My Superpower is the Best Superpower

Living in a house with three small boys means I’m surrounded by a lot of superheroes. The Avengers and Justice League are scattered on the floor amidst superhero capes, masks, and costumes. It’s a regular occurrence to hear things like, “I can shoot ice from my hands,” or “My superpower is the best superpower!”

Some days I envy their pretend superpowers. It would be great to teleport (I could visit my family more often.), shoot ice from my hands, or be invincible. But even more than those, I wish I had superpowers to help my husband with his endless pastoral workload. There are tangible ways I can help like typing notes, creating PowerPoint presentations, and proofreading sermons. However, these aren’t the best ways I can help.

The best way I can help my husband in his ministry isn’t by taking on tasks to lighten his load, as important as that is. The best superpower isn’t flying or shooting laser beams from my eyes – it’s prayer. It’s the ability to bring anything and everything before our great and almighty God Who holds everything in His hands.

The apostle Paul reminded the Ephesian church of this very thing, while also asking them to pray for him, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak (Eph 6:18-20 ESV).” Paul needed the prayer support of his church family to do what God called him to do in his ministry, just like my husband needs my prayer support to do his job.

One of my favorite parts of being a pastor’s wife is the precious times of prayer we have together over church matters. My husband knows that he can come to me to get advice and to talk through difficult situations. While those things are helpful, the best part is when we get to the end of the conversation and pray together over it all. God uses those precious times to knit us closer together as a couple and as His servants. It grows our love for each other and for our shared ministry. It brings us peace in the midst of uncertainty and courage to face the unknown.

I admit I don’t always know what to pray. I love what Romans 8:26 (ESV) says, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Even the apostle Paul admits we don’t always know how to pray! He encourages us with the Holy Spirit’s help on our behalf. I have experienced this so many times when I sit down to pray with my husband and have no idea where to begin – then the Holy Spirit gives me the words.

I’ve been challenged recently to be more comprehensive in my personal times of prayer for my husband. I have a tendency to focus in on his felt needs, praying things like, “Dear God, please help Paul today. Give him grace and peace for the day, perseverance to get his work done, and wisdom and discernment about [current difficult situation], Amen.” Those are wonderful things to pray, but there is so much more I can and should be doing!

Two ways I’ve begun stretching myself in those personal times of prayer are by reading Scripture over my husband and using prayer challenges I find online. I love taking a verse from my reading and praying it for him, like Psalm 34:8, “Let Paul taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is Paul when he takes refuge in You.”

I also love using a prayer challenge to remind myself of very important, basic prayers like this one from ibelieve.com, “Pray that your husband would put his relationship with God above all other relationships, including yours. Pray he would have a burning desire to know the Lord more closely and surrender all of his life to God.”

Spending time in prayer for my husband not only blesses him, but grows my relationship with him and with God. Prayer truly is the best superpower because it is real and active and it allows me to access the supernatural power of our great God and bless my husband in ways I never could alone.