Praying for HIs Emotional Health (5-Day Challenge)

 (This week we're doing Kathi Lipp's 5-Day Pray for Your Man Challenge to rock our Valentine's Day. It's not too late to join us.)

Right now, at this very moment, my family is going through a crisis. My husband Roger and I are making some decisions that will affect our family for a long time to come. And I'm grateful that my husband is in a place where he is emotionally and spiritually strong enough to lead. But he would be the first to admit that he's not always been in that place.

Roger has gone through some dark times in his life. And I know that your husband has, too.

Instead of being surprised when my husband hits those dark times, I want to be prepared. Prepared with scripture. Prepared with encouragement. Prepared with a soft place for him to land, as well as a wife who is strong because I've been working my prayer muscle on his behalf.

I don't know what that dark place is for your husband, but I have a few guesses:

• A battle with depression
• The stronghold of pornography
• A feeling of worthlessness
• A dependency on drugs or alcohol
• The feeling of inadequacy -- at work or at home
• Insecurity about his future and the future of his family
• Fear around finances

When those times come up (or maybe most of your marriage has been in the midst of one of these) the best thing we can do for our man is pray.

Pour over the scriptures and find the one (or dozen) that cover your husband, and pray. Pray like his life depends on it. Because to a large extent, it does.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Heavenly Father, I pray that you would reign over every area of my husband’s mind. I pray that whoever he is without you is dead, and who he is in you is alive. I pray that his habits and hangups that he wants to be free from would be replaced by a hope only you can give.

Show him every day who he was designed to be, in you. I am so grateful for the love you lavish over my husband. Thank you for giving yourself for him. God, give me the eyes to see him as you see him; loved, adored, precious, cherished. Amen.

Contributed by Kathi Lipp.