A tremendous and practical book
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If you’d asked me, I probably would’ve told you that when it comes to praying I thought I was not in too bad a shape. And then I came upon this book*.
My first surprise about “Prayers of an Excellent Wife” by Andrew Case is that it isn’t a book to read from start to finish. It isn’t a how–to manual. It’s a tremendous and practical book based upon the premise that we can be led in prayer by reading, meditating upon and praying out Scripture for our husbands – and that this is far and away the most practical and excellent thing we can do for him at all.
So, Day One, I found the bible reference on the first page and I read it. Psalms. One whole chapter – which for this waning mum at 6am is pretty good going. I started to pray my way through some of the verses and…. they sang out to me. I woke up. I could see my error, God’s goodness and His promises. This book had reminded me that the Bible is alive – because it’s author is alive. I turned to the book itself and prayed through the prayer putting Mr. M’s name in place of where it read ‘my husband’. I don’t know what I expected – not lightning flashing from the sky – but somehow I felt that I had truly spoken about him and been truly listened to. I was comforted.
I can’t pretend this book is not a challenge. I do love the numerous quotes from so many Christian heavyweights exhorting the beauty, sufficiency and importance of prayer but they showed me that the pathetic 15 mins I might spend praying in the morning, patting myself on the back if Mr. M so much as got a mention, was really a pretty lame show. In fact I might even have been a little bit offended… Have I really been lavishing grace and love on my husband in prayer, as the person I am foremost committed to in my life? Yes – even if he doesn’t “deserve” it?! Jesus would.
I do recommend this as a kind of rough guide if it’s your will to bless and do good to your husband and enrich your prayer time. It’s my plan to hold on to Mr. M and my marriage until the day that Jesus calls me home, even when it’s like the Cold War around here (that’s the last four days). I don’t mind telling you that although he’s fantastic, we will always need help to love one another as Jesus does – and a tiny part of that is surely here in this book. Be an excellent wife and put it on your Christmas list.
