A Godly Husband Prayer

A godly husband is presumed to be a man married to one wife, so we have the word “husband.” However, one may be a husband but not necessarily godly unless he is in Christ. What we mean by a godly husband is a husband who believes the Gospel, repents from his life of sin, and is committed to following Christ. In Ephesians 5:25, the apostle Paul writes to the husbands in the church at Ephesus, telling them to love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. Paul was saying that husbands who could experience the love of Christ through the Gospel ought to show the same love to their wives. So, a godly husband has committed his life to Christ and has experienced God’s love, grace, and mercy in the person of Christ.

Heavenly Father, constantly remind me of the love You have shown me in Christ, the sacrificial love that seeks my well-being. Help me to show the same kind of love to my wife. Let the Gospel be my motivation. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

What Are the Characteristics of a Godly Husband?

Being a follower of Christ is one of the main characteristics of being a godly husband. As mentioned above, his being in Christ makes a husband godly. He can show such selfless love toward his wife only because he has experienced such selfless love from God in Christ. He can serve his wife and lead her, knowing how Christ has also served him and led him as the head of the Church. When a husband is in Christ, the pursuit of holiness begins. As a godly husband pursues and grows in holiness by the grace of God, there he also grows in the likeness of Christ and exhibits the characteristics or qualities of a godly husband.

Selfless

Just as husbands ought to love their wives as Christ loved them, we must look at the qualities of Christ and reflect them to our wives as well. One of them is being selfless. In other words, he always considers his wife, counting her as more significant, forgetting about himself and always thinking about the well-being of his wife, and looking not at his interests but his wife’s (Philippians 2:3-4).

Self-controlled

Self-control is a virtue valued in the Bible, not just in the New Testament but also in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, especially in the book of Proverbs, we see how a lack of self-control could lead a person to lose their calm spirit, become quick to anger, and be prone to saying hurtful things or causing other hurtful actions toward others (Proverbs 25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken through     is a person who lacks self-control.). It is also through self-control that a man can exercise gentleness since gentleness is not the absence of strength but the proper application of it. Through self-control, a man is not driven by worthless pursuits but rather stays disciplined, especially when it comes to work and other important commitments in life. Self-control is what enables husbands to stay faithful to their wives and never live in the flesh and the body’s appetites. By God’s grace, we can live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives (Titus 2:11-12).

A Man of the Word

How will a godly husband learn how to become a godly husband? What makes a godly husband? Where can one find out that self-control and being selfless are essential? We can find it all in the Bible. This article won’t be able to cover all the qualities and characteristics of a godly husband, but a husband will be able to find all of them, learn what they are and how to apply them, and grow as a godly husband and a believer through the constant reading of God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). A godly husband will know what is excellent, pure, and blameless through God’s Word. It is essential for one’s maturity (Philippians 1:10).

A Man Who Prays

A godly husband is expected to be a man who prays and values his prayer time with the Lord. Besides being a commandment from God (Matthew 6:9-13; Philippians 4:6-7), prayer is one of our ways to worship, praise, adore, and give thanks to God (Psalm 95:6; Psalm 100:4; Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.). A godly husband who has a relationship with God is expected to pray. It shows that a man remains humble before God. When a godly husband is experiencing some difficulties in life, praying to God and asking Him for help, grace, and mercy, and lifting those concerns to Him is a sign of humility (1 Peter 5:6-7).

A Man Who Does Life Together with Other Men

One of the avenues in which a godly husband grows – not just as a man and a husband but also as a believer – is when he constantly has fellowship with other men in the faith who will walk with him on his faith journey. In such a setting, other men could encourage, correct, admonish, and teach a husband. Likewise, a husband can do the same for his fellow men. That is why in the Bible it is written that iron sharpens iron, and we should not neglect meeting one another if we can stir up one another in love and good works (Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron,     so one person sharpens another.;  Hebrews 10:24-25).

A Strong Man

Being a strong, godly husband does not mean having muscles. Even if you are a muscular man, that does not mean you are mentally, emotionally, or spiritually strong. It takes strength to lead a family, especially in times of difficulty. Being a husband, especially if you have kids, entails bearing the responsibility that comes with it. Responsible, dependable, able to lead, and wise and prudent—it takes strength to do that. That is why it is essential to cultivate such strength by depending on Christ, the One Who strengthens you as you take up the role of a godly husband. (Proverbs 24:5-6; Philippians 4:13  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.)

