Pray for your Spouse Part 3

Hope that your weekend was as good as mine. Friday night was Daddy/Daughter time and it was awesome. Saturday was Critter Cook and spending time with the in-laws. Sunday was worship at the Rock and I took a great nap.

Here are some suggestions for praying with and for your spouse.

1. Decide to pray as a couple- you need to have an individual prayer time and a time to pray as a couple. You can never pray to much.
2. Decide on a specific time- we plan out everything else in our day, why not plan out our prayer time.
3. Ask your spouse how you can pray for him/her- praying for specific things draws you closer together.
4. Tell your spouse that you value their prayers.
5. Pray with your spouse, not at your spouse- don't use your prayer time to point out your spouses faults and failures.
6. Remember that you are praying to the Lord, not talking to each other
7. Thank God for your mate
8. Keep your prayer time, prayer time- you have plenty of time to do other things.

Pray for your Spouse Part 2

Here are 10 things to pray for concerning you and your spouse.

1. Thank God for your spouse- gratitude will strengthen your marriage.
2. Pray for yourself- ask for forgiveness where you have failed and strength for each day
3. Pray for safety- ask God to put a hedge of protection around your spouse (Job 1:10)
4. Health- pray God's healing when they are sick, and that he would prevent difficult diseases.
5. Work- pray that God would use your spouse at work. Pray they would be successful at what they do.
6. Stress- Life is full of stress. Your spouse may be under stress that you know nothing about. Pray God would take care of their stress.
7. Fears- Know your spouses fears. (IE. finances, safety, failures, death and commit to pray for them).
8. Pray for their dreams and goals-Proverbs 29:18 says without purpose life is not worth living. Know your spouses dreams and goals and pray that all of them would happen. Do everything in your power to make them happen.
9. Pray they would grow in their faith
10. Pray that God would deliver them from temptation- we all face temptation every day we live. Satan wants nothing more to destroy our homes and will do everything in his power to do so. We must do what Col. 4:2 says "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

If we will pray theses things for our spouses I believe God will absolutely rock our marriages for His glory.

Pray for your Spouse Part 1

Why should you and your spouse pray together?

1. The need- George Barna says that 27% of Christians and 30% of fundamentalists get a divorce. Don't tell me you don't need to be praying together.
2. Unites you spiritually before God- Matthew 18:19
3. Deepens communication- When we pray together it not only helps us communicate with God it helps us communicate with each other.
4. Both of you will be strengthened spiritually- Jude 1:20 "Building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
5. You will have a stronger marriage and relationship
6. God desires it

Take time today and everyday for you and your spouse to pray together. God might just take your marriage to the next level.

Pray For Your Spouse

Last week I did a four part series on praying for your child. It is amazing how God uses prayer not only to bring us closer to him but to bring us closer to our children.

This week I will be blogging about praying for our spouse. God has blessed me with the most amazing women in the world. She is my hero, my help mate, my best friend. Outside of Christ, she is the most important person in my life. God has commanded us as men to be the spiritual leaders of our home. It breaks my heart that I sometimes don't live up to that calling on my life.

One thing I can say is that no day ever goes by that I don't call Erin's name out in prayer. Over the next couple of days we will be talking about 1) Why couples should pray together, 2) ten things to pray for concerning your spouse, 3) suggestions on praying together, and 4) your private prayers for your marriage.

Some of mine and Erin's most intimate moments have been when we pray together. I wish I could say we are spiritual enough that we pray every night together, but those of you with little babies at home know how unpredictable they can be. What I do know is that God has spoke to me clearly about setting a time for Erin and I to pray every day no matter what is going on.

If our marriages are going to be what God intends them to be then prayer must be a part of our lives. You need to be praying as an individual and you need to be praying with your spouse. Satan is after the family and we must do everything in our power to prevent him from getting in the back door.

Pray for Your Child Part 4

Yesterday we talked a little bit about how to with your children. Today's topic deals with praying for our children. If we are not careful we can get caught up praying for everything else and neglecting to pray for one of the most precious things that God has blessed us with.

4. How to pray for your children

• Pray for salvation for your child
• Pray for them every time they leave the house
• Pray for God's will for their life
• Pray God's protection over them
• Pray for their future spouse

I could probable list several more things but I think you get the point. It is important that we as parents call our child's name out in prayer every single time we pray. They need to see us praying and hear us praying for them.