Being married to an unbelieving spouse can be extremely difficult. I know because I’ve been there. Years after my ex-husband and I were married, I gave my life to the Lord. The second I did, our marriage suddenly changed and it was a challenge. All of the sudden, I had new desires….a desire to please the Lord, a desire to not sin, a desire to do what is right, and yet his desires, stayed the same.
It immediately caused a huge rift between us. An unspoken wall that separated us that we both could feel. All the sudden, we were on different sides of eternity, and we knew it.
But the books of the Bible and Scriptures are clear. In such cases, we don’t divorce. We are to remain married to the unbeliever after we accept Christ into our hearts.
While there are clear reasons that God allows for divorce, us becoming a Christian and our husband not giving his life to the Lord is not one of them. So, I remained married, and prayed my guts out.
Many of the prayers I prayed using these verses are listed below. I hope you find comfort in them as I did during that harsh season of my life with a wayward spouse and if you’d like to read more on how to live with an unbelieving spouse, check out this article here.
30 Days of Prayer for Your Unbelieving Husband
You can download a printable binder of these prayers at the bottom of this post…
Day 1: God is in Control {Psalm 9:10}
As the saved spouse in your marriage, it is important to put your full trust in God (Proverbs 3:5-6), not in yourself or in your unsaved spouse. God alone is in full control at all times (Job 42:2). He does not sleep or get weary of watching over you and protecting you (Isaiah 40:28). He cares for you and your burdens are incredibly important to Him (Psalm 55:22).
Day 2: The Best Thing You Can Do For Your Husband {Mark 11:24}
If you are Christian and you pray, the Lord is sure to answer every single prayer you pray. His answer may be wait, no, maybe, or yes, but every prayer is answered. Although your answers may not always be what you want, we know that the Lord does answer all prayers in His own way and in His timing and He will answer this prayer of yours too (James 5:16)!
Day 3: Stay Close to the Lord {Psalm 145:18}
The Lord will be with you and near you when you pray (Psalm 34:18). So continue praying faithfully for you and your husband’s relationship, for his salvation, and for him to see and desire Christ! Your prayers are powerful; never stop praying!
Day 4: Only God Can Save Your Spouse, Not You {John 14:6}
The only thing that can save your husband is Jesus, not you. Remember you do not control your husband’s salvation- it is in God’s control. Remember to always be found putting your husband’s salvation in His hands, not your own and therefore, win him without a word (1 Peter 3:1).
Day 5: Trust in the Lord {Proverbs 3:5-6}
The Lord has allowed this situation to happen for your good (Romans 8:28). It is important for you to put all of your trust in Him. God does not make mistakes. Do not just count on yourself. Seek the Lord with all your heart and He will direct your path (Psalm 37:23, Matthew 6:33)!
Day 6: Love Your Husband {Genesis 2:24}
When you married your husband, you became one. You may feel like it is hard to love your unbelieving spouse, but you made a commitment to him. Today, I’d encourage you to ask God to help you love your spouse in a new and exciting way, a way that glorifies Christ and strengthens your faith in your relationship with Him.
Day 7: Living With Your Husband {1 Corinthians 7:39}
Sometimes, you might feel your marriage was a mistake, especially if you came to faith after you got married, like I did. But, God does NOT want you to leave your unbelieving husband. Today, ask Him to help you to desire to stay and grow in your marriage and be content with where He has you. God CAN use this situation for your good and to potentially bring your spouse to a saving faith of Himself.
Day 8: Staying with an Unbeliever – Your Kids Will Be Okay {1 Corinthians 7:10-16}
Today is a great day to ask for help in being strong in your relationship with your husband. Ask God to help you to be a positive Christian influence to your children or any you might have in the future. Your being a believer is a great asset to those little ones. Use it for the glory of God and teach them all about Him.
Day 9: Don’t Preach {1 Peter 3:1-7}
When you have an unbelieving husband, it can be extremely tempting to tell them all about Jesus and the Bible, especially if you are a new believer! But, most people do not like to be preached at! Rather, win him over without words (1 Peter 3:1). Let the light of the Holy Spirit shine through you, so that your husband sees Christ through your behaviors and actions, ultimately enticing him to believe in God as well.
Day 10: Remember You Are Not Perfect {Romans 3:23}
It can be tempting as the believer to think we are better or holier than our husband. But, we are sinners too! The Bible states, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, in Romans 3:23. Ask God to help you remember that just like your husband, you too are a sinner in desperate need of His grace, mercy, love, and patience.
Day 11: Have Patience {Psalm 27:14}
It can be frustrating praying for your spouse and not seeing results. Maybe you have been praying for days, or maybe you have been praying for many years! But, take heart. God answers all prayers in His perfect timing. Today, ask God to give you the patience while you wait for Him to soften your husband’s heart and work in the situation.
Day 12: Encourage Your Husband {Romans 15:5}
Give your husband gentle encouragement as God gives us. Ask God to help you be an encouragement to your husband and to your whole family today, inspiring them toward godliness.
Day 13: Be a Good Wife {Proverbs 31:10-12}
A wife is the crown of her husband. Be a good wife to your husband and you will both be blessed! Ask the Lord to help you to be a good lifelong spouse, to be more valuable than rubies to him and to show him what’s possible in a redeemed life.
