How to pray for your wife: 10 things to pray, with verses and a 7-day plan

To pray for your wife, set aside a few minutes each day, use her name, and pray for specific things: her walk with God, her peace and rest, her health, her work, her friendships, her as a mother if she is one, and your marriage. Use Scripture as your words, tell her you're praying, and sometimes pray with her out loud. Here is a short prayer to start today: "Lord, thank you for [name]. Draw her close to you. Give her rest and joy today, keep her safe, and help me love her the way Christ loves his church. Amen."

Below: why it matters, a 5-minute way to pray, ten things to pray with a verse and a prayer for each, a 7-day plan, a full prayer, how to pray with her, prayers for hard seasons, and mistakes to avoid.

Why pray for your wife?

The New Testament gives husbands one large charge: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25, WEB). Christ's love for his church includes prayer. He prayed for his disciples by name and still "lives forever to make intercession" for his people (Hebrews 7:25). Praying for your wife is one of the most direct ways to love her like that, and it is something no one else can do in quite the same place.

Peter adds a line many husbands miss: "You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman... as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered" (1 Peter 3:7, WEB). Two things follow. Praying for her well means knowing her: what she's carrying, what she's afraid of, what she hopes for. And how you treat her affects your own prayers. Praying for your wife and honoring her belong together.

There's a quieter reason too. It is very hard to stay cold toward someone you pray for every day. Prayer changes the one who prays.

How to pray for your wife in 5 minutes

1. Thank God for her (1 minute). Name two or three specific things: the way she listened last night, how she handled a hard call, the laugh she has. "Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of the LORD" (Proverbs 18:22, WEB).
2. Ask what she's carrying (1 minute). Think about her day. What is on her mind? If you don't know, that tells you something: ask her tonight.
3. Pray for one or two things from the list below (2 minutes). Use her name and a verse.
4. Pray for yourself as her husband (1 minute). Ask for patience, attention and humility. Ask God to show you one way to serve her today.

Five minutes before you leave for work, on the drive, or after she's asleep. Pick one time and keep it. If you're building a daily habit from scratch, how to have a consistent prayer life has a simple way to make it stick.

10 things to pray for your wife, with verses

1. Her relationship with God

Verse: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend... and to know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge" (Ephesians 3:17-19, WEB).

Pray: "Lord, let [name] know how much you love her, not as an idea but in her heart. Draw her to your word and give her time with you, even in a full day. Let her faith be her own and growing."

2. Peace and rest

Verse: "It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil, for he gives sleep to his loved ones" (Psalm 127:2, WEB).

Pray: "Give [name] rest. Quiet her mind at night. Where she's carrying too much, show me what I can take off her. Guard her heart and mind with your peace." See also our prayer for peace of mind.

3. Her health

Verse: "He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might" (Isaiah 40:29, WEB).

Pray: "Keep [name] healthy and strong. Protect her body, give her energy for her days, and wisdom about caring for herself. Give her doctors skill when she needs them." If she is ill now, our guide on how to pray for someone who is sick has prayers from diagnosis to recovery.

4. Her work and calling

Verse: "Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us. Establish the work of our hands for us" (Psalm 90:17, WEB).

Pray: "Bless the work of [name]'s hands, whether at home, in an office or anywhere else. Give her favor with the people she works with, wisdom in hard decisions, and joy in what she does. Show her the gifts you've given her and how to use them."

5. Her friendships

Verse: "Exhort one another, and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11, WEB).

Pray: "Give [name] friends who love you and love her, who make her laugh and tell her the truth. Where she feels lonely, bring the right people. Help me make room for those friendships."

6. As a mother (if she is one)

Verse: "Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her" (Proverbs 31:28, WEB).

Pray: "Give [name] patience and joy with our children. On the long days, renew her strength. Let her know she's doing well, and help me be a real partner, not a helper she has to direct." For praying over the kids themselves, see how to pray for your children.

7. Protection

Verse: "The LORD will keep you from all evil. He will keep your soul. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in" (Psalm 121:7-8, WEB).

Pray: "Keep [name] safe on the road, at work, online, wherever she goes today. Protect her from harm, from lies about who she is, and from anything that would pull her away from you."

8. Wisdom

Verse: "She opens her mouth with wisdom. Kind instruction is on her tongue" (Proverbs 31:26, WEB).

Pray: "Give [name] wisdom for the decisions in front of her: ___. Help her hear your voice. And help me listen to her; she often sees what I miss."

9. Joy and confidence

Verse: "Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come" (Proverbs 31:25, WEB).

Pray: "Let [name] know her worth comes from you, not from how much she gets done or how she looks. Free her from comparison. Give her real joy and the freedom to laugh at the days ahead."

10. Your marriage

Verse: "A threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12, WEB).

Pray: "Lord, be the third strand in our marriage. Keep us close, honest and kind with each other. Show me where I've hurt her and give me the courage to make it right. Help us forgive quickly and laugh often."

A 7-day plan to pray for your wife

The "do one thing" column matters. "Faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself" (James 2:17, WEB). Prayer for your wife that never changes how you treat her is missing half of itself.

A full prayer for your wife

Father, thank you for [name]. Thank you for the day you brought us together and for every year since. Thank you for her ___, her ___, and the way she ___.

Draw her close to you. Let her know your love in a way she can feel today. Give her time in your word and peace in her heart.

Bless her work and her plans. Give her wisdom for ___. Keep her healthy and safe. When she's tired, give her rest. When she's anxious, give her your peace. When she feels alone, send her a friend, and let me be one.

