We started last week by introducing the topic of intercession and the fact that the wife is an intercessor. For the next couple of days and weeks, we will be digging deeply into other areas where the wife intercedes or can intercede. This is an excerpt from my book due to be released soon. I pray it blesses you and challenges you to rise and be the intercessor and watch woman God has called you to be.
We will be looking at:
- Standing in the gap for your husband
- Warring for Your Marriage
- Praying Through His Purpose
- Covering Your Home from Spiritual Attack
- Becoming a Woman of the Secret Place
With practical steps and Real-Life Stories
Ezekiel 22:30 says And I sought a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.
Let me share something I read by Kenneth Copeland: It says when you’re married, you have the honour of knowing your spouse more intimately than anyone else.
How true this is. This means you know all their good habits and character traits, as well as the not-so-good habits and traits. You also know more about your spouse’s hopes, desires and dreams than most. For all these reasons and more, you have a unique prayer perspective that allows you to stand in the gap for your spouse in prayer effectively.
When you persistently intercede in prayer on behalf of your spouse, it opens the door to bring about deliverance and growth, and it thwarts the enemy’s plans.
What would you like to see in your husband?
- Take to prayer some of the things or deepest things your husband has shared with you into prayer . I often share that if you don’t like what your husband wears then it is your fault. Take time to go into his wardrobe. Begin to fill it with clothes you would love to see hm wear. Prayerfully shop for clothes for him especially ones you would love to see him in. I don’t know how clothes came in but the same way you would love to see your husband in certain clothes, find scriptures for areas he is struggling or need God’s strength and intercede for him.
- Pray for his relationships at work, with friends, church, men’s group, family and generally people around him that he cares and love. This can bring such joy to him and people around him. Your prayers can change his countenance and in addition to the expectation on him to perform well at work, will excel and could be the best obviously with his knowledge and value.
Pray that He will be the man God has called him to be. What do I mean by this, pray for your husband’s destiny. Find scriptures and pray God’s promises concerning his life. Remember your husband is the father to your children. Pray for Godly wisdom as he leads your home and children. Pray that your husband will love Christ and by doing so will love you even more. Kenneth Copeland says during the process of standing in the gap for your spouse, let God change you. Allow Him to turn you into someone who is so full of the love of Jesus for your spouse that it overflows into every area of your relationship!
Why intercede for your husband?
- As I mentioned earlier, You see your husband up close. You witness his weaknesses, his fears, his silent battles. You know what others don’t. That insight isn’t for gossip it’s for warfare. As a wife, you don’t go about sharing your husband’s weakness with others. Not your family, his family or your girlfriends. Pray!
- The second reason why you should intercede for your husband is because the enemy attacks headship.
If Satan can discourage, derail, or distract your husband, he weakens the whole household. Your intercession is a spiritual shield. Don’t wait for something to happen before you start complaining and try finding the right scriptures to pray. Start interceding now.
- Thirdly, as a wife, your words have weight. The two shall come together and become one.
Proverbs 14:1 says “Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
Prayer is one of the tools we use to build. It’s not passive—it’s powerful.
- God honours your prayers. Remember John 13:13-14? It says “And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as [b]presenting all that I Am], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son. 14 [Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as [c]presenting all that I Am].
God hears our cries when we pray in secret. Every tear. Every whisper. Heaven records it all. And God responds in His perfect time and power.
There may be times, you might not feel like praying for him especially where you feel hurt or unappreciated. But remember this, as you pray for him, you are allowing God to work through. You are learning to forgive and walk in obedience.
What Happens When You Don’t Intercede?
- The enemy finds legal ground to harass and oppress.
We read 1 Samuel 25:32–33 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me. 33 And blessed be your discretion and advice and blessed be you who have kept me today from bloodguiltiness and from avenging myself with my own hand.
Let’s read the full story from verse 1 – 25. Now Samuel died, and all the Israelites assembled and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in Ramah. David arose and went to the Wilderness of Paran.
2. A very rich man was in Maon, whose possessions and business were in Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 The man’s name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail; she was a woman of good understanding, and beautiful. But the man was rough and evil in his doings; he was a Calebite.
4 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
5 And David sent out ten young men and said to [them], Go up to Carmel to Nabal and greet him in my name;
6 And salute him thus: Peace be to you and to your house and to all that you have.
7 I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel.
8 Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your sight, for we come at an opportune time. I pray you, give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.
9 And when David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then paused.
10 And Nabal answered David’s servants and said, Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who are each breaking away from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread and my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they belong?
12 So David’s young men turned away, and came and told him all that was said.
13 And David said to his men, Every man gird on his sword. And they did so, and David also girded on his sword; and there went up after David about 400 men, and 200 remained with the baggage.
14 But one of Nabal’s young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed at them.
15 But David’s men were very good to us, and we were not harmed, nor did we miss anything as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields.
16 They were a wall to us night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep.
17 So know this and consider what you will do, for evil is determined against our master and all his house. For he is such a wicked man that one cannot speak to him.
18 Then Abigail made haste and took 200 loaves, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five measures of parched grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys.
