The Power of a Praying Wife Devotional (14 page)

L
ORD
, I pray my husband will be able to fully release his burdens to You. I know that when we cast our burdens on You, You will sustain us and not allow us to be shaken (Psalm 55:22
NASB
). Help me to bear his burdens in prayer and in any other way You reveal to me. Show me what his greatest burden is and what I can do to lighten it.

I ask that You would relieve him of his heavy load by Your presence in his life. Enable him to understand that when he yokes up with You, You will carry the burden for him. I pray that when he is oppressed by the enemy, whatever prayer or supplication is made by him—when he acknowledges his own burdens before You and turns to You for help—that You will hear him (2 Chronicles 6:29-30). I also pray that as You take his burden from him, he will know it’s You doing the heavy lifting.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

24

Your faith should not be
in the wisdom of men
but in the power of God.

1 C
ORINTHIANS
2:5

H
AVE YOU EVER FELT
completely powerless in a situation? Have you ever lost control of your car while going downhill on an icy road? Circumstances like that are horrifying because you have absolutely no control. You realize you have power over nothing.

One of the most amazing things about God is that He shares His power with us. He gives us His power to enable us to do things we couldn’t normally do. We don’t control His power. Only
He
controls it. But we can pray and wait on Him to manifest His power on our behalf. The way to maximize His power in our lives is by living in obedience to His ways. It’s the price we must pay for never having to feel powerless.

God doesn’t want you and your husband to live “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). He wants you to live a life of power. He desires that you see “what is the exceeding greatness of His power” toward all who believe in Him (Ephesians 1:19-21). His power—the power that created the universe, parted the Red Sea, raised Jesus from the dead, restored sight to the blind, and healed diseases and brokenness—is the same power by which God can rescue you out of an impossible situation when you feel powerless to rescue yourself.

If you and your husband find yourselves in an impossible situation and need God to work powerfully on your behalf, lift up praise to Him. Worship Him as the all-powerful God of the universe. Tell Him about the situation in which you feel powerless and ask Him to work a miracle by the power of His Spirit. Thank Him that nothing is impossible with Him. Then trust that when you are sliding down a slippery slope, He will bring you to a place of safety.

My Prayer to God

L
ORD
, I bring before You our most impossible situation. I know we are powerless to do anything to change it, but I also know nothing is impossible for You. I ask that by the power of Your Spirit You would work a miracle in our lives. Give us both great faith to believe You will extend Your power on our behalf. I know You rule the universe by Your power (Psalm 65:6). You saved and redeemed me for all eternity by Your power (Nehemiah 1:10). You raised Jesus from the dead by Your great power: “Though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God” (2 Corinthians 13:4). I know nothing is too hard for You. I praise You as the all-powerful God of the universe and the Lord of my life.

Your Word says You look over the earth to find people whose hearts are loyal toward You so that You can show Yourself strong on their behalf (2 Chronicles 16:9). My heart is committed to serve You forever, and I praise You and thank You for Your miracle-working power in my life. I know without You I am powerless, but because I have made You Lord over my life, all things are possible—even the transformation of an impossible situation.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

25

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

P
ROVERBS
16:24

W
HAT ARE THE FIRST WORDS
you speak to your spouse when you both get up in the morning? Are they pleasant and positive? Are they covered with the love and joy of the Lord? Or are they powered by yesterday’s resentments, disappointments, and unfulfilled expectations? It is of utmost importance that a wife sets the tone of the day for the entire family, but especially for her husband.

It is easy for you as a wife to not be ahead of your emotions and thoughts before you talk to your husband in the morning, especially when you have a lot on your plate, too much to do, you don’t feel well, you’re upset at your husband, or you haven’t had enough time with the Lord to get your heart right. And if you have been up in the night, for whatever reason, and haven’t had enough sleep, your mind can be set on a negative track long before your husband wakes up. You may have already thought up many things you want to communicate to him that do not include pleasant words. If you dive in with these issues before he is ready to talk, it can set the day on the wrong course.

The thing to do, right when you wake up in the morning, is ask God to give you pleasant words that bring “sweetness to the soul” of your husband when you first see him—even if you don’t think he deserves it at that moment. When God gives you the right attitude first thing in the morning, you’ll see what a difference it makes in your day and night. Your husband will respond differently than he would if your words were harsh. A soft word can turn away much suffering and bring great healing. It’s not worth it to start your day any other way.

My Prayer to God