Is That a Problem?

If you’ve ever looked at another Christian couple and thought, “Wow… they seem to have this whole praying together thing sorted,” you’re definitely not alone. 
 
For a lot of couples, praying together feels awkward, vulnerable… and honestly? Sometimes a bit weird. 

“We avoided it for years” 

Author of The Happy Marriage Darren Chapman admitted that even in his own marriage, praying together didn’t come naturally. “We tried it once and I was like, ‘This is odd. This is bizarre.’” 
 
In fact, he said he and his wife Beck avoided it for years because it felt uncomfortable. 
 
Praying out loud with your spouse can feel incredibly vulnerable. You can’t hide behind fancy words or ‘church language’ when the person listening knows you better than anyone else. 

Different backgrounds, different expectations 

One of the biggest challenges couples face is simply coming from different spiritual experiences. 
 
As I was growing up, I watched my parents pray together every morning for half an hour. But when you marry someone with a totally different background, suddenly expectations collide.  
It doesn’t mean either person is wrong. It just means you’re building something new together. 

Start small. Really small. 

You do not need to become ‘super spiritual’ overnight. 

Maybe it’s: 
• A quick prayer before sleep 
• Praying when something stressful happens 
• Thanking God together after dinner 
• Praying in the car 
• Taking 30 seconds before a hard conversation 
 
The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is connection. 

“Embrace the awkward” 

Darren’s wife Beck has a line she uses often: “Embrace the awkward.” 
 
Because awkward doesn’t last forever. Like any new habit in marriage, it feels unfamiliar before it feels natural. 

What if one person wants it more than the other?

Sometimes one spouse is eager to pray together while the other feels hesitant, uncomfortable or uninterested. 
 
Darren’s advice? Don’t pressure. Don’t guilt-trip. Start with conversation. And if your spouse isn’t ready yet: Pray for them, not at them. 

Prayer isn’t about ticking a box 

Praying together isn’t about earning ‘good Christian couple’ status. 
 
It’s an invitation to: 
• be vulnerable 
• slow down 
• support each other 
• bring worries to God together 
• create unity 
 
Prayer changes the atmosphere of a relationship because it softens hearts, builds empathy and reminds couples they’re not carrying life alone. 

Maybe this is your permission slip

If praying together has felt intimidating, awkward or inconsistent in your marriage, maybe this is your reminder that you’re not failing. 
 
You don’t have to force someone else’s rhythm onto your relationship. 
 
You can start with one honest conversation. 
One simple prayer. 
One small moment. 
 
And awkward beginnings often become meaningful habits over time. 

Article supplied with thanks to Rhema 99.7.

About the Author: Audrey Waugh is a writer who works in marketing at Rhema 99.7.

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What a simple prayer in a tough moment reminds us about coming back to God.

Australian singer, Guy Sebastian, is rightly famous for winning the first season of Australian Idol back in 2003, and then going on to have a stellar career with ten albums totalling seven million sales and nearly two billion streams on Spotify so far. He is, some two and a bit decades later, still the most successful by far.

There was an article about Guy that caught my eye in the Sydney Morning Herald in which he and his wife talk about the legal wrangle he found himself in when his former manager was charged with stealing a truckload of his money. It’s a pretty raw account of what happened.

And it starts this way:

When Guy Sebastian found himself sobbing in a toilet cubicle of a NSW courtroom, where he was giving evidence against his former manager and friend, Titus Day, he began to pray. “Then I felt guilty,” says the musician as his wife, Jules, gently places her hand on his arm. “It was like, ‘Ah, I’ll just say a prayer when [things] hits the fan.’ I haven’t prayed for so long [and now I’m] just asking for help when things are rubbish.”

Guy has gotten stick down the years for having abandoned his faith when he got famous. He was pretty churchy back in the day, as were many of the Idol singers who had cut their teeth on stages in the megachurches across the country.

There were puff pieces on his faith in all the women’s mags, and for a while it was kinda cool again to be churchy and then that faded (though here we are again. Go figure!)

A bunch of us felt a little discomfited that Guy began to distance himself from his faith as he became more famous. And not out of anger, but more out of concern, given there’s a parable by Jesus in there somewhere, something about soil and seed and weeds.

But, leaving that aside,  Guy’s instinct to pray when things got tough is totally right.

Yet his guilt is not.

We’ve all been there

Why do I say that? Because we all recognise Guy’s dilemma. We’ve all been on that sliding scale of prayerlessness. And then suddenly things are rubbish and we find ourselves praying and we’re thinking in that self-loathing way, “How lame am I? I’m just asking God for help cos I’m out of my depth and in a bind!”