19 And she said to her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20 As she rode on her donkey, she came down hidden by the mountain, and behold, David and his men came down opposite her, and she met them.
21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has repaid me evil for good.
22 May God do so, and more also, to David [a]if I leave of all who belong to him one male alive by morning.
23 When Abigail saw David, she hastened and lighted off the donkey, and fell before David on her face and did obeisance.
24 Kneeling at his feet she said, Upon me alone let this guilt be, my lord. And let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your presence, and hear the words of your handmaid.
25 Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this foolish and wicked fellow Nabal, for as his name is, so is he—Nabal [foolish, wicked] is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your handmaid, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.
26 So now, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, seeing that the Lord has prevented you from bloodguiltiness and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal.
27 And now this gift, which your handmaid has brought my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.
28 Forgive, I pray you, the trespass of your handmaid, for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the Lord’s battles, and evil has not been found in you all your days.
29 Though man is risen up to pursue you and to seek your life, yet the life of my lord shall be bound in the living bundle with the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies—them shall He sling out as out of the center of a sling.
30 And when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that He has promised concerning you and has made you ruler over Israel,
31 This shall be no staggering grief to you or cause for pangs of conscience to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause or that my lord has avenged himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then [[b]earnestly] remember your handmaid.
32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me.
33 And blessed be your discretion and advice, and blessed be you who have kept me today from bloodguiltiness and from avenging myself with my own hand.
34 For as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, Who has prevented me from hurting you, if you had not hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning there would not have been left so much as one male to Nabal.
35 So David accepted what she had brought him and said to her, Go up in peace to your house. See, I have hearkened to your voice and have granted your petition.
In this story we a wise woman Abigail interceding in a situation. She averted David’s wrath and death. Not just for her but her whole household.
- Also, Small issues can grow into large ones when wives don’t stand in the gap.
- Division can creep into the home subtly.
- Your spiritual bond can begin to weaken
- Refusing or neglecting to intercede as a wife, isn’t just a missed opportunity, it can lead to a crack in your home’s foundation.
Conclusion and encouragement
I would like to end by saying: anytime
• When you sense frustration or conflict, pray before reacting.
When you pray or intercede for your husband, God begins to deal with his heart in ways your words never could.
- You grow in grace, strength, and wisdom.
How do you Intercede for Your Husband (Even When It’s Hard)
- why don’t you start with forgiveness.
Before you pray for him, release him. Let go of the offence. Ask God to heal your own heart first.
- Pray the Word.
Declare scriptures over his life (like Ephesians 6:10–18, Psalm 1, or Colossians 1:9–11). The Word
Use specific Scriptures to pray over his identity (e.g. Ephesians 6:10–18).
- Pray in the Spirit.
When you don’t know what to say, let the Holy Spirit pray through you.
- Be consistent. Five minutes a day of sincere prayer can lead to hours of intervention
- Keep a prayer journal to record answered prayers. The song writer says count your many blessings and see what the Lord has done. By the time you look back by going through your journal, you will be surprise how God has been working in and through you, touching most areas of your husband’s life
I would like to finish off by saying you are not just a wife; you are a warrior, you are an intercessor yon are a watchwoman. Don’t sit there and allow the enemy win battles over your husband. Your husband needs your covering so rise up. Don’t join the club of women also complaining about their husband. And The Lord will continue to bless your union in Jesus name.
Practical Steps:
• Pray daily for your husband’s spiritual life, mind, work, and purpose.
• When you sense frustration or conflict, pray before reacting.
• Use specific Scriptures to pray over his identity (e.g. Ephesians 6:10–18).
• Keep a prayer journal to record answered prayers.
Maybe you are listening or reading my blog, and you are saying Lydia I am a Christian woman but my husband is not. You still need to pray for him. this is more of a reason why you need to intercede for him for his salvation. Take heart. Growing up, I watched my mum praying day and night for the salvation of my dad. To God be the glory he gave his life to Christ before passing.
Let me pray for you:
Dear heavenly Father, I pray for my dear sisters and wives who are struggling or have husbands who are not saved. May you give them the strength to continue to stand in the gap. I pray for wisdom for you. James 1:5 says If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Lord may you give them the grace, strength and wisdom to continue to intercede for their husbands in Jesus name. Amen.
Now if you are reading this and you do not know Jesus, then it is difficult or challenging to understand what it means to be an intercessor. However, you can start by inviting Jesus into your life. He will come into your heart. You can start a journey with Him and The Holy Spirit and the begin to pray and grow and pray for your husband.
Why don’t you close your eyes and say this pray with or after me.
Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life.
I know that I am a sinner, and that I cannot save myself.
No longer will I close the door when I hear you knocking.
By faith, I gratefully receive your gift of salvation.
I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Saviour.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth.
I believe, you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead, on the third day.
Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your words are true. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and be my Saviour. Amen.
If you have prayed this prayer in sincere faith, you may want to make a note of the date as a reminder that you have come to Christ in faith, trusting him as your Lord and Saviour.
Write to us and we will send you some materials that will bless you and help you with your journey with Christ. The email address is lydiaspeaks2@gmail.com or use the contact page.
Until next time, stay blessed
Lydia Speaks
