For a married couple, effectual and fervent prayer is one of the greatest gifts that a husband and wife can give to each other. The Bible highlights the united prayer of a husband and wife and the importance of covenant marriage as it relates to prayer in I Peter 3:7. “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

How can a husband effectually pray for his wife? How can a wife pray in an effective manner for her husband? Here are some practical considerations:

For husbands:

1. Pray for your wife to be sanctified. Sanctification is one of the Biblical responsibilities that God has given to a man. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:25–26).
   
   A wife faces many temptations, such as discouragement, fear, envy, and a tendency to gossip. A husband should care about his wife; he can ask her about the struggles she faces so that he can take them to the Lord in prayer.
   
2. Pray for your wife to be fruitful. Isaac prayed for Rebekah to be fruitful in the most literal sense—that the Lord would open her womb. God’s will is different for every family, and many Godly women never bear physical children according to God’s purpose and design for them specifically. But every woman is designed to be fruitful in good works, fruitful in prayer, fruitful in love, and fruitful in positive influence.
   
3. Pray for your wife’s submissiveness to God, to His Word, and to His Spirit. This humble obedience is one of the Biblical requirements of a wife and mother. Pray for her in this area so that she may be effective in carrying out her God-given role.

For wives:

1. Pray for your husband to be pure. Men face many temptations in the area of fleshly lusts. A wife who is sensitive to this allurement can encourage her husband to be accountable to the Lord and to her in the areas of his eyes, his thoughts, and his motivations. A good husband will appreciate a wife who earnestly prays for his purity.
   
2. Pray for your husband to be content. Not only does the world pull your husband toward the lust of the flesh but also to the lust of the eyes. Many men have a strong ambition to have what others have, to obtain what others obtain, and to achieve what others achieve. A contented wife who prays for her husband will foster a spirit of contentment in him as well.
   
3. Pray for your husband to be humble. The pride of life presents a constant pull. A proud man is often an angry man, and Scripture teaches that God resists the proud. Pray that your husband will cultivate a spirit of humility and that, as a result, God will exalt him at the proper time.