The Great Commandment Network - 31 Days of Prayer for My Wife

BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC

Racine, Wisconsin, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

31 DAYS OF PRAYER for My Wife

Copyright 2018 Great Commandment Network

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5598-7 (softcover)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5599-4 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188, USA. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked MSG are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation. Copyright 2014, 2015, 2016 by BroadStreet Publishing Group, Racine, Wisconsin. thePassionTranslation.com. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. HCSB is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email .

Cover design by Chris Garborg at garborgdesign.com

Interior design and typeset by Katherine Lloyd at theDESKonline.com

Printed in the United States of America

18 19 20 21 5 4 3 2 1

M arriage is one of the most exciting relationships God has created. And yet all marriages can use more of God, more of His Word, and more Christlike attitudes that put each other first. Thats why weve written 31 Days of Prayer for My Wife.

Weve served hundreds of thousands of couples with training events and resources, and its confirmed: every couple wants a strong, intimate, thriving marriage! Too often though, in their search for closeness, many couples find themselves asking the wrong question.

Could it be that an enriched, deepened marriage full of joy, intimacy, and fulfillment is realized not by focusing on and answering the question, How do I get the most out of my marriage? but by answering the question, How does God get what He wants out of my marriage? Through this resource, we give you a daily opportunity to hear Gods perspective about your wife and your marriage. Inviting the Creator of marriage into a marriage is always a good idea.

Finally, weve also designed 31 Days of Prayer for My Wife for your enrichment, encouragement, and growth. As you spend time with Jesus, in His Word and experiencing His Book, your life will forever be changed.

May God richly bless your time with Jesus and your relationship with your spouse.

Terri Snead

Executive Editor, Great Commandment Network

The Great Commandment Network is an international collaborative network of strategic kingdom leaders from the faith community, marketplace, education, and caregiving fields who prioritize the powerful simplicity of the words of Jesus to love God, love others, and see others become His followers (Matthew 22:3740; Matthew 28:1920).

W hy is it important to dedicate the time or make it a priority to pray your wife? Setting aside thirty-one days to pray for your spouse makes sense for many reasons. Here are just a few:

As we pray for our spouse, were joining Jesus as He prays on her behalf.

Hebrews tells us that He lives forever to intercede with God on [our] behalf (Hebrews 7:25). And the book of Romans reminds us he is sitting in the place of honor at Gods right hand, pleading for us (Romans 8:34). Dont you imagine the Saviors prayer list includes your wife? When you pray, you have the privilege of joining Jesus in prayer for her.

As we pray for our spouse, were joining Jesus in His celebrations.

In Christs last moments on earth, He revealed his loving desire for us: that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full (John 15:11 NASB). Jesus finds joy in your wife and in your marriage. Since marriage is a special representation of Christs love for the church, He feels an exceptional joy when He sees marriages thriving. He loves when our relationship is a testimony to a hurting world. When you pray, you have the privilege of joining Jesus in a celebration of the beauty of marriage (see Proverbs 18:22; James 1:17).

As we pray for our spouse, were joining Jesus in His concern.

Jesus feels compassion for the struggles in your marriage and any challenges your wife might be facing. His heart is moved with compassion when He sees your bride hurting, disappointed, discouraged, or alone. So join Jesus in praying for your spouse, lifting up concerns and asking the Lord to give you a deeper understanding of your wife. Praying for your wife allows the Holy Spirit to help you see what He sees, so you can love her the way that Jesus loves (see 2 Corinthians 1:24).

As we pray for our spouse, we strengthen our own walk with Jesus.

Spending time with our Savior deepens our closeness with Him. As you pray, the Spirit will minister to your heart, to your needs, and to your concerns. So husbands, lets pray for our wives! Lets pray often. Lets pray consistently. Lets pray boldly. Lets pray faithfully (see Romans 8:2627).

Take the next few moments and join Jesus in prayer.

* Jesus, when I imagine that I can join you in prayer, my heart feels grateful because ________.

* I want to join you in prayer for my wife. First, Im grateful for my wife because ________.

* I lift up my wife to you and pray specifically that you would ________.

A world where the prince of darkness seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, needs Christ-followers who walk in the light (John 10:10; 12:35 NASB). For the next thirty-one days, we encourage you to take a journey of walking in the light. During your times of prayer, you will walk in the light of Gods Son, Gods Word, and Gods people (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14; Psalm 119:105). As you take the journey, you will spend moments in personal prayer but then also pray for your wife. Youll pray for your wife to:

encounter Jesus in fresh, new ways,

live out the Bible frequently, and

interact with people in supportive, practical ways.

Lets have a first encounter with Jesus. As you read these words from the Savior, imagine that He is speaking directly to you. Listen for His compassionate, strong voice. Hes thrilled to share these moments just with you.