Praying for my Husband
Praying Specifically
Tom and I had been married four years when I went to a meeting at a local church. I was disappointed when I arrived that the person I wanted to hear was not speaking. Instead, it was his wife who shared that she had not been praying for her husband the way she should. It was an eye opener to me. I realized I was guilty too.
When I got home, I told Tom about my lack of prayer for him and asked his forgiveness. I realized I did not know how to pray for my husband. I asked the Lord to teach me. The Holy Spirit immediately showed me to go to my concordance in the back of my Bible and look up the word "integrity". I wrote all the integrity verses on a legal pad ready to pray them.
I could hardly wait for Tom to leave for work. As soon as he left, I would pick up my legal pad and start praying for him. Here’s an example from Psalm 25:21, “Lord, may integrity and uprightness protect Tom, because his hope is in you.” I prayed the integrity Scriptures for one week. After that, the Lord directed me to a different topic to pray for my husband.
As long as I am open to the Lord's leading and guidance He continues to show me how to pray for my husband.
PATRICIA FOBES
Franklin, Tennessee, USA
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The Greatest Encourgement
I believe the greatest way we can encourage our husband is through our prayers. Here are some questions I ask myself. I found these questions on the web, www.doorposts.net/Samples/aul_prayer.pdf, but have added my own comments.
1. Do I earnestly pray for my husband's spiritual growth and wisdom as he leads our family?
I pray that my husband seeks to know God and His plans for his life and I pray Paul’s prayer in Colossians.1:9-12 for him. I pray earnestly for my husband as he leads our family. I pray that he will actively seek God in all that he does. I pray for the Lord's wisdom as he answers our children's questions about spiritual matters.
2. Do I pray for my husband in his work, his leadership responsibilities, and his relationships with others?
As my husband interacts with the people he contacts at work, I pray he will lead a godly and honest life, one that reflects the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that those around him might see the difference that God has made in his life. How often we forget that our husband's mission field is his workplace.
3. Do I pray for a reverent heart and submissive response to my husband?
I have learned that neglecting my spiritual walk to do other seemingly important tasks benefits no one, especially me. I serve the Lord through serving my husband. I am learning God's will as I show reverence to my husband. I cannot be the wife that God has created me to be if my heart is not right with Him. (Psalm 139:23-24)
4. Do I pray for my husband’s relationship with each of our children?
In Malachi 4:6 it says that a father's heart is to be turned towards his children. I pray daily that my husband’s heart is turned toward his children. I pray that he will see the individual needs of each child and that God will guide him as he interacts with them. A great book is Keeping Our Children's Hearts by Steve and Teri Maxwell.
5. Do I pray for my husband when I know he is going through times of testing and hardship?
We are to “bear one another's burdens.” (Galatians. 6:2) We need to be mindful of what our husband's are going through. I make it a point to find out what is bothering my husband so I can pray specifically. I will ask him, “How can I pray for you today?”
6. Do I pray for my husband to be strong in his particular areas of weakness and temptation?
I know that many temptations face my husband daily. I usually try to pray a pray of protection over him as he walks out the door each morning. It is getting harder for a man to stand strong in this world when everything relates to a humanistic value system with no fear of the Lord. But God will deliver the godly out of temptation. (2 Peter. 2:9)
7. When my husband is in sin or when I believe he is making an unwise decision, do I humbly entreat him and then earnestly, patiently, and quietly pray for God to lead him?
I sometimes lash out at my husband if he is wrong or making a bad decision. How many times have I said something only to regret it two seconds later? Why don’t I remember God’s word in Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”? I know that my husband's heart is in God's hand and He will turn it as He wills. (Proverbs 21:1) As I pray faithfully for God to change my husband’s heart, I try not to say “I told you so” when God does change his heart. I must give the glory to the Lord for He deserves the praise.
8. Do I pray for my husband when he has offended me, or do I criticize and harbor bitterness?
Forgiveness is hard. How God forgave us I will never understand. Only by His grace. I pray that God will hold my tongue in situations like this. In Proverbs 21:9 and 19 it says that it is better to be anywhere else than with a brawling angry women. I am a miserable woman to live with when I have been (or think I have been) wronged. It is important to be open with your husband about your feelings. I am usually surprised my husband didn't even know he had hurt me. I pray for the Lord to help me forgive, move on and forget. What if God kept on recalling our past sins all of the time? Let us not do this to our beloved husbands.
My favorite verse to help me to remember to pray for my husband is 1 Samuel 12:23a, “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.”
I sin against the Lord by not praying for my husband.
HEIDI KEMP
Nassau, Bahamas
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