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How to secure accurate prayer requests from your spouse.
by Kenneth Peterman There are two general ways to secure accurate prayer requests from a spouse. Obviously, the best way is to ask them. It's surprising how often we neglect to ask a spouse what he or she wants us to pray about. It is obviously important to ask them at a time when they are more willing to discuss their needs. The direct approach is the best and probably the most accurate way to get prayer requests. But with a little extra effort we can determine the prayer requests of our spouse without asking them by indirectly making observations. You can determine many of his or her emotional, social, physical, mental and spiritual needs by careful scrutiny. Watch for key verbal or non-verbal cues. Be alert for obvious subjects avoided or left out of their conversation due to embarrassment or frustration. A spouse, for example, may stop talking about a good friend. This could signal a problem between them and a need for prayer. Be alert to past problems and pressures in your spouse's because difficulties tend to recycle year after year at or near the same time. The anniversary of the death of a family member, for instance, will cause a recurrence of grief on or about the anniversary date. It is very important WHEN to observe your spouse to determine prayer requests. 1. Observe during his or her low period(s) of the day. Most individuals have a "down time" during the day when they are most likely to complain or share problems that otherwise would be kept inside. Many find the times between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. especially stressful and almost involuntarily share pressures and needs that otherwise would not be expressed. During such times, listen, listen and listen and turn their frustrations into prayer requests for them. 2. Frustrating circumstances vary with each individual but usually revolve around health, work, children, relatives and "couple" problems. Times of specific pressure such as holidays, the beginning of school for the children and sickness can signal special needs for prayer. These situations will provide many observations for prayer requests. 3. Believe it or not, accurate observations for prayer requests can come when a person succeeds. How does your spouse evaluate and relate to his or her success? Is she boastful, proud or have humility, depreciate the accomplishment, have low self-esteem when it is certainly not warranted? Each answer might provide insight for prayer requests. 4. Observe when a spouse fails. This may seem too obvious but often we do not effectively evaluate failure and neglect to secure needed prayer requests. A spouse who seeks restoration from a weakness must openly confess faults and usually humbly asks his or her spouse for prayer. Such times of open admission of fault provide a rare glimpse into the heart and soul of another individual. At such a time there is usually a vulnerability and a need to share. Allow this to happen. Don't rush this procedure because many valuable things can be learned for prayer. This is a very important time to gather prayer requests from your partner. One of our biblical responsibilities is to pray for other believers. If we are to pray for others in the body of Christ in general, how much more should we commit to prayer for our spouse with whom we are one flesh? We should actively seek prayer requests for them and from them in both a direct and indirect manner. We must make a conscious effort to ascertain accurate and specific requests for our loved one and then pray! View Dr. Peterman's e-book - REMAIN FAITHFUL TO YOUR SPOUSE IN A SOAP OPERA SOCIETY. Go to homepage on Faithwriters.com.Click FIND A WRITER and follow simple instructions or go to my blog: www.biblicalmatters.blogspot.com and click on the name of the book on the right margin. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |