How to Pray for a Husband with Depression

One of the most serious mental illnesses that can affect a person is depression. Depression is a kind of mood disorder that makes a person experience feelings of sadness and loss of interest for a period of time. Depression can be caused by one or several factors. Depression badly affects the mind, behavior, and the way an individual lives. It can make your husband feel worthless, incapable of doing things, guilty, restless, and even suicidal. How to Pray for a Husband with Depression?

While the thoughts and conduct of your husband are gravely affected by depression, there is hope for him because depression is not a permanent condition. Pray for God to provide a way out of depression for your husband. As you pray, God will present a way for your husband to be healed.

How do I deal with a depressed husband?

There are different ways to deal with a husband suffering from depression. Here are ten of them:

1. Learn how to deal with depression

Know that your husband is unstable at this time. Accept it and think of ways you can help him, just like you would help a friend [ Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV) ].

One of the primary things to do in dealing with your husband who is depressed is to learn about what depression is and how to address it. Learn about his condition by reading. There are many resources online. Research what you can do and what you should not do.

2. Pray together

Due to the mental state of your husband, he may lose confidence in going to God in prayer. He may think he is not worthy of praying to God because he is not thinking properly.

Jesus preached that when people pray together, he is in their midst [ Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV) ]. Ask God to help you pray with your husband. Lead the prayer time, focusing your prayers mainly on him and your family. Pour out your heart as the Holy Spirit leads you.

3. Share relevant verses

The enemy can use depression to inject doubt into your husband. He may become depressed enough to forget the goodness of God and his promises.

James taught the believers to pray so that healing might happen [ James 5:16 (NIV) ]. Read the favorite Bible verses of your husband. Read verses that will open his eyes and heart to the faithfulness and grace of God. Read the words of God that will magnify the answers of God to his problems and questions.

4. Help him remember your need for him

Depression leaves certain responsibilities neglected. Depression has the capacity to make a person stop performing his role within a family or marriage.

Remind your husband that you and your children need him because you love him, and you both need to encourage each other [1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) ]. Let him know and understand that he is needed. By the grace of God, let him feel that the whole family needs him.

5. Listen to him

Depression can impair the good communication that you and your children have with your husband. Depression can create a gap and result in feelings of isolation.

The Bible instructs believers to listen to others [ James 1:19 (NIV) ]. Be considerate to your husband and take the time to listen to him without any distractions. Listen not just to what he is saying but also to what he is not saying. Listen by observing his body language; it is important. Listen to understand him fully.

6. Speak kindly

A depressed person is sensitive and vulnerable. Your husband may get hurt easily by what he hears, so don’t blame or criticize him or speak offensive words.

Solomon wrote that people should be kind in their words [ Proverbs 31:26 (NIV) ]. Speak with tact and gentleness to him. Be careful with how you talk to him to be sensitive to his feelings. Talk the way you would want others to talk to you. He will appreciate your kind words, and God will be pleased as well.

7. Seek help

Depression is a serious state, and one of the best things you can do to help your husband recover is to seek help.

You must know that you cannot heal your husband all by yourself. Even the father-in-law of Moses saw the need for Moses to get help from his people [ Exodus 18:14-15 (NIV) ]. You need to seek medical support. Encourage your husband to ask for help from a medical specialist. These specialists are experts and will be able to help your husband cope with and overcome his depression.

8. Show that you care

Depression is not a choice. Your husband did not choose to be depressed. Depression may come to even the strongest of men, even to the most intelligent or smartest individuals.

Christians were commanded to continue doing good to others [ Galatians 6:9-10 (NIV) ]. Show more of your love for your husband. Let him see and feel that you truly care for him. Do things in caring ways your husband will see and consequently feel more secure in your love for him.

9. Be patient with him

Depression can take time to overcome. Depression may steal some of the precious time from your husband for you and your family.

Depression calls for patience. The Bible has several verses on patience, so heed its call to be patient [ Ephesians 4:2 (NIV) ]. Be patient with your husband, for it may take a while for him to recover. Be considerate of him and try to thoroughly understand his condition. As depressed as he is, he needs your extra patience.

