Water Your Faith Wednesday - The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 13)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife. 

Week 3, His Work. 

Week 4, His Finances. 

Week 5, His Sexuality. 

Week 6, His Affection. 

Week 7, His Temptation. 

Week 8, His Mind.

Week 9, His Fears.

Week 10, His Purpose. 

Week 11, His Choices.

Week 12, His Health.

Week 13, His Protection.

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the 13th chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Trials.

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." - Psalm 55:22

My Thoughts: "Everyone goes through hard times. It's nothing to be ashamed of... It's the attitude we have when we go through them that matters most" (pg. 105). We've all been there. You know, the place where you feel like you can't get any lower or you'll be crushed, the valley of life. We yearn to be on the hilltop where it's safe and we can feel the presence of God. Truth is, God uses those "valleys" of life to mold us and shape us. As Stormie points out, "whether it feels like it or not, when we serve God, His love attends every moment of our lives -- even the toughest, loneliest, most painful and desperate" (pg. 106) and "trials can be a purifying fire and a cleansing water" (pg. 107). It's especially painful to watch someone you love so much go through trials. You want to fix it, but you can't. Our job as wives is to "pray, encourage, and support" during those trials while stepping back and letting God work in our husband's lives (pg. 107).

Water Your Faith Wednesday - The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 12)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife. 

Week 3, His Work. 

Week 4, His Finances. 

Week 5, His Sexuality. 

Week 6, His Affection. 

Week 7, His Temptation. 

Week 8, His Mind.

Week 9, His Fears.

Week 10, His Purpose. 

Week 11, His Choices.

Week 12, His Health.

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the 12th chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Protection.

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies." - Psalm 18:2-3

My Thoughts: I've heard numerous stories of people who were in dangerous situations or accidents and miraculously came out without a scratch or relatively unscathed. That is the power of prayer at work! "Our husbands are on a battlefield every day," Stormie says, and only God knows what the enemy has planned to bring into our lives (pg. 101). But God promises to be "a shield to those who trust him" (Proverbs 30:5) and He can even be a shield to someone because of our faith if we pray for them (pg. 101). That's why it's so important to pray regularly and on an ongoing basis for our spouse's protection. We don't have to pray for specific dangers, we just need to pray (pg. 102). Accidents are going to happen, even to godly people, and when they do we don't expect them (pg. 102). "You never know when [your prayers] might be needed in the battlefield," Stormie states, "and if something happens, you'll have the comfort of knowing you've invited God's presence and power into the midst of it" (pg. 102).

Water Your Faith Wednesday - The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 11)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

  Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife.  

Week 3, His Work. 

Week 4, His Finances. 

Week 5, His Sexuality. 

Week 6, His Affection. 

Week 7, His Temptation. 

Week 8, His Mind.

  Week 9, His Fears.

Week 10, His Purpose. 

Week 11, His Choices.

 

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the 11th chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Health. 

 

"I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you." - 2 Kings 20:5

 

My Thoughts: This chapter hit home for me. My husband is pretty healthy and physically fit. He works outside and I know any weight he puts on in the winter months will fall off like water during the summer months. It's just not fair! So I recently started working out 2 to 3 times a week. It's HARD. I pray for motivation on a daily basis. But I also worry about my husband's health. "Your husband's health," says Stormie, "is not something to take for granted, no matter what is age or condition." (pg. 97) I don't want to be a widow again. I pray God keeps my husband healthy so we can live a long and happy life together. We serve a healing God, but we have to remember that ultimately God has the final say in the health of our spouses. As hard as it is to accept, we have to give God that privilege "without resenting, faulting, or getting angry with Him" because He says there is a time for everything, even a time to die (pg. 98).

Water Your Faith Wednesday - The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 10)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

  Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife.  

Week 3, His Work. 

Week 4, His Finances. 

Week 5, His Sexuality. 

Week 6, His Affection. 

Week 7, His Temptation. 

Week 8, His Mind.

  Week 9, His Fears.

Week 10, His Purpose.

 

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the 10th chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Choices. 

 

"A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel." - Proverbs 1:5

 

My Thoughts: There are times that my husband will make a decision and I'm left standing there internally raging, "what were you THINKING!" "WHY???", and angry. There are times that my husband makes a decision and it really is better for us. It never occurred to me (sometimes, I feel really dumb after reading these chapters, like I should KNOW better) to pray for my husband's choices. As the verse says, I want me husband to be wise and make decisions based on his discernment from the Lord. The Bible states that the opposite of a wise man is a fool, and we all know that (pg. 94). God does not look favorably on fools. Read the bible, there are plenty of verses about how God feels about foolish men/women. I'm not making this up! However, if your husband is a "fool" or makes decisions based on his flesh, don't try to fix him (pg. 94)! Only God can do that. Instead, pray for the fear of the Lord to overtake him and give him knowledge and wisdom (pg. 94). As Stormie says, "so much of our lives is affected by decisions our husbands make. We are wise to pray that they make good ones." (pg. 94) 

Water Your Faith Wednesday - The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 9)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

  Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife.  

