Praying for Our Husbands (part 16)

Praying for your husband’s feet… I am sure most of you have read the poem, “Footprints in the Sand.” Those are beautiful words with great sentiment, but have you ever thought about the times in your life when you can see two sets of footprints in the sand veering off it two different directions? God has asked us to follow in Christ’s footsteps, & things go pretty smoothly when we do that. Sure there are still those “bumps” in the road, but we can always rest assured that God is leading us down the right path.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalms 119:105

Your husband faces many choices throughout his day… will he choose to keep in step with the Holy Spirit or be distracted by the world? His steps will become a lifestyle & ultimately his legacy.

So as you pray for your husband’s feet, pray that he will be directed by the Holy Spirit, that he will hear clearly his path. Ask Father to help your husband walk in tandem with Him, wherever life’s path takes him.

Okay, ladies we have covered praying for our husbands from head to toe… I ask you to stay on this adventure of loving him through the prayers you pray for him. I am over-joyed to see how writing these devotionals has changed my heart & my way of thinking towards praying for my husband! And I am so excited to see how your prayers for your husband will grow your relationship! God is good & so faithful… He hears every prayer you pray!

“The fervent prayer of a righteous person are powerful & effective.” James 5:16b

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 15)

Praying for your husband’s knees… when I think of kneeling, it reminds me of being humble. To me there is nothing more humbling than to drop to the floor on my knees before God… sometimes to praise & worship or sometimes just to pray & cry out!

I can remember one time when I learned an impactful lesson about this very thing as a young girl. There was some kind of conflict going on in our household… I have no clue of what that was now. Whatever it was set my dad off for some reason… now please know he was & still is an extremely patient man… I cannot imagine what could have set him off with 3 daughters & a wife in the house!! J Anyway, he realized he had treated me unfairly & he came to me, got on his knees & asked for my forgiveness… at the time I am sure I felt awkward about it all, but that memory is still so vivid in my mind! That is the perfect picture of humility to me.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:10

So as you pray for your husband’s knees, pray that he will humbly submit to God’s plan for his life & the life of your family. Pray against pride & the pitfalls that can come with that. Ask God to show him those areas where he needs to humble himself so that God can be the One to lift him up to greater things.

You are doing great, ladies! Only one more day!

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 14)

Praying for our husbands’ legs… I like things that are definite! What I mean by that is I like there to be a definite right answer or a definite wrong answer… it is that wishy-washy stuff in between that drives me crazy!!! Yes, I am very much a black or white kind of girl… the shades of gray in the middle are something I am really working on to show more grace. Like I said before, I am one of those all or nothing people!

So what does my little tangent have to do with our husbands’ legs… standing steady on what is right, no matter what is happening around him. The infallible Word of God is Truth… It is the Rock he can stand on… & the Holy Spirit will walk him through all that is true.

In Daniel 3, you can read about Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego… the young Israelite men who refused to bow to a fake god. They were willing to stand on what they knew was truth, even to the point of standing in the midst of the fire. Trusting God to do what He promised.

Thank God that he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, then, brothers and sisters, don’t let anyone move you off the foundation of your faith. Always excel in the work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is no pointless. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

As you pray for your husband’s legs, pray that he will stand firm on God’s Truth. Pray that he will not get lost or confused in this ever-changing, unaccountable world. Pray that he will trust the never-changing God, no matter what is to come.

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 13)

I am pretty sure this will be the most difficult one for me to write about… praying for our husbands’ sexuality… the need for sexual intimacy. Yikes! I know I am a grown-up… I realize this is a normal part of married life, but the young girl inside me still giggles a little at the idea of writing about it! Sorry, I will put on my “big girl panties” now… so to speak!

When God created man & woman could he have made us anymore different? Yet He created us with such intricate detail… like two pieces of a puzzle that don’t even look like they belong in the same puzzle box, but they end up fitting so well together! When I think about that I am so amazed!

“You alone created my inner being. You knitted me together inside my mother. I will give thanks to You because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.” Psalms 139:13-14

There are so many temptations out there for our husbands. A man use to have to go to a store to buy pornography in a brown wrapper, but now there is easy access at a computer or smart phone! There is so much good that has & does come from the internet, but Satan also uses it big-time to tear families apart!

