Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Ephesians 5:25-33 ESV
Being the day after Valentine's Day I thought it might be a good reminder for my male readers that we aren't supposed to be "sweet" and "thoughtful" to our wives one day out of the year. We are called to love our wives like Christ loved the church and to love them as we love ourselves. The best way I know to love my wife is to simply pray for her and pray with her.
So I came up with a short list of things to start. It has helped me not only be faithful in prayer for my wife but also helped me develop a better prayer life.
We should pray that our wives would...
1. Love the Lord with all her heart, mind, soul, and strength (Matthew 22:36-40)
2. Find her beauty and identity in Christ and reflect His character (Proverbs 31:30; 1st Peter 3:1-3)
3. Love God's Word and allow it to bloom her into Christ likeness (Ephesians 5:26)
4. Be gracious, speaking the truth in love, and avoiding gossip (Ephesians 4:15,29; 1st Timothy 3:11)
5. Respect you as her husband and submit to your leadership as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:22, 24; 1st Corinthians 14:45)
6. Be grateful and find her contentment in Christ, not her circumstances (Philippians 4:10-13)
7. Be hospitable and diligently serve others with Christlike joy (Philippians 2:3-4)
8. Bring her family good and not evil all the days of her life (Proverbs 31:12; 1st Corinthians 7:34)
9. Have Godly older women to mentor her and help her grow (Titus 2:3-4)
10. Not believe lies that would devalue her roles as a wife and a mother (Titus 2:4-5)
11. Be loving, patient, hard to offend, and quick to forgive (James1:19; Ephesians 4:32)
12. Be devoted to prayer and effectively intercede for others (Luke 2:37; Colossians 4:2)
13. Guide her home and children in a Christlike way (Proverbs 31:27; 1st Timothy 5:14)
14. Give no occasion for Satan to accuse and reproach her (1st Timothy 5:14)
I pray that this help those of us that might be struggling or lacking in this area.
Being the day after Valentine's Day I thought it might be a good reminder for my male readers that we aren't supposed to be "sweet" and "thoughtful" to our wives one day out of the year. We are called to love our wives like Christ loved the church and to love them as we love ourselves. The best way I know to love my wife is to simply pray for her and pray with her.
So I came up with a short list of things to start. It has helped me not only be faithful in prayer for my wife but also helped me develop a better prayer life.
We should pray that our wives would...
1. Love the Lord with all her heart, mind, soul, and strength (Matthew 22:36-40)
2. Find her beauty and identity in Christ and reflect His character (Proverbs 31:30; 1st Peter 3:1-3)
3. Love God's Word and allow it to bloom her into Christ likeness (Ephesians 5:26)
4. Be gracious, speaking the truth in love, and avoiding gossip (Ephesians 4:15,29; 1st Timothy 3:11)
5. Respect you as her husband and submit to your leadership as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:22, 24; 1st Corinthians 14:45)
6. Be grateful and find her contentment in Christ, not her circumstances (Philippians 4:10-13)
7. Be hospitable and diligently serve others with Christlike joy (Philippians 2:3-4)
8. Bring her family good and not evil all the days of her life (Proverbs 31:12; 1st Corinthians 7:34)
9. Have Godly older women to mentor her and help her grow (Titus 2:3-4)
10. Not believe lies that would devalue her roles as a wife and a mother (Titus 2:4-5)
11. Be loving, patient, hard to offend, and quick to forgive (James1:19; Ephesians 4:32)
12. Be devoted to prayer and effectively intercede for others (Luke 2:37; Colossians 4:2)
13. Guide her home and children in a Christlike way (Proverbs 31:27; 1st Timothy 5:14)
14. Give no occasion for Satan to accuse and reproach her (1st Timothy 5:14)
I pray that this help those of us that might be struggling or lacking in this area.
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