got "Couples Who Pray" and another book about praying (to be reviewed soon) in the mail. We were very excited to learn how best to pray with one another, so we read "Couples Who Pray" together each night. Unfortunately, this book doesn’t tell you.

See my full review here:

http://shoopettesbookreviews.blogspot...

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I don't agree with everything in this book, the authors offer a lot of touching examples of the power of prayer within relationships. It's a good, easy read that serves as an introduction to the topic.

[Kyle Roode · Rating 1 out of 5]

A borderline dangerous book. “You should pray so God will bless you because He won’t unless you do” is the essential thesis of the book.

[Sarah Good · Rating 2 out of 5]

good advice but the book is dated and hard to read

[Edwina Cowgill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The husband and wife team of Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt have written a marriage-strengthening, divorce-kicking book, Couples Who Pray, on the most intimate act between a man and woman - praying together. Written in a user-friendly style, Rushnell and DuArt challenge married couples to pray together just five minutes a day. Before this book was published they challenged two dozen couples - real people like you and me - to participate in the 40-Day Challenge. The Challenge required the couple to commit to praying together for 5 minutes every day for 40 days, even by telephone, if necessary.

There is a brief survey that the husband and wife were asked to fill out before starting the Challenge. Rushnell and DuArt include a chapter on how to pray together because they discovered that many of the couples pray indvidually (some for years) but weren't comfortable and some didn't know how to pray together. At the end of the 40-Day Challenge, every couple reported drawing closer to each other and to God, better communication between each other, and better lovemaking. The authors interviewed celebrity couples, such as Denzel and Pauletta Washington, Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford, Donna Summer and Bruce Sudano and Gavid and Patti MacLeod, among others, who testified to the power of prayer in their marriage.

Rushnell and DuArt include statistics from a survey by Gallup and research by Baylor University that support the above claims and more. Surveyed couples reported having a better marriage; agreement on issues regarding their children; marriage is financially sound; communication is improved and disagreements are resolved easier; they have more respect for one another; their lovemaking is improved; 92% rate the stability of their marriage as "very good" and 93% said if they had to do it all over again, they'd marry the same person.

The authors also include chapters warning the couples about issues they believe will come up during the 40 Day Challenge and how to handle those issues.

I was so impressed by the first couple of chapters of this book, that my husband and I started the 40 Day Challenge immediately. We've been praying together every day for two weeks and I can state unequivocally it has changed our marriage. We already had a great marriage and we prayed - individually, not together. But when I heard Dave pray for God to strengthen me emotionally, physically and spiritually these last couple of weeks and for this coming week, I knew I had his full support. And when he heard me thanking God for him and for his leadership in our home, he knew how much I truly love and appreciate him. Even though we've told each other these things in conversations, it is totally different to tell God these things when the other one is listening.There's such a closeness between the three of us. It is an incredible time and the five minutes is expanding as we feel more comfortable to pray about more issues.

I recommend this book to every married couple. Even if you already pray together, the authors have included information that will improve your prayer life. If you don't pray together, this is the book you need to help you get started praying together. And if your marriage is on shaky ground, this book is a must. You and your spouse may still need counseling, but Couples Who Pray is a great place to start repairing what is broken.

[Karen & Gerard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couples Who Pray--The Most Intimate Act Between A Man And Woman by Squire Rushnell and Louise Duart presents the challenge for couples to spend 5 minutes every day praying together for 40 days and gives benefits of doing so supported by research and inspiring testimonies of 24 couples, including celebrities. The hope is that after the 40 days, it will become a habit you will want to continue.

The website for the 40-day prayer challenge is: www.coupleswhopray.com. In addition to praying together, other factors are mentioned as well based on Biblical principles that should be part of any marriage. My favorite quotes were these: “Our purpose in our marriage is to serve each other and love each other as much as we can.”—Louise Duart and “Not long ago we drove by a little church with a great saying posted out front: Loved the wedding, invite me to the marriage! God.”

Couples Who Pray has inspired me to try again to pray together with my husband every day. We have done this on and off, but maybe with the support of the website challenge, we can stick to it. I liked the L-A-U-G-H-S acronym for 6 steps to a successful relationship in the last chapter: Laughter, Appreciation, Understand, God, Honor, Support. For me, this book dragged a bit when it hit on the existence of God and the reliability of scripture because I am already familiar with that; however, the stories of the celebrities are quite interesting. I encourage any couple to read this and give the 40-day challenge of praying together for just 5 minutes each day a try!

[Britni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couples Who Pray is a book written for married couples by a husband and wife team. It is a book explaining the benefits of couples who not only pray, but couples who pray together regularly, every day even. Included with the benefits is an actual 40-day prayer challenge that asks you and your spouse to pray together every day for 40 days straight for at least five minutes. And finally, the book includes numerous celebrity testimonies of how prayer and the 40-day prayer challenge specifically changed their marriage.