We know that sexual intimacy in marriage is a good thing… it was created by God for procreation & enjoyment. Let’s face it ladies, it is a battle we need to be fighting with prayer to protect our husbands from Satan’s attacks in this area. No, our husbands are not weak men that can’t fight for themselves, but we need to stand up to these immoral traps & pray protection over them.

Ok, now here comes the not so easy part… as the woman in this relationship you hold the key to sexual intimacy in the marriage. As women, most of us see sexual intimacy as the fulfillment of attention, affection & adoration from their man. But most men see sexual intimacy with his wife as what will stir attention, affection & adoration. I am pretty sure most ladies want to be adored by their man, while most men want to be desired by their woman! Could we be anymore opposite?!

If we are praying for our husbands from head to toe, that means we cannot skip over the sexual part of him… that is a big part to most men! Neglecting to pray for this area for your husband can negate every other area you have been praying for. If someone needed clothing or food would you ignore that? (James 2:15-16) Well, sexual intimacy is just as important… when you know this is a need or desire of your husband, you must play a part in fulfilling that. None of this is written to make you feel condemned in any way… I am guilty of putting other priorities ahead of my husband a lot… & I don’t have children to add to that “to do” list!

The “to-do list”… please, please, please don’t make your husband feel like you are giving him what he wants so you can check it off your list! He wants you to desire this time with him… the physical ending might be the same for him, but he will know if your heart was not in it.

I heard a really good teaching on sexual intimacy in marriage… she talked of how when we are intimate with our husbands it is a form of worship. It is freeing yourself of any shame you may have carried from your past & letting those intimate times be a way to honor God & each other at the same time! I know for myself, shame was a big thing for me when it came to sexual intimacy with my husband. But after learning that Satan wanted to keep me thinking of sex as “dirty,” I was able to find freedom from thoughts or actions of my past. Remember, the enemy wants nothing more than to keep married couples from finding complete fulfillment with each other & God.

“Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (honored);” Hebrews 13:4

So as you pray for your husband’s sexuality, pray for him to have strength to resist temptation, to find fulfillment in your marriage relationship, & that you both would find renewed passion in your intimacy… leaving him feel desired by you.

It is out of love for your husband, ladies… that is where you will find enjoyment & enthusiasm!

“His mouth is sweet in every way. Everything about him is desirable! This is my beloved, and this is my friend,” Song of Songs 5:16

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 12)

Praying for your husband’s side today… I see the side as a place of vulnerability. Someone can come up beside you just out of your vision… it can be a good surprise or it can be a punch out of nowhere! It was always a good place to tickle my sisters too!

Your husband’s side has to do with the relationships in his life… work, family, friends, spiritual. Relationships can be a very tricky subject! There are those people in your life you have known forever, but aren’t exactly the best kind of influence. Even family can add an obscure mix to your relationships. It is knowing who to sustain those close relationships with & which ones that need to be released. It can be so hard!

I know for myself… loyalty is very important to me, & those times when I have not been treated right in a relationship, or it seems to be a one-sided relationship, I agonize over what to do… I want to be a loyal friend! When this has happened I prayed about it, asking God how to handle this. He reminded me of the verse in Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:” Some people are brought into our lives for a time & then we have to be willing to let them go for our own growth as well as theirs. Not easy at all… but great peace can come from it!

Who does your husband have in his life on a daily basis? He will start sounding & acting like those people… that can be good or that can be not so good. Even for ourselves, ladies, how is our attitude & actions towards or with our husbands setting the tone for coming along side to be a helper to him? Oooh, ouch!

As you pray for your husband’s side, ask Father to guide him in the right relationships, friendships, & partnerships… the people that influence his attitude, actions, & ultimately the direction his life will lead. Also, ask Holy Spirit to show you those areas in your heart that may not be such a help to your husband’s “side.”

“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray." Proverbs 12:26

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 11)

His ring finger… yes, that is part of his hand, but it is the marker of where this whole thing begins, & why we are praying in the first place!

I’ve often wondered, why the 3^rd finger on the left? It actually was a Roman tradition that stemmed from the belief that a vein ran from that finger directly to the heart. Many people wear a wedding ring, but some don’t. My husband actually has 2 wedding bands… one for work made out of silver & one for good made out of gold. His sister is a jeweler, so I designed it & she created it… silver one was a proto-type before she cast the gold one. I love that the ring, an unbroken circle, symbolizes how love should be in marriage. In my husband’s ring I had these words inscribed, “A symbol of our unending love.” Although after 23 years of marriage you can barely make out the words!

