Tom.

A prayer for intentional marriage by Brent Reinhart,

read by Leah Martin.

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily

angered. It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always persevers.

1st Corinthians 13, 4 through 7.

Just like your growth as a Christian, marriage is a process. If we're doing it right, we're continuing to be pruned and shaped into the husband or wife we're meant to be.

Just as a plant becomes fuller when pruned, our marriage and lives become fuller when

we strip those things that take away from our relationship and focus on the things that

add to it.

There are a few things that come to mind that are must-haves for any successful marriage. These are things that many of us don't do well.

It's not because we lack the know-how or time, it's that we simply lack the focus on being intentional in our marriages.

The first step to improving is identifying pitfalls and potential problem areas.

Here are three critical areas of focus.

One, communicating.

Any successful relationship is built around communication.

Unity, just as Paul writes to the Ephesians, involves speaking the truth in love, Evesians 415.

If something is bothering you in your marriage, don't share it with your best friend without talking

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