Challenge to Christian Wives

Good Morning Ladies,

I have decided to tackle a HUGE project...praying for my husband and encouraging him each day! This may not seem like such a HUGE project or task, but I can mostly certainly say it is.

As married "Christian" women, God must come first in our lives no matter what other things are pressing for our attention. After our relationship with the Lord, our husbands MUST take priority first. This can become difficult as we become distracted by new babies, sick babies, clingy children and other family and friends who are also trying to get and maintain our attention.

Through all of this distraction our relationship with our husbands, who came way before the children (in most cases) must be on top of our priority list. This may not be how the world would say our relationships should rank. However I am not on this earth to please the world nor to conform to the world. We are called to be separate from the world. Be in it, but not apart of it.

In order to maintain a solid relationship with anyone, we must cultivate the relationship. Our most important relationship being with the Lord and then after that our relationship with our husbands. Why is the relationship we have with our husbands SO important? The relationship of marriage between husband and wife is a symbol of the relationship Christ has with the Church. That is why it is SO important and sacred.

I would say that when a woman, yes even a "Christian" woman hears that they are to submit to their own husband, it will cause feelings of resentment and pride to well up. Why is this? It is do to the fall of man. We are told by God in Genesis that the woman will want to rule over her husband, but that the husband will actually rule over her. This isn't only because Eve disobeyed God, but because she was tricked by the enemy, showing that "she" is an easy target and easily manipulated. Hence the reason for headship or protection over her. We are to submit to our husbands as the Church submits to Christ's authority. Our husbands do not have supreme ultimate authority over us, but a God-given limited authority. Either way the authority they have is given to them by the Lord.

Our husbands on the other hand have HUGE shoes to fill in their part of the marriage. They are commanded to love their wives as Christ loves the Church! WOW! Now that is a biggie! They are to "agape" us as Christ "agapes" us. The "love" a husband is told to have for their wives is not merely this lovey dovey fuzzy feeling, but that of an action love, sacrificial love. I must note at this time, that the love we are to have for our husbands is the same love. Christ sacrificed Himself to prove what LOVE truly is. He did not think of Himself and He was not selfishly motivated to do anything for us. He saw that "we" had messed up in our blatant disobedience to His Law, and even knowing that some would never choose to reconcile with Him, He still chose to have Himself sacrificed on our behalf. GOD SACRIFICED HIMSELF ON OUR BEHALF! That is love!

So I challenge all you ladies who are married to tackle this challenge of encouraging and praying for our husbands for 31 days. A whole month consistently making the effort to encourage our husbands with the Word of God and praying for him as he walks through this evil world fighting and battling the temptations of this world.

As a stay-at-home mom I know all the tactics the enemy will use to get my husband to take his eyes off the Lord and onto something evil. I need to pray for my husband and his walk with the Lord. I also need to encourage him in what I say and do. Making the effort to change my attitude will force my heart's attitude to change as well. We are told in scripture that our hearts cannot be trusted as they are evil from youth. Yes, even as a born again Christian I still sin and fall short. However, I am being perfected by the Holy Spirit because of the work Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross.

There are days when my motivations are not pure or my attitude is less than loving towards my husband...even more so now that I am pregnant and my hormones are going nuts! This does not give me an excuse to be unkind or unloving towards my husband. It means that I have to take hold of those "feelings" instead of them taking hold of me.

I will include the links here in this post and also on the side bar of my blog. Each day I will post the new challenge, from both the prayer aspect and the encouragement aspect. I do pray that you will take this challenge seriously and prayerfully seek after the Lord through this as well.

30 Day Husband Encouragement Challenge

31 Days of Praying For Your Husband

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge

By Nancy Leigh DeMoss

We're so glad you've decided to accept the "30-Day Encouragement Challenge" to encourage your husband! Your decision means that you truly want to be a blessing in your home. This challenge will also result in spiritual growth in your own life.

We'd like to encourage you to keep track of what God does in your marriage over this next month. We hope you'll take time to share what God does in your home as you bless and encourage your spouse.

Day One:
"The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." Prov. 31:11-12

To refresh your memory . . . here's the 30-Day Encouragement Challenge: for the next 30 days:

• You can't say anything negative about your husband . . . to your husband . . . or to anyone else, about your husband.

• Say something that you admire or appreciate about your husband. . . to your husband . . . and to someone else, about your husband!

To help you get started, have you ever thanked your husband for "choosing you" above all other women? He found you attractive as a person, and appreciated you. Though many circumstances in your marriage may have changed, let your husband know that you are glad God led you together, and that you want to be a blessing to him for the rest of your marriage. Let him know that he can trust you to be in his corner.

One of the best opportunities to express your gratitude is first thing in the morning. How do you greet your husband each morning? Is he confident in your love? Give him a "wake up call" that he'll never forget-a big "I love you" and an "I'm so glad I'm your wife!"

31 Days of Praying for Your Husband

“She does him good . . .” (Proverbs 31:12a)

Bless your husband by praying for him! The Apostle Paul instructed all Christians to pray for one another (Ephesians 6:18). This includes wives’ responsibility and privilege to pray for their husbands. Earnest prayer for your husband is good for him, for you and the spiritual health of your home (Proverbs 31:11-12).

Satan desires to destroy your husband, especially his character and his leadership in your relationship. Trust God through prayer as you daily surrender your husband and marriage to the Lord’s wise, loving care.

Day 1
Pray that your husband will grow spiritually and consider his accountability before the Lord. Pray that he will guard his heart by developing spiritual disciplines—Bible reading and study, prayer, meditation, scripture memorization, etc. (2 Peter 3:18; Prov. 4:23)

Serving God and My Family,
Crystal <>< (SAHM)