Praying to Divorce-Proof Your Marriage

Can prayer actually protect your marriage from divorce? In this opening episode, Stormie shares how prayer has the power to not only heal broken relationships but to also strengthen and restore marriages before crisis hits. Drawing from personal experience and years of ministry, Stormie offers hope for couples at every stage—whether newly married, struggling, or longing to reconnect. You’ll learn why consistent, heartfelt prayer is one of the most powerful ways to invite God’s presence into your relationship and how it can bring lasting change. With transparency and wisdom, Stormie walks through the realities many couples face—miscommunication, financial strain, hardened hearts—and points to the one solution that always brings transformation: prayer. If you’ve ever wondered whether things can change, this episode will remind you that with God, all things are possible.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Stormy Omardian Podcast, where we explore the power of prayer to change lives, strengthen faith, and deepen relationships. Today, Stormy opens up about how prayer can help divorce-proof your marriage and restore what feels broken or lost. Whether you're married, preparing for marriage, or navigating marital challenges, this episode offers hope rooted in God's faithfulness.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Hi, I'm Stormy O'Mardian, and I'm speaking today from my book, The Power of Prayer to Enrich Your Marriage. This is episode one, praying to divorce-proof your marriage. Now I wrote this book, The Power of Prayer to Enrich Your Marriage, not only for everyone who is already married, but also for anyone planning to be married. I hope it'll be used to help prevent possible future problems from developing into anything serious, and also for praying through current struggles to find the healing, restoration, and enrichment God has for you in your marriage relationship. The good news is that when change is needed in a marriage, the power of God working through us as we pray can change everything, even the problems we face that seem insurmountable or unchangeable. Can it be that our prayers could produce divorce-proof marriages? It's definitely worth making a consistent and faith-filled effort to pray fervently and powerfully about them. Recent statistics suggest that soon nearly half of all marriages will end in divorce. Does this mean then that every marriage has only a 50-50 chance of making it? That can't be right. There must be exceptions to this. I'm sure there are some couples who have never had a problem, and their marriage has always been perfect. I have never met any of them, but they must be out there. And surely there are newly married couples for whom the glow has not worn off and reality has not yet set in. And they have not yet experienced the stresses and losses and trials of life that can put a strain on any marriage. You know, thanks to the thousands of letters and emails, phone calls and contacts on my website and social media, including the many who have approached me to talk after a speaking engagement or a book signing. Countless people have told me about the problems they're facing in their marriages. I kept a record of their stories, not their names, and in this book I included the 14 most common reasons given for their marital problems. I believe in the power of prayer to affect all of these in a life-changing way. The truth is, God has more for us in our marriages than just avoiding divorce. He wants us to be happy and fulfilled in them too. He's not glorified when we're married and miserable. He also has a great purpose for each marriage, but his purpose cannot be fully realized if the people in them are living in strife and discouragement. You might be surprised if you knew how many people there are who appear to have perfect marriages and yet are struggling with serious problems. Even the friends and family around them don't suspect they're having difficulties because of their ability to cover them up and present an amazingly strong front. Many people believe they can gut it out and live with the situation, but often that proves unbearable. This is especially true as people get older and realize that nothing is changing in their marriage and they know they can't live as they have been for the rest of their lives. I'm thoroughly convinced that all of these problems could be avoided if we would truly understand what God wants for our marriages and how the enemy of our soul will always try to thwart that. And we can too often play right into his hand. But there is a way to hasten the demise of the enemy's plans and see God's plans for our lives and our marriages prevail. It's called consistent heartfelt prayer. Of course, you can't change someone's will, but your prayers for your spouse can help him or her to better hear from God. Whether anyone chooses to listen to the prompting of the Lord to their heart is within that person's will to make the choice. Nearly every marriage has its challenges, so if your marriage has already been challenged in any number of ways, don't think you are failing. You're normal. The good news is that God has a plan to restore your marriage to the way he intended it to be. And he wants you to partner with him in order to see that happen. The way you do that is to live close to God and be fervently in prayer every day for your spouse and your marriage. I know this works because my husband and I have at one time or another struggled with some of these problems ourselves. We have had times of communication breakdown between us that were so bad we didn't speak to each other for days. And then we only spoke what was absolutely necessary, and nothing that bordered on real communication for months. We were both so broken by situations in each of our pasts, and my husband's anger and my super sensitivity to it nearly caused our marriage to be one of the 50% that didn't make it. We've had our times of unforgiveness, and we both struggled with negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and fear that permeated the atmosphere of our home. There have also been seasons when my husband and I were so occupied with raising children that we neglected us. We've had times of financial difficulty and disagreements over it. We've experienced a hardening of our hearts toward one another, and occasions when we each felt as though we were very low on the other's