Engaged With Expectations: Couples Engagement DevotionsSample

Time to Connect

Couples think they’ll have lots of time to talk and connect when they’re married, but life happens. Calendars fill up and it’s easy to find excuses to put off conversations you’ve been dreading with your spouse.

If you do anything to strengthen your emotional intimacy, I recommend having a weekly marriage business meeting. A business meeting for your marriage may sound weird, but the purpose is to communicate your needs and give feedback on different areas of your marriage.

Think about the conversation you have on a date night. Do you want to discuss finances, how your spouse hurt your feelings, or how your needs aren’t being met in the bedroom over a romantic dinner?

Weekly business meetings create a safe place for you and your spouse to discuss what’s going well and what’s not working in your marriage. The more you share your wants, needs, and desires with each other, the more connected you’ll feel.

The format doesn’t have to look like a business meeting. Some couples call this their marriage coffee chat, or their weekly walk-and-talk.

What should you talk about during your weekly marriage meeting? Discuss anything on your mind, including what you’d like to work on in your marriage.

You could discuss the following topics:

• Compliments for each other
• Wins you want to celebrate
• How God is speaking to you
• Your focus for the week
• How you can pray for each other
• Areas of improvement
• Financial decisions
• Calendar schedules
• Meal planning
• Your sex life, including what you liked—or didn’t like—in the bedroom

It may feel awkward giving your spouse constructive feedback, but if you’re not honest with each other, this will hurt your emotional intimacy.

A weekly business meeting will help ensure both your needs are being met—which will cause less conflict in your marriage.

Discussion Questions

1. How do you feel about implementing a weekly marriage business meeting?
2. When and where could you have your marriage chat every week?
3. What items would you like to discuss each week with your spouse?

Prayer

God, thank you for showing us how to communicate as husband and wife. Give us the courage to be open and honest with each other so we can strengthen our marriage. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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This plan was adapted from Engaged with Expectations, A Devotional for Engaged Couples to Prepare for Marriage by Erin Elise Kiu. Learn more about the devotional or grab a copy of the book