When you live with an unbelieving spouse, your heart is torn in so many directions. You love your God and you love your spouse, but your spouse doesn’t love your God. It grieves your heart so deeply.
There are many different dynamics that the Believer has to learn to maneuver through and live with in order to make your marriage work. Your ultimate goal in your married life is to live with him or her in such a way that your spouse will fall in love with God as you do.
You strive to live the gospel with and without words. Some spouses aren’t given the freedom by him or her to use words. Clearly, the best thing you can do is to pray for him or her —both for his or her sake, but also for your own.
Just Sit
In living with an unbelieving spouse, there are times when it’s important to:
“Just sit in God’s presence to listen, especially when we’re at a loss for words. Sometimes we don’t know what to pray, especially in our mismatched marriages or situations so bewildering we can’t fathom what to ask. But even to sit in silence before God in those times and allow the Holy Spirit to pray for us is a sacrifice of prayer for ultimately we are called to sacrifice our will for the greater one of God. We come before God with our own brokenness to offer, trusting that He is the only true source of our healing and hope.” (Dineen A. Miller, from article, The Sacrifice of Prayer)
To help you as you reach out for hope and sometimes healing and how to best pray for your spouse, we came several “tools” that you may want to use.
The first is a prayer page that could guide you through the scriptures as you pray for your spouse. It comes from the “Prayer Closet Ministries” which transforms lives through intercessory prayers and fasting.
To view the prayer outline that Dr Kevin Meador composed that was originally posted on the Prayer Closet Ministries web site (which we believe could help you in your prayer time), please click onto the link provided below:
• PRAYING FOR YOUR BELOVED UNBELIEVER
– ALSO –
June Sims wrote an article which includes “10 prayers” she prayed for her unbelieving husband. It is posted on the web site for the ministry of Family Life Today. To read it, please click onto the link provided below:
• 10 IDEAS: PRAYING FOR AN UNBELIEVING SPOUSE
– ALSO –
Below is a link to a document that has additional scripture passages that you might find helpful:
Finally, from Lynn Donovan:
“If you are married, this simple prayer will radically change your life, your spouse and your marriage. It doesn’t matter if your spouse is a believer or unbeliever… This prayer is for you.”
If you have additional tips you can share to help others, please “Join the Discussion” by adding your comments below.
Filed under: Spiritual Matters
I would like some advice concerning being in love with an unbeliever. Knowing God’s word says we should not be yoked with an unbeliever but we are still called to be the salt and the light. It is God’s will that all men should be saved. GOD is a God of love and gives us the desires of our heart when we seek 1st His Kingdom and His righteousness. Please help concerning this.
Oh!!! I’m happy that you know God’s stand for marriage as you have quoted the scripture. We certainly fall into hard problems because we seem not to obey the instructions of God. What has light got to do with darkness. If Christ died for us and yet some people still chose to harden their hearts towards Him, what deal do you have with such people, let alone marrying them? It’s like claiming to love Christ and still stabbing Him in the back. Don’t disobey the word of God and still expect His covering over you. It doesn’t work like that. The scripture meant it when it said don’t have any thing to do with the unbeliever. You could pray for their salvation but not marriage or even friendship. May God give us a deeper understanding of His words. Amen
Please pray for my marriage, Evelyn and Cesar –broken in all areas of marriage. Thank you.
Dear Lynn, I listened to your video recording and I have decided to use the prayer and Ephesians 5:25 for the next couple of months. I would really appreciate it if you could join me in this.
My unbelieving husband has left me emotionally and has moved on, plans on filing for divorce. The word says God hates divorce. I pray this prayer so that he touches my husband’s heart around and brings him back to me and that my husband sees me the way Christ sees me. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
I’m married to non believer; we have been together for 5 years and married for one year. Only recently, after I had my baby was it that I accepted God and went back to church. It’s not easy living with a non believer, there are days when I get depressed and anxious. There is a battle between good and evil, the devil will trying to discourage me. But I will not allow the devil to get me down. GOD will make I way where there seems to be no way, what is impossible for us is not impossible for GOD.