Have you not been there? I know I have. I well remember as an early 20-something having train wrecked a couple of years of my life, standing in the shower one morning and saying:

“Okay Lord, I’m going to get up every day and live life for you this time. And every day I’m going to ask you to help me.”

Results? Good at times. Sketchy at other times. Very, very good when I was diagnosed with a terrible illness. Not so good when life was frustrating me and I wasn’t getting what I wanted (and I was pretty sure God didn’t want me to get what I wanted either, which invariably turned out to be a good thing looking back on it). But here’s my takeaway:

Don’t let your guilt for not praying keep you from praying!

Our Heavenly Father loves to hear our prayers and isn’t standing with folded arms, tapping his foot in annoyance and asking “So, now that you’re in trouble you turn up. Is that right?”

That’s actually what WE would be like, but not God. By contrast Jesus presents his Father as one who loves to give good gifts to his children, even his wayward children. And God loves us to pray.

I recently interviewed former Ridley College Principal, and one time rector of St Jude’s in Carlton, Melbourne, Peter Adam, about his wonderful book on prayer, ‘Prayerfulness: Cultivating a Bible-enriched prayer life.’

Right at the start of it, he says this, and it moves my heart:

God likes talking and God likes listening. God likes talking to us, and God likes hearing from us when we talk to him. God talks to us when we read his word, The Bible. And God listens to us when we pray – that is, when we talk to him. God likes talking to us and listening to us, because God like us, and because he has made us to relate to him (and to each other) by words.

God likes us and likes hearing from us. Perhaps when you’re at the stage Guy Sebastian is, ostensibly far from God, it’s easy to think that God is far from you.

But we know he is close to each one of us. He was there with Guy in that toilet cubicle in a New South Wales court house, as an earthly judge determined whether he was being ripped off or not.

God wants to hear from you!

So whether it’s a toilet cubicle, or a virtual pig pen in a faraway land, or even that office you’re sitting in, or that kitchen window you’re staring through wondering just why the fan’s been hit so many times, God still wants to hear from you! Amazing, but true.

And more than that, he is wherever you are at the moment. That is how God is because that is who God is. If a cross is not too low for God to turn up at, then you slumped over the bowl sobbing your heart out isn’t too low for him either.

And as we know, God whispers in our pleasures, but shouts in our pain. CS Lewis reminds us of this. Perhaps Guy’s pain is God’s way of drawing him back to Himself. One can never tell.

And perhaps that’s true of you today too. You haven’t prayed for so long, and now here you are asking for help when things are rubbish.  And in God’s economy, that’s totally okay, as this famous prayer from Hannah in 1 Samuel 2 reminds us:

“The Lord brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.

He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honour.”

Or to put it differently, the one who left the throne of heaven, isn’t ashamed to be with you as you cry ugly tears, deep in the midst of your own mess. Angels might not have brought you here (let the reader understand), but God may well have done. And he can raise you back up again. You only have to ask him. Guilt free.

Article supplied with thanks to Stephen McAlpine

About the Author: Stephen has been reading, writing and reflecting ever since he can remember. A former church pastor, he now trains church and ministry leaders, and in his writing dabbles in a number of fields, notably theology and culture.

Feature image: Supplied

Ever feel like you can’t pray because you don’t feel ‘good enough’? Spoiler alert: God knows we don’t have it all together and welcomes our messy imperfection. 

I was doing my bible reading recently. The summary of the day’s reading said: “God invites us into conversation even when our prayers are unpolished, and our thoughts are in disarray.” This thought resonated with me deeply. It was in relation to Psalm 120, which is a Psalm of lament.

‘I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. What will he do to you, and what more besides, you deceitful tongue. He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush. Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.’ Psalm 120

David, who wrote the Psalm, is on the run in the wilderness, the King is trying to kill him, and he is scared for his life. The Psalm is really short, and it reads as though David just blurted out his anguish at his situation. Many of the Psalms are laments, but they end with praise. However, this one doesn’t; it’s just David’s thoughts, fears and frustrations.

I was reflecting on times in my life when I have felt the need to censor myself before God. For me, this comes from two things: a need for control and wanting to have it all together. Sometimes, it feels like if I admit in prayer how much I am struggling, then I am also confirming that nagging feeling deep inside that I am not as in control as I would like to think I am. God actually knows I don’t have it all together – He made me. He invites us, in Matthew 11:28-30, to walk with him and learn from him, and to share our burdens with him, because he gives us rest.

