Intimacy is one of the most important aspects of any relationship, whether it's a romantic relationship, friendship, or family relationship. Intimacy is important to cultivate trust and communication, which is why intimacy is especially important for married couples.

Intimacy can be manifested in several ways. Certainly, there is physical intimacy, but too much focus on physical intimacy could lead to a lack of intimacy in other important realms, which can, in turn, hinder physical intimacy and ultimately cripple the relationship.

In the article The Ups and Downs of Love, the author Myers talks about self-disclosure and what it does for relationships. In general it was argues that the more couples disclose the more intimate their relationship will be and the more likely the relationship is to last.

The aspect of self-disclosure that most interested me was the paragraph about praying. I was interested to see that praying was listed as a way to share yourself and therefore increase the intimacy of your relationship. Myers notes that praying leads people to humble themselves, and expose their souls and implies that that exposure is what makes the couple more intimate. Myers, however, does not necessarily correlate religion and prayer.

Those with religious convictions are more likely to remain married, and those who are religious are most definitely more likely to place importance on prayer. To me this means that if you are religious then not only is your marriage more likely to last, it is more likely to be an intimate, sharing relationship.

Some sociologists argue that this occurs because some religions place a stigma upon divorce. However, I see more truth in the self-disclosure theory. Especially since the stigma surrounding divorce is waning, there is another reason as to why religious couples do not divorce very often. I feel that this is, as Myers noted, because the two share a part of them that is incredibly intimate. This does not end at prayer; almost all aspects of spirituality are intimate, personal and humbling, and sharing that spirituality is what bonds the couple, prayer is just one part of the self-disclosure that ensues.

Learn more about this author, A. South.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about The need for emotional intimacy between spouses?
We want to hear your view. Write now!