Week 3, His Work. 

Week 4, His Finances. 

Week 5, His Sexuality. 

Week 6, His Affection. 

Week 7, His Temptation. 

Week 8, His Mind.

  Week 9, His Fears.

 

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the 9th chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Purpose. 

 

"Each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that." - 1 Corinthians 7:7

 

My Thoughts: Everyone has a purpose. God created each one of us with a purpose in mind. Your husband, according to Stormie, needs to know his purpose because it helps him to know why he exists (pg. 87). Our husbands are "predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11-12) and our job is to pray that he finds the will of Him and hears God's call on his life (pg. 87). Once he figures out God's plan for his life, he can be confident, happy, and fulfilled. That ultimately affects you (pg. 88).  

Water Your Faith Wednesday - The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 8)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

  Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife.  

Week 3, His Work. 

Week 4, His Finances. 

Week 5, His Sexuality. 

Week 6, His Affection. 

Week 7, His Temptation. 

Week 8, His Mind.

 

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the 8th chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Fears. 

   

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" - Psalm 27:1

 

My Thoughts: It was really hard for me to pick just one of the "Power Tools" verses Stormie provides because they were all so familiar and good! Fear attacks men and women differently. Women's fears, in my opinion, stem from our feelings of not measuring up or not being good enough. Men, on the other hand, fear the "what if's" (pg. 81). Reminding him that he has been "adopted by God" and that we're in the presence of a strong and loving Heavenly Father can go a long way in assuaging a man's fear (pg. 82).  Sometimes the Holy Spirit will prompt you to pray for something out of fear, but destructive fear is something we should help our husbands overcome (pg. 82). To sum it up, I will leave with this quote from Stormie's book (pg. 82-83): 

 

"The only kind of fear we are supposed to have is the fear of the Lord. When you have fear of the Lord, God promises to deliver you from your enemies (2 Kings 17:39), protect you from evil (Proverbs 16:6), keep His eye on you (Psalm 33:18), show you His mercy (Luke 1:50), give you riches and honor (Proverbs 22:4), supply everything you need (Psalm 34:9), reveal all you need to know (Psalm 25:14), bless your children and grandchildren (Psalm 103:17), give you confidence (Proverbs 14:26), a satisfying life (Proverbs 19:23), longevity (Proverbs 10:27), and the desires of your heart (Psalm 145:19)."

 

Water Your Faith Wednesday - The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 7)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

  Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife.  

Week 3, His Work. 

Week 4, His Finances. 

Week 5, His Sexuality. 

Week 6, His Affection. 

Week 7, His Temptation.

 

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the 7th chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Mind. 

 

"To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." - Romans 8:6

 

My Thoughts: I know the mind is a powerful tool. I have suffered from depression, loneliness, and despair. I didn't realize that the devil will attack men and women's minds differently. It makes sense because we think and feel differently. Stormie raises a good point in the first paragraph of this chapter, "If he and I were one, than an assault on his mind was an assault on me as well." (pg. 75) What an eye-opening declaration! When we pledge our lives to our husbands in marriage, we become one with them. Everything we do directly affects them, and vise versa. So, by speaking "words of God and words of praise" (pg. 76) over our husbands, we can directly affect how they view these negative thoughts and give them power over them.  

Water Your Faith Wednesday - The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 6)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

  Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife.  

Week 3, His Work. 

Week 4, His Finances. 

Week 5, His Sexuality. 

Week 6, His Affection.

 

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the sixth chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Temptation. 

 

"Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." - James 1:13-15

 

My Thoughts: This chapter is pretty self explanatory. "Temptation," says Stormie, "is everywhere today and we're fools if we think we or our husbands can't be lured by it in some form or another." (pg. 69) The devil knows our weakest points. Don't you think he will do everything in his power to destroy what God has built? That includes sending temptations our way. (pg. 70) The key verse I chose states that temptation does not come from God. OUR desires lead to temptation when we allow them to. It's not hopeless, though. If we pray for ourselves and our husbands to resist temptation, and we are willing to listen to the Lord and follow His will, we can overcome temptation.

Water Your Faith Wednesday - The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 5)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

  Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife.  

Week 3, His Work. 

Week 4, His Finances. 

Week 5, His Sexuality. 

 

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the fifth chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Affection.