I'll admit I was hoping for a lot more from this book, but that might be because my husband and I already pray on a regular basis. I was hoping for some sort of guidance or helpful tips to make prayer more meaningful between couples, but I felt like that was included in just two pages of the entire 200 page book. If I needed to be convinced of the benefits of praying together, I may have a different opinion but for me reading the book just got old after a while. Statistic about praying together, example from some celebrity, why you should pray together, repeat. And the great 40-day prayer challenge, as far as I could tell, it's nothing more than making the commitment to pray together for 40 days straight. Yes, I get that's as a challenge but the cover and the description of the book made it seem a little more in-depth and guided.

So overall I was disappointed in the book and felt like name-dropping was more emphasized than the actual overall purpose, which is sad because I'm a firm believer that praying together as a couple is very beneficial to any marriage.

[Maggie Larche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couples Who Pray: The Most Intimate Act Between A Man and a Woman by SQuire Rushnell and Louise DuArt is all about the many positives that daily prayer between a husband and wife can bring to a marriage.
They argue that daily, shared prayer will increase happiness, communication, and fun in a marriage, and they cite some statistics to back it up.

It's an uplifting book, packed with lots of little case studies of couples who have taken the "40 Day Prayer Challenge."

The idea behind the 40 Day Prayer Challenge is that a married couple commit to spending five minutes each day praying together out loud. Do this for forty days, and you've supposedly developed a new habit in your married life. By opening yourself to your spouse in this vulnerable way, you're increasing respect, intimacy, and communication in your marriage, not to mention the added benefit of all that prayer!

In the appendix, you'll also find a handy little marriage satisfaction survey (for lack of a better description). If you're in to measuring progress empirically, this survey can give you a useful little snapshot in time of the health of your marriage. My guess is that most couples won't use the survey, or really even need to, but it could be fun.

Final Recommendation: The book is a quick little read, with some good stories folded in. However, you can probably jump in on the 40 Day Prayer Challenge with only the information I've shared in this book review and get the same amount of good out of it. Get the book if you want to try the challenge, but need a little help convincing your spouse.

[Lenore Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose Couples Who Pray to review from BookSneeze. This was because Dear Hubby and I have wanted to strengthen our prayers together. As can happen so easily we have let our religious beliefs become more and more private. Now we feel it is important to make a point to pray together. It is a slow process...and I don't know why it is for us. Other than it is a very intimate part of our lives, prayer. But we are starting off praying once a week together. We are also adding in bible study time too. This is with the aid of a wonderful bible that our son provided for us. Set up just for couples to study with. My thanks to Lil J! I know it says:

Matthew 18:19-20 (New International Version)

19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two . . . gather in my name, there am I with them.”

I love that there is a 40 day challenge to help a couple strengthen this aspect of their lives. And since I am one who learns best studying the question guide in the back of this book is a wonderful help to me. I am sure it will help spurn some great eye opening conversations with Dear Hubby and I. I want to leave you with one more item from Couples Who Pray.


Remember the acronym for remembering Six Steps to a Happy Marriage:

L – laughter
A – appreciation of your spouse
U – understanding
G – God (at the center)
H – honoring one another
S – support, or being supportive

[Haley Mathiot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very engaging. Most of it I'd already been told by my parents (I've explained before how they have a great marriage) but Couples Who Pray had the data and research to back it up. I was surprised to learn that many Christian couples don't pray together. I was also surprised at the changes in their relationships when couples started praying.

It was really neat to read all the stories and see how God works in His people's lives. There are lots of great tips for married couples, couples who are dating or engaged, and there is even a short section on praying with the opposite sex who you are not married to. Couples Who Pray was encouraging and educational, and every couple needs to know the information in here.

I felt like the majority of the book was trying to convince couples that it was a good idea to pray with each other. There were a lot of stories and basic instruction, but it felt almost as if they drew it out a little too long and kept going over the same thing in every chapter. Basically it could have been more concise.

Recommendation: Couples in need of a spiritual revival, or singles thinking about marriage in their future.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couples who pray By: A husband and Wife Squire Rushnell and Louise Duart
Its a christian life/ love and marriage
The 40 day prayer challange.
This book offers a look into the lives of several couples who have chosen to take the 40 day prayer challange.
with each and every couple you get to see why they chose to take the challange and how they benefited from it.
So, First and foremost I really enjoyed this book. It was really very interesting to get a glimpse into someones life and kind of see how these couples see each other and after the 4o day challange how the view each other.
Overall, I think this book is a great read and would suggest anyone to pick it up, It makes a lot of valid points as far as how we as couples really should communicate better and how time spent praying together we could really see each other in a different light and offer new respect for one another.
It also discusses the power of forgiveness which I think alot of people have alot of trouble doing so, yeah all in all I would say give this book a read.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the whole premise. And it was very interesting to read about Celebrity couples who are Christian and pray together. I now need to present the idea to my husband. I want to sign on to their website and participate in the survey.

[Rheanna Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, and easy as well. The concept of this is amazing and I completely recommend it as good practice for all couples. The anecdotes are fun and the inclusion of celebrities is sometimes an eye roller and wouldn't have really determined, for me, whether or not I would have read the book.

[Denesia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanting to practice what's in this book, but it takes two. :) Still haven't convinced dh that this is important.

[Adforrestall Forrestall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has many woderful tools to help couples initiate praying together and making it habit.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a lot of good information. But I got really tired of reading all of the stories about how it helped. They were all the same. Very redundant. Not very: to the point.