The Power of a Praying Wife: The Power - Baltimore, MD - January 2011

I have to say that doing this sort of blog post series is somewhat intimidating. In most situations I'm not what you'd call a "soft spoken" person, but when it comes to love and marriage I have come to know that relationships and marriages come in all shapes and sizes, and just because something works for one couple doesn't necessarily mean it's going to work for another. The dynamics within a marriage sometimes defy all understanding. So please take my words as just that, words. If you find strength in them, wonderful. If you find nothing in them that's okay too. My hope is that together, learning to pray, specifically for our husbands will strengthen our relationships and bring us closer to the Lord.
Before we jump in completely, I think it's noteworthy to point out that the Author's husband has written the forward of this book. His words of gratitude are kind and heartfelt and give you a small glimpse into how deeply he has been affected by his wife's prayer for him. In no uncertain terms he is attributing much of their marriage's success to his wife's devotion to praying for him. That is POWERFUL stuff!

A Bit of Me
I met The Hub in January of 2002 when I was 22 years old. We were both on the rowing team in college and it was about 15 degrees outside and although we tell the story of our first encounter with each other completely differently, there are a few facts that cannot be disputed. The first is that it was so cold on the river that morning that everyone had icicles on their eye lashes. Second I was the smallest and loudest thing within a square mile, and third, neither of us had any comprehension of the work the Lord was about to do in both of our lives. Looking back on it, almost 10 years later, I realize that he and I both asked for every bit of it. Living in completely separate cities without any idea of the other's existence he and I both accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We prayed for the Lord to come into our hearts. We prayed that God would allow us to witness his glory and receive his grace. And today, almost 10 years later our beautiful daughter is a manifestation of not only our love for each other, but our love for the Lord. She is the answer to that prayer. I can't help but know the awesome power of prayer.

My parents divorced when I was 10 years old. For this conversation, the reason is irrelavent, but I will say this, my mother said something interesting to me when she and I recently spoke about how she was looking forward to reading this book as I blogged about it. She said that she wished she'd known how to better pray for my father and that maybe their walk would have been different had she known better. I know I'm not the first and definitely will not be the last to say that I don't just believe prayer works, I know prayer works and I am so thankful that that isn't just here say in my life. It's TRUTH.

This first section of the book, "The Power", is so truthful and I LOVE that she lets you into her world so immediately and with out hesitation she tells you that she came to prayer through desperation. The "I will nots..." are a charge that I will gladly take up to protect my husband and to protect my marriage and family.

I'll close with one question and this quote regarding the power of a praying wife.

The Question: What was your favorite part of "The Power"?

The Quote: I think I just might have to write this one on the bathroom mirror so I am reminded of it on a regular basis.

"It's Laying down all claim to power in and of yourself, and relying on God's power to transform you, your husband, your circumstances, and your marriage." - Stormie Omartian: The Power of a Praying Wife.

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!