MY THOUGHTS on Stormie OMartian's "The Power of a Praying Wife"
Chapter 17: HIS RELATIONSHIPS

Even a great marriage has its "moments".  My husband and I are extremely passionate people and I'm forever amazed at how we can go from 0 to 500 in seconds.  Those times are great... but we can also go from 0 to -500 in seconds as well and those times can really get ugly.   While there are times that we can pull ourselves out of those valleys, relationships that always point to God are invaluable when we're struggling.   

We all need the influence of good people to keep us on the right path.  Every married couple should have at least two strong believing couples with whom they can share encouragement, strength, and the richness of their lives.  Being around such people is edifying, enriching, balancing, and fulfilling, and it helps us keep perspective when things seem to grow out of proportion.  Having the positive qualities of other people rub off on us is the best thing for a marriage.    -Stormie OMartian (p.131)

Unfortunately, today's world has the mentality  "if it doesn't feel good, then get rid of it" and too often friends of a couple can take a side and convince a couple who is struggling that they should just end it and go on with life (as if there will be no scars or consequences for that).  When you have people who truly love you and your husband and honor marriage, regardless of who may be "right or wrong" in any particular circumstance, their goal is simply to make sure that you're reminded that your marriage is worth fighting for and stickin' out. 

This doesn't mean we can never be around anyone who isn't a Christian, but our closest, most influential relationships should be with people who know and love the Lord, or there will be consequences.  -Stormie OMartian (p.132)

To add to Stormie's comment above, I'd like to simply say... being friends with a person who isn't a follower of Christ is one thing, but if you have a friend(s) that don't like your husband and bad mouth him or try and lead you down a path that isn't honoring to your marriage, then you need to re-evaluate that friendship because your marriage comes before your friends... always! 

While it's important for a husband and wife to be a "team" and best friends, it is also important for each to have outside friendships they can turn to that will hold them accountable and correct them in love.  We, as wives, should desire these kind of friendships for our husbands, as they benefit us as well. 

Pray... for your husband to have godly male friends.  And when he finds them, given him time to be with them without criticism.  Those friends will refine him... They will be a good influence... Even if your husband is not a believer, you can still pray for him to have godly friends.   -Stormie OMartian (p.133)

Too often we can try to fix things or arrange things for our husbands... with the best intentions at heart.  But we must remember to "shut up", pray, and leave it up to God.  He will do better than we could anyway (p.133).  The relationships our husband have are so important because they influence so many things in his life... his thoughts, his actions, and his feelings...  pray for ALL of his relationships as well as those that you as a couple can turn to in times of trouble and rejoicing!

Dear Heavenly Father,  Please provide my husband with godly male friends that are seeking fast after Your will in their lives.  May my husband grow while with them.  I pray for them to be trustworthy men of wisdom who will speak truth into this life (p.134). Help me to help him maintain those relationships and never become "jealous" of the time he spends away.   I also pray for older godly influence in his life for my husband to turn to when he needs advice and wisdom.  Please provide us with other married couples that we can enjoy and love, that encourage us to remain strong in our marriage.  Lastly, I pray for my husband to be able to fully forgive any relationships that have hurt him so he will not be tied down by unforgiveness in his heart.  Enable him to love his enemies, bless those who who curse him, do good to those who hate him, and pray for those who spitefully use him and persecute him.  (Matthew 5:44) (p.135).  In Jesus' name, Amen.

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It's not too late to join us for the month of June as we pray for our husbands!  You can check out more about it by clicking the following link: S.H.M.I.L.Y. for 30 days of prayer...  Please share a link to your blog post if you've made one on this chapter!