Did you hear about my issue? That secret struggle I had for so long when it came respecting my husband. I confessed it all in my P31 devotion today. As I shared, I haven’t always been so good at following and trusting my man”s lead. BUT God has done an amazing work in me – and in my marriage – over the past 18 years.
I know marriage can be hard, and trusting someone to lead when there are things you struggle with together is really, really hard. But I also know God uses us in powerful ways to love our men like He does – unconditionally.
One of the best ways we can love our husbands is to pray for them. Praying for JJ has shown me all that he carried on his shoulders – at work, at home, at church, with our kids, etc. It’s also really helped me follow his lead. It assures me that he’s covered spiritually when I invite God to do His thing in JJ’s life.
Of course, it’s up to our husbands to respond to God’s work in their hearts but our part is not based on our husband’s response to God. It’s based on our surrendering and seeking God’s heart for our husbands – and trusting God to lead from there.
JJ has also told me that prayer is the best gift I can give him. Years ago I heard a concept about praying for our husbands – from head to toe. So, today I wanted to share some verses and prayers that fit with that concept:
Head
“Father, I ask that You would continually renew my husband’s mind, resulting in a transformed life. Help him bring every thought into captivity to Christ to make it obedient to You. Give him a greater understanding of Your Word. Help him to think on things that are pure and right and worthy of praise.” (Psalm 119:15, Rom 12:2, 2 Cor.10:5)
Eyes
“Lord, keep opening my husband’s eyes to deep spiritual truths. Help him to see things as You see them. Please guard his eyes from looking at worthless things. ” (Psalm 119:18, Psalm 119:37)
Ears
“Father, let my husband hear Your voice clearly. Help him to recognize your voice with certainty. Protect him from listening to anyone who is not seeking and walking with You. Help him not to be affected negatively by what others say and to discern between good and evil. Give him the ability to determine what is of You and what is not.” (Is 30:21, 1 Kings 3:9, 1 John 4:1)
Mouth
“Help my husband to speak the truth in love. Help him to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Give him the couraage to lovingly confront when necessary. Let the words he speaks be Yours, not his own. Help him speak words that bring grace and truth to the hearers. I also pray that you will help him to grow in his ability and desire to communicate with you and others.” (Psalm 19:14, 119:13, 41:3; Eph 4:15, 4:29; James 1:19)
Heart
“Give my husband a heart that seeks passionately after You. Teach him to guard his heart with diligence. Help him deal with anything in his heart that is not pleasing to You. Create in him a pure heart. Enable him to lead our family with integrity.” (Psalm 78:72, 119:10-11; Prov 4:23; 1 3:13)
Hands
“Lord, I pray that everything my husband does would be done with his whole heart, serving You rather than man. I pray that You will also help him to increase his skills and his abilities. Bless everything he puts his hands to.” (Psalm 24:3-4, Col 3:23)
Feet
I pray my husband would love Your Words and walk in Your ways. I pray He would be to walk in a manner that is worthy of You, bearing fruit in every good work. Jesus show him how to creatively share your truth with our kids as he does life with them each day. Father, when he walks through the valley of the shadow of doubt and difficulties, I pray he would fear no evil because He knows that you are with him. (Deut 6:7, 8:6, Col 1:10, Psalm 23:4)
I have seen prayer transform my marriage and my life. Whatever steps of faith God is calling you to take personally or with your husband, I want you to know that I am praying for you and your marriage today. We have an enemy set on destroying marriages and one of his tools is to pit husbands and wives against each other. I have experienced his efforts firsthand. What our husbands need most is our respect; what our marriages need most is prayer.
Let’s look for ways to build our husbands up – by giving them encouraging words and the gift of prayer – covering them from head to toe!
If you’d like a copy of my FREE Praying For Your Husband download to print with these prayers on it – click “Share Your Thoughts” and let me know. We’ll be happy to email it to you – although your email will not show in your comment. This will be sent out next week after the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!
I absolutely love this prayer for your husband and would really like a copy to share with the women in our married couples class. Thanks so much for your work.
Thank you for words of encouragement. This morning when I clicked through to your blog your prior post appeared. It hit me right where I am…self-doubt, thank you for your ministry and for the 7-day doubt diet as well as the hubby head-to-toe connections.
Renee,
Thanks for the great devotion today. My husband and I have been married 31 years. We also have had some tough times. But, God has provided and prevailed. I would love to have the download you are offering today.
Blessings,
Becky B.
Renee
Thank you so much for your insight and for being obedient to God and sharing what you have learned. I think for women, we have all be taught to be strong and step up to the plate and some times take over, it’s okay, but the word really does tell us how we should obey and be submissive to our husband. Never in my 9 years of marriage did I understand how much prayer changes things in marraige and everything. it was written that way because of how God made them and how he made us. This marriage thing is so different than anything that I could have imagined. We hear how marriage is bad, but if we follow God’s plan, Marriage is WONDERFUL. thank you so much for being obedient in your sharing the “word”. God Bless ~ Zelda
Thank you for your RESPECT devotional and today’s prays. I know that I really needed that and since my husband is not a believer I pray constantly for him. I know that like you I need to keep my mouth shut and pray constantly. I know that I try to control the situations and I do need to give him more respect and build him up instead of making him feel like I am tearing him down. Please send me the prayer for my husband download.
