About a year and a half ago, I blogged on the topic of Five Ways to Love Your Husband. That got quite the response, and honestly, I grew through the process in a way I didn’t expect. I still think a lot about those writings and God still uses them in people’s live to teach and remind us what our role as wives should be.
More recently, I have been working on my prayer life. Yes, I’ve mentioned this before. However, as I begin to understand in even the smallest of ways how prayer can affect change and accomplish good for the Kingdom, I’m becoming more and more passionate about this topic.
For the next five weeks, I will be writing five more installments. With much personal prayer and study, I want to look more specifically at loving our husbands in the area of prayer. We will look carefully at the struggles our men face day-to-day in our societies as well as in their hearts and with faith, we will learn to pray through our men’s strengths and weaknesses that God may better equip them for godliness in every aspect of their lives.
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Okay, ladies. It’s time to move on. Recognize this fact. You cannot change your husband. Perhaps you’ve nagged over and over and asked your husband for change. Perhaps you’ve even seen it for a while, but old habits die hard. Perhaps you’re not looking for great change but you’re worried for your husband’s spiritual walk. Perhaps you’re not worried at all, but you want to know how you can better meet his needs. Perhaps you’re wanting to grow and know how to pray for your husband more effectively. Whatever your motivation, I want to challenge you to take the time to read this, to prayerfully consider your own heart and your own spiritual walk, and to start taking notes and learning how you can better love your husband through your faithful prayers for him.
When I think of my husband and what is the most-important aspect of his Spiritual walk, my heart is drawn to the word “dedication”.
While researching the definition of “Dedication”, I was happily surprised to find the following:
Selfless devotion.
Dedicated, which is what I desire for Adam to be to the Lord, has this wonderful definition as well:
1. Wholly committed to a particular course of thought or action; devoted: a dedicated musician.
2. Designed for a particular use or function.
Thesaurus: consecrated, holy, sacred
Is that not what you desire for your husband, ladies?
Of course, we want to say that that is the kind of relationship that he has with us. I want (and I’m sure you do) a husband who is “wholly committed, consecrated” to me! However, how can he be if he is not first acting as he was designed?? Our men have been “designed for a particular use and function.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13 reads:
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
Yes, that is it. That is the reason for which all men–my man–has been dedicated to God. Fear God and keep His Commandments.
So, my dedicated man who can go long periods of time without rest, serve those who are self-centered and even hateful at times, was created for the dedicated purpose of following God’s commands and fearing Him.
I know that’s such a simple thought, but even now as I write, I have to take the time to pause and ask myself when the last time was that I prayed for that to be my husband’s dedication.
No, I have prayed for him to be dedicated to our marriage, to his church leadership roles, but never can I remember that I have prayed for him to be dedicated to fearing God and obeying His commandments.
What a humbling and serious thought!
How can I say I am faithfully assisting my husband as God has designed me when I’m not even praying for him to fulfill his purpose for living? How can I say I am faithfully praying for his spiritual growth when I have neglected the greatest area of need in my husband’s life—dedication to God and His commandments.
This week, I want to challenge you to pray for your husband for him to be fulfilling his purpose, as your husband, yes, but first and foremost, as the man that God has created him to be.
What about you?
*Here’s an Idea*
This week, send your husband a text/leave him a message/write him a note to let him know just how you’re praying for him this week. Be detailed. Let him know that you have his spiritual needs in mind and as your top priority
Making My Boast 