I truly believe we are living in the last days and our loving Savior Jesus Christ is coming! I will continue pray and fast for my husband to get saved. I thank God for getting this website, it helps me to know that I’m not the only one that is going through this. Reading all the comments really gives me hope.
Hi, can you pray for my friend’s husband who is an unbeliever? She became a Christian after they were married and isn’t comfortable asking for prayer but is fine with me asking. His name is ‘B’ and we have been praying for him. Thank you for your ministry!
I live with my spouse who is an unbeliever. I am a worshipper who dances for the Lord at my church. I have been dancing for the Lord for a little over two years. I have prayed over my husband and I want to continue to love him as Christ has called me to do. It is often difficult because the enemy uses this situation against me by creating a conflicted heart within my husband. I have faith in the Lord that this is just a season and Christ will turn my husband’s heart around. I thank you for this prayer which I will use going forward as I await on the changes that God will make in my marriage. God Bless You!
My husband once saved, a praise and worship leader, preacher, and awesome man of God has backslidden. On our 25th anniversary he moved out. It’s been ten months and he hasn’t filed but we live in separate houses. He has had a girlfriend now for almost a year and a half. My heart is broken. He says he is praying for God’s will. Please Jesus save my husband and restore my marriage, in Jesus name.
I pray for more grace in your life in Jesus name. Really, it could be very challenging facing all this even with a Christian huaband. But remember, Jesus said that anyone that loves his wife, mother, father, children, wife more than me is not worthy of me. He went ahead to declare that He has not brought peace but variance which could mean war. Breaking of marriages or tough times in marriages is one of the signs of the end time because as the love of many will wax cold and there will be falling away, so also will some people begin to seek the Lord wholeheartedly. Yes, keep praying that the spirit that walketh in the children of disobedience over him will be destroyed but samely ensure that your soul stays connected with God. Note that you don’t love your husband as Christ loves him. Leave him to God his creator and put your concentration and focus on Christ. God will help us all. Amen.
I stand in agreement with my sister. Restore her marriage Lord. Save her husband and heal her broken heart, father God; in Jesus name, amen.
Thank you for sharing this powerful prayer. I’ve been in prayer for about a year now for my husband – we’ve been married for two years. I thought I married a new Christian but have realized he is not saved. It is hard to be in an unequally yoked marriage especially when my husband doesn’t think going to bars on his own weekly is something I should get upset about. He was a bachelor for 20 years before he married me and he does what he wants to do.
I yearn for a Godly leader of our marriage and my prayer is for him to be saved and put his old life away and put on the new life in Christ Jesus so we can serve and pray together. Please stand with me in prayer for my husband. Thank you so much.
It has been a very long journey. Been with my husband for 27 years, married for 17. Four children, one conceived during separation. Adultery, lying, betrayal. Separation for 7years. God brought us back together and it’s been three years. We are back at it again. We need help. Please pray for my family. Counseling needed.
Hello, my name is Rubie and I want to thank you for your word. I need prayer for my husband, Nelson. He wants out of our marriage. I love him so much and don’t want to lose him. I’m holding onto the word of God to heal our marriage. Lord, let my husband love me as Christ loves the church.
My covenant spouse left and legalized adultery with another marriage. Pray for Donald and I.
Please pray for me and my husband. That he loves me like Christ loves the church. That he comes to Christ. That our marriage be restored. Thanks and blessings, Priscilla
Please pray for Sara and Blaine’s marriage. Blaine is lost and not a believer right now and at this time we are separated. But I’ve been praying everyday, hour and night for my husband and my marriage and myself and my home. I also have been fasting because he said he did file for divorce and those words hurt me so much. So please pray for us and join us in fasting and praying. Thank you everyone and God bless.
I just watched your video! I’m extremely joyful to be starting this prayer for my marriage. This year is the year of 7 fold blessings and I can’t wait to see how this prayer will transform my husband, marriage and family life. I will check in to let you know how God is working through my husband as I sow this verse into my daily life. God Bless