Prayer for Ex-husband

Being married makes you complete and secure, but when your marriage is broken, you and your ex-husband can become like strangers to each other. Should a woman pray for her ex husband? Here is a prayer for ex-husband

When you were still his wife, you constantly prayed for him, but now that you’re no longer together, you may stop praying for him. God would still want you to pray for him because of all the good reasons and benefits that prayer can bring.

What can I pray for my ex-husband?

When you were still married to your ex-husband, you prayed for many things related to his good and wellness. You may add these eight prayer items to your prayers for your ex-husband:

• Pray for peace

Your ex-husband may be troubled in his heart after going through a separation or divorce. He might have negative or unresolved matters on his mind.

Paul taught the believers to pray for peace to reign over them and within them [ Colossians 3:15 (NIV) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ]. Ask God to refresh your ex-husband with peace that will give him the serenity he needs. Ask God to remove all the things that are keeping your husband from having peace. Pray that your ex-husband will be able to focus his mind on the good things in life that God will give him.

• Ask for wisdom

With the split, your ex-husband may be tempted by the enemy to stray from the ways of wise living. He may be swayed to walk in his own way and not according to what pleases God.

James said that if you ask for wisdom, then God will give it [ James 1:5 (NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ]. Pray for God to give him wisdom—a wisdom that makes him discern the will of God and abide by it. Ask God for your ex-husband to have a renewed mind and to be wise enough to make good decisions and actions in his daily life and dealings.

• Pray for courage

When your divorce was made official, your ex-husband may have felt weak or discouraged at the thought of living alone again. He may lose courage now that you are no longer with him when facing challenges or hardships.

Moses declared that the Israelites should be brave because God was with them [ Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” ]. Ask God to make your ex-husband courageous. Pray for your husband to have the courage to face difficulties that may come his way. Ask God to make your husband brave enough to overcome daily struggles.

• Ask God for guidance

Upon separation, your ex-husband may be distracted by the enemy and lose direction. He may make sudden decisions that are not carefully considered.

The Lord said that he would guide the Israelites [ Psalm 32:8 (NIV) I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. ]. Pray for your ex-husband to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Ask God for your ex-husband to discern the intention and direction of the Lord. Beseech God for your spouse to listen to his voice.

• Ask for joy

With any breakup, the joy that was flourishing in the relationship vanishes. Both you and your ex-husband lose happiness, and as the relationship breaks, a part of you dies.

The psalmist sang that there is joy in the Lord [ Psalm 16:11 (NIV) You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. ]. Pray for God to bring back the joy that your ex-husband once had—the joy that God blessed him with when you got married and when he came to know the Lord. Ask God for joy, no matter the circumstances that your ex-husband is or will be in.

• Beseech God for healing

Whether you or your ex-husband filed for divorce, both of you need healing. Both of you need your wounds to heal.

God will graciously heal you both [ Psalm 147:3 (NIV) He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. ]. Ask God to heal your ex-husband completely. Pray for your husband to become well again so that he can live with a whole heart, fully restored by God.

• Ask God for his success

Your husband may have failed you in your marriage, and you may be in pain because of his actions, but you should not wish him to fail in his career or in other things that matter to him.

The Bible teaches people to entrust everything to the Lord [ Proverbs 16:3 (NIV) Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. ]. Pray for your ex-husband to commit his ways to the Lord. Ask God to make your husband successful in his job or whatever project he cares about. 

• Petition for a good relationship with your children

In your separation, your husband must have become distant from your children. Their communication may have been affected since your husband cannot visit them daily.

The author stated that children should be taught accordingly [ Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. ]. Pray for God to establish good communication between your husband and your children. Ask God for the relationship between your husband and your children to improve and grow deeper.

Is it still okay to pray for your ex-husband?

Yes, it is okay and good to pray for your ex-husband. Praying for him is beneficial. Praying for your ex-husband is perfectly acceptable because:

• You are a Christian

Being divorced does not change the fact that you are a Christian. Being separated from your ex-husband does not mean you have to let go of the privilege and the ministry of praying for him.

Continue to pray for your ex-husband, just as Jesus prayed for those who hurt and crucified him [ Luke 23:34 (NIV) ]. Pray for your ex-husband because it will please God.

• He is still a child of God

When you and your ex-husband ended your relationship, you did not stop being a child of God, and neither did he. Your ex-husband is still a son of God.

Praying for your ex-husband is okay because you are taking part in helping him grow and becoming mature as a child of God [ Galatians 3:26 (NIV) So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith ].

• He needs your prayer

Being separated from you may have wounded and hurt your ex-husband as well. He may have some doubts, guilt, and regret.

In the Bible, it is written that believers should pray for everyone [ Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) ]. Praying for him will meet his needs for enlightenment. Praying for your ex-husband will bring him nearer to God, as God will encourage him and make him strong and brave.

• You shared love together

You got married and stayed married before because you loved each other. You cared for your ex-husband, and he also cared for you.

You can pray for him because you once loved each other. If at some point you begin to consider him an enemy, remember that Jesus said you should love your enemy [ Matthew 5:44 (NIV) But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you ], and that includes praying for your ex-husband. God has blessed you with a very special kind of love, and you have good memories together.

• He is the father of your children

Being divorced does not mean that you should stop petitioning God for your husband to be a good man. You should continue to pray for his betterment.

Remember that he is the father of your children and feels deeply for them [ Psalm 103:14 (NIV) for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. ]. That is one of the good reasons to pray for him; it is always okay to pray for the father of your children, as your children will be blessed by those prayers too.

• He is your brother in the Lord

Praying for your ex-husband because he is your brother in the Lord is beneficial and will please God.

The Bible calls for love to persevere between brothers and sisters [ Hebrews 13:1 (NIV) Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ]. Your ex-husband is still your brother, no matter how your relationship has ended. He is still your brother, despite how you treated each other.

Prayer for my ex-husband

Father God,

You know all things. You inspired Solomon to write that there is a time for everything, that there is a time to embrace and a time to refrain. Lord, you have allowed me and my husband to be one in marriage and now to live separate lives. As painful as it is, I will accept it. I pray for my ex-husband to have peace of mind. Please make him grow in wisdom. Let him follow your guidance. Oh Lord, heal him. Make him whole once again. Let him be joyful just like before. Let him survive having to live without me by his side. Bless him as he does his work. Grant him success. Bless his future. Let him have a better relationship with our children and make him a good example to them. Let him draw closer to you. Help my ex-husband adjust to this new set-up. These things I pray, in your beloved Son’s name, Jesus. Amen.

Conclusion

Your separation from your husband is hard. Your ex-husband may struggle as well. Even though it is not easy to pray for your ex-husband, God has given you the time and grace to come to him in prayer. Pray on this, as always, as God will give you the answers that you need.