Day 14: Find a Mentor {Titus 2:4-5}
It can be very helpful to find a mentor while you are going through being married to an unbelieving husband. An older Christian woman to help you through your trials and guide you on your journey and pray for you. If you cannot find one in person, there are a lot of groups online. Today, ask God to help you find a strong Christian mentor that you can trust and who can help guide you through your many trials.
Day 15: Look to God for Strength {Psalm 18:39}
If you are trying to do everything in your own power, stop! You never will be able to. You must get your strength from the Lord (Isaiah 40:31). Today, pray for God to give you strength, not just for yourself, but for your husband also, so that he can see God’s power and strength inside of you, a human just like him.
Day 16: Submit to Your Husband {Ephesians 22-25}
You might be wondering if you still need to submit to your husband if he isn’t a Christian. The truth is, yes, both married partners should submit to each other. If he is asking you to sin however (or physically abusing you or something like that), then you need to submit to God first, not your husband and do not let it happen. But, to everyone else, yes, regardless if your husband is Christian or not, it is the wife’s call to submit to her husband, as the church submits to Christ. Today, ask God to help you submit to your husband, even when it is difficult and hard or he doesn’t submit back to you.
Day 17: Speak Kindly {Proverbs 15:1}
Maybe your husband is not only NOT saved, but makes comments against your faith and God. Maybe he tries to undermine you or is hostile toward you and your faith. It can be tempting to lash out at him. But remember, a soft answer turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1). Today, ask God to help you speak kindly and not in anger to your husband.
Day 18: God Will Strengthen You {Isaiah 41:10}
When you feel weak and defeated, remember God is always with you and gives you strength. Ask Christ to help you remember your strength comes not from yourself, but from the Lord. Take comfort that He will strengthen you when you need it and never puts more on you than you can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Day 19: The Holy Spirit Gives You Power {2 Timothy 1:7}
Remember that through the spirit of God living inside of you, you have power! Do not be timid in your prayers (2 Timothy 1:7)! Use your direct connection to God to pray for your husband.
Day 20: Speak With Grace {Colossians 4:6}
Some days it can be hard to speak nicely to your husband. Maybe he is behaving in a way that isn’t Christ-like, which is to be expected, and you may want to be angry and lash out at him. Pray first, and ask the Lord how you can answer him with grace instead. Ask the Lord to help you speak with grace, even when you are angry.
Day 21: Call on the Lord {Jeremiah 29:12-13}
Remember, the Lord is always with you and fully able to help. All you have to do is call on him! Call on Him today to help you remember that even when you FEEL alone, you are never really alone. He is right there with you (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Day 22: A New Heart {Ezekiel 36:26}
It is written in the Bible that God will give us a new heart when we accept Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Today, pray He give your husband a new heart- a heart fully open and receptive to His Word.
Day 23: Do Not Cause Your Husband to Stumble {Romans 14:13}
Something that might not be a problem for you, could very well be a problem for your husband. We all have different temptations. Try to help him towards a path of godliness, while not expecting him to be a godly man. Ask God to help you remove all the stumbling blocks from your husband’s path in order that he find faith and live a life on fire for Christ.
Day 24: Do Not Be Scared {John 14:27}
It can be scary to have an unsaved spouse! You might worry about his soul for all eternity. But, the Lord tells us not to worry and not to be afraid (Matthew 6:34). Ask Christ to help you to put your trust in Him, and help you not to be afraid for your husband and your life together, but to pray fervently for him instead with supplication (Philippians 4:6).
Day 25: Ask the Lord {Matthew 7:7}
When we pray, sometimes we forget to tell the Lord what we want, but the Bible clearly says, “Ask and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7-8). Today, ask God to open your husband’s heart toward receiving Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Ask Him if there’s anything you can do to help aid the process along.
Day 26: Love Bears All Things {1 Corinthians 13:7}
Love bears all things, even an unbelieving husband. Today, ask God to help you endure this trial and to give you a greater capacity of love toward your husband. Ask God to increase your love for him and to guide you of just how exactly to show your husband that you love him.
Day 27: Do Not Lose Heart {Galatians 6:9}
Maybe you have been praying for your husband for a long time, and you are tired. You have grown weary of the stress of being the believing spouse in an unbelieving home and a husband with a hard heart. The temptation to leave God and belong to the world can be strong when you’re going it alone. But, do not lose heart! The Bible says in due time, you will reap good things if you do not grow weary (Galatians 6:9). Ask God to help you stay strong and not grow weary in praying for your husband.
Day 28: Delight in the Lord {Psalm 37:4}
Do you find your joy in the Lord? The Bible tells us that if we delight in Him, He will give you the desires of your heart. The more we love Him, the more we seek His will, the more our desires line up to His. Today, pray that He help you to find your joy in Him, and not in your husband or anyone else in your life. Pray that your desires line up to God’s.
Day 29: Walk in the Way of the Lord {Psalm 119:1}
It can be tempting to stray away from God when you are married to an unbeliever. Maybe your husband does things or participates in activities that are frowned on by God. That does not mean you have to do them as well. Today, ask God to help you walk in His way, according to His precepts, and live a life that is blameless and pleasing to Him, regardless of what your unbelieving spouse’s behavior is (John 15:4-11).
Day 30: Praise the Lord {Psalm 19:4}
Above all else, put the Lord first in your life (Matthew 6:33). Pray for your husband’s salvation, ask God to open his heart. Ask God to consider your prayer (Psalm 19:14).
Download the 30 Days of Prayer For Your Unbelieving Husband Binder here.