  

"Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband." -  1 Corinthians 7:3 

My Thoughts: This is an area where my husband and I struggle. He is not an affectionate person, by nature. He thinks that our sexual relationship is all of the affection I should need. I feel like I need more. I never thought to pray about it. That is probably why most of our arguments revolve around my need for affection and his indifference towards it. I have had my eyes opened several times throughout this book, so far, and I relish it. I hope it makes our relationship stronger and better in the Lord.

Water Your Faith Wednesday - The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 4)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

  Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife.  

Week 3, His Work. 

Week 4, His Finances. 

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the fourth chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Sexuality. 

 

"The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." - 1 Corinthians 7:4-5 

 

My Thoughts: I feel like this is one of the most important parts of making a marriage prosper and last. It is also one of the hardest parts for women to understand because we don't need sex like a man does. As Stormie states, "for women, sex comes out of affection... for a man, sex is pure need" (pg. 57). As the verse above states, our body is not our own. It is to be used to "comfort and complete the other person" (pg. 58). When the husband is deprived of this one need, it opens up temptation and other problems in a marriage. 

So what do you do when you don't feel like it, but your husband does? Stormie gives us a great idea. She says, "when your husband communicates to you what he has in mind..don't roll your eyes and sigh deeply. Instead, say "give me fifteen minutes" (or however long you need). During that time, do something to make yourself feel attractive... pray for God to give a renewed energy, strength, vitality, and a good attitude" (pg. 59). Hopefully, when that time is up, your coming together with your husband will be that much better and he will appreciate the time you took to get ready, just for him.

What do you do when your husband is the one withholding the sexual relations in your marriage? Find out why. Pray about it. Stormie says that he might be feeling depressed, like a failure, etc and that is causing the strain in your relationship (pg. 60).  By praying about it instead of getting angry, feeling resentful, and locking yourself away, you can help your hubby resolve the problem and move forward in a more productive way (pg. 60).

This was a short, yet insightful chapter about how sexual relations play a big part in your marriage.

Water Your Faith Wednesday - The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 3)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

  Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife.  

Week 2, His Work.

 

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the third chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Finances. 

 

"Do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you." - Luke 12:29-31

 

My Thoughts: This is another short chapter (pg. 51-55). However, the message Stormie is trying to communicate is very clear. "Nothing puts more pressure on a marriage than financial irresponsibility, lack of money, and huge debt," but seeking the Lord and His will for our finances can help ease that pressure (pg. 51). I make more money than my husband and I have to continuously remind myself that by telling him that, I am hurting his ego because he feels the pressure and responsibility to take care of our family. I pray that the "storehouses of blessings" will be opened upon my husband and I, but I want it to come directly from the Lord (pg. 52-53). I don't want him to get any financial gain that is outside of the Lord's will for us, which is why it's important to pray for the Lord to direct you in all areas of your life, especially in your finances.

 

 

Water Your Faith Wednesday: The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 2)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

  Week 1, the introduction: The Power.

Week 2, His Wife. 

 

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the second chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Work. 

 

"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands." - Psalm 90:17

 

My Thoughts: This a relatively short chapter (pg. 45-50) with a powerful message. Men identify their self-worth mainly through their jobs. As a result of that, they either work too much or too little. Our job, as their wives, is to pray they find the balance. We have to help them realize that neither extreme will give them what they ultimately want to achieve, happiness and fulfillment; "only a perfect balance between the two, which God can help a man find, will ever bring that quality of life." (pg. 46) By praying for our husbands to find a job that allows them to use the gifts God has given them, we are helping them find happiness and fulfillment in their lives and overcoming the fear that that will never be valuable enough in man's eyes.

Water Your Faith Wednesday: The Power of a Praying Wife (Part 1)

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

(See the Week 1, the introduction: The Power). 

 

Today, we are continuing our devotions with the first chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: His Wife.
"Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches." - Proverbs 24:3-4 NKJV (pg. 44)

I picked this "power verse" because I think it sums up well what the chapter is about. The most painful part of this chapter was admitting to myself that change starts with ME, not my husband. Let's face it, no one wants to admit they have to change. But by asking God to change OUR hearts, OUR way of thinking, and OUR lives, He will be better able to hear our prayers for our husbands. 

My favorite three-word prayer; Who, me?.. Change..."The hard part about being a praying wife," says Stormie, "...is maintaining a pure heart." We sometimes sabotage our own prayers because we don't pray with the right heart. A right heart is a heart without anger, unforgiveness, and an ungodly attitude. So, instead of praying "change him, Lord," our prayer should be, "change ME, Lord." "The most effective tool in transforming him may be your own transformation." (pg. 23-25)

The Ultimate Love Language...

