Theme of the Week: The 7-Day Husband Challenge
Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:6-7; John 17:20-26
When I was a new pastor, I was at a restaurant with 3 Christian leaders that I admired. We were talking about what it means to be a husband. Being newly married, I had asked the men to give me one piece of advice for my marriage ahead.
One of the guys gave me the greatest piece of advice I had ever received, and I’ll never forget how he framed it. He said, “You will be amazed how easy it is to lead a full congregation in prayer at church while having a hard time to pray with your wife at home”.
“There’s no way”, I thought.
But he was right. I was a few years into ministry and marriage and the words of my friend echoed back to me.
Praying in front of people came easy to me, but when it came time to pray with my wife… the words didn’t come as quickly. I know I am not alone in this. I have heard it time and time again.
Why do some men find it difficult to pray with their wives? Could it be because our wives see us for who we truly are? Do we lack confidence? Have we forgotten the importance of prayer? Does our wife feel awkward and uncomfortable?
Regardless, it’s something that we must not shrink back on. In fact, I am not sure there is any other piece of advice that could greatly impact your marriage as much as this.
Pray with and for your wife – out loud.
Praying with your wife will bring many blessings to your marriage. Here are just a few:
- It will be a demonstration of your faith and trust in God.
- It will create an environment of teamwork and companionship
- It will help your wife feel supported and encouraged
Praying together is a unifying, faith-building, and encouraging act that if practiced could have a dramatic impact on your marriage.
Francis Chan wrote in his book, You And Me Forever, “Being in a war together is what keeps us from being at war with each other.”
I don’t know about you, but I would much rather feel like my wife and I are spiritually on the same team, rather than being at war with one another.
When the anxiety and worry of our lives become all too much to bear, imagine having someone with whom you can offer your requests to God (Phil 4:6-7). Or when your children cause heartache and confusion, imagine the strength you might be able to find as both of you intercede together.
Praying together isn’t only helpful, it’s vital! Jesus made that evident when he spent his last moments before he was arrested – praying for the Church. That’s right – he could have been praying for anything, but he was praying for the Church (John 17)!
What’s stopping you from trying? If you haven’t done this before, it might feel weird but trust God to help you. You won’t regret it.
Challenge
Today it’s simple: take a moment and pray out loud with and for your wife. If this is something you do regularly, perhaps consider making a list of prayer requests you are trusting God to answer.
Conversation Prompt
Ask your wife: What are some things you would like to pray together about together? How does it make you feel when I take initiative to pray with you?
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