Loving Your Husband - Praying For Him

I usually scold my children when they say "shut-up" as I don't really like the expression, but for this post it applies.  The bible tells us there is a time for everything and I believe for wives there is a time to shut up and pray.  Ecclesiastes 3:1,7 There is an appointed time for everything.  And there is a time for every event under heaven - A time to be silent, and a time to speak.  Anyone who is married knows there are things better left unsaid.  A wife has the ability to hurt her husband more than any other person.  The words she says can make or break her husband.  When unkind, hurtful words are said they cannot be erased.  We can be forgiven for the words we have spoken but the memory of those words is not erased.  As wives it is so important for us to be careful with the words we say and often times (for me especially!) it is better to say nothing and pray. 

It has taken me a long time to learn this, and some days I am still learning it, but if there is something I want my husband to do it is better that I pray about it.  If there is something bothering me or upsetting me it is better that I pray about it.  Prayer works!  And do you know what does not work?  Nagging, pouting, yelling, and criticizing don't work.  Sometimes just plain talking doesn't even work.  Prayer always works.  Please don't get the idea that you can pray for your husband and gain control over him.  That is not what I'm saying here!  God is working in our lives and desires to hear from His children.  When we pray we are bringing our hurts, desires, concerns and plans to our Heavenly Father who hears us, loves us, know us and has His best for us.  Our trust muscle is growing each time we pray.  Character is built in the wife who prays instead of nags.  Praying for your husband helps you to see his potential, not his flaws.  Prayer helps you to focus on the positive and love grows when we have a positive focus.  In my opinion, if you have to complain, complain to God.  Do not dishonor your husband by complaining to your best friend and please, please do not complain about your husband in front of your children!  (I'm writing this series based on what I have learned and I've already mentioned my best teachers were my mistakes.)

I believe the greatest way we can encourage and love our husbands is to pray for them.  1 Samuel 12:23a Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.  We can pray for our husband's spiritual growth and for wisdom as he leads the family.  We can pray for his relationship with the children.  We can pray for his safety, responsibilities at work, his struggles and trials.  We can pray for our husbands to be strong in specific areas of weakness and temptation.  Along with respect and submission, PRAYER is one of the greatest gifts we give to our husbands.  Loving your husband means praying for him. 

LIFTING MY HUSBAND THROUGH PRAYER

Lord, I lift my husband to You today and pray, according to Your Word, that:

• You give him strength to lead (Joshua 1:7), time to know his family (John 10:14), and a passion to manage his home (1 Timothy 3:4).
• You bless his work and show him daily how to honor You in his attitude and spirit; confirm the work of his hands unto Your purpose (Psalm 90:16-17; Daniel 6).
• He will be a wise steward of our finances and all we possess, remembering that all things are Yours and entrusted to us for Your purposes (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 16:10-13).
• He will love you with all his heart, soul, mind and strength and hate evil (Mark 12:30; Psalm 97:10).
• He will be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19).
• You protect him physically, mentally, and spiritually (Psalm 28:7-9; Psalm 41, John 17:15;  2 Thessalonians 3:3).
• You give him the desire to teach and model a godly lifestyle for his children (Deuteronomy 6; Psalm 78:5-7).
• You will instruct him and teach him in the way he should go (Psalm 32:8); give him peace in the circumstances and integrity in decisions he must face today(1 Corinthians 14:33; Proverbs 11:3).
• He would meditate day and night on Your Word, pray without ceasing (Psalm 1:1-3; Psalm 119:18, 73; 1 Thessalonians 5:17), and stay faithful to Christ to the end (Hebrews 12:1-2). 
• He would develop strong relationships with other godly men (Ephesians 4:24-25; Hebrews 10:24).

I want to be a good wife.  Don't you?  I want to be the kind of wife "whose husband trusts her because she does him good and not evil all the days of her life".  I believe the most important good a wife can do for her husband is pray. 

• Homework:

Set aside some time today to spend praying for your husband.