Being able to hit a 100 mph fastball is amazing. Shooting a 63 in the final round of the US Open to win the tournament is a once-in-a-lifetime feat. To have the intelligence to find a cure for polio is mind boggling. Each of these accomplishments pales in comparison to the eternal impact that spouses can have by committing to they pray with, for and over their wives! This is EXTRAORDINARY and has major eternal ramifications!
Can a husband pray with his wife when he is tired, stressed, not feeling much love, or just doesn’t want to put in the effort? You may answer NO, but that is not true. A husband can do this, but only if his love for Jesus is first and foremost in his life. It is this love for Jesus that ignites one’s care and passion for the things God loves. It enables a husband to be extraordinary.
Only through God’s intimate knowledge and love will a husband be equipped with the supernatural powers needed to do the things Satan tries to prevent him from doing. It is a husband who loves 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 insight into what that looks like many years ago in a hotel room in North Carolina where God woke me up abruptly at 3:27 am. You know it is God when you are instantly awake, without restlessness, and without sleepy eyes, fully awake, acutely aware. I knew the time as the clock was the first thing I looked at. Time is forever etched in my mind. God immediately gave me three words. love, obey, excellent. He also made it clear to write these three words.
I got out of bed and needed a pen and paper. After writing the three words, the Lord impressed upon me that if I loved and obeyed Him He would do extraordinary things through me. In my mind I immediately picture Jesus turning water into wine. then healing the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. My first thought was, “I’m not Jesus, what do you mean Lord, what amazing things could I do?”
Then God gave me a clear picture of what He meant. I saw myself fighting with my wife. In the midst of this tension, I saw myself walking, hugging her, and praying. Our Heavenly Father informed me that it was EXTRAORDINARY!
I have never forgotten that moment and from that day my desire and ability to pray with, for and over my wife grew stronger and stronger. This desire and ability was driven by my supreme love for God, a love that enables me to do things that I could not normally do, things that are truly Extraordinary.
I read an article where Dennis Rainey (Family Life) stated that we need to bring back a popular slogan from the 1950’s that said, “The family that prays together stays together.” He went on to say that if every Christian couple prayed together regularly, our nation would experience a spiritual renewal of historic proportions, including a dramatic drop in the Christian community’s divorce rate. And when the divorce rate falls 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 Is Prayer?
Prayer is simply communicating with God, both speaking and listening. You can’t know someone if you never hear them.
The longing that calls man and woman to hear is “Show me your face, Lord, let me hear your voice. for thy voice is sweet, and thy face lovely.’ The longing we have for Him is the echo of the longing He has for us. God created us with love for Him above all else. 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 God’s power and providence flows. It is the offering of our Heart to God.
Prayer is more than words, it is an opening to the awareness of His presence and His power in our lives. God wants complete possession of our hearts. He wants us to live in the experience of His love for us.
What if God met our needs without involving us in the process? We would not experience His intimacy and providence.
Prayer is so powerful that Satan fights hard to diminish its impact.
“Prayer is not just us talking to God, as spoken prayer will not reach its potential if it is not based on hearing the prayer. In listening to prayer, oral prayer is born.” -Stormy Omartian
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more powerful than to be alive without breathing.” -Martin Luther
What prayer is not
Prayer is not the words we put between “Dear God and Amen.” It is not a method or way of speaking.
Prayer is not saying the right words at the right time of day, instead of devoting ourselves to the Master.
Spouses should be exceptional
“Prayer is the channel through which all the power and providence of God flows.” -Jennifer Kennedy Dean
Praying with, for and over your spouse should be non-negotiable. JESUS TELLS US! (Matthew 6:8-13), he forms it, spending much time in prayer for His bride.
Time to love, obey and be great!