Sometimes I almost feel like I don’t want to bother God with my problems. I say a polite prayer and go on my way, closing the door on deep pain that He invites me to share with Him in a real relationship. The Psalms are an example of what it looks like to share your heart with God: the fear, the pain, and the joy. In fact, when you don’t have the words to know what to pray for, praying through the Psalms is a great place to start.

We don’t need to wait for the perfect time or for our lives to be perfect. We don’t need to wait until we are good enough, either. The death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross gave us a direct path to a relationship with God. We can come to Him and share it all, unfiltered, messy, and just as we are. 

Article supplied with thanks to Lorrene McClymont.

About the Author: Lorrene McClymont is a writer and photographer from Hope Images. On her blog ‘Moments to Rest’, she shares about rest, faith, and family.

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Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions most people make, and in 2026, it’s also one of the most confusing.

High property prices, rising interest rates, and increasing rents leave many Christians asking: should we buy now, or wait? 

First, it’s important to understand that the Bible doesn’t command home ownership. Some people in Scripture owned land, others lived simply, and both paths are affirmed as long as we practice good stewardship. The key question isn’t whether to buy a home, but whether we can do so faithfully with what God has entrusted to us. 

Why Home Buying Feels Stressful 

Buying a home often comes with pressure, emotion, and identity. Couples may fall in love with a property, worry about taking on large debt, or feel influenced by family or social expectations. Add rising mortgage rates and long-term financial commitments, and the decision can feel overwhelming. 

How Christians Should Approach the Decision

1.Assess Financial Margin 
Before buying, evaluate whether you have sufficient financial margin to cover mortgage repayments, even if rates rise. Consider future changes, like children or career transitions. 

2.Think Long-Term 
Homeownership is a big commitment. Plan for the long term, rather than buying quickly or moving every few years. Consider equity growth, retirement, and the cost of moving. 

3.Include Faith in the Decision 
Ask how buying will impact your generosity, your marriage, and your family. Ensure your decision aligns with God’s guidance and isn’t driven by fear, social pressure, or emotion. 

4.Check Your Stability 
It’s wise to have a stable income, emergency savings, and manageable debt before buying. This ensures your mortgage won’t consume all your resources, allowing you to save, give, and live generously. 

5.Seek Counsel and Pray 
Take time to plan carefully. Pray individually and, if married, together. Discuss possible scenarios like job loss, expanding your family, or unexpected expenses. Thoughtful planning is a form of faithful stewardship. 

When Waiting Might Be the Wise Choice

Waiting to buy is not passive; it can be an act of wisdom. Saving for a larger deposit, reducing debt, or increasing financial stability can make homeownership less stressful and more sustainable. Waiting allows you to decide that honors God and protects your family. 

Final Thoughts

There is no rush, and God values wisdom over speed. Homeownership can be a blessing, but it must be approached thoughtfully, prayerfully, and with careful planning. Whether you buy in 2026 or later, including God in the decision ensures it aligns with faith, family, and financial stewardship. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Home Buying 

Does the Bible require Christians to own a home? No. Scripture affirms stewardship, not ownership. Whether you rent or buy, the goal is to manage God’s resources faithfully. 

How can I know if it’s the right time to buy? Evaluate your finances, debt, income stability, and emergency savings. Consider long-term goals, family needs, and the impact on generosity. 

Is waiting a bad decision? Not at all. Waiting can be wise. Saving for a larger deposit or reducing debt allows you to buy with margin and peace of mind. 

How should faith guide the decision? Include God through prayer, seek counsel, and consider how the choice affects your marriage, family, and generosity. 

What practical steps should I take before buying? Create a detailed financial plan, account for future life changes, and ensure you have enough margin to cover expenses without stress. 

Article supplied with thanks to Wealth with Purpose.

About the Author: Alex is a licensed financial planner and the founder of Wealth with Purpose a Stewardship Ministry that helps Christians handle their money God’s way.

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The 36th Australian National Prayer Breakfast will be held on Monday, 3 November 2025, bringing together parliamentarians, community leaders, and everyday Australians in a morning of prayer, encouragement and reflection.

Hosted by David Smith MP and Henry Pike MP, co-chairs of the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, the event will be held in the Great Hall of Parliament House, Canberra, and also livestreamed for those joining from home.

This year’s theme is “Rejoicing in Hope”, and the breakfast will feature guest speaker Dr. John Dickson and a performance by the St Edmund’s College Gospel Choir, whose music will carry messages of unity, faith and hope.

“I’m honoured to join the 2025 National Prayer Breakfast at Parliament House — an annual reminder that faith and prayer aren’t just private comforts but public goods,” Dr Dickson said.

“This year’s theme, Rejoicing in Hope, captures the heart of what has carried believers through the centuries — through trials, joys, and failures — from the very beginning. 

