“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7 (NKJV)

How many think that praying for what we want is selfish? How many know we should pray … but feel guilty about praying for what we wish would happen? Friends, Jesus says: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).

In one of His final conversations with His disciples, Jesus revealed a very strategic secret that we would do well to remember also: When we abide in Christ, and His Word is in us, we can ask for whatever we desire. Because when we abide in Him, His desires will be our desires.

Prayer doesn’t require a magical formula, but the Bible offers us established patterns in Scripture for how to approach the throne of God and talk with Him about our needs.

Here’s a pattern you can adopt:
1. Praise God.
2. Thank God.
3. Pray for blessings and intervention.

You can adapt this pattern for anything. But use this guided prayer to ask God for better communication with your spouse, and you could become a force of prayer in your husband’s life.

Praise God:
Heavenly Father, relationships are one of the most important things You have given to us. And the marriage relationship is especially important, valuable and purposeful. I praise You for creating us as relational beings who can benefit from each other and build into each other. Thank You for the ability to communicate, whether through words, touch, texts or a myriad of other ways. I praise You for the desire You have placed within us to connect with others, and I ask that You increase that desire more in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.

Thank God:
Oh Lord, thank You for my husband. Thank You for entrusting me with the blessing and responsibility of loving him well. There are certain aspects of our communication where we struggle and misunderstand one another. Please intervene. Give us clarity of thought and respect for each other. Help us perceive what the other person is communicating. Help us to have a gentle spirit toward each other.

Pray for Blessing and Intervention:
Gracious Lord, James 1:19 says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (NIV). Help my husband and me to remember this when we communicate with each other. Help us to always lead with love, and give each other the benefit of the doubt in understanding what the other seeks to communicate. Give us a relationship that’s conducive to being open, honest and authentic with each other. Help us in our busy schedules to cultivate time to focus on communication. Give me courage to discuss those troubling areas in my life and marriage and not withdraw in silent or hidden frustration. Help me speak about these areas to my husband in love with open honesty. Grant my husband an open and receptive heart without anger or defensiveness. Please also add an element of greater spontaneity and fun into our communication. Let us flirt with each other more in what we say and how we say it, and revive in us a spirit of playfulness and cheer. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Whether you use a guided prayer like this one or you opt to follow a pattern of prayer from Scripture, remember, the main thing is your abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.

TRUTH FOR TODAY

Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (NKJV)

Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (NKJV)

RELATED RESOURCES

Are you unsure of how to best pray for your husband? Ever struggle to find words that are meaningful and honest? Filled with more than 50 topics of insightful, guided prayers and carefully matched Scriptures, Prayers of Blessing Over Your Husband by Bruce Wilkinson and Heather Hair will empower you to become a powerful force of prayer in your husband's life. Available from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and bookstores everywhere.

CONNECT

You can connect with the authors on Instagram! Follow Bruce Wilkinson and Heather Hair for inspiring posts on marriage and relationships. You can also gain insights and encouragement from Bruce Wilkinson on Facebook, or connect with him at www.BruceWilkinson.com.

How’d you like to WIN a copy of Prayers of Blessing Over Your Husband by Bruce Wilkinson and Heather Hair? To celebrate this brand-new book, Harvest House will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by simply leaving a comment here. {We'll randomly select 5 winners and email notifications to each one by Monday, July 9, 2018.}

REFLECT AND RESPOND

What do you desire for your marriage that you haven’t yet asked God for? Using the guided prayer outline, pray for your husband, and ask God to intervene in your marriage today.

© 2018 by Bruce Wilkinson. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Harvest House Publishers for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.

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