Extraordinary Prayer- Husbands Praying With, Over, and For Your Wife

Being able to hit a 100 mph fastball is extraordinary. Shooting a 63 in the final round of the U.S. Open to win the tournament is a once-in-a-lifetime feat. Having the intelligence to find a cure for polio is mind-boggling. Each of those accomplishments pale in comparison to the eternal impact husbands can have by committing to daily praying with, for, and over their wives! That is EXTRAORDINARY and has significant eternal ramifications!

Can a husband pray with his wife when he is tired, stressed, not feeling very loving, or just does not want to put in the effort? You may answer NO, but that is not true. A husband can do that, but only if his love for Jesus is first and foremost in his life. That love of Jesus is what triggers one’s care and passion for the things that God holds dear. It enables a husband to be extraordinary.

It is only through knowing and loving God intimately will a husband be equipped with the supernatural powers needed to do the things that Satan is trying to keep him from doing. It is a husband loving God supremely and his wife sacrificially that enables him to do what man would tell him is foolish and not important.

God gave me a powerful view of what that looks like a number of years ago in a North Carolina hotel room where God abruptly awakened me at 3:27 am. You know it is God when you are immediately wide awake, with no grogginess, and no sleep eyes, fully awake, intensely aware. I knew the time as the clock was the first thing I looked at. The time is forever etched in my mind. God immediately gave me three words; love, obey, extraordinary. He also made it clear to write those three words down.

I stumbled out of bed needing to get a pen and paper. After writing the three words down the Lord impressed on me that if I would love and obey Him He would do extraordinary things through me.  In my mind I immediately pictured Jesus turning water into wine; then healing the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. My first thought was, “I am not Jesus, what do you mean Lord, what extraordinary things could I do?”

Then God gave me a clear picture of what he meant. I saw myself engaged in a quarrel with my wife. In the middle of that tension, I saw myself walk over, put my arms around her, and pray. Our Heavenly Father let me know that was EXTRAORDINARY!

I have never forgotten that moment and from that day on my desire and ability to pray with, for, and over my wife became stronger and stronger. That desire and ability were driven by my supreme love of God, a love that enables me to do things that I normally could not do, things that truly are Extraordinary.

I read an article where Dennis Rainey (Family Life) stated that we need to bring back a popular slogan from the 1950s that stated: “The family that prays together stays together.” He went on to say that if every Christian couple would pray together regularly, our nation would experience a spiritual renewal of historical proportions, including a dramatic drop in the Christian community’s divorce rate. And when the divorce rate drops within the church, we will see a spiritual and moral awakening in America. I believe that the power of prayer is immeasurable, and without it, there is no faith.

What Prayer Is

Prayer is simply communicating with God, both speaking and listening. You cannot know someone if you never listen to them.

The longing that calls husband and wife into listening is “Show me your face, Lord let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely.” The longing we have for Him is the echo of the longing He has for us. God created us with a love for Him above all things. We must recognize the love we have, ignite it, and release it.

Prayer is the key to everything. It is the conduit through which all the power and provision of God flow. It is the giving of our Hearst to God.

Prayer is more than words, it is openness to an awareness of His presence and His power in our lives. God wants full possession of our hearts. He wants us to live in the experience of His love for us.

What if God met our needs without engaging us in the process? We would not experience intimacy and His provision.

Prayer is so powerful that Satan is fighting fiercely to reduce its impact.

“Prayer is not just us speaking to God, as spoken prayer will not reach its potential unless it is grounded in listening prayer. In listening prayer, spoken prayer is born.” -Stormie Omartian

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” -Martin Luther

What Prayer Isn’t

Prayer is not the words we sandwich in between “Dear God and Amen.” It is not a method or a way of speaking.

Prayer is not saying the right words at the right time of day, instead of devoting ourselves to the Master.

Husbands Be Extraordinary

“Pray is the conduit through which all the power and provision of God flows.” -Jennifer Kennedy Dean

Praying With, For, and Over your wife should be non-negotiable. JESUS TELLS US TO! (Matthew 6:8-13), He models it, spending a great deal of time in prayer about His bride.

Time to love, obey, and be extraordinary!