Can I just be blunt to begin today? Marriage is not always easy for any of us. In fact, Marriage – even a Christian Marriage – can go through difficult seasons. Sometimes those difficult seasons can drag on for so long – so many years and decades- that it is easy to see your marriage as a Difficult marriage. How do we begin to Pray for a Christian Marriage that is spiraling into a Difficult Marriage?
What are we supposed to do when that happens?
Should I stay in a difficult Marriage?
How do I hold onto Hope and live with real Joy in the midst of a Difficult Marriage?
Where do I begin To Pray for a Difficult Marriage?
These are all questions I’ve asked so many times and I forget they are common to us all at times.
Can there be Hope when you feel trapped inside of a Difficult Marriage?
Is Joy even possible when you are stuck in this Difficult Marriage?
The answer to these questions is simple – yet immensely complicated.
Yes, there can be both Hope and Joy in a Difficult Marriage.
How can there be Hope and Joy in a Christian Marriage that has become a Difficult Marriage?
The answer really is complicated. I hope you have time to dig into it with me…
- It is important to understand our identity in Christ
- We have to be sure we are fully satisfied and filled up with God alone. (Post Coming Soon)
- It is critical we evaluate our expectations and set them completely on Jesus alone. (Post Coming Soon)
- We need to be honest about how well we are accepting and loving our spouse. (Post Coming Soon)
- Begin to pray – fighting for our marriage in prayer. (Series at the end of this – click on Pictures to read)
I’ll be working through the first 3 over the next month, but as much as Prayer is the 4th piece it is also the 1st piece. We have to begin and end with prayer. Prayer is the critical piece we neglect.
Prayer feels so passive
It does feel passive, but that is exactly what the enemy wants you to think. Passive couldn’t farther from the truth about Prayer.
Prayer is the only weapon we have in the war against our faith, our marriage, and our family.
The bible is clear that there is a war taking place. We have a real enemy. We can’t see him but he is real nonetheless.
Ephesians 6 tells us God has given us Armor to put on to protect ourselves and fight in this war we can see.
Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit…
Do you have your armor on?
- Are you wrapping yourself in truth? Surrounding your mind with it…
- Have you been in the Word of God allowing His righteousness to arm you for the sin of the world?
- Do you share the gospel wherever you walk? Are you prepared to do that?
- Is your faith big – shielding you from the lies the enemy slings at your mind daily?
- Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Personal Lord and Savior? Are you walking in that identity today?
- Is your Sword up? Have you been in the word enough that you can fight the enemies lies with it?
- Are you beginning to pray at all times – fighting the enemies attacks both offensively and defensively?
Let me ask it a different way… Do you put your armor on every day?
Are you prepared for the battle around you or do you feel surprised when the enemy’s fiery darts land a direct hit where you are weakest?
I lived for years confused about why life was so hard, marriage was so hard. Why did it always have to be us struggling? Couldn’t we get a break? Was there some secret others had to succeed in life that I somehow missed?
I know I know, so many questions.
Then – through some amazing mentoring – I learned the secret… The secret I had been trying to figure out my whole life.
What do other women do that I don’t?
These women -who have an amazing grace about them, a marriage that has stood the test of time and trials and is still amazing – are prayer warriors.
Become a Prayer Warrior Fighting the Battle instead of reacting to it
They pray over their lives and marriages. They pray scripture – strategically and powerfully – believing God will move in mighty ways.
I wanted to become a Prayer Warrior Wife.
I wanted to see God move in mighty ways in my life and Marriage. Don’t You?
But honestly, I didn’t even know where to start. We had a Difficult Marriage – still do on so many levels. Where do you start to pray in a Difficult Marriage?
The same Mentor – love you dearly friend – gave me a copy of Stormy Omartian’s The Power of a Praying Wife
That book helped me get into the habit – form the spiritual discipline – of praying for my husband and marriage every day.
Then The Kendrick Brothers book – Battle Plan for Prayer taught me how to take the real problems in my own life and find scripture to pray powerful Prayers over.
I highly recommend both books to you.
In Marriage Mentoring I am asked all the time:
How Do I Begin to Pray in a Difficult Marriage?
I love to help wives craft prayers with scripture to pray over their Difficult Marriages. Many times, the issues in their marriage have been issues in my own marriage so I give them a page from my own prayer journal.
That is what I am going to do in this space. These are prayers and strategies either from my own journal or that I have helped other wives create.
How do you use these Prayers?
Change out the pronouns he/him etc. and insert your husband’s name to make the prayer personal.
Copy and paste them into your phone as a reminder so you can pray anytime anywhere!
Schedule time to pray every day.
Make your own list and begin crafting those prayers.
Fight for Your Marriage – Become a Prayer Warrior Wife!
It will take time to write them all out here but if you don’t see an area you need to be covered – please comment it below or email me directly and I will add it to the list.
My personal prayer strategy is about creating Unity in a Difficult Marriage Season.
I focus on:
- Thinking well of my husband
- Praying strategically over my husband
- Then find things to speak respectfully to my husband about the area I am praying about
Why do I focus on all 3 of those areas?
Well, honestly, If I don’t think better of him I won’t speak to him very well or respectfully. I want to fight for my marriage through prayer and not negate the effects of those prayers by destroying him with my words… make sense? So for me, the strategy has to be in 3 parts.
I will add them below as they are published and I pray they are a blessing to you and bring unity to your marriage!
Day 5 coming soon.
in HIM,
Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.
