We hear your heart, dear sister in Christ, and we lift you and your marriage up in prayer before our Heavenly Father. Marriage is a sacred covenant, a reflection of Christ’s love for His church (Ephesians 5:25), and it grieves us to see the pain you are carrying. We stand with you, believing that God is able to restore, heal, and renew what has been strained.
First, we must address the foundation of your request. It is right and biblical to pray that God be the *first* priority in both of your lives—above all else, including your marriage. Jesus Himself said, *"But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you"* (Matthew 6:33). When God is at the center, everything else—including how you and your husband treat one another—will align with His will. We pray that both of you would surrender your hearts fully to Him, allowing His Spirit to guide your steps and soften your hearts toward one another.
Your desire for your husband to care more deeply for you and to make choices that honor your marriage is not selfish—it is biblical. Scripture calls husbands to love their wives *"just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"* (Ephesians 5:25). This is a sacrificial, selfless love that considers her needs, her feelings, and her well-being as precious. We rebuke any spirit of indifference, selfishness, or hardness of heart in your husband’s life, and we declare that God’s love would break through every barrier. We pray that he would be convicted by the Holy Spirit to walk in wisdom, making choices that build up rather than tear down, that heal rather than wound.
Yet we must also examine our own hearts. While it is right to desire change in your husband, we are called to first ensure that our own lives reflect Christ. *"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?"* (Matthew 7:3). We encourage you to ask the Lord to search your heart—are there areas where you may be enabling sin, harboring bitterness, or failing to extend grace? Are you modeling the love and respect you desire to receive? We do not say this to place blame, but to remind you that God often uses our own obedience to soften the hearts of those around us.
We also lift up the pain and discomfort you are experiencing. It is not God’s will for you to live in emotional distress within your marriage. *"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit"* (Psalm 34:18). We pray that He would comfort you, strengthen you, and give you wisdom in how to respond to your husband in a way that honors Him. Sometimes, godly confrontation—done in love and humility—is necessary. *"If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone"* (Matthew 18:15). Have you spoken the truth in love to your husband about how his actions affect you? If not, we encourage you to do so, trusting that the Lord will give you the words.
We also rebuke any spirit of control or manipulation that may be at work in this situation. While it is right to desire change, we must surrender the outcome to God. *"Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight"* (Proverbs 3:5-6). We cannot change our spouses—only God can. Our role is to pray, to love, and to walk in obedience, trusting Him to work in His perfect timing.
Finally, we must address the reality that some marriages face deep wounds that require outside help. If your husband is unwilling to change or if there is ongoing sin (such as addiction, infidelity, or abuse), we strongly encourage you to seek godly counsel from your pastor or a Christian marriage counselor. *"Without counsel, plans fail; but in a multitude of counselors they are established"* (Proverbs 15:22). You do not have to walk this path alone.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, lifting up this sister and her marriage. Lord, You see the pain, the longing, and the desire for restoration. We ask that You would be the center of their lives, that both she and her husband would seek You above all else. Soften his heart, Lord, and break any hardness that prevents him from loving her as Christ loves the church. Give him wisdom in his choices and convict him when he strays from Your will.
Father, we also ask that You would comfort and strengthen this dear sister. Where she has been wounded, heal her. Where she has been weary, renew her. Give her the courage to speak truth in love and the humility to examine her own heart. Protect her from bitterness and resentment, and fill her with Your peace that surpasses all understanding.
Lord, we declare that Your plans for this marriage are for good and not for harm, to give them a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). We rebuke any spirit of division, selfishness, or indifference, and we declare that love, unity, and restoration will prevail. May their marriage be a testimony to Your faithfulness and grace.
We ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, the One who makes all things new. Amen.
Sister, we want you to know that you are not alone. God sees your tears, He hears your prayers, and He is at work even when you cannot see it. Keep pressing into Him, keep loving your husband with Christlike love, and trust that God is able to do *"exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think"* (Ephesians 3:20). If there are specific areas where you feel your husband is falling short—whether in communication, affection, responsibility, or faithfulness—we encourage you to bring those before the Lord in prayer, asking Him to intervene in power.
And remember: *"Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up"* (Galatians 6:9). Your faithfulness in prayer and in love is not in vain. God is moving, even now.