It was just over one year ago that the Lord began working in my heart about praying earnestly for my husband. Our life had begun to seemingly crumble around us as we learned of a major unexpected ministry change that would be taking place. Hard times were ahead- we could just feel it. As my husband came home each day and shared his burdens with me, the Lord seemed to impress on my heart that I could do more to support my husband. I could do the one thing that mattered the most- one that would have a lasting impact. I could pray.
You may be thinking, “Didn't you pray for your husband before last year?!” Yes, I did. But not earnestly. And not specifically. And not consistently.
I needed to make a big change.
One day I came across a prayer calendar online. I don't even remember what site I found it on, but I knew immediately that I was looking at the perfect prompting to my prayers for my husband. The calendar was not month-specific, so I could use it over each month. Every day's box had a different topic of prayer and a few verse references to go along with each topic. I printed it off onto red paper and presented it to my husband as a gift. He was very appreciative and I could tell that it meant a lot to him that I was taking this step and then making it known to him. After he looked it over, I carried it to the kitchen and taped it above my sink.
It's one of the best things I've ever done.
Every day for the past year (plus) I have prayed for my husband as I washed the dishes. (Yes, I've missed a few when we were traveling, but my point is that it became a habit.) I even started knowing what the prayer prompt topic was before I got to the sink!
As the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, I began to reap the rewards of my prayer time.
My husband would come home and recount the events of the day, telling me his joys and struggles, and of his own answers to prayer.
I was often amazed to find that the very things He encountered that day were specific to the topic I had prayed about! I shared those things with him, many times saying “I prayed about that for you today!” These instances strengthened our faith together, and motivated me to pray even more consistently and more often as the Lord brought things to mind. Furthermore, as time went by, I found that God was changing me through my prayers for my husband. As I prayed about areas of character and Godliness for him, I realized that my own life needed God's stirring in some of the same areas. Only God can give double blessings like that through prayer!
This year, I have designed my own prayer calendar. I've changed up the topics from last year and have added new Scripture references. It's time to begin a new cycle of prayer, and I'm looking forward to seeing how God is going to use it in my husband's life to encourage him.
I'd like to make this calendar available to you and encourage you to pray earnestly and specifically for your spouse this year! Give the gift of the blessings of prayer. My calendar is available as a free printable on my website. At the moment, it is an excel document that I hope will open for you! Click here to download your daily prayer calendar.
Expect God to do great things as you intercede for your beloved!
The post The Importance of Being Your Spouse’s Prayer Warrior (and a free printable prayer calendar) appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.
