If you don’t pray for your spouse, who will? We readily talk to our spouse and about our spouse to others. But we often miss the opportunity to effect the greatest impact by talking to God on their behalf.
You have been placed in the unique position of knowing your mate better than anyone else. You see them at their best and probably at their worst. You know their schedule, burdens, strengths and weaknesses. God has allowed you to have the privilege of being your spouse’s most faithful intercessor. Sometimes it’s just hard to know where to start!
Here are three simple ways to pray for your spouse that can impact their life and shape your heart:
1) Focused prayer
Take one full minute and pray only for your spouse. You can talk to God about the burdens you know they are carrying. Take to God your spouse’s schedule for the day, asking for wisdom, discernment, and strength for them. If there are health issues, zero in on those and ask for healing. If you/they have children, you can focus on the traits that are important as a parent and that God will give them all that they need.
2) Secret prayer
Either at night or in the morning, if you are awake when your spouse is sleeping just gently touch them and pray (silently! 🙂 ) for them. Pray that God would bless them and give his favor to them. You might focus on their relationship with Jesus and ask that they would have a greater hunger for the things of God. One idea is to use a verse from the Bible as a guide for what to pray. One verse to use is Colossians 1:9 which reads, “… we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”
3) Thankful prayer
Through the course of your day, each time your spouse comes to mind, breathe a prayer of thanks to God for something specific about them. Thank God for things they do that are meaningful to you. We suggest concentrating on character qualities and personality traits that you appreciate. Some ideas might be their: honesty, work ethic, humor, wisdom, courage, strength, gentleness, gracefulness, faithfulness, intelligence, humility, etc. You get the idea!
What are some things that you pray for your spouse? Learn to pray through the day and watch God build your marriage!
