I came to an impasse, I want my man to open up to me, but I want to correct him when what he tells me shocks me. I long for him to open up to me and spill his inner most thoughts and feelings with me. Unfortunately, he was not raised to be such a man and to top it off told me that he tries to tell me things but the way I respond and react makes him to NOT want to tell me anything. OUCH!
I waited until late one night and cried out for help.
Lord help me be more respectful and tolerant towards ___. To not pressure him to agree with me. I ask that you help me make him feel safe, so he will start talking to me. Keep me from criticizing and / or rejecting ___'s thoughts and ideas. Open my heart so I listen with a nonjudgmental and honoring attitude.
I long to be patient with him. Cause me to focus on understanding ___ rather than on winning arguments with him, accepting him unconditionally, and responding to his emotional pain with physical affection (rather than words).
I am asking for the tools to encourage him to process pain and pursue the healing that, you offer him. Hold me still so I give ___ time and space to walk through his thoughts rather than trying to force him to answer my questions right away.
Make me patient and accepting when ___ risks sharing his thoughts and feelings with me, cause me to listen to ___ more than I talk to him about what he knows or does best.
I want to come alongside him, cause me to give him the freedom to choose to continue or end His conversations with me, and allow me to speak to his heart.
Hold my tongue if I am talking too much and listening too little. Help me overcome the sinful attitudes of me dominating ___, acting as if I am superior to him, wallowing in self-pity, carrying around resentment and bitterness towards him, or struggling with dark or evil thoughts towards him.
Lord, I give my marriage to you. I invite the Holy Spirit to usher in the healing and forgiveness that we need for a better relationship and better conversations. In Jesus name I pray Amen.
This is great! We all need to be more attuned to what God wants us to say in conversations, rather just assuming we know what needs to be said.