Prayer is the ultimate love language. By praying for our spouse, you are bringing more love into your life and marriage, as well as unity in your home. (pg. 26-27)

I don't even like him - how can I pray for him?

The first thing to do about this, says Stormie, is to TELL GOD ABOUT IT. Be honest with God. Tell Him how you're feeling toward your husband. That thought mortifies me, but when you get right down to it, God already knows how you REALLY feel. (Pg. 28)

Shut up and pray!

God's word tells us there is a time for everything under the sun... that includes when to speak and when not to. "There is a time to speak and a time not to speak, and happy is the man whose wife can discern between the two." (pg. 29) "Sometimes anything we say will only hinder what God wants to do, so it's best to...well...shut up and pray." (pg. 29) This was the hardest part of the chapter for me to grasp. Everything within me rebels at the thought of holding my tongue, especially during an argument, but I see the wisdom in it. If we listen, God will give us the right words to say and the appropriate time to say them. If we give into our emotions and spew it all out, our husbands will be less receptive to it.

 

 Creating a home

As a wife, you are the heart of the home. Your husband is the head. That doesn't make one more important than the other, God created these positions to be equal. One point that Stormie makes is that your husband expects you to take care of the home. As much as I hate to admit it, I am a horrible housewife. I hate cleaning, cooking, laundry, and all the stuff that goes along with making a home. But guess what, we can ask God to help us with these things! That creates a whole new perspective for me to work on and ponder. I never thought to ask God to help me have the desire to do chores.  (pg. 33-36)

 

Letting go of expectations 

"Let go of as many expectations as possible," says Stormie, because we will be disappointed when our husbands don't life up to the big list of expectations we have for them. Accept him the way he is and pray for him to grow because when he does change, it will be in God's time and it will be lasting. (Pg. 37) Strive to be the wife described in Proverbs 31 and respect your husband. Everything else will eventually fall into place according to God's timing and purpose. (Pg. 37-40)

Water Your Faith Wednesday: The Power of a Praying Wife

Hello everyone! Welcome to "Water Your Faith" Wednesday! How do you feel after spending your Sunday at church praising and worshiping our Lord? I know I feel great! I start my week fired up and ready to face what's in store. Oftentimes, however, by Wednesday, life begins to drag me down. My goal is provide a way to overcome the spiritual doldrums with encouraging words, scriptures, devotions, songs, etc. Let me know what you think!

 

A dear lady in my church gave me this book as a wedding present. She said it has helped her tremendously in her own marriage and she hopes it will help and encourage me in mine. As you all know, I recently married my best friend. It's been a little over two months of wedded bliss and I couldn't be happier. However, I know as time goes on and we grow together as a couple, problems could come creeping in that we aren't willing or able to address. I know our marriage won't be perfect. I know there will be problems. My hope is that by reading this book now, I can address those problems in a biblical and Godly way. I am inviting you, my blogging friends, along my journey to become a praying wife. For the next month, I am going to cover one chapter every Wednesday. My hope is that we can share our struggles, thoughts, and praises. Let's get started!

The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: The Power

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life."  - Proverbs 31:10-12 NKJV

The beginning of the book opens with Stormie's account of her forty plus years of marriage to her husband, and how her attitude and her marriage changed when she learned to pray for her husband. Many of the things that happen in marriage are actually part of the enemy's plan to destroy us and the marriage that God holds so sacred (pg. 14). We are the ones who have the power to say "I will not allow anything to destroy my marriage."  We have the means to establish a hedge of protection around our marriage through Jesus. 

Wait! Before you write off marriage...
God can take your struggles and use them for His good, but only when we lay down our selfish desires, our flesh, and fully surrender to Him. "When a heart becomes hard, there is no vision from God's perspective...When we pray, however, our heart becomes soft toward God and we get a vision." (Pg. 18). God's will is to break down all the barriers we put up, heal our wounds and put love back in our hearts. "Nothing and no one else can." (Pg. 19)

What about me? I need prayer, too.
"Praying for your husband will be an act of unselfish, unconditional love and sacrifice on your part." This is the hardest part for me to grasp. Because, Stormie says, it is very likely that our husbands will not pray for us the way we pray for them, or at all. (pg. 20) By nature, I am a very selfish creature. I will struggle tremendously with this, but I have faith that I can do it!

One prayer at a time.
The change in your life and marriage isn't going to happen overnight. It will take time, God's time. Stormie states that to us very clearly. "It's your responsibility to pray. It's God's decision to answer according to His will. Leave it in His hands." (pg. 21)

Dear Lord, please be with me as I take this journey to become the wife that you would help me be. Help me to lay down my selfishness and place my life in your hands. In your Holy name, Amen.