fbpx Top

Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

Read An Excerpt: Chapter 1 & 2

Praying for my husband – from head to toe

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!

 

Want to receive my blog/website updates? Just enter your email here and then fill in letters to confirm you’re not a spammer:
Be sure to look for and respond to the confirmation email from Feedburner and [email protected]. If you don’t get anything, you might want to check spam.
Thanks ~ I’m looking forward to staying connected! 

Comments

  1. Thank you, Renee, for sharing these prayer verses. What a great way to encourage and pray for our husbands! I would love to have a copy, and I plan to let my husband know that I am praying for him in this way.

  2. I would greatly appreciate a download of your prayer. Thank you for sharing. More blessings to you and your family.

  3. Renee, I’ve struggled with This devotion all week. Tomorrow the 28th will be 19 years since I got maRried. Back then I thought I had married my friend, today it is not so. He has changed so much And has become selfish, insensitive, controlling and manipulative. This not whAt God wants for me. I’m struggling, cAuse I don’t believe he deserves my prayers. (What he really deserves is a beautiful handmade card with divorce paPers enclosed.) BUT EMAIL THAT PRAYER ANYWAY. Jehovah established authority for the purpose of protection. I wAnt to obey His Word. I want to experience His healing. I wAnt to walk in wholeness……..

  4. Love candidness about your marriage! Helps me know that I am not alone & I can be delivered. Would love to receive your download! Thank you!

  5. I would love to have a copy of the praying for your husband from head to toe download. Thank you for sharing.

  6. Thanks so much Renee, would love a copy of praying for your husband from head to toe, and God bless you!!!

  7. Hi Renee,
    I would love to have your download of the prayer for husbands.
    May God continue to bless your ministry as He is using your book to bless your gal pals here in Ontario, at Calvary Baptist, Oshawa.
    Blessings, Thank you so much.

  8. Oh wow Renee, it’s so amazing how Gospd answers prayers…amazing still is how so many women have the same issue. I thought I would never get to the end so I could write my comment. Renee I struggle with praying for my husband because I feel he has caused me so much pain and embarrassment, and I just tired of trying. I don’t think he knows how to love me and he certainly has not been there for me in such a long time. I have been allowing God to control my life in every way except this for this. I said to the Lord that I don’t have the will or desire to pray for him and I ask everyone else to pray for my husband because my feelings have been hurt so much by him. Sonas God always seems to do He sent you to show me how to surrender in this area, I thank God for you and please send me a copy of”Praying For Your Husband”
    Best,
    Diane

  10. I would love to have a copy of the praying for your husband download. It really hit home as I too want to lead and not follow. I hope that this will get me started in the correct direction.

  15. HI..ironically.. after 25 years, of pretty much being apathetic to my demands and desires.. my husband has said that is enough.. I have done what you have done.. not respected or trusted him with my life.. see we have always worked together..we ran a campground together.. built houses together.. built a subdivision.. built up a trail riding business and all along I have been there working physically along side of him so I have always had a say in what we were doing next.. til now.. the financial investment he wants to make and lifestyle it will take me into are NOT of my mindset.. they are not my dreams or desires.. and I am totally battling the whole submit thing.. I thought I did over the years.. I would stay home when he wanted me too, stay under the budget, make all the meals be a dutiful wife at home but I definitely was the one leading.. and he started to lose my respect and respect for himself.. I am praying I can do what you have said you have done but saying encouraging things and letting him lead even when I am scared of the outcome or the life I will have to live…but I dearly want our relationship our friendship to be back…thank you for saying what my husband has said a thousand times but in a girl’s voice it does not come across as hard to follow…

  16. Renee,

    I used to pray like this for my husband but have fallen off the wagon. I’d love to receive the new download so I can start again. Praying is one of the best and most important things we can do for our loved ones, especially our husbands.

  19. Thank you for this devotion and specifically the prayer for our husbands! God’s timing blows me away! This is confirmation that aligns up perfectly with how the Holy Spirit has been leading me. I love your blog and especially the promises to personalize. Blessings!!

  21. Thank you for this beautiful prayer – please send me a copy that I can print out and keep to pray this for my husband also.

    Thank you.

  22. Amazing on “Praying for your husband from head to toe!” I would LOVE a copy of this and look forward to sharing this with others ladies! Thank you for allowing God to use you.

  23. I would love to receive a copy of Praying for My Husband. Thank you for equipping women to follow Biblical solutions to life.

  24. hi renee, thanks for your sharing.
    love to have a free copy of the Praying for my husband download .
    thank you so much and God bless you.

  27. I am showing my two daughters how to disrespect…pretty disgusting…I am in dire need of putting off the horrible behavior and putting on the love and kindness and respect that my darling husband deserves…not only does he deserve it, God has called me to it! He is a good man and I know that with some loving kindness….he can be even better…I want my girls to be taught biblical standards and I am the best (worst) example…please pray for me in that area…would love to have the praying from head to toe…

  28. I struggle with this issue too. Somedays are better than others, but I realized that I verbalize my negative feelings too much. It comes out in the comments my children make to their daddy that is disrespectful and not encouraging. It has been extremely convicting. I need to get into a regular habit of praying for my husband and reading/memorizing scripture. Thanks for your thoughts and encouragement.

  29. I really appreciate you sharing your struggle with respecting your husband,but more so the blessings of the testimony that God has helped you to overcome, and is continuing to do so. Please email me a copy of your prayers, I would love to pray them over my husband.

