A successful marriage rarely happens by accident. It is built, one choice at a time, on purpose and with God’s help. For Kenneth Copeland Ministries Partners Larry and Valerie Williams, the story of their successful marriage of 40 years began with an unexpected moment that felt like it stopped time.
Larry remembers the day clearly. “I walked into the bookstore, and it was like everything else blurred out,” he recalled. “It was as if the Lord opened my eyes, and the scales fell off. I saw this big, bright smile. From that moment, I was captivated.” Although Valerie was genuinely happy and content being single, the two connected quickly and were married shortly after meeting.
Nearly four decades later, their story still carries that spark and a refreshing honesty that should exist in any successful marriage. Larry and Valerie don’t talk about marriage as if it’s effortless. They speak as a couple who has walked through real life, and has learned what holds them steady when emotions shift and pressures hit.
“It’s been challenging at times,” Larry said. “But I believe that to have a successful marriage, it’s important to keep your relationship on the foundation of the Bible, allowing that to be the final authority.”
Valerie echoed that same grounding with a quiet confidence: “God has really sustained us through the years, because we’ve determined to live the life of Christ and have a Christ-centered marriage.”
Watch Larry and Valerie Williams share their story.
The Power of Prayer, Their Saving Grace
Their journey includes wounds they each brought into the marriage that still needed healing. Valerie shared that she grew up as an only child. When she entered marriage, she also suffered from chronic emotional pain from childhood due to having an absent father she couldn’t trust. Admittedly, it affected her willingness to trust Larry in their developing relationship.
“Praying has been my saving grace,” she said.
Over time, Valerie learned that the power of prayer wasn’t just a religious phrase. That power became a practical lifeline amid misunderstandings, insecurities and old patterns.
Larry has learned over the years that people often have unspoken expectations in their marriages or relationships that lead to miscommunication.
“You can have this expectation of a person,” he said, “but when they don’t fulfill the expectations that they didn’t even know you had, then you get offended. That’s where the Lord really began working on me.”
Larry had to face himself in the mirror and ask, “Why do I get offended so easily?”
He recognized that what he was doing was building up walls. “I didn’t want to deal with a situation,” he said. “The tension kept building up. I think that was a major part of Valerie’s frustration because we weren’t really dealing with the issues. I would act like everything was fine.”
Both Larry and Valerie come from homes marked by divorce. At some point, they made a decision that has shaped their successful marriage for decades: They refused to speak divorce over their house. They agreed they wouldn’t even utter the word because they didn’t want their children to carry the same pain they experienced as children.
They also chose to make the Word of God the final authority in their relationship, even when feelings ran hot. Larry admits he can be stubborn, but he still recognizes the truth when it confronts him—and he knows when he needs to repent.
Valerie ties that breakthrough to prayer. “That came through me praying to the Lord,” she said, and Larry agreed without hesitation: “Yep, it’s her prayer. She has trusted the Lord.”
It’s the Truth You Know That Sets You Free
Valerie shared that there were moments when she didn’t even know what to pray, but she didn’t let that discourage her. She prayed the scriptures she knew, and when the words ran out, she prayed in tongues and waited.
“If you don’t learn anything else, learn to pray. Learn to intercede. Learn your heavenly language,” she admonished. In their home, the power of prayer doesn’t replace communication; it helps restore it. It has softened hearts, brought conviction without condemnation, and made room for forgiveness.
Looking back, Larry can honestly say, “I am proof that the Lord does work.” According to Valerie, the Lord does work miracles, but they come by trust and belief. “You have to know the Word to believe the Word,” she said. Faith grows when the Word is known personally, through time spent meditating on it. Added Larry, “It’s the truth you know, that sets you free.”
Their nearly 40 years together don’t just illustrate longevity; they reveal what sustains a successful marriage when two imperfect people keep turning toward God and toward each other. Larry and Valerie’s message stays clear: Don’t build love on feelings alone; base it on truth, commitment and the power of prayer.
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