The ring finger is the landmark for this holy unity of your husband & you. Unity is not so easy… it is putting down being right & living in peace… unified the way God has commanded in a marriage.

The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She will be named woman because she was taken from man.” That is why a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:23-24

So as you pray for your husband’s ring finger, pray that you both will live a life honoring God & honoring each other. Ask Father for protection over your union to thwart the attempts of the enemy to tear you apart. Thank God for joining you with this man & for all you two will become together as one-force in Christ.

“Do not let mercy and truth leave you. Fasten them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs 3:3

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 10)

His hands… for so many men I think their hands symbolize the work that they do & the impact they can have in the world. On a large scale or a small scale… both being very important! It can show a lack of ambition or an over-abundance of ambition… no matter which end of that scale it is not good… laziness or workaholism!

So many times, I believe, a man sees his purpose in life by what he does, when that can be important, but not as important as how he treats people when he’s doing it!

“whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31b

So as you pray for your husband’s hands… pray for his work… that he will have a clear sense of purpose, an understanding of what God wants him to be doing, & that whatever that is he does it all to bring God glory. Pray that your husband will seek to share his testimony with others around him, leaving a good influence in the world.

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 9)

As a kid I remember a toy called Stretch Armstrong… he was a rubbery looking man with yellow hair. He had arms & legs that stretched & stretched & stretched when you pulled on them. Not sure if they still make that toy or not… too funny!

That brings me to today’s prayer for our husbands… praying for his arms. It is good to have a man around that can lift & move things… saves strain on us ladies! But physical strength can sometimes get in the way of God’s strength working in our lives. Your husband may feel he is strong & can do it all on his owns, but we read in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10… where Paul is talking about his weakness & how he asked God to remove it. Here is the answer God gave Paul…

“My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” (v. 9)

I have been there… I understand that… it is so powerful when God reminds us of that truth! His grace IS all we need!

So as you pray for your husband’s arms, pray that he will not depend of his own strength to get through the day… that he would rely on God’s strength & Word to get him through. Ask Father to help your husband to fashion strength of character, courage & purpose… as God sees fit.

Thank-you for loving your husband enough to pray for him!

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 8)

Today is the day to pray for your husband’s back. Both his physical back to be strong & healthy and his spiritual back.

In Ephesians 6:10-20, in talks about putting on the whole armor of God… the belt of truth, the breast-plate of righteousness, feet with the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, & the Sword of the Spirit. All of these ways to keep your body covered, but nothing for the back! I believe that is because we must charge forward to the next battle. It is the front of the body that needs to be covered… we will not turn & run!

I love the verse that says, “Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.” Deuteronomy 1:30 With God leading us like that, we can rest assured He has got our back.

So as you pray for your husband’s back, ask God to keep him strong & moving forward in all God has for him & your family. Pray protection in the physical & spiritual, knowing & believing that no weapon formed against him will prosper. (Isaiah 54:17)

Know that praying for your husband means you have got his back!

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 7)

With Valentine’s Day only a few days away, it seems like a good time to be praying for your husband’s heart! The unseen part that made you “fall” in love with him! Or at least I hope it was his heart! (*wink*)

“Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

No heart… no life! It is the central-hub of all of life… daily choices, life-long decisions, joy, desire, affection, thoughts, understanding, purpose, will, faith, & brokenness… so much for his ticker to cope with! That is why it is so vitally important that his heart be right with God! (I know it is important for all of us, but right now we are praying for our husbands!)

As you pray for your husband’s heart, remember you are praying for the part of him that is who he really is… all that he loves & treasures most! Ask the Lord to give him discernment to prioritize it all. Pray for the Holy Spirit to flow through the well-spring of life… your husband’s heart!

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 6)

Next we move on to his shoulders… carrying the weight of the world! Or at least the burdens of the family… in most cases, for finances, safety, his job, his children’s future & the happiness of his wife… to mention a few of the important ones. Let us lift those burdens off his shoulders by lifting him up to God in prayer.

