“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;” (Eph. 3:16)
Prayer is certainly one of the most amazing privileges that a Christian can have! To think that we can go right into the presence of our Father in Heaven is undoubtedly one of the most amazing thoughts known to man. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most amazing failures in our lives. When it comes to your marriage, your wife needs a praying husband and one that especially prays for her.
First of all, make sure that you have a prayer life. Jesus taught that we should enter into our closet when we pray, and we should then pray in secret with the door closed (Matt. 6:6). The point seems to be that we should have a private place to pray, a place where we can spend time with God uninterrupted. It may also emphasize that we need a place where we can pour out our hearts without any hindrances to limit us. The psalmist spoke of having specific times for prayer. He prayed three times each day (morning, noon, and evening). Daniel seemed to follow that same pattern in Daniel 6:10 when he prayed three times a day in his house, even when the law had forbidden him to do so. How about you? Do you have a place where you regularly pray? A place where you pray daily? Do you have designated times for prayer? Chances are, if you don’t have a designated place and some designated times, you will not have much of a prayer life if you have one at all.
Second, as you develop your prayer life, consider using a list. I am amazed at how many times Paul mentions that he prays for specific things and specific people, and even specific things for specific people (consider Eph. 3:14-21; Phil. 1:4, 9-11)). Perhaps he didn’t need a list, but most of us certainly would. I personally have a small moleskin journal and keep a list inside it. I have specific prayer requests for which I pray every week, and I even have specific requests for each day of the week. Consider using a list. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it will likely be a great help to you as you enter into your closet each day for prayer.
Finally, pray daily for your wife! Spend some time in Eph. 5:25, 33; 1 Pet. 3:7; and Eph. 3:14-19.
- Pray for yourself. Pray about your relationship to your wife. Pray about your responsibilities toward your wife. Ask God to help you to be the loving, gentle, Christ-like leader you are supposed to be.
- Pray for wisdom to know how to love her the way she needs to be loved. Depending on the circumstances of her life (or the time of her month), she may need to be loved in a different or very specific way because of her needs during this time.
- Pray that she would have strength by the Spirit in her inner person. This is an important prayer request. God made your wife to be the complicated person she is. She needs strength from the Spirit to develop in her own spirit the meekness and quietness that Peter talks about in 1 Pet. 3:3-4.
- Pray that Christ would dwell in her heart. That He would live in her thoughts, her will, and her emotions.
- Pray that she would know and comprehend the love of God.
- Pray that she would be filled with all the fullness of God.
Excellent Resource:
- Listen to Dave Young’s sermon, “The Spirit-filled Husband”, on our web site.
This chapter was written by Evangelist Dave Young (www.evangelistdaveyoung.com)
You can also check out Dave and Bethlie Young’s weekly Podcast by CLICKING HERE.
This chapter was taken from The Extraordinary Husband
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