What If... Praying for your Spouse

I was praying for my wife, Jackie, early this morning. While I was praying through my topic for today (overcoming fear), I got distracted in the most beautiful way. I pondered... what would happen if every Christ follower started praying for their wife... or their husband... every day?

What would happen to the fabric of society? Can you imagine it? The depth of health? The richness of trust? The dropping prison rate? The police officers lives spared because of the decline of domestic abuse?

What would happen to the culture of our churches? We could be a light on a hill in a whole new way! The divorce rate inside of churches would be dramatically lower than that of that outside. People in the marketplace might start coming to us to find out how we are so counter-cultural.

What would happen to your family life? The more I pray for Jackie, the more I find myself becoming the husband she needs. While I do see my prayers being answered, I more quickly see the pray-er being changed. When I pray for others in the morning, I often pray for couples I know who are struggling. I wonder how their marriages could be different if they prayed for one another like this.

What would happen for the next generation? It is commonly said that the best gift you can give your children is a healthy marriage. How could this be fulfilled better than by praying for your spouse?

Allow me one more minute and tell you how I came to the WAY I pray for my bride.

About 10 years ago I read the book The Power of a Praying Husband. There are 21 chapters, each of which ends with a prayer. I took that book and typed up those prayers, filled in the blanks with the names of my wife and daughters, printed it out, and it hangs on the wall where I pray. Sure I miss a few days each month, but in general I pray through the 21 prayers every month. Wives, don't fear! The first book in the series was The Power of a Praying Wife so you can do the same thing. (I notice it has 31 chapters, probably because we men need more prayer than you women do!)

If you are in ministry--volunteer, part-time, or full-time--I'd like to encourage you to consider this deeply. When I take even 5 minutes to imagine what the worship ministry I lead could look like if every married person in it were praying for their spouse in these specific ways, my heart melts with possibility.

If you have a meaningful way of praying for your husband or wife, would you leave a comment? I would love to learn from you!