Welcome back to another Marriage Monday! I am excited to jump in and navigate the beautiful challenge of marriage with you once again.
If you are just joining us for the first time, I am so glad you’re here!
We are reading through Darlene Schacht’s newest book, Messy Beautiful Love (aff link), and today we are covering ideas discussed in the final chapter (fifteen), “Pray for Your Marriage.”
I hope you are ready to be challenged and encouraged to become the wife God desires you to be, zeroed in like a laser on the Proverbs 31 model. Decide today who you will serve (Joshua 24:15).
Ready? Set. Let’s go.
He Didn’t Deserve Me
There was a time years ago when I hated my husband. I hated the way he left his things lying around. I hated the way he was consumed with his work and his skills. I hated how I felt like we were not as connected as I believed we should be. I was hateful.
I had a constant focus on all the things that were disheartening or frustrating to me about my husband, and the constant movie reel of his failures played on repeat in my mind. As far as I could see, he did not deserve me and everything I brought to the marriage as his wife. I was bitter.
But, after one fateful day of me commiserating with a friend on the woes of marital heartache, God saw fit to re-shape my heart and challenge all my preconceived notions of what a marriage “should be” to bring me into alignment with what He made marriage to be. And, that day has changed everything.
Since that one day, that apex of my spiritual growth, I have learned more than I can begin to articulate through the ups and downs of my experience thus far as a married woman of God.
And, I can say with complete assurance that I have learned every single lesson through prayer.
Do You Pray for Your Husband and Marriage?
When I began to pray intentionally for my husband it felt my disingenuous. I did not even know the first thing about what to pray. I only knew how to focus on the things that I did not like about him anymore, so it took me some time to learn how to ask God to bless him and help him to grow in Him.
But, over time, through the practice of prayer, God continued to open my eyes to how He sees my husband and helped to bring my heart into alignment with His Will. Gradually I began to see with clearer vision what my role as a wife included: prayer and commitment towards honoring my husband.
Do you honor your husband? Do you promote his well-being to both God and others?
As a good helpmeet, it is important and necessary for you to pray for your husband. No matter where he stands in his relationship with God, you offer an unseen and little comprehended value to the eternal picture.
Consider the Proverbs 31 woman:
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.” ~ Proverbs 31: 23
The fact that her husband is known at the gates signifies a component of proper reputation, which means that his wife was never demeaning or harmful to how others might perceive him.
This does not mean that her husband was flawless or perfect, but that she, rather, focused her eyes and energy on giving him praise and honor, in place of criticism and condemnation. Do you do the same?
Pray, pray, pray
You can start praying for your husband and your marriage today, even if you are in a wonderful place, or quite the opposite. God is so good to hear the prayers of those who have a heart turned towards Him and His Ways, and it is always His Will that we wives would seek blessings for our husbands.
Here are 10 simple ideas to get you started, even if you don’t know what else to say. The point is to simply begin, and then He will help guide your heart one day at a time.
- Pray for your husband to be honored at work for his efforts and intention
- Pray for him to have good health
- Pray for wisdom to crown his head and thoughts
- Pray for him to be convicted to turn away from any and all sinful ways
- Pray for him to turn to God in his daily endeavors
- Pray for him to grow in faith and trust in the Lord
- Pray for him to know the love of the Father
- Pray for Yahweh to reveal to you ways to honor and bless your husband at home
- Pray for your own wisdom to interact well and righteously with your husband each day
- Pray for the strength to persevere through the difficult times in your marriage and the commitment to continue to the end
No matter what season of marriage you are in at this time, praying for your husband and your marriage will reap long-term blessings for your life for years to come, if not for all eternity. When we turn our hearts to God in prayer we open the eyes of our hearts to be able to see things from the perspective of the Most High.
Stay humble. Stay committed. Persevere in Him. Be strong, sister. You are not alone.
What is one thing for which you are thankful in your marriage?
Julie says
Thank you for being honest. I needed this encouragement today! (Also glad to find your blog! Looks like lots of good content!)
Julie Filter says
Julie, I am so glad to hear it! Glad you found the blog too!