"As a husband, I know it is my responsibility to pray for my wife. Often, though, I do not know the words to use, and I end up feeling that my prayers for her could be more effective. From marriage counseling and pastoral experience, I have met many men who share the same concern. The average Christian man does not know how to pray for his wife. Unfortunately, when we do not know how to pray, we end up not praying at all."
Because of this concern, Mark Weathers, co-pastor at Providence Presbyterian Church in Concord, North Carolina, decided to write a book--a 31-day study guide--to help men learn to pray for their wives. How To Pray For Your Wife follows through the well-known words of the thirty-first chapter of Proverbs, providing 31 brief meditations and prayer suggestions.
Weathers considers this book an "interactive prayer journal." Each day's entry features three things: the author's translation of the original Hebrew words; his explanation pointing out significant details about the text and how they point to Christ and the covenant; and supplication--starting points for your own prayers. There are blank spaces provided for husbands to write their own thoughts and prayers. The book also features a short study guide designed to help pastors and teachers in their teachings on marriage.
On the whole I found the meditations and prayers quite helpful. I opted not to make this into a 31-day read, but may well do that in the future. The meditations are nearly always grounded in Scripture and the prayers were often very helpful in pinpointing exactly what it is I should pray for on my wife's behalf. The book was beneficial to me even though I did not read it in the way it was intended. Though there were a couple of small missteps where the author quotes Brother Lawrence or Henri Nouwen rather than focusing on Scripture, the majority of the text is focused on the Bible.
Leslie, who writes reviews for Discerning Reader says rightly that "All Christian husbands and wives will enjoy and benefit from How to Pray for Your Wife. Encouraging and thought provoking, it will deepen a husband’s prayers for his wife. The study guide included at the end may prove helpful to pastors who frequently counsel couples. Young men desiring excellent wives may also profit from this book." I would gladly recommend this book to any husband who desires to pray for his wife more earnestly and more effectively.
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