Renee, Thank you for your words of wisdom and encouragement. There is a horrible war on marriage and family. My belief is prayer does change things.. I would like to receive more of your encouraging words and scripture reference to utilize in my own marriage and share with others.
Praise and Glory be to God for you and your ministry
Renee, I just wanted to let you know that I prayed today for God to help me in respecting my husband and letting him be the man God intended Him to be, not what I expected him to be or do! I prayed that God would show me, lead me, and bind me if necessary, and I open my email and there is your devotional about R-E-S-P-E-C-T. As I was reading it I was thinking that is me, that is me. What an encouragement to know your struggles and to know it isn’t only me struggling in this area and to hear your advice. Thank you so much!
LOVED this devotion. My husband and I have struggled over this for 27 years and beginning to get passed. Please send me more praying for him @ [email protected]
I urgently need prayer for my marriage. I have been married for 13 years. Alcohol has been an on-going issue for my husband. Although I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was a child, I drifted away from Him, went my own way and began living a life full of ugly sin. Although I was living with this man and KNEW it was against God’s best for me and my life, in my heart, I was afraid to marry him because of his lifestyle – even though he said he was a Christian. The Holy Spirit was calling me back and I really wanted to go to church Easter Sunday many years ago. My boyfriend (now husband) wanted to go with me, which he later told me was just to make me happy. God worked in both of our hearts and we were married a few weeks later.
My immediate prayer need is concerning the roller coaster ride I/we have been on since then.
My husband has gone back and forth with his drinking and, after this many years I can tell when he is drinking and lying, etc. He becomes angry, critical, moody, and is not much fun to share life with. I desperately need someone to understand what I have been/am going through. I’m on the verge of a breakdown and my prayers and Bible reading haven’t brought me peace that I need so badly. I don’t have another Christian woman I am able to openly talk to and pray with right now in my life for various reasons. (I don’t want to “betray” my husband or ruin his reputation at our church nor do I want to confide in my mom and add any burdens to her life)
I would really appreciate some strong faith-filled Christian ladies standing in the gap for me right now!
Thank you very much.
I will pray for you and your husband. Wwe.rejoicemarriageministries.org is also a wonderful christian website that xan help you with prayers for a hurting marriage. Remember God is with you and nothing is too hard for him too overcome.
Renee, your devotional was so wonderful and i would love to have a copy of the download so i can pray these prayers for my husband.
Thank you Rubi. Much appreciated. I’ll chck out the website you mentioned too.
Blessings to you and your marriage!
Hi Renee, I have been married 37 years and am always excited to learn about different ways to encourage my husband. I believe praying for our husbands is a powerful tool that we as wives can use. I would love to receive the prayer download. Thank you for sharing and encouraging us. Blessings!
Renee – thank you so much for the scripture prayers. I would appreciate the download my husband and I will be spending our first thanksgiving apart since we have been married, 25 years this March! Because of His Grace!
Thanks!
Sara
I love this prayer! Thank you for sharing! I would love to have the downloadable printout of this prayer – thank you!
Thank you so much for your powerful and encouraging words!
Love your devotional. How our husbands need our daily prayers. I would love to receive the download of these prayers. thank you.
Thank you this help me in many ways.
Sandy
would love a copy of the prayer – it would help me pray for my husband better.
Thank you!
Renee, JESUS ROCKS THROUGH YOU! Little did I know today I would need a reminder of the importance of praying for my husband from head to toe. Let me tell you, my husband and I just this morning had one of those knockdown drag out moment of me dishonoring him. So, I am for certain in need of this prayer guideline. Thank you again for sharing your heart with me and some many others. To God be the glory. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY:)
Renee,
i would love a copy of these prayers. I have been struggling with the submission thing for a while now. I am so afraid that that somethign might go wrong and I won’t be able to fix it. Please pray for God to give me a submitting heart.
I would love a copy….very good devotional today! Thanks
I would love to pray these prayers for my husband. Please send me a copy. Thank you
This was very powerful and just in time for me. Please send me the download for myself and also to share with some of the wives in my church that do not have internet access. Thank you. Happy holidays.
You know it absolutely amazes me how these devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries always touch my heart, and I always read them at exactly the right time. Today’s devotion was just what I needed and in fact had prayed for an answer for. I love my husband of almost 40 years but have developed a critical spirit towards him. Please send me the download form of these prayers for my husband. I need to change me and I hope maybe see some change in him and our marriage as well. Thank you for your wise words. God bless you and your husband and family. Thanks so much.
