1. Conviction of Sin
I pray that the Holy Spirit would never allow my husband to
become numb to the sin in his life, but that he would convict him of his sin
and remind him of his need for ongoing repentance and spiritual reformation. A
convicted man will never be a proud man. A convicted man who finds God’s grace
in Jesus will remain a thankful man. Pray that God continues to press in on the
heart of your husband so that he remains sensitive to sin and the Spirit and
continues in the way of godliness.
2. Humility of Heart
A proud man thinks too highly of himself, too little of
everyone else, and has lost sight of God. A proud husband will not be open to
necessary rebuke or correction, and will put himself first before others. But a
humble man is teachable who, regardless of his temperament, will submit himself
to the word of God. I pray that my husband will only continue to grow in
humility as he follows Jesus, and that this would be one of the dominant marks
of Christ in him.
3. Patience in Life
My husband wouldn’t mind me telling you that he is not
naturally a patient man. But the lack of patience in a man is the marring of
the image of God in him. God is patient with us in all our weakness and
obstinacy, and we should all live lives that reflect this attribute of our Maker
and Redeemer. And this is important because an impatient man is quick to
complain, quick to become angry, and is therefore more likely to blame others,
and even God, for what disturbs them. While my husband doesn’t get to that
place, one of his greatest needs is to learn patience in life. Not just because
God commands it, but because the kids (and I) need him to be patient. A patient
husband is a man who knows he has received much more than he deserves, has been
the recipient of God’s patience throughout his life, and who finds great joy in
suffering well both the big things and the little things in life.
4. Love for God
I want my husband to love God more than he loves me or our
children. Why? Because if he loved us more than God we would serve as his idols,
and would eventually let him down. We are not good gods. But a husband who
loves God above all other people in his life will treasure God and his good
gifts. A man like that knows that outside of Jesus Christ his greatest earthly
treasures are found in his home, in the life of his youth and the children
given to him by the Lord. I pray that my husband would love me less than he
loves the Lord, and that his love for God would be intense and endless. I know
if he loves God first, he will love me better than I can imagine.
5. Discipline from God
Do you ever feel like your husband is not walking on the
right path? And I don’t mean you have to keep reminding him to pick his clothes
up off the bathroom floor (Annoying, but not a crisis.). But there will be times
when husbands, just like their wives, begin to drift in their affection, focus,
and carefulness in their Christian walk. There will be times when we need God
to intervene and discipline our husbands to get their attention, show them the
danger of their sin, and rescue from the potential danger ahead of them. When
our husbands are doing well we should praise God but we should also pray that
God would do whatever is necessary in order to keep the heart of our men
focused on himself. There is so much more than can be said of how we should be
praying for our husbands, but let’s begin by committing ourselves to pray hard
prayers for them. I hope my husband prays hard prayers for me as well.”
Written By Jen Thorn
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