The Power of a Praying Wife Devotional (21 page)

Show us both ways to be affectionate that we might not otherwise think of. Where there has been hurt, neglect, or damage in our past that makes it difficult for either of us to show “the affection due” each other, I pray You would heal us and bring us to a place of wholeness. Fill us with Your love so that it flows out of each of us toward the other. Take away any hurts we have inflicted on each other and heal those wounds so that we feel comfortable being affectionate. Take away any selfish withholding of affection that I have. I don’t want to do anything that keeps me from obeying You. Pour Your love out in me so it overflows from me to him and causes open affection to be a natural consequence.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

38

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out
and your coming in
from this time forth, and even forevermore.

P
SALM
121:7-8

W
HEN YOUR HUSBAND GOES
out of town on a business trip, or a weekend of fun and recreation with the guys, if things have been going badly between you, it can be a relief that he is gone and you have the house to yourself. It gives you a chance to think things through and remember why you got married in the first place. If everything has been going well with you both, a short time of separation can still be a good thing if you need a chance to miss each other. Whatever your situation, this is a valuable time to pray for him.

When he is gone, first of all pray for his protection in planes, trains, automobiles, and boats. Second, pray for him to be protected from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3). A man can fall prey to many enticements when he is away from home and in another world. Pray that your husband will keep himself from anything the enemy would like to put in front of him and not violate any of God’s laws (1 John 5:18).

Even if your husband is not out of town now or won’t be going away soon, pray all this in advance of the next time he goes away for a short time. Pray that your husband will be in God’s hands every step of the way and that he will return home safely (Psalm 18:2). Ask God to bring him back refreshed, renewed, and happy to be home and seeing you. Pray that not only will God go with him, but that
he
will go with God.

My Prayer to God

L
ORD
, I pray You will protect my husband whenever he is away. Keep him safe in cars and planes and every other mode of transportation. Bring him back home safely. Bless all that he does—whether for business or fun. I pray in that time away he will draw closer to You. Help him to hear Your voice speaking to his heart. Even though we are apart, I pray You will enable us to grow closer. Help us to let go of any problems or disagreements we have had in the past, and dwell on the good things we have together now and in our future.

Enable my husband to be influenced by You and Your ways more than anyone or any influence with which he may come in contact. Help him to turn to You as his rock, fortress, and deliverer. Keep him on the path of obedience to You so that he will be protected from the evil one. Guard his health and his soul. Preserve his going out and his coming home. I pray when he returns that we find greater compatibility and communication than we had before. I also pray that the separation will have been a time of rejuvenation for both of us, and that we will each have a fresh perspective and greater insight. Enable us to see each other with new eyes. I release him into Your hands today for safekeeping.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

39

O Lord, You brought my soul
up from the grave; You have kept me alive,
that I should not go down to the pit.

P
SALM
30:3

W
HETHER IT IS YOU
or your husband who is depressed, it is something that should never be ignored. Those feelings don’t often go away on their own, and in fact can be pushed down only to rise again more powerfully than ever. There are many reasons either you or your husband can feel depressed, but whatever the cause, depression should be prayed about until it is gone. It’s good to pray
with
each other about it, unless you feel he would not want to do that.

Usually depression happens to one person and not the other, but it
can
happen to both at once. In that case, find someone who has the maturity and decency to keep a confidence, and then ask that person to pray with you both about it. Don’t do nothing. Ask God to reveal the root of the depression to you and show you how to pray. Ask Him if either of you need professional help. You may have a physical or chemical imbalance that needs to be corrected. With all the stress in our lives, it’s a wonder we all don’t have some kind of imbalance. There are doctors who can help with that.

The bottom line is God has the power to set you free. He can do it through a sovereign act of His delivering and healing power, and He can do it through a Christian counselor, a psychologist, or a psychiatrist. No matter how or when He does it, prayer must lay the foundation for it to happen. Ask for the freedom from depression God has for you and don’t stop praying until you have it.

My Prayer to God

L
ORD
, I pray that if either my husband or I ever feel depressed, You would clearly show us how to pray and what to do about it. Help us to never just accept depression as a way of life, but rather enable us to see it as far from the way You want us to live. Whenever either one of us is suffering with chronic depression or sadness that seems to overtake us and not let up, show us if we need professional help from a Christian counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. Reveal if there is any imbalance in our system that is causing it and what to do about it. If there is something we need to do or stop doing, I pray You would show us clearly. Whatever the course of action, I pray You would set us totally and completely free.