Men may not realize this, but a large percentage of women in relationships are worried that the men in their lives haven’t got what it takes to lead a family, spiritually, with an equally large number of married women finding that their husbands haven’t or no longer have personal prayer lives. And this can be very unsettling for a woman looking up to her man for spiritual leadership within the home. Indeed, many women are now realizing that the very passionate youth leader they are in love with, the handsome young man in the church who’s organizing and mobilizing youths and holding great meetings, hasn’t got a relationship with the Lord outside of the church.

But this isn’t just about the men. Many women have equally been overtaken by the ministry of “much serving”. But for the man, however, the responsibility of leading the home makes it crucial to spend time at the Master’s feet.

Serving God, of course, has its rewards, and we can sometimes get caught up in these activities, especially when people are being blessed and egging us on that we forget to service our relationship with the Master. However, we need to remember that we are only as effective in public as we are in private, although sometimes, the people’s hunger can move the Lord to act and for miracles to take place despite our failures. But even then, the Lord expects us to develop our faith and the anointing within us for our everyday life if we are to please Him, for, without faith, it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6.

A man who refuses to provide seed for his family, physically or spiritually, indirectly shortchanges himself.

Now, seed in this context will mean different things to different people. Still, when we refuse to release what God has put in us for others, we not only deprive those people of the provision that God has made available for them through us, we equally deny ourselves of the blessing that comes with our obedience to God.

Alas, many wives have had to take on their husband’s role in the prayer closet lest the enemy takes advantage of the lack of prayer cover in the home because the head of the family is, sadly, too busy to pray, and in some cases, doesn’t know how to. And if truth be told, nothing makes a woman feel more vulnerable than a man who doesn’t know what to do in a crisis.

One, the bible says, will chase a thousand and two, tens of thousands, and that’s what women really want-they want their husbands to come on board with them in the place of prayer; they want them to be strong, not just physically, but also spiritually.

Women don’t need their men to recite the whole Bible by heart, but they want them to know the word, to be able to pray effectively.

Culled from Let the Men Arise (Chapter 14-Heart to Heart)