If your husband doesn’t believe in God, it can be hard for you to cope with the fact that you may have a different purpose in life. The Bible has a lot to say about how you should approach this situation and handle yourself as his wife. Keep reading for more information about how to pray for a non-believer husband.
As a Christian, you certainly desire a deep relationship with your husband. However, if he is not a believer, this can be tough. Fortunately, prayer is a wonderful way to connect with God, and it can assist you in finding the strength you require in this situation. Here are the steps on how to pray for a non-believer husband:
First, pray that God will give you the ability to love your husband despite his unbelief. The Bible said, “For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another” (1 John 3:11 NIV).
How to Pray for a Non-Believer Husband?
Second, remember that prayer is communication with God, not with other people. You can pray for your husband without expecting him to respond the same way you do. The most important thing is that you believe in the power of prayer and trust God to answer your prayers.
Third, pray that he may have a heart that is open to the word of God. We know that the word of God is alive and active. It is sharper than any double-edged sword and penetrates even to the point of dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12 NIV).
How to Pray for a Non-Believer Husband?
Fourth, ask God to give you the discernment for the best opportunity to share the word of God. Sharing the good news that Jesus is able to save us from eternal torment by faith; if we accept Him as Lord and Savior, we will receive His gift of salvation.
How to Pray for a Non-Believer Husband?
Fifth, you need to be patient. It will take him time, and he may not understand what’s going on. Just because he doesn’t get it right away doesn’t mean that your prayers aren’t working. Believe in the power of prayer.
Now that you know how to pray for your husband who doesn’t share the same faith as you, let’s focus on what Christian wives are supposed to do when facing this situation. What do you need to do as a believer and what does the Bible have to say about your unbelieving husband?
How to deal with a husband who doesn’t believe in God
It’s important to remember that while you may have a lot of love and respect for your husband, he can’t be forced to believe in God. The best thing you can do is try to help him come to his own conclusions about the existence of God. You need to have the right attitude when sharing your faith with him. Keep firm with your faith, have a surrendered heart that the Lord can change your husband, and be patient with him, even if he constantly rejects your faith.
It’s hard to deal with a husband who doesn’t believe in God. If you’re in a situation like that, here are some tips on how to handle it:
1. Don’t argue with your husband about your faith
Don’t bother trying to convince someone of something they already know they won’t accept. It won’t work, and if you try it, it could cause a lot of trouble for your relationship. It’s pointless and one of the most common reasons why wives argue with their husbands. It’s also a surefire approach to starting a fight. While you and he may have opposing faiths, arguing with each other is pointless.
Telling someone they are wrong will only make them defend their own position harder, or cause them to get angry at you and cause even more friction between the two of you. Instead, communicate with each other, and do your best to understand where your husband is coming from. Listen to him and try to understand the issues of his heart. You already prayed for discernment to God for the perfect timing to share the good news about salvation, so believe that God is already working in your husband’s life.
2. Don’t take it personally when he rejects you
If your husband doesn’t believe in God, try not to take it personally; it’s likely that he had a negative encounter with religion when he was younger, and that experience left a lasting scar on him. Remember that he is not rejecting you personally but the idea of believing in God.
Also, keep in mind that despite the fact that he has rejected you on multiple occasions, Jesus will continue to speak the truth to Him through the power of the Holy Spirit.
3. Don’t try to change him
Your husband will never become someone else, but he can be the best version of himself if he accepts Jesus and starts to live according to His will. You are right, your husband may never be a Christian because he resists change. However, it is possible for him to be saved and become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
It’s important that you understand that this isn’t about you or what you can do to change your husband. God is the one who saves us and changes us. Just like He changed and saved you when you accepted His gift of salvation and submitted your life to Him.
4. Walk the talk
This is very important. Be a good testimony for your husband’s faith, regardless of his current beliefs. Show him that what you share about God is seen in your actions.
Submit to God and cooperate with the Holy Spirit so your husband will also surrender his heart and life to Christ daily. Your daily actions and words should reflect your unconditional love for your husband, which will show him that you genuinely love him, even though you may have different views on faith. Show him that what you share about God is obvious in your actions.
What does the Bible say about an unbelieving husband?
When you marry a non-believer, the Bible says that you are unequally yoked, and the harmony of marriage between you and your husband can be difficult (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). However, that does not mean you should immediately divorce or separate from him (1 Corinthians 7:10-11). Though the Bible is clear that only those who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior will be saved (Acts 4:12), remember that you, as a wife, have the responsibility to reach out to him and share the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ (Romans 1:14).
Let us try to study the particular Bible verses that relate to having a non-believer as a husband:
1. 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NIV)
The Bible is clear through the Apostle Paul that we should not marry an unbeliever. The reason for this prohibition is that marriage vows are very important. They are made before God Himself. They are a promise that you and your husband make before Him.
