Let's talk about a fight, but not the one you are thinking of. When we read about marriage, we often read about fighting fair or how to minimize fights with your spouse. This fight is a good one, though. This is fighting for your marriage in the spiritual sense. Sound crazy? Hear me out. Your marriage is under attack from the world, from all the forces tugging at both of you, and from the enemy.
Our secular culture shuns marriage as a temporary holdover of some old religious traditions. Work, kids' events, activities, and all the other STUFF that life throws at you on a weekly basis want to be more important than your marriage. Your marriage is from God, and therefore the enemy is out to destroy it. That's a lot of attack, huh? Well, let's talk about a tool that you need to be using to fight.
Prayer is a cornerstone of any good marriage. I'm sure plenty of people disagree, but I'm unwavering on this point. We are constantly reaching out to God for help with our marriage and as a covering over our household. We even pray every night before bed. I think I've covered why to pray. Now, what does praying over your household look like?
As husbands, this is one of our primary responsibilities. We are the spiritual coverings over our wives and children, and it is essential that we are prayed up regarding ourselves and our relationships. If there is something that is preventing you from being this covering for your family, deal with this first by seeking wise council and accountability and come back and finish the rest of this later. For the rest of us, we must be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit. He is our lifeline as human beings, let alone leaders of families.
Next, we must pray over our wives and children when we are alone. As I've grown in the Holy Spirit and as a husband, I find myself praying over Laura and our house more than just in my quiet time in the mornings. At intervals during the day, or even night, I'm praying over her and our future children whenever I feel led.
Lastly, and most importantly, pray over them out loud. We set aside time when we go to bed every night for me to pray for Laura. Often, she also prays for me. This may sound intimidating, but she loves it, and I believe that this is a desire of many wives in the church. It is important that your wife and children know that you are praying for them and more specifically, what you are praying for them. You are showing your wife that you lead the home spiritually and showing your children a model of the Christian walk.
It may seem awkward at first, and you may not be really confident in how you pray. I wasn't at first either, but it becomes more natural, and it is too important to let your pride get in the way. So take time to pray over your family. It is a small investment with huge dividends. (Click to Tweet.)
Howell
@G2WHubs