Marriage can be tough for everyone—even for those who have committed their lives and family to the Lord. But consider living the Christian life when your spouse is a non-believer. Now, that can be incredibly challenging!
It may be that you desire to partner on important matters of your faith, but your spouse is resistant to your thoughts. So, how is it possible to be united when s/he is not as supportive in expressions of the Christian lifestyle as you’d like?
Rather than badgering your spouse to comply with your side of thinking, this is a matter of prayer! I love the promise from Exodus 14:14 where it encourages us by showing how “the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
This “stillness” of spirit is a way of turning over difficult situations directly to God, trusting that He can handle them much better than we can in our human weakness and discouragement.
Prayerful Talking Tips:
- Pray for your spouse on a regular basis
This keeps their needs in front of you rather than only focusing on yourself. Consider thoughts to guide your prayers such as: “What’s going on at his job these days?” “How does she need help with the children?” “What dreams/goals do they need guidance on from the Lord?”
- Watch for best times to talk
As prayer concerns come to mind, take note of them. And then mention them to your spouse during more relaxed times of the day—when you can both talk and listen with fewer distractions and more openness to one another. These conversation starters could be as simple as: “My friend is so sick, she hasn’t been able to work for over a week now. I’m really praying for her health to improve.” Or, “I’ve been praying for your conversation with your supervisor next week. I know you’re a little nervous about the outcome of it.”
- Share answers to prayer
When you see how God has confirmed things you’ve been praying about, tell your spouse the good news. Doing this regularly is a great motivating factor for those who may not practice daily prayer—by showing how active God is in hearing and meeting our needs.
- Stay mindful
Send a text or e-mail of prayer support to your spouse when you know of a big event going on with them such as a presentation at work, job interview, important business trip, or simply when they’re swamped with a lot to do at work (or home).
- Share a special Bible verse |
This is especially helpful when your spouse is dealing with something you’ve experienced. Sharing a Bible verse that applies to their circumstance will show that you’re thinking of them and trusting God to help them with a difficult situation.