Marriage Monday: “The Power of a Praying Wife” Edition
At times I remember wondering, “what the hell is wrong with Papa?”
He was going through something. I could feel it but with every question, I could see him shutting down. It used to bother me. I used to take it personally. What I eventually realized, sometimes it’s not my right to know what he’s going through but it’s my duty to take him to the throne in prayer, step back, and allow God to carry him through it.
After a few days of prayer and space, sometimes he would share what weighed heavily on him, and sometimes he wouldn’t. What mattered, I could see the change in him. Whether it was a sincere smile, a much-needed laugh, or a conversation that led him to share what he was going through, there was a change.
Over the last 14 years, prayer and the Holy Spirit have become my weapon of choice. I don’t press when he says nothing is wrong, but when the Holy Spirit says otherwise, I go to my prayer closet and ask the Spirit of God to intercede on my behalf. Being his wife doesn’t automatically make me the bearer of all his burdens. At times, not sharing is his way of protecting me. However, as his wife, I must use my intuition and carry whatever the Spirit places on my heart to God in Prayer.
As his wife, I have so many responsibilities but the most important one is keeping him covered in prayer. At times, that responsibility can feel overwhelming. Not knowing what to specifically pray for or not knowing where to start would prevent me from actually praying. During the times I’ve felt overwhelmed, I made a prayer list. With the list, I created a prayer calendar specifically for my husband’s needs. The prayer calendar helped me stay focused during my prayer time and intentional about every prayer I spoke regarding my husband.
Starting can be difficult. Here are a few things I continuously pray for regarding my husband and my marriage:
I pray that he finds satisfaction in God alone – I wasn’t placed in his life to meet all of his needs. There will be times when I am unavailable mentally, spiritually, and physically. Without a clear understanding of my role in his life and without the belief that only God can provide full satisfaction, he will search to fill the voids. The enemy will lead us to believe our spouse is responsible for meeting ALL of our needs. When they fall short, satan can convince us that we deserve to find those things elsewhere, leading us outside of our marriage. My prayer has always been that God steps in and allows us to see that He is the only source of complete satisfaction in our lives.
I pray that he is a man of God’s word – I pray that God softens his heart towards certain things and allows the word of God to lead him in every decision he makes. I ask that God builds his character, his morals, and integrity. Challenging Him to be an upright man, even if that means being the only one in the room and providing him with the courage to do so. I pray that his character is more valuable to him than money and worldly success.
I pray that he is not ashamed to give God glory - Not just during the good times or behind closed doors but in the midst of whatever he may be going through. Without hesitation, no matter who’s in his presence.
I pray that I am his helper and not his heartache – I pray that God uses me as an active source of peace for my husband. Proverbs 31:10-12 says, “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life”. I pray that I am his closes friend, someone he will always trust to always love and protect him.
Sometimes praying for our significant other can be hard but keep these things in mind during times of discouragement:
Prayer changes things and prayer can change your spouse. There will be times when you believe nothing will change the condition of your marriage. Times, when you feel situations, will never change or progress can never be made due to your spouse. Prayer can do two things in those situations. Prayer can change the actual issue or change your perspective. Either way, God hears every prayer. Your concerns are important to him and he won’t allow us to go through anything alone or without His promise of hope.
Honoring your spouse means praying for them. Even during difficult times. Ephesians 5:33 says, “…and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Honoring him means to show respect, to allow him the opportunity to lead your family as the man of the household. At times, this can be difficult, especially when we believe they are not leading in the way God has called them to lead. That’s all the reason to continue to bring him to the alter. Asking God to speak to his heart, guiding his footsteps in the way that God has called him to go.
Praying for your husband can remind you of the role he plays in your life. Circumstances can cause us to forget who we married and why. Prayer can remind us of the person we fell in love with. God can reignite the spark that was once there, remind us of the laughter you share, and most importantly, the purpose he has assigned to your marriage.
Most importantly, praying for your marriage invites God into the center of it.
Sometimes praying for our significant other can be hard. During the times I struggled with how to pray for Papa, I turned to the 30-day prayer challenge by Revive our Hearts. I’ve done this prayer & encouragement challenge countless times during our marriage. Not once did Papa know I was doing this, but with each time, I saw God move in his life. For those who struggle with praying for their husbands, go to reviveourhearts.com and begin the 30-day prayer challenge and see how God begins to move in your husband’s life.