My posture as a wife and as a woman of God is the same. The bible instructs us to “Trust in the Lord with ALL our heart and lean not to our own understanding, but to acknowledge him in ALL of our ways and he will direct our paths” (Proverbs 3: 5-6). This scripture speaks volume to our posture as wives. Throughout our eight years of marriage, I have learned how to abandon my own understanding of marriage and lean on the Holy Spirit for help. I tried in my own human capability to understand my husband … I ended up frustrated, tired, uninspired, and drained at the end of the day because I wrecked my brain trying to understand a man — but I needed the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to do so.
Women, you can waste too much time in your marriage living a life of prayerlessness toward your husband. Prayer builds trust between you and God for your spouse. It is easy (or, rather, easier) to become a loving helpmate to your spouse if you are in constant prayer for him. Prayer unlocks understanding — or revelation — that we cannot gain on our own. After spending time praying for my husband, I began to become compassionate and more patient with him. I understood that his battles were not with me but were spiritual; therefore, I began to draw my focus there (Ephesians 6:12). Your commitment to your spouse is spiritual, therefore you must labor in the spirit for him, your marriage, and yourself.
If you commit a lifetime to praying for him without ceasing, you will first see the change in you. I remember when my mentality toward my husband began to change. I responded to him differently — not out of anger but from a place of mercy. He noticed the change in me and wanted to be a better man as a result. As women, we cannot control our husband’s growth rate. Our job is to influence, inspire, support, and encourage him. What better way to influence someone than to live the life that we stand for? Our relationships with our spouses are a direct reflection of our relationship with Christ. God is love. Love is patient, kind, and my favorite aspect about love is that it hopes all things (1 Corinthians 13:7-13). Ladies, hope the best for your husband, even in the midst of challenging situations.
Our job is to love, respect, and submit to him (Ephesians 5:22). In the meantime, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). God will give you peace beyond your understanding of him (Philippians 4:7). Our peace comes from God. Our husbands need encouragement and godly counsel, cultivated in prayer. He needs you to be patient. He needs to know that you will always be in his corner speaking life into him. Don’t place your confidence in the flesh (Proverbs 3:5) but let your confidence be rooted in what God says about him and is doing through him. Remember your posture in his life. He needs you as his intercessor — stay focused and you will see the fruit of your prayers. I can testify first hand!