priority list. We have actually used the D-word, threatening to get a divorce, even though neither of us really wanted that. I have personally felt at times that all hope was lost, and we needed a miracle, and it was true, because outside of a miracle of God, there was no hope. Actually, it did take a miracle of God to turn things around. I saw God miraculously change our hearts and teach us to move into the wholeness He has for us. But it didn't happen by doing nothing. It happened as a result of consistent prayer and faith in God to hear our prayers and answer in his way and in his timing. It happened because of God's grace and his power to do what seemed impossible to us. It happened because in each situation we chose to give up our own way and live God's way according to his word. Our marriage has gone through many tough times, but we have been married for more than 49 years, and God willing, we'll celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary together next year. The only reason we would not celebrate it together would not be because of divorce. While my husband and I have changed remarkably for the better over the years, I'm not saying we are perfect, far from it, but we are living proof that if you want to, you can change. Or should I say, if you are willing to allow God to change you, he will. So pray for your husband or wife to allow God to make changes in him or her. God will do it. And if you hang in there and keep praying, you will see things turn around. If you want to protect your marriage from the things that can destroy it, or you long to restore the damage that has already been done, you can experience the success you desire for your marriage. But you have to do things God's way and refuse to give up. Keep in mind, however, that your spouse may have a heart that is hardened against God's will. Pray for that to change. There are five important truths about change from God's perspective. Truth number one, everyone needs to change. God says so. In fact, it is his will for our lives that we change because he wants each one of us to become more like him. And that is a never-ending project, for we all fall short of the glory of God. It says that in Romans 3, 21 through 23, we will always need to submit to the Lord and not think so highly of ourselves that we feel we don't need to change. God is in the business of changing people. That's why through our prayers and the power of the Holy Spirit, there is always hope for change, not only for ourselves, but for our spouse as well. Truth number two, every person can change. You can change, and your spouse can change. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's not that a person can't change, but not changing is usually because of the following five reasons. They aren't aware they need to, they don't believe they have to, they don't want to, they don't know how to, they refuse to ask God what He wants, they don't feel they are able to, they are happy with the way they are. Truth number three, being married creates the perfect opportunity for change. When you are married, you find out how much you need to improve yourself. It is prideful and selfish for anyone to get married and think they are so perfect that they don't need to change in any way. Each one of us always needs to change in many ways. But God will start with the one who is willing. And the good news is this is where his blessings will be directed first as well. Remember that both you and your spouse can be changed. God is waiting for you to invite him to do that. Marriage always inspires change. Truth number four, people cannot make someone else change. And never is that more true than in a marriage. A wife can't change her husband, and a husband can't change his wife. But God can change both. We have to learn that it's not our job to change our spouse, it's the work of the Holy Spirit. No amount of criticizing and nagging will accomplish it. No matter how hard we try, God made each of us in his image, and he doesn't want us to try to make our spouse over in our image. Our job is to accept our spouse as he or she is and pray for the Lord to make any changes necessary. In the process of praying for changes in him or her, God will change you too if you're willing to let him do so. I need to say here that if you or your children are being physically, mentally, or emotionally abused, find help and remove yourself and your children from the home. This is never acceptable. If you are made to feel afraid, that is never approved of by God ever. God does not give us a spirit of fear. That is from 2 Timothy 1.7. If you don't have any or all of those things in your marriage, that is not a safe place to be. Ask God to show you who you can talk with about this. Truth number five, only God can work changes in us at last. Only God has the power to transform us into all He created us to be. Would you pray with me about this? Oh Lord, I recognize that I am far from perfect, and I realize I need to be changed in order to become more like you. I know I can't change myself in any lasting way, but you can. Lord, change me into the person you made me to be and show me what I need to do. Thank you for the transformation you are working in me. I know that only you can make someone aware they need to change and help someone see they have to change. Put the desire in my spouse to want to change according to your will. Enable us both to become more like you. Keep our marriage from deteriorating in any way. Help us keep our eyes on you, Lord, and teach us to live your way. In Jesus' name I pray. So remember, it's never too late to pray for change. We are told over and over, don't even try to change your husband or wife because he or she will never change. And hearing those dire predictions repeatedly can make you feel hopeless. If your marriage is miserable because of something intolerable your spouse does, and you are told he or she will never change, then what hope do you have for your future together? The truth is you both can change. It's just that neither of you can make it happen. Only God makes changes that last.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

Next week, the focus will be on how small, unnoticed habits can slowly damage a marriage, and how prayer can help you avoid those pitfalls before they take root. You'll also learn how to take spiritual authority over your relationship and invite God's power into every challenge you face.