Praying for Your Spouse - Day 7: Their Mind

If you have ever read Joyce Meyer's book Battlefield of the Mind, then you know just how powerful our thoughts really are...which is why it's important to pray for God's protection over our thoughts and the thoughts of our spouse. Ask that God shields your spouse's mind from the lies of the enemy. Pray that God helps discern His voice from any other, and to take every thought captive. Proclaim that the Lord has given your spouse a sound mind. Ask that they will not be invaded by impure thoughts, but to be transformed by the renewing of their mind.

Verses of Reference:

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Romans 8:6

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 7:23

but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

Romans 7:25

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Mark 12:30

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Praying for Your Spouse - Day 6: Their Temptations

Let's be honest, no matter how long you've been married temptations pop up every now and then. It's important to pray for the mind of your spouse, that they will be steadfast in their faith when temptations do arise. Ask God to rid temptation before it reaches their heart or personal experience. Pray that God delivers your spouse from their temptation, whether it's adultery, pornography, drugs, alcohol, food addiction, gambling or perversion. Pray that your spouse will not be overtaken by the power of evil, but will be raised up by the power of God.

Verses to Reference:

James 1:13-15

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

 Romans 13:13-14

Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

 1 Timothy 6:9

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

 Galations 5:19-21

 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Praying for Your Spouse - Day 5: Their Affection

Some might look at this as a weird area to pray for your spouse in, but affection can be an important part of marriage. Affection is a physical reminder of the love you share. I'm not talking about sex - we covered that yesterday - I'm talking about hand holding, back rubbing, tender kissing and occasional butt squeezing (yes, I went there) ;) Pray today that God keeps affection open between you and your spouse. Ask God to lay aside self consciousness or any apathy, and allow you to freely love on your spouse. Pray that God will remind you to be affectionate throughout the day. Ask God to keep you from being cold or uninterested in affection.Ask God to bring you into balance with one another, to break any hardheadedness. Pray that God will allow you to model a healthy and affectionate marriage for your children (or future children). Ask that God keeps you from taking each other for granted, and keeps busyness from getting in the way of being affectionate. As that God transforms you into the husband and wife you were called to be.

Verses to reflect on:

Philippians 2:1-2

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

 Ephesians 5:28-29

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church

Song of Solomon 2:6

His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
 1 Corinthians 10:24

No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

Praying for Your Spouse - Day 4: Their Sexuality

So many times I hear women say that they have no desire to have sex with their husbands, or that they don't enjoy it as much as he does. Sex is a vital need in a marriage, for both man AND woman. Today our prayer is for God to bless the sexuality of our spouse, for God to make that an area of great fulfillment. Pray for God to restore what needs to be restored. Ask God to protect your intimacy from resentment, unforgiveness, disappointment and disinterest. Ask the Lord to help you make time to be together. Pray for purity of mind and body. Ask God to close the door to anything lustful or sexually harmful to your marriage. Ask God to remove any thoughts or memories of sexual relations outside of your current marriage. Ask God to keep your intimacy new and alive, that you may always discover new ways to enjoy each other.

Verses to reflect on:

 1 Corinthians 6:13

You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Proverbs 5:15-19

Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.
16 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares, Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

Praying for Your Spouse - Day 3: Their Finances

This is a big one! Finances! Financial issues can break a marriage apart. This is the number one reason for divorce. What does that tell you? It's a very important area to pray for in your marriage!

Commit your finances to the Lord. Pray for financial wisdom for you and your spouse. If there is an area that you struggle with financially, pray for it! Ask the Lord to make you both good stewards of your money. If you or your spouse has made poor choices in the past, ask for God to restore your future financial decisions. (And don't forget to forgive them for those poor choices!) Ask God to help you remember where your blessings come from. Pray that God will bless your spouse financially, giving them the wisdom to handle money responsibly. Ask God to multiply your finances. Pray that your spouse will not be burdened with financial stress, but will allow God to guide them in good decision making.

Verses to reflect on:

Luke 12:29-31

And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Ecclesiastes 5:19

Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.

Proverbs 28:27
Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. 

Psalm 37:25

I was young and now I am old,yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

Philippians 4:19

 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Praying for Your Spouse - Day 2: Their Work

Have you ever stopped to pray for your spouse's job? There's a balance when it comes to work. God is clear in His word that a Godly man is a hard worker. (Proverbs 15:19, Proverbs 26:14, Proverbs 23:21) But, it also talks about working TOO much. (Proverbs 1:19 and Ecclesiastes 2:11) Neither extreme is healthy.

Pray for your spouse to have favor in their workplace. Pray that every act of labor from their hands will be blessed. Pray that they listen to God's voice to be where HE wants them to be. Pray that your spouse puts God in the center of their work.

Verses to reflect on:

Proverbs 22:29

Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.

Proverbs 23: 4-5

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.
5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

 Matthew 16:26

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

 Ecclesiastes 10:18

Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks.

 Psalm 90:17

May the favor[a] of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.

Praying for Your Spouse - Day 1: Their Spouse (you)

Welcome to day 1 of praying for your spouse! I know the title of this one is a bit odd. Why do we have to pray for our spouse's spouse (ourselves)? This is such an important step in praying for your spouse. If there is any anger or resentment, that needs to be handed over to the Lord. When we begin to pray for our spouse, we must come to the Lord with a clean and pure heart. We have to set any blame or bitterness aside. As Stormie Omartian says "Something amazing happens to our hearts when we pray for another person. The hardness melts. We become able to get beyond the hurts and forgive."

There is power in prayer! Whether you decided to participate in this because you are having marital issues or not, praying for your spouse can change your entire marriage...but it starts with YOU. Your prayer today is to ask God to do a work inside of you. Ask Him to get rid of any unforgiveness, and allow Him to work in you.

Here are some verses to reflect on -

Mark 11:24-25

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.,

 Ephesians 4:32

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Proverbs 24:3-4

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

 Galations 6:9

 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.