The Biggest Marriage Key: Praying for Your Husband

Today is a celebration in the Rutledge home: it is our 5th wedding anniversary! On March 5th, 2016, Tony and I tied the knot and were immediately thrust into what I like to call a whirlwind. Over the past 5 years, we’ve seen many seasons together. From extreme financial lack to overflow. From hating each other to being best friends again. From being childless to now raising a toddler (who keeps us on our toes. Y’all please pray for us!). Life over the last five years has been plenty full.

As I look back over the last few years I can’t help but be amazed at how far God has brought us and how much our marriage has been able to stand up against. When I reflect on our journey thus far, I realize that we haven’t come this far by accident. There are many things we try to do regularly to keep our marriage healthy but the biggest one has been prayer. If you asked me what the most important thing is a wife can do for her marriage, I would say praying for your husband is at the top of the list. In my own marriage, regardless of what season we were in – whether good or bad – prayer has been our biggest asset.

Why should you pray for your husband?

There are plenty of reasons that prayer in general is good, but when it comes to praying for your husband, I’ve found there are three really good reasons to make it a habit.

He needs it

God has given our husbands the responsibility of protecting, providing for, and leading the entire family. That is A LOT of pressure on one person. Even if the wife also works outside of the home – as many of us do – at the end of the day the responsibility is still the husband’s to bear.

We are designed to be helpers.

In Genesis 2:18 after God had made the first man, Adam, He stated that it wasn’t good for the man to be all by himself and that he needed a “helper that is suitable for him”, and thus woman was formed.

As women our only purpose in life isn’t just to help men (so don’t stone me), BUT if you are a wife your primary role in the marriage is to support your husband. This doesn’t mean you can’t have your own goals and dreams, but it does mean you should be doing your best to help your husband do what it is God has called him to do. I can’t think of a better way to help your husband than by praying for him in his weaknesses and areas of need.

We don’t know everything.

As much as we are called to help, the truth is we are human and don’t have all the answers. There may be things your husband needs help with that are beyond your power or intellect to handle. There also may be things he’s going through that he has not (and will not) tell you about. Praying for him gives you access to the God who does know everything and who can handle all things.

When should you pray for your husband?

I believe that there are three times/instances when a wife should be praying for her man.

Daily
Whenever he’s experiencing hard times, uncertainty, or loss.
Whenever you feel like something is “off”.

My goal is to pray for my husband every single day, but there are certain times when I’ll notice he’s going through a hard time or he’s more withdrawn than usual. In times like this I like to go a little deeper into prayer (and pray more often) just to make sure I’m covering him when and how he really needs it.

Praying for your husband daily is a good way to ensure you don’t miss out on bringing him before the Lord when he needs it. It also gives God time to speak to you regularly about the state of your marriage and give you correction or encouragement if it’s needed.

How to Pray for Your Husband

There is no set formula or specific prayer you have to say when praying for your husband. You just simply go to God and have a conversation. Present your concerns to God and ask Him for His insight, guidance, and help. If you want to take it up a notch you can pray the scriptures over your husband as well.

For example, let’s say your husband is having a hard time at work and feeling overlooked. In that case, you might pray something similar to this:

“Father, I come to you today and lift *husband’s name* up before you. I thank you for giving him a job and a resource to provide for our family. Right now, I pray that you will help him keep the proper perspective. I pray that he will continue to work willingly at his job as if he were working for You and not just for people¹. I thank you that as he keeps doing what is right, that his gift is making room for him and bringing him before people of great influence and power². I thank you that promotion comes from You and not a man and that at the right time You will lift him up³. In Jesus’ name, amen”

(Scriptures used here: ¹Colossians 3:23, ²Proverbs 18:16, ³Psalm 76:6-7)

Areas to Pray Over (not an exhaustive list)

His health
His work
His leadership of the family
His friendships
His integrity
His finances
His peace and mental health
His safety and protection
His relationship with God
His relationship with you
His relationship with his children
His calling

Prayer has made such a huge positive difference in the way Tony and I relate to one another. It’s the main reason we are still here to celebrate 5 years of marriage when we honestly didn’t know if we could make it past year 1. Prayer is powerful and God is faithful!

This topic of praying for your spouse is so near to my heart that I’ve created a guide for 14 days of declaring (or praying) the scriptures over your husband. It can be accessed below by signing up for my email list.

In the meantime, I’m praying for a blessed marriage for every woman (or man) reading this right now. May you keep God at the center of your marriage and prayer always on your lips!

Get the 14-Day Guide here!