“Turn your burdens over to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will never let the righteous person stumble.” Psalms 55:22

This might sound old-fashioned, according to the Bible, whether the husband is the bread-winner or not, he is still the head of the family. And the only way for your husband to lead your family down the right path is with God as his guide. Doesn’t it give you peace of mind to know that your prayers are playing a big part in the “success” of your husband & ultimately, your family!

Keep loving on him through your prayers!

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 5)

Day 5… praying for your husband’s neck… the connecting point from the head to the rest of the body. The mind, eyes, ears & mouth… those parts might be the leading force in this, but the neck makes the choice. Literally & figuratively, the neck turns the head… will it turn to something not so good or will it keep focused straight ahead on God’s plan?

Our husbands on a daily basis have so many decisions thrown at them, some serious & some not so serious… push the snooze one more time & possibly be late, take the time to eat breakfast or grab a donut at work, have lunch with a friend or work through lunch to get out of work on time, spend family time or hide out in front of the TV.

“Finally, brothers & sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

From creation God gave us the gift of choice. As a loving Father, He wanted us to choose to love Him & follow Him… if He forced us to do that than that wouldn’t be love… would it? Choosing to follow God’s plan or choosing to follow a self-centered plan… hmm, not much of a choice when it’s put like that! Another way to look at it… living in peace or living in stress & turmoil.

I know that when I am stressed the first place I feel it is in my neck, it always feels great to have it rubbed. So, ladies, as the opportunity arises, lay hands on your husband & pray for his neck… give it a little rub… he will wonder what he did to deserve such nice attention! Keep him guessing! *Ü*

As you pray for his neck, ask God to help him make the right choices throughout the day. Ask Father to turn his head towards the good things He has for him with benefits for eternity & away from self-centered choices where he will never find fulfillment.

Keep going, ladies… you are making a difference!

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 4)

How’s it going so far ladies? Do you believe your prayers are making a difference? Have you seen a difference in the way you love your husband? Not yet? Keep it up… it will come!

I spent many years trying to change my husband into what I thought he should be. I know my words were not always the kindest… I was very critical of how he did things, like my way was right & his way was pretty much always wrong. If I am totally honest about it, I wanted to control every situation, pretty much. (UGLY!) Then one day, God spoke to my heart about unconditional love. Ouch! I realized I had no clue of what unconditional love looked like… receiving it is easy… giving it not so much. The question I had to ask myself was did I marry this man to change him or did I marry him to build a godly life & marriage? That was when I came to the conclusion… I had to trust God enough to make us, as a couple, into the dynamic duo He wanted us to be for Him. No, it is not perfect, but it is always improving… after all look what God has to work with… humans being renewed daily! *Ü*

So, day 4… praying for our husband’s mouth. Words are so important! Life & death are in the power of the tongue! (Proverbs 18:21) I love how the verse just before that says, “A man’s [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil].”(v. 20) Have you heard the saying, “you’ll eat your words”? Maybe this scripture is where that phrase came from.

Your husband’s daily life is determined by the words that come from his mouth. His words have the power to change the environment around him. Read what it says in James 3:3-10 about words & the mouth. The bad news… no man can tame the tongue! The good news… with God all things are possible! (Luke 1:37)

Ladies, as we pray… we need to pray that the words our husbands speak would be words that will have a life-giving impact on his life & also on the people he can influence around him. Ask God to set a guard over his mouth & keep watch over the door of his lips. (Psalms 141:3)

Let me just encourage you a little more… Father is so proud of you, His daughter, for loving your husband (or future husband) enough to intercede for him… going before Father on his behalf is a good thing! And besides, “He who finds a true wife finds a good thing & obtains favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 18:22

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 3)

So far we have prayed for his mind, his eyes, up next… his ears!

I know for myself what I listen to has a big impact on me. I am irritated by little noises, like the ticking of a clock (time is just tick-tick ticking away!), or someone that makes mouth noises when they chew! Once we sat in front of this older couple in church & during the message all I could hear was this man behind me snapping his gum!!! I actually had to pray for God to close my ears to that distracting sound so I could pay attention to what the pastor was saying! Right or wrong… I tend to have the TV or music going all the time just to have noise in the house. But there are those moments when God says, “Enough is enough… just take the time to be quiet with Me.”

