Teri Lynne Underwood

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.

Proverbs 12:4

Oh y’all … ever smelled some rotten potatoes? We had some a few months ago in our pantry. It was G.R.O.S.S. The odor was overpowering and it took several methods to finally get rid of it.

When I read this verse in Proverbs, I think about how awful that rotten smell is. I don’t want to be the rotten smell in my marriage.

What does it mean to bring our husbands shame?

For me, I think it all boils down how we treat him and how we talk about him.  A few years ago I wrote several posts with ways to build our marriages. Among those posts was one about speaking well of our husbands.  Here are few of the suggestions …

1.  Speak well of him in your prayers.   Rather than asking God to change him, spend some time asking God to show you how to pray for this man in your life.

2.  Speak well of him to yourself.  Remind yourself of those things you love about your husband.

3.  Speak well of him to your children.

{Read the rest of  10 Ways to Speak Well of Your Husband.}

Treating our husbands with respect is one of the most precious gifts we give to them. Be a crown for your husband!

Lord, teach me what it means to be a crown for my husband. Make my desire to bring him honor in all things.  May my life be an example for others of the abiding love we share. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

31 Verses to Pray for Your Marriage index

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:23

Pornography.

Adultery.

Financial strain.

Prodigal children.

Workaholics.

Addiction.

Stress.

Fear.

Insecurities.

Doubts.

Past history.

The battle for keeping our marriages in tact isn’t easy. And the truth is, marriages rarely fall apart because of one big thing … marriages collapse because we haven’t paid attention to all the little things.

Often, we neglect those small ways of encouraging one another in the middle of the day-to-day tasks of managing a home, parenting, working, and all the other “stuff” that fills our time.

But what if God is calling us to remember to do those small things …

An “I love you” text in the middle of the day.

Taking out the trash.

Go for a walk.

Listening.

Dreaming.

Today, will you take your prayer one step further and act … do something small to invest further into your marriage.

Lord, we KNOW the enemy wants to destroy marriages. He is on the prowl looking for something to destroy (John 10:10). Help us to be vigilant in building a hedge around our relationship, around our home. Cause us to be focused and diligent about protecting our hearts and guarding our relationship.  Help us see the way small things can add up and give us a passion and desire to invest deeply into the covenant relationship we have in You.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

{For more ideas about simple ways you can sow into your marriage, check out a series I did last year — 28 Days, 28 Ways: Investing in Your Marriage.}

Image source: Magdeleine.com

31 Verses to Pray for Your Marriage index

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7

If there is one thing I have learned after nearly 19 years of marriage, it’s this: I don’t know.

I don’t know the right answers. Sometimes I don’t even know the right questions. I don’t know how to do it all. I don’t know if I want to be able to anyway.

I don’t know why some days everything gets on my nerves. I don’t know how to keep the laundry caught up. I don’t know how to make coupon-ing fun for me.

But most of all, I don’t know how to have a solid marriage without the wisdom that comes from Christ.

Our marriages don’t really need one more seminar or Bible study or couples retreat … what our marriages need is Jesus. And that comes only as we submit ourselves to Him and make spending time with Him the priority — as individuals, as couples, and as families.

Lord, place inside us a desire to seek You first. Fill our hearts with a longing for Your presence and time spent with You.  Cause us to seek You and to know the wisdom that comes only from knowing You. May You have the priority in our hearts and lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Image source: Magdeleine.com

31 Verses to Pray for Your Marriage index

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Psalm 103:1

Sometimes we look around and only see what is missing. We forget how much God has given us and how full our lives truly are. As a couple, it is important for us to speak truth into each other’s lives.

As we pray for each other and for our marriages, one of the important things we need to remember is to praise God. Praise comes from a grateful heart … a deep recognition of the ways God provides and protects us.

Lord, help us remember that all we have and are we is from You. May we bless Your name and praise you with all we are and all we have, knowing You are worthy of all.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Image source: Magdeleine.com

31 Verses to Pray for Your Marriage Index