When you marry someone who does not believe in Jesus, you risk losing your faith because the person you married will question it over and over again, and may even try to persuade you out of it. Your faith may be swayed. This is not something that should be taken lightly or done without consideration of all the consequences. It may result in a lot of effort, pain, and loneliness for both of you as a couple.
Giving God more power
If you are already married to someone who does not share the same faith, you can no longer change that. You cannot just separate from your husband, but the good news is that God is powerful, so don’t lose hope! God is with you in this situation and will help you find a way forward to continue your marriage.
It is important to remember that even when you feel like you have married the wrong person, God can still help us move forward with the choices we make. It may be hard to imagine how God can help you through this situation, but it is possible. He will give you the strength and courage to continue your marriage, even though it is difficult. God has a plan. That plan can be a part of something even greater than you can imagine. Trust in Him.
2. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 (NIV)
Yes! There is pain in a marriage when your husband is not spiritually on the same page as you, but that does not mean that you should give up on him and divorce him, for that is not the will of God.
I understand how this can feel like a huge disappointment and heartbreak for you, but God loves you! And He has many blessings planned for you! Just because your husband isn’t on the same spiritual level as you right now doesn’t mean that he won’t ever get there.
Follow the will of God
God’s will for you is to be happy, healthy, prosperous, and safe. It is also His desire that we are free from sin, and that includes your husband.
You have a right to pray for your husband’s salvation without any reservations. You are not sinning by doing so because God has made it possible for you and other people to pray for their loved ones without violating any of His commandments. Remember what is stated in 1 John 5:14 (NIV): “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” So take heart, for God hears your prayer.
3. Acts 4:12 (NIV)
In the Bible, Peter is quoted as saying that salvation is found in no one but Jesus Christ, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.
This means that there’s only one way to get into heaven, not through good works or by being a good person. It is through Jesus Christ and his death on the cross which paid the price for our sins so that we could be forgiven and accepted into God’s kingdom.
Even so, do not be discouraged if your husband hasn’t accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior yet. Jesus can change the hearts of people through the Holy Spirit. It is not by your own effort that your husband will be saved but by the power of God. God is full of grace, such that even the worst decisions we have made can turn into something beautiful that will glorify Him.
Be filled with Faith
As a believer, you and your husband may have different views on the truth of God or even on what it means to be a Christian. You can’t force him to believe in God or Christianity, but you can keep yourself filled with faith. The more faith you have and the more love you show for your husband, the more likely he will want to know how he can experience that same peace.
If your husband isn’t interested in changing his beliefs right now because he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with them (or if he’s not willing to try anything out of fear), don’t worry about it. Simply spend time praying for him every day so that his heart will be softened towards Christ when the right time comes.
4. Romans 1:14 (NIV)
This is Paul talking to the people of Rome. He is eager to share the good news about Jesus to as many as possible. In the same way, you have the responsibility to have a heart like Paul when it comes to sharing the Gospel with your husband.
If you know that your husband is not a believer, but you want him to be, you can use this responsibility as a motivation to start sharing your faith with him. Your husband needs you to be the “Paul”—someone who seeks him out when he is lost or struggling with sin; someone who helps him see how much God loves him and wants him to come home; someone who is willing to sacrifice themselves for their husband’s salvation.
Love and Commitment to Your Husband
Marriage is a journey, so don’t give up on your husband when the road gets rough. You don’t get married and then sit back and coast. You have to work at it and fight for it. You must be willing to do whatever it takes to make it work because that’s what marriage is: a commitment between two people willing to work together, fight together, and grow together.
Prayer for the non-believer husband:
Heavenly Father,
I am well aware of your great and all-knowing power. You know my husband’s heart. I come to you with a humbled and surrendered heart. I raise my husband to you. May his heart be changed, and may he accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior because I know this is your will for Him.
I also ask, Dear God, that You give me the strength to be more patient and forgiving, loving and kind, understanding and compassionate, and supportive and devoted to my husband. I give thanks to You for hearing my prayers.
I am confident that I can be a vessel through which the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be communicated to my husband. However, I pray that I will have the wisdom to know the right time, place, and manner in which to communicate this wonderful truth with him. Please, prepare his heart to accept the gift of salvation, and then let the work of the Holy Spirit reign in his life.
All of these things I ask, in the name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, Amen.
Conclusion
The Bible gives us guidance and instruction on how you should pray for your non-believing husband. You should never forget that the power of God is limitless and that He would never ignore your prayers because He is constantly listening. You have already made a huge step toward loving him more as a wife and partner by praying confidently and consistently for his salvation. This is an important step that you have already taken.
God is the one who saves us. It is God who gives us the strength to overcome. It is God who gives us power over sin and temptation. God has a plan for every one of us, and He wants us to follow his commandments so that we can be blessed in this life, be saved from all evil, have hope in hard times, have strength when we’re weak (Romans 8:28), and follow His will for our lives.