Day Five: His Affection

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her,

and likewise also the wife to her husband.

- I Corinthians 7:3

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Lord, I pray for open physical affection between my husband and me. Enable each of us to lay aside self-consciousness or apathy and be effusive in our display of love. Help us to demonstrate how much we care for and value each other. Remind us throughout each day to affectionately touch one another in some way. Help us to not be cold, undemonstrative, uninterested or remote. Enable us to be warm, tender, compassionate, loving and adoring. Break through any hardheadedness on our part that refuses to change and grow. If one of us is less affectionate to the other's detriment, bring us into balance.
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Where any lack of affection has planted a negative view of marriage in our children, or taught them an incorrect way of relating to a marriage partner, help us to model the right way so that they can observe it. Show us how to openly confess our errors to them and demonstrate our commitment to live differently.
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Change our habits of indifference or busyness. May we not take each other for granted that we don't make the effort to reach out and touch one another with affection. Help us not to weaken the marriage through neglect of this vital means of communication. I pray that we always "greet one another with a kiss of love" (I Peter 5:14). I know that only the transforming power of the Holy Spirit can make changes that last. I trust You to transform us and make us the husband and wife You called us to be.* In Jesus' name I pray these things, Amen.
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Let each of you look out not only for his own interests,

but also for the interests of others.

- Philippians 2:4

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His left hand is under my head,

and his right hand embraces me.

- Song of Solomon 2:6

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*Make this prayer your own! From the book, The Power of a Praying Wife. Ordering information is at the bottom of the page.
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Today's prayer for your children: Establishing an Eternal Future