  30. I feel I am just beginning my journey on this topic… I so appreciate your blog and would love it to print as I am a fast forgetter!

  31. I would love to have the download on How to pray for your husband. I am always looking for ways to improve our marriage. I too feel that Satan is attacking marriages more and more. I have been seeing it all around me.

  32. Thank you so much for this! I feel as though God provided this prayer at the perfect time. I also would like to be on the download list. God bless you as you continue in this ministry for wives! 😉

  33. Just love any resources that involve prayer, since I am part of the Florida State Team for Moms In Touch International, I love being able to pass on great opportunities to not only pray for our children, but more importanly our spouses, without which we might not have the privilege of knowing the joy of Motherhood….Please send the prayer download….Blessings!

  34. Thank you so much for this! i would love the downloard to pray more for my husband. I’ve been fighting a lot of spiritual warfare, mainly directed with my children, so my focus hasn’t been on praying for my husband, and this was just the reminder that I needed! Thanks again!

  37. I would appreciate the download. I showed it to my husband and he was very touched. I am so blessed to be married to a Godly husband, who is my best friend. I want to support him in such a tangible way in my prayers. Thank you.

  38. Renee, I really enjoyed your prayer devotional for your husband and ours. I really need that because I have done the same thing with my wedding vow. My husband and I are really getting far apart and a lot of it is my fault. Please send me those prayers, I want to start praying for my husband and learning to encourgage him submit to him. Thank you!

  39. What great prayers for our husbands. I have the book Power of the Praying Wife and I have seen the wonderful work of God as I have read those prayers for my husband. I like the ones you have presented very much as well. Thank-you.

  40. Hi Renee, how awsome to read this article on praying for your Husband, I have been married 1.5 years to a lovely man but we all need more of Jesus right and me new in the Wife thing………I can use some good Holy Spirit help, to be the wife He needs and pray He becomes all God wants Him to be as a Husband.yes, I would like to receive these .Prayer List.
    God so richly bless you..Thank you
    Helena

  42. Blessed Thanksgiving to you and your husband! Thank you for sharing your prayer for your husband. I would very much like to have a copy emailed. Thank you!!

  43. Thanks for sharing this with us. I would love to receive “praying for your husband”. Will love to share this with a women’s prayer group I belong to in Douala Cameroon.
    Blessings

  44. Hi Renee,

    Thank You for sharing a copy of praying for your husband. Actually, I am praying for my fiance these scriptures. Do you have how to pray to be a Godly wife for my future husband.

  45. My journey has been similar and your words are ever encouraging. Please send download. Thank you

  46. Renee,
    Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and the great reminder of our most important role as a wife. I would appreciate the download of the guide for praying for our husband from head to toe. Thank you again!

  48. Hi you have been such a blessing to me. May God continue to shower you with his wisdom to continue sharing with us. Would love to have a copy of how to pray for my husband.

  49. Thank you for your devotional from 11-22, which is my hubby’s birthday…how appropriate! I had decided to print this excellent message as a reminder of something I learned over our 33 years together; that a woman needs love & a man needs respect. I also want to share it with my daughter who’s in her 3rd year of a marriage that has had some major issues from the start. Then I saw these specific prayers, along with your offer to provide a DL of them. Thank you & God bless your ministry! Cindy

  50. Beyond encouraging! Grateful to have come across this as I seek to become more submissive and respectful to my hubby…even when its hard. Thanks for sharing!

Building Our Husbands Up Through Prayer

Welcome to those of you visiting from the Proverbs 31 Devotion today.As I shared in my devotion, I haven’t always been so good at following and trusting my husband’s lead. But over the past 15 years, God has done a work in me and in JJ. 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 husbands like He does – unconditionally.

One of the best ways we can love our husbands is to pray for them. Praying for JJ

has truly helped me follow his lead. This way I know He’s covered spiritually as I invite God to do an amazing work in JJ’s life. Of course, JJ has to respond to God’s work in his heart, but my part is not based on JJ’s response to God. It’s based on my surrendering and seeking God’s heart for my husband.JJ tells me prayer is the best gift I can give him.

Here are some verses I pray for my husband that maybe you can gift to your husband, too!

Head

“Father, continually renew my husband’s mind, resulting in a transformed life. Help him bring every thought into captivity to make it obedient to Christ. 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, Romans. 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.” (Isaiah. 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; Ephesians 4:15, 4:29; James 1:19)Heart

“Give my husband a heart that seeks pasisonately 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; Proverbs. 4:23; 1 Thessalonians. 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, Colossians 3:23)
Feet
I pray that my husband would love Your Words and walk in Your ways. I pray that He would be to walk in a manner that is worthy of You, bearing fruit in every good work, and that He would pass Your truths to our children as he walks along life’s path. Father, when he walk through the valley of the shadow of doubt and difficulties, I pray that he would fear no evil because He knows that you are with him. (Deuternonomy 6:7, 8:6, Collosians 1:10, Psalm 23:4)

I have seen prayer transform my marriage and my life. Just this week I watched the power of prayer as our family takes some big steps of faith, following my husband’s lead into the wonderful world of adoption. Adoption is our family’s calling but what many people don’t know is that my husband is the one who initiated our “following” God to Africa to get a little girl. JJ is leading us each step of the way. (To read more scroll down to Monday and Wednesday’s posts. You can also click here to read how our adoption story started in October 2007.)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 with our words and with prayer, covering them from head to toe!

Sweet blessings,