Lord, make me the husband she needs. Help me love her as Christ loves the church: patiently, humbly, without keeping score. Show me where I've been careless with her heart, and help me make it right. Teach me to listen before I fix. Let our home be a place of kindness.

Protect our marriage from pride, distraction and anything that would come between us. Keep us one.

In Jesus' name, amen.

How to pray with your wife

Many couples find praying together harder than praying alone. It feels exposed. That's normal, and it gets easier quickly.

• Start very small. Thirty seconds, holding hands, before dinner or at bedtime. "Lord, thank you for today. Help us with tomorrow. Amen." That's enough to begin.
• Ask before you pray. "What can I pray for you about?" Then pray for exactly that, using her words. It tells her you heard.
• Bless her out loud. Put a hand on her shoulder and pray a short blessing: "The LORD bless you, and keep you. The LORD make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. The LORD lift up his face toward you, and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26, WEB).
• Take turns, or one of you prays one night and the other the next. Silence is fine.
• Don't preach in your prayer. A prayer that says "help her see she's wrong about the budget" is a speech, not a prayer. Pray for her, not at her.
• Use a guided prayer if words don't come. Read one aloud together. Our guided prayer script works for two.

What to pray for your wife in hard seasons

After a baby

Pray for sleep, healing, help and patience, and watch for more than tiredness. "Lord, give [name] rest and strength. Heal her body. Send help. Let her know she's not alone, and show me how to carry more." If she seems hopeless, can't sleep even when the baby does, or says she feels numb or frightening thoughts, gently encourage her to call her doctor. The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline answers 24/7 at 1-833-852-6262 (call or text). Postpartum depression is common and treatable; it's not a lack of faith.

Grief or loss

Whether it's a parent, a friend, or a pregnancy, don't rush her. "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart" (Psalm 34:18, WEB). Pray: "Lord, be near to [name]. Let her grieve honestly. Help me sit with her without trying to fix it."

Illness

"Lord, heal [name]. Give her doctors wisdom. Give her courage for each appointment and peace while she waits. Give me strength to care for her and our home." Pray with her before appointments if she wants that.

After a fight

Jesus said to make things right before bringing your gift to God (Matthew 5:23-24). So pray first for yourself: "Lord, show me my part." Then go and apologize for it, without a "but." Then pray for her: "Lord, heal what we've hurt. Help us understand each other. Don't let the sun go down on our anger" (Ephesians 4:26).

When she feels distant

"Lord, I don't know what's wrong, and I'm afraid to ask. Give me the courage to ask gently and to listen to whatever she says. Show me what I've missed. Draw us back together." Then ask her, at a calm time, and listen without defending yourself. Consider seeing a Christian marriage counselor together; it's a sign of care, not failure.

When she doesn't share your faith

Paul writes to believers married to unbelievers: "how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?" (1 Corinthians 7:16, WEB). Pray for her daily, love her well, and don't pressure her. "Lord, draw [name] to yourself in your time. Let her see you in how I treat her. Keep me from preaching and help me live it."

When you're the one struggling

Job loss, depression, temptation, anger: whatever it is, it affects her too. Pray for her, and tell her the truth about where you are. If anger is coming out as threats, shoving or control, get help now; the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) also helps people who want to change how they act, and its line is for anyone who is afraid at home, men included.

Mistakes to avoid

• Praying for a different wife. "Make her more ___" usually means "make her more like what I want." Pray for who God is making her, not for your own version.
• Praying instead of apologizing. If you owe her an apology, prayer is not a substitute. Matthew 5:23-24 puts reconciliation first.
• Only praying in a crisis. Ordinary days are where the habit is built.
• Keeping it vague. "Bless my wife" is a start. "Give her patience for the 3 p.m. meeting with her manager" is love.
• Never telling her. Many wives say it means a lot to hear "I prayed for you today, about ___." Tell her sometimes.
• Never asking. 1 Peter 3:7 says "according to knowledge." Ask her what to pray for.

Common questions

What is a short prayer for my wife?

"Lord, thank you for [name]. Draw her close to you, give her rest and joy today, keep her safe, and help me love her well. Amen."

What Bible verse can I pray over my wife?

Numbers 6:24-26 ("The LORD bless you, and keep you...") is a good one to pray aloud over her. Ephesians 3:16-19 is a deeper prayer for her faith. Proverbs 31:25-26 is a prayer for strength and wisdom.

How often should I pray for my wife?

Every day is a good goal, even if it's one minute. A set time, like your commute, makes it easier to keep.

Should I tell my wife I'm praying for her?

Yes, sometimes, and be specific about what you prayed. It shows you're paying attention to her life.

What if my wife and I don't pray together?

Start with 30 seconds before a meal, or ask her once what you can pray for. Don't force it. Keep praying for her on your own either way.

How do I pray for my wife when we're not getting along?

Start with yourself: ask God to show you your part, and go make it right. Then pray for her good, not for her to come around to your side. If it goes on, see a counselor together.

Pray the short prayer at the top for her tonight, and ask her one question tomorrow: "What can I pray for you about?" If you'd like a daily time with God to pray from, our daily prayer reads Scripture to you and guides ten minutes, including time for the people you love: play day 1 free, or answer a few questions to build your 40-day prayer plan. More on praying for others in how to pray for someone, and in our prayer guides.

Sources

Scripture: World English Bible (public domain), eBible.org. National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, HRSA (mchb.hrsa.gov). National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org). Pages read for this guide: Christianity.com, "How Can I Pray for My Wife?"; Desiring God, "Ten Ways to Pray for Your Wife"; SYMBIS, "10 Ways to Pray for Your Wife".