My husband is my best friend. He is a loving father and a committed follower of Christ. However, it was not always that way. For years I cried out to God regarding my husband. I shed an ocean of tears, believing that God would save my husband. I was desperate for a bond with a man who loved God first and would put his family before his earthly desires. Godly women prayed with me. Pastors prayed for us. For a long time, it did not look good.
And then God moved – and His work was glorious.
Walking with God while being married to an unbeliever can result in what seems like unbearable heartache. Nevertheless, we serve a mighty God who moves mountains in response to our prayers.
However, our prayers should not be, “Lord, fix our husbands!” Yes, we should be praying that they come to know the saving grace of Christ, but we should be praying for our own freedom as well. Often we become overwhelmed with the consequences of living with a spouse bound to sin. In our frustration, we may find ourselves embittered and walking in unforgiveness. We may be guilty of engaging in defeated thoughts that result in hurtful words. If true, we must repent and take these feelings to the Lord. He knows our hurts. His power is made perfect in our weakness.
Confessing our sins to the Lord and asking him to heal us and transform us into the loving wives He created us to be empowers His Spirit to work in and through us. Instead of telling others the latest scoop regarding the displeasing thing our husbands have done in our home, let us lean into a godly friend and confess those sins that separate us from God’s heart so we can be healed.
Tell your sins to each other. And pray for each other so you may be healed. The prayer from the heart of a man right with God has much power. (James 5:16)
God desires to heal us and use us in our marriages. As we turn our hearts to God, He can shine brightly through us. He moves us from bitterness to gentleness, unforgiveness to graciousness, and resentful to joyful.
A walk of gentleness allows us to experience new compassion for our husbands. Through prayer, we can see them as God sees them, loved, but lost. We can recognize their wounds and learn to forgive how they might have hurt us.
Patience can be hard to offer during a waiting season. However, our spouses need patient love. They need us to model it, and they need it from us. Patient love does not point out flaws but instead offers grace. It waits, expecting the good, and joyfully acknowledges it when it arrives.
As we put our faith in God to transform us into His likeness, he uses our examples of godliness to touch our husband’s hearts. The power of God, not our words, can reach our spouses. Further, as we take our attention off our husbands and fix our attention on God, we experience the peace we cannot attain on our own.
Trusting God in our marriages is a powerful thing. Share on XIf you are waiting on your miracle, draw close to God. I know the road can be rough, but God is faithful. There is hope. In the meantime, allow God to heal you. Let him transform you. Let his light shine through you.
Allow Him to fill you with his peace and joy.
For more information on this topic, check out today’s Daily Hope & Prayer.
For further study: 1 Peter 3:1-6, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, James 5:16
