How to Get Your Husband to Pray with You

In the article “How to Pray for Your Husband,” we discussed the things you can pray for your husband. And as mentioned in the article, it is best to pray for your husband and also get him to pray with you. When you pray along with your husband, he hears your words of faith, and it impacts his inner man—strengthening his identity and faith in Christ Jesus. You may be asking how to get your husband to pray with you—assuming this might be your first time, he is hesitant to pray with you, or he is busy. First, you must not force your husband to pray with you. If his heart isn’t ready and prepared by the LORD, he won’t be receptive. So, if he is hesitant, continue to pray for your husband and continuously ask the Father to draw him to the Lord Jesus Christ (see John 6:44) until he willingly agrees to pray with you.

If your husband is already a believer, and this is your first time inviting him to pray with you, go ahead and express yourself. If he’s free, you can tell him he can join you in praying. Moreover, sometimes it also works to invite your husband simply to sit with you while you pray. It gives him the idea that he doesn’t have to do anything if he is uncomfortable praying. Your goal is to let him come with you, hear your prayers, and be exposed to faith through the Word of God and the words of life that you declare and pray for him.

Just remember, you don’t have to force your husband to pray with you. It’s okay if he doesn’t want to at the moment. God respects our free will, and you don’t want your husband feeling upset in your prayer closet because then the chances are he won’t listen to your prayers. Give him the freedom to say “yes” or “no.” But don’t give up the invitation. Keep asking him every time the Holy Spirit leads you to pray with him; be gentle and patient with his response until he is ready, willingly and willfully.

Moreover, besides inviting your husband to pray with you, you can listen to helpful podcasts, preaching, or worship songs to inspire your husband. In this way, faith gets to his spirit as he hears preachers preach the Gospel or worship songs that bring the presence of God. Ask God for wisdom in this matter, and He will surely give you wisdom.

How can I encourage my husband to pray?

The best way to encourage your husband to pray is to remind him of and tell him about God’s faithfulness, goodness, kindness, and great love. Most people don’t want to pray to God because of the misconceptions they have about the Father, and some people don’t feel like praying when they are too distracted or have too many things to do in a day. Make sure that your timing is perfect when approaching your husband. A thing like winning your husband to pray to God is spiritual warfare, and it involves the need for God’s wisdom, a strategy, and partnership with the Holy Spirit to succeed.

For instance, if you see your husband having trouble with his work, some certain people, or anything else, you can take it as an opportunity to invite him for prayer. You may also ask him, “Can I pray for you about this matter?” If he is hesitant, you can encourage him by saying that he doesn’t have to do anything; he can just listen to you as you pray. Then begin your prayer; you can start by thanking God for his life, glorifying God’s goodness and faithfulness to keep His Word. You can declare a Scripture promise for your husband’s situation in Jesus’ name. As your husband gets empowered with your prayer, surely he won’t decline to pray with you the next time you ask him.

As you work on your husband’s relationship with God, in time you can allow him to pray to God while you listen. Let him declare and speak life; to commune with God even when you are present. As you both do this regularly, praying together will become part of your lifestyle.

Should married couples pray together?

Married couples are encouraged to pray together because Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Praying together in unity with your spouse carries the presence of God into your marriage, your home, and wherever you both go. Because God is with the both of you, you have the anointing to restore marriages, do counseling, and share godly wisdom with couples who may be going through tough times.

When couples are praying together, many things come out into the open, and that’s a good thing. When you pray about certain marital issues, you start to communicate to God without ending up fighting each other because God’s presence keeps you both. The Holy Spirit starts ministering to each one’s heart as you pray together in the name of Jesus. The enemy hates it when couples pray together because he hates unity, love, and the presence of God. A marriage won’t work out in the long run without Jesus Christ being at the center. We know that God alone is able to produce the fruit of love, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, goodness, joy, and peace in our lives. That is why praying together as a couple is an integral part of marriage. It cannot be left out, and God cannot be left out of the picture.

Moreover, God always works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He is able to make a way when there seems to be no way. It cannot be denied that there are real issues involving a spiritual walk in one of the spouses, but as long as the wife or the husband perseveres in prayer and their relationship with God, the Lord will never fail to accomplish His promise. You must fight the good fight of faith, don’t give in to the devil’s work, keep praying, and believe that there is power in the name of Jesus.

If you want to know more about how you can pray as a couple, you may check out these articles: “A Couple that prays,” How to Pray for Your Marriage,” and “A Christian Marriage Prayer.”

What to do if your husband is not praying?

If you have doubts about your husband’s spiritual life, the best thing you can do is continuously pray for him every day. Moreover, it can be really difficult to tell or judge whether he is praying to God or not because, after all, only God can see a person’s heart and mind. Sometimes people talk to God as they sip their coffee or even watch a movie, not realizing they are praying and communicating with God. If you are looking at him with carnal eyes, you have a tendency not to discern what’s going on in his spirit. Unless your husband is an unbeliever, you can’t tell a hundred percent whether he is praying to God or not. He may also find it offensive or hurtful if you accuse him of such a thing. What can you do about it, especially if you have doubts about your husband, who might not be praying to God? Surrender your husband to the Father and let Him do His work in your husband’s spiritual life.

It can be frustrating if your husband doesn’t seem to match your spiritual hunger. However, God works in diverse ways. While He does the work in your husband, God may want to develop the fruit of the Spirit more in you. As you become Christlike toward your husband, it will impact and influence him in due time. Some seeds, such as patience, love, gentleness, understanding, compassion, etc., take time to grow in some people. And it’s okay because the Holy Spirit is always there, giving you the grace and patience to keep moving forward each day, with your hopes and strength in Christ Jesus as you pray for your husband and get him to pray with you.

Here is a short prayer that you can pray for your husband:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the life of my husband. He is a great blessing to me and our family. I know that You desire for him to be closer to You and to get to know You each day. Use me as a vessel of Your love so that I may minister rightly to him and usher him to Your presence. May You keep on strengthening our marriage to become closer and closer with You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

May God continually be gracious to you in all your dealings with your husband, and may you eat the fruit of your labor in love for your spouse in time. God bless your marriage in Christ Jesus.