The influence of prayer in strengthening family ties and marriages has been beautifully expressed by Catherine Marshall, widow of Peter C. Marshall, chaplain of the U.S. Senate. In her book A Man Called Peter she writes:
“Though like every normal couple, Peter and I were sometimes in disagreement, we found that these differences could never become serious or bitter so long as we could pray together. So thoroughly did we learn this lesson that it was one of the chief bits of advice Peter always gave to couples whose marriages were almost bankrupt. ‘If you will get down on your knees together,’ he would tell them, ‘your difficulties will soon be solved. You just can’t pray together and stay mad at each other.’
“After our household grew in numbers, we discovered, too, that family prayers did not take the place of more intimate husband-and-wife prayers. Moreover, such prayers together were needed for our routine everyday lives, rather than just at the time when difficulties or disagreements arose. Peter always spoke of these prayers as ‘lubricants for the machinery of life.’
“That was a supremely accurate description. Thus we tried to have a few quiet moments together in our bedroom before breakfast. On those mornings when we gave our day into God’s hands and asked Him to bless it, we found that for each of us the whole day went more smoothly. There was a reassuring feeling of accomplishment at the end of it. When we omitted this brief prayer time together, things became snarled. We felt that we were battling uphill against terrific odds for meager accomplishment.”
H. Burke Peterson, “Adversity and Prayer,” Prayer. Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, UT. 1978. P.106
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