“Those whose hearts understand what is right get knowledge.
    The ears of those who are wise listen for it.” Proverbs 18:15

Our husbands can have a lot of noise coming at them during the day, the buzzing alarm clock, the phone ringing, honking horns, complaining co-workers, irate customers, kids screaming, & yes, even the naturally talkative voice of their loving wife! In all this hub-bub of the day, we need to pray that God will lead them to not hear what is harmful & to take in what is good & uplifting. And even more importantly, that they would hear the Holy Spirit speaking to them from the inside… God’s gentle whisper can speak way above the noise of the day when a wife prays this for her husband.

The heart of the home maybe the wife, but a God honoring husband will lead the home in the right direction! God is doing great things in our families, ladies… keep up the good work!

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands (part 2)

Okay, ladies, next we will pray for his eyes. Not sure why God made men to be such visually stimulated creatures, but that is just the plain truth. Maybe it is to our advantage on those days when we are not looking our best so they can still see the beauty in the one they love & adore! Alright, I’ll take that!!!

In this day of HD TV, everything you can see on the internet, & women dressed provocatively on the street… our husbands need us to pray for their eyes. I see beauty in the world all around me that is good & for my husband to notice the beautiful things or people God has created that is good too. The problem comes when that is the only focus… when he is drawn in by such things, it sets him up to be discontented & dissatisfied with what he has lying next to him at home. Remember, it is not about us, so please don’t take it personally… it is about him letting his eyes wander to places he shouldn’t.

“The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes.” Psalms 19:8

We are not called to monitor our husband’s actions… we are called to pray for him to keep his eyes on what God has for him. Don’t spend your time pointing out every little thing you think he is doing wrong. Instead, invest your time praying for him… that he will have the willpower to look away from things that may tempt him & to keep his focus on the important things in his life.

They say the eyes are the window to the soul… well, if that is true then we need to be praying for our husbands’ “windows” to be opened to all God has for him, & that he will pull the shades on all that the enemy tries to distract him with.

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Praying for Our Husbands

God has really been working on me in the area of prayer… I feel so many times I just don’t pray enough! Some of that is probably my “perfectionism” thing rearing its ugly head… perfection for me is all or nothing & so many times out of exhaustion it is nothing. I don’t say that in a bragging way, it is something that hurts my heart about me. I do pray throughout my day, & I pray for people on the spot when asked. One area God has really been working on me in is in praying for my husband. For me, I know so many times I take it for granted that he is covered spiritually by his own prayers, but really, you know there is no better person to pray over my husband than me!

So here is the challenge ladies… any of you that have a willing heart, will you join me for the next 16 days to pray over our own husbands? I know some of you are not married, but you can start to pray for the one God has for you in the future, even if you don’t know him yet… really!

I started to read the book, “Praying for Your Husband From Head to Toe,” & in it there is a guide given to pray over different parts of your husband’s body on a daily basis… instead of doing all of it at once, I thought it might be good to take a different part each day for the next 16 days, until we get to the “end” where we will pray over every part each day.

I know for myself because my husband seems strong & he is a great protector I expect a lot from him to take care of me physically. He has a heart of gold & I know he would lay down his life for me or almost anyone, if need be, but what am I doing to protect him & take care of him in the spiritual? This is not an exercise to change my husband… I see it as a way to show how much I love him & how thankful I am for him by praying for God’s blessings over him. Will it change him? Maybe. But one thing I know for sure… it will change me… it has already!

So the place to start would be praying for his mind… humans are made up of mind (soul), body, & spirit. When we receive Christ as Savior our spirit is saved, but our mind or soul still needs to be renewed daily. Our control center is a partnership between our mind & brain… will, feelings & emotions.  God will speak through Holy Spirit directly to our spirit, but so many times there is a miscommunication when it hits our minds… especially if we are not spending time to renew our mind each day. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

God’s Word → renewing = transformation

Okay, so here it is… as we pray for our husband’s mind pray for his thoughts to be Christ-centered & not fleshly. Pray that as thoughts ramble around in his head during the day… may they be directed by the Holy Spirit & God’s Word. May his decisions be faith based & in the best interest of your family, rather than fear based & selfish. Pray that he looks to Christ to meet his needs & not to himself. Ask God to guard his thoughts, to keep ungodly thoughts away, & honorable thoughts in.

Let’s see what happens… are you willing? If you want, leave me a comment if you will join me in this.

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin