Not really. Every once in a while. There's an older couple in my ward who did. The wife would brag piously all the time in RS how her and her husband had never missed one night praying together on their knees since their wedding night. Glad I don't have to listen to that kind of thing any more.
My TBM wife was famous for wanting "couples prayer." During "couples prayer" her prayers would be (paraphrased), "Please bless my stubborn husband to soften his heart. (blah, blah, blah) He must repent. (blah, blah, blah)." In general, "couples prayer" was my wife's vehicle to tell me what I had to do to become a hyper-faithful Mormon.
At some point, I switched from saying "Amen" to "F!U!" I was reported to the bishop. The bishop advised me that if I couldn't abide my wife's "couples prayers" that I shouldn't participate.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2015 01:31PM by idleswell.
We were never very consistent. It was obvious we were doing it out of a feeling of obligation or guilt. I was always the one pushing for it and my wife didn't. It was always...."ok lets pray real quick so I can go to bed and you can stay up reading/knitting/watching tv or whatever"
We had family prayers back in the 50's after Dad & Mom adopted a little sister for my brother and I. She had severe cerebral palsy and Dad prayed every night that the LARD give her some relief from her condition and pain (as if). She passed away at age 3 1/2. Family prayer did not survive that trauma.
It is some sort of a mind block or something because I can't pray in front of others and never prayed with my "former" spouse. I'm sure that is why he is still gay. (I was worried about that for a long, long, LONNNNGGG time.)
Of course. I like the custom, kind of a moment of being together... we don't do it any more, but I kind of miss it. I wonder what we could replace it with. A moment of gratitude for anything that happened that day?
I never was comfortable with the idea of prayer. Giving thanks, yes. But asking for any solution to my first world problems seemed to be the height of selfishness. Thank Gawd my spouse wasn't into it.
Yes, we would kneel at the side of the bed most nights. I was more into it than my spouse was. Occasionally if we were particularly exhausted, we would pray in bed. Also, we would pray at the beginning of the day before we parted or on any long car ride. Yes, it was a huge waste of time. Mindfulness meditation would make a great replacement that would actually be beneficial.
DH always felt it was his job to be the pray-er. I thought I deserved a turn once in a while, because I had some issues I wanted to take up with God as well, but DH insisted that only the priesthood holder was allowed to pray on behalf of the couple.
I quit joining him on my knees and just crawled into my side of the bed. "God can just GUESS what I'm thinking, then." I explained.
No. For about the last two years of our marriage, when he wanted to be active again, and I was trying to "fit in" he started insisting on prayer before bed.
We'd get ready for bed, turn off the lights, then lay on our stomachs next to each other. He would pray, I would silently run commentary in my head, then we'd mumble an amen.
He suggested the kneeling next to each other by the bed once. Didn't happen.
Especially when I was hoping to get into her pants afterward. Seemed weird to pray for the Spirit together when I just wanted to play with her downstairs afterwards