Thanx so much for the reminder! I would love a copy of the prayers and verses. This is definitely something I needed! God’s timing is always so wonderful!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I find it very hard to be submissive to my husband and I am hoping that this helps me.Please send me a copy of the Praying for your husband download.
So very timely. Please send me the download so I can add those to my prayers for my husband. Thank you.
I would love a copy of prayers to say for my husband to strengthen not only mine/his relationship but his/God. Thanks! God bless!
Thank you so much for your words of enlightenment. It is so hard to let your husband raise the kids his way when you think you can do better. What an eye opener today. Could you please send me those prayers for my husband. Thank you
Perfect timing! Today is our 3rd anniversary. Please email me the “Praying for Your Husband” download. We are very happy in our marriage, but there is always room for improvement. Why have a good marriage when it can be great? Thanks!
Renee, I alwasy look forward to your devotionals but today hit me between the eyes. I really needed to hear what you said. Thank you so much for being honest about yourself, it helps to relate and see myself as normal. Please send me the downloadable copy of todays prayers for my husband. 🙂
It’s heart wrenching to read how many women are having difficulties in marriage, and i’m another of them. I’ve been married 6 months (first marriage) and am struggling to respect and submit to my husband. To add to my confusion, he is bipolar and lately seems like a completely different person than the man i married. And i feel terrible for not being as loving as i should. I would appreciate the download so i can start praying more earnestly for him.
Please email me the downloadable copy too!! 🙂
Renee- Thank you for this post. I feel like God is talking directly to me. My husband and I are at “odds” right now on many levels and over many things. He is not very supportive of me and his decisions in our marriage are not God based, but self-centered which makes it very hard to be submissive and supportive of him. Please e-mail me the free Praying for Your Husband download. It is worth a try.
Renee , this was amazing and perfect! I would love to have a copy to share with our moms prayer group, with your permission of course. We have about 8 ladies and we are working our way through Proverbs 31. This will be a perfect addition to what we are learning! Thanks you for sharing your heart with us. God is truly using your devotions in my life.
God has been working on me to make praying for my husband daily a bigger priority. This is just what I needed to kick me in gear. I have set a reminder on my phone and will hopefully journal every day. I would love your download for extra materials. Thanks Renee!
Loved this message. I try to be diligent about praying for and respecting my spouse and I would love to have a copy of your prayer quotes. Thank you for sharing!
This is great, and I know it truly works. Thank you for sharing.
I would love a copy, thank you!!
Thanks so much for sharing. This is right on time. Please send me the downloand. Thanks!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this- you’re such an inspiration! 🙂 Would love the download!
FREE Praying For Your Husband download request please. This message was very helpful on today. With us about to celebrate our 5th anniversary on Thursday 11/24/11, I am excited about incorporating this information in my daily walk with God and my husband. Thank you so much!!
What thoughtful prayers to encourage both the husband and the wife! I would love to have a copy of these.
What an awesome entry! I love my husband dearly, but I find that I do not pray for him regularly and I know I should. I would love a copy of those prayers. Thanks so much for all you do….
pLEASE SEND THE PRAYING FOR YOUR HUSBAND DOWNLOAD. This was on point
I would love a copy! I want to make sure I cover my husband from head to toe. I know this is the greatest gift I can give to the one God created for me!
Renee,
Wow, God’s timing is so perfect, or he just has a great sense of humor. I believe that it is both. Just yesterday I was sharing with my counselor how angry I was with my husband not paying any attention to me on his week home from North Dakota. I felt like I wasn’t important to him. I know this isn’t true but satan’s lies kept feeding my anger towards him. We have been married for 11 years. I had told him on our 10th anniversary I wanted to go somewhere special or do something special… didn’t happen. Through our whole marriage I have been trying to please him. Then I had an emotional breakdown that turned my learned behaviors around and helped me grow up our of the little girl thinking. With God’s help and the help of others I have totally changed my way of thinking. I still have issues to work on and funny thing is this is the next issue.. my husband and marriage. He doesn’t like the new me, the grown up me. I think it scares him. But if he would just give me a chance I know he would fall in love with this new woman. Anyhow, God, my counselor and myself will be working on me being more thankful, loving, and respectful to my husband. Please pray for me on this new journey. Your praying for your husband download would totally be totally helpful. God Bless you and Happy Thanksgiving.
God bless you Renee,
Thanks for sharing this prayer with us.
I would very much like a copy of it.
Thank you,
a friend from Suriname (South-America)
hi, just came across this and would love the download for praying for husbands if it is still available?
I would appreciate a copy of the download!
Great reminder! I cover my children in prayer all day long and sadly don’t do the same for my husband! This is WONDERFUL! I’d love to have a copy!
Oh how AWESOME is this. I would love to have a copy of this. Thanks
I would very much like a copy of praying for my husband. Thanks, Renee.