A couple has shared their 'love recipe' since they have been married for more than 40 years.

The couple, Ebenezer Nii Sampane Ansah-Adjaye and Joana Kailey Ansah-Adjaye, have loved and lived together for close for 43 years as husband and wife with a three-boy squad who are all currently successful men.

Reminiscing their past on Prime Morning, which airs on Joy Prime, the couple narrated how it all started.

They had their first two children before getting married and have lived happily since.

20 years after marriage, the husband had a daughter out of wedlock with a different woman, but the wife did not divorce him.

"She felt bad, and we had major differences about it. The motive basically was to be able to get a girl, and God willing, it was through some of my external relationships with some women of God," the man told KMJ.

According to Mr. Ansah-Adjaye, the incident was a fulfilled prophecy. "The prophecy was that I was going to have a female child, but out of wedlock," he said on Wednesday.

He never discussed it with the wife, which was the error that contributed to the argument after she was informed, but she later forgave him after receiving counseling and advice from some pastors.

Not only did she forgive him, but she has accepted and nurtured the child as her own since then. The girl is currently a level 300 student at KNUST, and they are proud to have her.

Amid all the challenging times they have been through, how have they been able to improve their love and affection for each other? Why did the wife stay?

Mrs. Ansah-Adjaye said it is love, God-fearing, communication, and discipline.

Meanwhile, she had the privilege to marry a lawyer but refused, as her current husband was still a university student. Why did she reject the offer?

She said, "The love wasn’t there for that person. So, I decided what I wanted." Through her decision, she dealt with family pressure, which led her to believe that love is not always rosy.

Another secret to their long-lasting relationship is rendering apologies to one another when either of them is wrong.

Based on their experience, the couple is of the view that selfishness can never contribute positively to a successful marriage. They said if one partner is selfish, the relationship will never work.

They believe in helping to strengthen the weaknesses of one another instead of riding over them, as everyone is different. They admonished couples to identify their weaknesses so they could mend them together.

Having catered for three successful businessmen, they urged parents to instill discipline and the fear of God in their children. This will help in the development and Christian life of the children.

"Put the fear of God in them (the most important thing in my life),"

Marriage as instituted by God requires that partners should love each other unconditionally, forgiving and supporting each other as well.

Prior to that, Mr. Ansah-Adjaye believes that "if you’re a God-fearing man and this is a charge from God, you have to go by it."

As a postgraduate married to a senior high school graduate, he believes that education should not be a barrier to marriage."It’s for me to use that as a competence in my workplace, and hers is to use her emotional intelligence to create the home, and that’s marriage."

Love, they say, is sweet, but it becomes even sweeter when you're with the right person. It is mostly challenging to stick with one partner forever. Some challenging marriages in recent times may have been the result of cheating on the part of one partner.

Mr. and Mrs. Ansah-Adjaye were able to identify and overcome their differences. They have lived happily for 43 years and counting.

As February is the month of love, couples are urged to emulate such people to be able to fulfill the will of God.