A Man Who Provides

Whether he has a family or not, it is essential for a husband to provide for his wife’s needs (1 Timothy 5:8). Now, that does not mean that your wife cannot work or that you should have a higher income than your wife (that is a different topic on its own). You provide for your wife and kids (if you have them) not simply because it is your obligation but because you love them (Ephesians 5:25). You want their needs to be provided for so they can live better lives. You want the best quality of food on the table to make sure they have proper nutrition, you want your kids to have school packs from quality brands to ensure that they won’t break, and you want your wife to be able to buy the things she needs since she depends on you as her provider. That does not mean a luxurious life, but a life in which you aim to improve things for your family. In fact, you as a godly husband are not just a provider of their physical needs, but also their mental and emotional needs.

Father in heaven, it is only by Your grace that I can be the kind of godly husband You want me to be. Continue to work in my life, inside and out, so that I may become like Your Son, Jesus. Help me in fulfilling my role as a husband—from the way I lead to how I continually pursue the heart of my wife, how I provide, how I raise my kids, and how I commit to all the responsibilities that I have. All by Your grace, in Jesus’ name, I pray.

How Does Prayer Play a Part in a Godly Husband’s Life?

Prayer will always be an essential part of a man’s life, not just as a godly husband but as a son of God. As mentioned above, prayer is how we worship, praise, adore, exalt, and thank God. Prayer is also our means of communication with God. In Matthew 6:6, Jesus emphasizes prayer time that we spend in solitude with God. However, that does not mean public prayers are generally a sin. Jesus shows us that the essence of prayer is being intimate with God. So, prayer is an integral part of a godly husband’s life.

Prayer will also play an essential part in a godly husband’s life because his desires as a new creation are already different (2 Corinthians 5:17). When once a man may have wanted only to live his life on his terms, sinned without compulsion, and did not pursue the things of God, as a new creation he has a new desire to pursue holiness, to become more like Christ, and to live a life that honors God. From there stems the desire to be a godly husband who will be able to love and serve his wife and kids better (1 Peter 1:15-16; Ephesians 5:1-2; Colossians 1:10; Ezekiel 36:26).

Prayer is a way for a godly husband to lift to God his desire to grow more in godliness, leadership, love, grace, wisdom, and every quality he needs to be a better husband. Why is prayer necessary to do this? Only through prayer, when we come to God from a posture of humility and ask Him for grace and mercy, do we grow more as a godly husband (Hebrews 4:16).

How Can You Pray as a Godly Husband?

A man who desires to grow more as a godly husband must approach God humbly. That is the essence of prayer. When we pray, we don’t come to God thinking we already have it together. We acknowledge that there are still areas that we need to grow in (James 4:10). That is why it is humility that the Lord exalts. Humility in the Bible is the accurate measure of one’s self (Romans 12:3). For example, when we were still unbelievers, it took humility for us to accurately measure ourselves. We came to know we were incapable of saving ourselves from our sins and that we were helpless apart from the grace of God in Christ. In the same way, a man will know that he needs God’s power and grace at work through the Holy Spirit so he can grow into the kind of godly husband that His Word prescribes him to be.

And this is our assurance: When we pray such prayers – those that are within His will and are good, pleasing, and acceptable to Him – He hears us (1 John 5:14).

Father in heaven, I need Your grace and mercy to grow in Christlikeness and reflect a Christlike love, leadership, and care toward my wife and children. Thank You, because in times of difficulty in bearing the responsibilities of a godly husband, I’m sustained by Your grace. Help me continually grow in spiritual maturity as a husband and strengthen me as I fulfill my duties and responsibilities through Christ. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Sometimes when you reflect on yourself as a husband, you may find yourself disappointed or frustrated with the weaknesses or shortcomings you have. Our comfort is that God continually works in our lives (Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.). He will complete His plan. Also, as vessels who are still growing to become more like Christ as each day passes by, know that even in times of weakness, His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). You are strong as a godly husband not because of your power, but because of His grace that is at work in you.