Day 15 of 30 Prayer Challenge for Wives

Welcome to the beginning of week 3! 💕 I am so proud of you for having stuck with this so far. That is an accomplishment. 🙌🏻

In case you are new here, below you will find:

1. Scripture - this is the Scripture assigned for the day

2. Meditating on the Word section 

3. Digging Deeper section with some reflection (optional)

4. A Prayer for our husbands: one for those whose husbands proclaims Christ and one for those whose husbands do not.

5. A Challenge to help you with your marriage and prayer life in some manner.

Deliverance From Evil

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."

This comes from an infamous line in what is known as "The Lord's Prayer" in Matthew 6:13. "Deliver us from evil” is tied to the request immediately before it, “Lead us not into temptation." We view temptation as a really bad thing in the Christian worldview. Don't get me wrong, it is, but let me introduce another thought process to you. Temptation is also an opportunity to trust God or to compromise and yield to sinful behavior. To some extent, this can mean to come under the oppression of sin and the devil. In the Lord’s Prayer, the disciples are instructed to pray and ask for God to protect them from evil. The same principle applies to us today. We need ask to be delivered from situations that would tempt us to sin. The difference is that we submit to Christ and He is our armor. (That is another topic for another day!) This is a request that sin never gain a foothold in our lives.

Part of our battle as Christians is recognizing that God has in deed given us a means to overcome temptation as believers, submission to the authority of Christ, the armor, and the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil."

Part of resisting the devil is not giving opportunity to the enemy by succumbing to our emotions in a disagreement. Ladies, when it comes to our marriage, this is one area we absolutely cannot give the enemy an opportunity. Are you going to go to God in prayer for your husband and marriage, or give the enemy an opportunity by not doing so. When we are angry with our husband, and act on it instead of praying, that is precisely what we are doing.

We have a choice. We can intercede for our husbands or we can stew in our emotions. While it is true we can't control our husbands, but we can control how we handle these things.

Scripture

Ephesians 4:26-27

Meditating on the Word

Think about the Scriptures today. Ask the Lord to help you identify when you should be praying instead of acting, or reacting in emotion. Write this verse on an index card if this will help to remind you or set an alarm on your phone to reflect and pray on these things throughout the day.

Digging Deeper

If you are inclined to dig deeper, here are some application questions based on the Scripture for today.

1.     Reflect on Paul's guidance on Christian conduct in verses 26-27. How do they apply to your interactions with your husband?

2.     What can you do to avoid giving the enemy opportunity in your marriage?

3.     The next time you are tempted to go to bed angry at your husband, what can you do instead?

Prayer for My Husband Today

(For those whose husbands proclaim Christ)

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for blessing me with my husband. Lord, I lift him up to You today and ask for you to deliver him from anything that is not of you God. If it is not of You, Lord, I ask You to remove it. I ask for personal conviction in both of our lives. I ask for You to show me how to nourish my husband's newness and/or relationship in You to help my husband grow as a Christian. God, I ask You to wipe away the old beliefs and ideas and let our minds and hearts be filled with what You will. Create in me and Him a clean heart, Father. Thank You and I love You.

In Your heavenly name I pray, amen.

Day 15 of 30 Prayer Challenge for Wives

Prayer, Option #2

(For those whose husbands are not in Christ)

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for blessing me with my husband. Lord, I lift him up to You today and ask for you to deliver him from anything that is not of you God. If it is not of You, Lord, I ask You to remove it. I ask for personal conviction in my own life so that I may walk in continued sanctification. God, I ask You to show me any areas in which I need to improve seeking You instead of giving way to temptation, Lord. I ask that You help me continue to be Your ambassador in our home so that my husband may come to know You Father. Create in me a clean heart, Father. Thank You and I love You.

In Your heavenly name I pray, amen.

Day 15 of 30 Prayer Challenge for Wives

Challenge

Ask your husband to pray with you today, whether together or separately. I want to encourage you to ask him at some point. It is important that your husband knows you are praying for him. It really helps your husband to see the words that you are praying for him. (Firsthand experience!)