Prayers of an Excellent Wife
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ather in heaven, Please strengthen my husband by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, so that he may be able to share in suffering as His good soldier. May he constantly remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David. Let him rejoice to endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. O beloved, the saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself. O God, remind him of these things. Compel him to do his best to present himself to You as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. May he avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Thank You that Your firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (II Timothy 2).
V Were it not for the Spirit, none would be able to persevere in prayer. ‘A man without the help of the Spirit’, John Bunyan once declared, ‘cannot so much as pray once; much less, continue…in a sweet praying frame.’ It needs to be noted that, for all who persevere in this struggle and discipline of prayer, there are times of exquisite delight when the struggle, and duty slides over into pure joy. ~Michael A. G. Haykin
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