10. Do things that make him happy

Your husband may lose interest in doing certain things, so do things that may cheer him up and be happier.

The word of God speaks of pleasing other people [ Romans 15:2 (NIV) ]. Pleasing and making your husband happy are essential for his recovery. Cook or order his favorite food. Play happy and uplifting music. Exercise together. Listening to music was therapeutic for King Saul when he was depressed. Try to engage with his hobbies and anything that interested him before, when he was healthy and in a good state of mind.

What can I pray for my depressed husband?

Your husband’s depressive episodes are tests of faith for him, you, and your family. The effort and struggle of helping your husband in his state can be hard on you. Take these areas to pray for:

• Pray for your husband to have hope

Depression can make a person hopeless. Your husband may not see or believe that something good is ever going to happen to him again.

God said that he would give hope through his plans, including your husband [ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) ]. Ask God to give the light of hope to your husband. Pray to God to speak hope into your husband’s mind so that he will be well and stronger soon.

• Ask God for your husband to be joyful

Your husband’s depression robs him of joy. One of the first effects of depression is sadness. Sadness will occupy the days of your husband, making it hard to overcome depression.

The disciples were sad to learn that Jesus would be crucified, and Jesus comforted them by saying they would be joyful again after he died [ John 16:20 (NIV) ]. Pray for your husband to overcome sadness. Ask God to make your husband happy and smile, even at little things, in spite of his condition.

• Request God to enlighten your spouse

When a person is depressed, he is inclined to think negatively. Your husband may worry and think things will only get worse or become fixated on unpleasant circumstances that may arise.

Paul said that there would be enlightenment [ Ephesians 1:18 (NIV) ]. Pray for God to enlighten your husband, renew his mind, and make him think of positive and beneficial thoughts. Ask God to bless your husband with wisdom that will move him to think of what is good.

• Beseech God to make your husband brave

Your husband may be plagued with fears. Fears trouble your husband, weakening and destabilizing him.

God ordered the Israelites not to fear because he was with them [ Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)]. Request God to remove the fears of your husband. Ask God for your husband to be bold and focus himself on the greatness and power of the Lord. Pray that he will be fearless and courageous.

• Pray for God to increase his faith

With depression comes a weakening of faith. Your husband’s faith may decrease as he loses his confidence in himself and in what he can do or accomplish.

“Faith” was defined as being able to receive what you were longing for [ Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) ]. Ask God to increase the faith of your husband. Request that your husband will receive unwavering faith. Pray that his belief will become stronger and he will continue to trust God and his promises. Pray that he will believe that better days are coming for him.

• Pray for healing

While depression hits hard, it is definitely curable. God works in conjunction with science. The potential cure for depression requires both medical help and family support.

Jesus healed many sick people in his time, including one woman who had been sick for years [ Mark 5:34 (NIV) ]. Ask God for healing, for Jesus said that nothing is impossible with God. Believe and hope that healing is on the way. God is on your side. God loves your husband more than you do, and God will completely heal him in the time of the Lord.

Prayer for your husband to overcome depression

Remember that God always listens to your prayers and will answer them out of love for you and your husband. Here is a simple prayer that you can pray or base your prayer on:

Dear God, thank you for not changing how you love us based on what we do, do not do, or fail to do. Thank you for giving me a good, loving, and responsible husband. I thank you for blessing my marital relationship. Father, you know the mental condition of my husband. Nobody wanted this, yet it happened. I know that we can only do so much to help him, but complete healing comes from you. Oh Lord, please heal him. Touch his heart and his mind. Make him think and feel better. Lighten the load that he is carrying. Give him rest. Remove his fears, worries, and anything that is bringing him down. Give him hope and joy. Bless him with courage, strength, and a renewed mind. Let him feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. I lift my husband up to you. We hold on to your faithfulness, grace, and mercy. All these things I pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Conclusion

Depression can bring your husband down, but it will not defeat him, for God will give your husband victory over depression. The evil one may have used depression to his advantage, but through the love of God and your prayers, your husband will conquer and come back even stronger than before.