the marriage Prayer

So perhaps I've misnamed this series.  Its not always going to feature songs about waiting, but also songs that give you hope when waiting, songs that make you go, "that kind of love is worth waiting for."  That being said, this week's song falls into that last category.  Without further ado...the song of the week:

Artist: John Waller
Song: The Marriage Prayer
Lyrics:
Verse 1:
Father, I said till
Death do us part
I want to mean it
With all of my heart
Help me to love you
More than I love her
Then I know I can
Love her more
Than anyone else

Pre:
And bring her in
Your presence today
Make her what
You want her to be

Chorus:
I pray to hear her heart
I pray she'll love you more
I pray to cherish and serve her
And we'll bring you glory today, I pray

Verse 2 (Josee Waller):
Father, I said till
Death do us part
I want to mean it
With all of my heart
Help me to love you
More than I love him
Then I know I can
Love him more
Than anyone else

Pre:
And bring him in
Your presence today
Make him what
You want him to be

Chorus:

Bridge:
Lord, help me love her
As you love the church, your bride
(Josee) Help me submit to him
As I submit to you, my life

Chorus: (2x)

Out:
This is my prayer Amen
I love that this married couple sings this song together.  Isn't that in and of itself worth waiting for?

This song continually reminds me of scripture passages - who wouldn't want a husband that not only knows scripture verses, but then sings them to you as his promise to you?  (Ok, maybe an atheist wouldn't, but that's not really my area of expertise anyway...)

And how beautiful is the prayer that comes straight from their hearts (listen to the song and its basically impossible to not hear this prayer coming from the depths of their hearts) to love God more than they love the other?  I don't want a husband who loves me more than anything else, I want a husband who loves God more than anything else.  I only hope to be second place, and this couple has that exactly right.  They know that by loving God, by allowing Him to fill them, they will be empowered to love each other more fully, more intentionally, and in a holy and pure way. 

I want my husband to pray that he would hear my heart, that he would know my heart.  A couple of married friends once told me that when they were dating the man would constantly go to adoration and pray to hear her heart, that he would know how to love her heart and even now that they are married, his still does this!  God knows our hearts better than we do ourselves, I can only hope that my husband seeks the heart of God in order to reach my heart. 

They pray that the other would love God more and isn't that what the vocation, the Sacrament of marriage is all about?  As one of my priest friends often says, marriage isn't about getting your spouse to heaven, that isn't enough.  You need to get them to know and fall in love with Jesus, so to have that element in this song just makes me love it even more!

And the bridge - straight out of Ephesians 5!  So often guys will quote that passage out of context simply saying that women should submit to men, but if you read that whole passage it isn't a command, it is an invitation to love and to be loved.

I love Josee's prayer: and bring him in Your presence today, make him what You want him to be.  How beautiful, how true is that prayer for single, engaged and married women everywhere!  Lord, my future husband, where ever he may be, bring him in Your most holy presence today and every day, make him not what I want him to be, what I think I need him to be, but make him what You want him to be.

This is my prayer, AMEN.