“May it do the same for us today.”

What to Expect On The Day

The program includes reflections and prayers by parliamentarians, a keynote address by Dr Dickson and musical interludes and worship led by the gospel choir. Doors open early for registration.

For those unable to come in person, the breakfast will be livestreamed starting at 7:15am AEDT (with a corresponding stream for 7:15am AWST).

For those attending in person, registration is required.

What makes the Prayer Breakfast Significant

Founded in 1986 by MPs across parties, the National Prayer Breakfast is rooted in the tradition of the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship. 

Over its history, it has served as a bipartisan, interdenominational platform for public prayer, reflection, and encouragement for Australia’s leaders and people.

In past years, the event has drawn thousands of viewers online. 

In 2024 alone, over 33,000 people watched the keynote address via livestream.

Why this year’s theme speaks to us

“Rejoicing in Hope” is a reminder that even in uncertain times, hope remains central to Christian faith. 

The theme is tied to The First Hymn — the oldest known Christian hymn preserved in musical notation from the 3rd century — which has been revived and linked to this year’s event.

As the organisers explain, the hymn expresses the biblical call: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

Dr Dickson’s role brings depth to the conversation. A historian, author, and public Christian voice, Dickson has held academic positions in Australia and abroad and is well known for bridging faith, culture, and ideas.

How to be part of this year’s Prayer Breakfast

In person: If you wish to attend at the Great Hall at Parliament House in Canberra, you must register in advance. 

Online or in a local hub:  You can also join via livestream from your home, church, or workplace. The event will be broadcast nationally. Register here.

A Moment To Reflect and Unite

The National Prayer Breakfast is more than a gathering—it’s a reminder that people of faith, across political, cultural and personal divides, can pause together and lift their hearts in prayer for the nation.

As the organisers put it, this event is about “reflection, encouragement, and hope for all who care deeply about the future of our nation.”

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

About the Author: Joni Boyd is a writer, based in the Hawkesbury Region of NSW. She is passionate about the power of stories shared, to transform lives.

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It isn’t in what Moses prays. It’s in what he doesn’t pray that makes the difference. Do you pray like Moses from a heart of sacrificial love?

One of the truly amazing episodes in the Bible happened at Mt Sinai. Because Moses had delayed his return from the mountain, and the Children of Israel made themselves a golden calf to worship.

The next day, Moses is pleading with the Lord to show mercy to his people. There is a great mystery in what he says, but it isn’t in his what he says. It’s in what he doesn’t say. Moses says to God,

But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written (Ex 32:32, NIV).

Do you see the dash? It indicates a long pause. The thought is unfinished. It was an unfinished prayer. This shows the deepest emotion at this point.

But now, please forgive their sin—

Just think for a moment about happened during that silence that the dash represents. Did Moses choke up for a moment? Did he shed tears of grief for his people who had rejected the Lord who had done so much for them?

Moses’ heart was breaking as suddenly the possibility that the Lord might not have been able to forgive their sin filled his mind. For a moment, as he contemplated that possibility, there were no words.

And when he spoke again, Moses expressed the only thing that he could offer:

but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.

Moses’ prayer was an unfinished prayer that was perfectly finished by love.

This self-sacrificing love is why God pointed to Moses as being “like” the coming Messiah (Deut 18:15). In Moses’ silence, we see a foreshadowing of the silence of God as he offered himself, through the Son to save his people.

Like Moses at Sinai, Jesus at Calvary also asked God to forgive his people. He said,

Father, forgiven them… (Luke 23:34).

The vastness of Christ’s love was enough for the salvation of the world.

Then for a moment, Christ was overwhelmed by the enormity of the sin that he bore. The despairing thought came into his mind that it would surely be too much for the Father to forgive the world, and that his sacrifice would be rejected. And so, he cried out in despair,

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matt 27:46).

But, like Moses’ prayer in the desert, Christ’s prayer on the cross was also unfinished. Christ never answered the question in his prayer. Instead, like Moses, he did all that he could, and with a broken heart, he offered himself:

Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46).

And the vastness of his love was enough for the salvation of the world.

I dare not ask you if you pray like Jesus. But at least, let me ask you, when you pray, do you pray like Moses? Or are your prayers all about you and your complaints and wants?

In your prayers, do you put others first? Even more than that, do your prayers truly come from a heart of sacrificial love?

Article supplied with thanks to Dr Eliezer Gonzalez.

Feature image: Canva

About the Author: Dr Eli Gonzalez is the Senior Pastor of Good News Unlimited and the presenter of the Unlimited radio spots, and The Big Question.