When my husband was in his last year in high school, there was a sudden fire in the dormitories. Sadly, some of his schoolmates lost their lives. I didn’t realize the impact this trauma had on him until later.
I felt a strong urge to pray that he is released from any residue effects of this fire. Recently I asked how he felt about it, and he told me that he wasn’t afraid of a fire anymore or losing his children to a fire.
Your husband may not share some of these details especially if they don’t know their impact on their childhood and early adulthood, but it is important to pray over his past in detail.
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Some of the things you need to cover in prayer are:
- That he forgives his father and mother
- Pray that he forgives people who have hurt him in the past
- That he is healed from childhood trauma
- Pray that his bond with his previous sexual partner/s is broken
Bible verses about the past with scripture prayers for your husband:
When your husband has been discouraged by the past
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
Lord, help my husband stop dwelling on the past and give him hope to look at the new thing you are doing. Make a way in the wilderness for him, and create streams in the wasteland, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
When your husband has been sinful and lawless
Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
Hebrews 10:17 NIV
My good and wonderful Lord, forgive my husband and remember his sin no more, In Jesus’ Name
When your husband is hateful and malicious
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Ephesians 4:31 NIV
My Father in heaven, help my husband to get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling and slander along with every form of malice in Jesus’ Name.
When your husband is dwelling on the past:
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 NIV
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.
Proverbs 4:25 NIV
Dear Lord, help my husband to stop dwelling on his past failure and/or success, and help him to focus on his goal, to do what you have called him to do, in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer Prompts for Your Husband’s Past:
Use this prayer pointers to help you pray over your husband’s pasts. Feel free to change up words to suit your needs.
1. Pray that he forgives his father and mother.
Ephesians 6:2-3 tells us to honour our father and mother so that all may go well with us. It would be difficult for your husband to honour his parents while holding onto the mistakes that they have made.
Heavenly Father you are an all-loving and forgiving God. I ask that you give my husband the ability to forgive his father and mother. Show him where he holds any grudges against them and help him let go. I pray that as he forgives them, you release him from whatever stronghold developed as a result of his difficult relationship with his parents. Help his parents forgive him as well and restore a lovely and peaceful relationship between parents and son. Give my husband a father’s blessing and help him honour his parents so that all may go well with him in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Marriage Notebook
2. Pray that he forgives all the people who hurt him in the past
Mark 11: 25 says that before we pray, we need to first forgive those who have wronged us. Pray that your husband can forgive people who’ve hurt him in the past and that he can release all the negative feelings associated with them. Pray also that God forgives your husband.
My Father in heaven, you are merciful and slow to anger, I pray that you give my husband a heart like yours. Forgiving and merciful. Help him forgive anyone he hasn’t and release him from the bondage that comes with unforgiveness. Renew his mind and create in him a new heart. May your peace envelop his mind all his days in Jesus’ Name. Amen
Marriage Notebook
3. Pray that he is healed from childhood and early adulthood trauma:
Psalms 34:18 says that the Lord is close to the broken-hearted. Your husband could have gone through very hurtful things in childhood. Maybe he was abandoned, abused, neglected, or traumatized by difficult events. Trauma can depress your husband or cause other mental issues in your husband’s life. You can submit these issues to God, and trust that He will save him and help him overcome all the pain, guilt and burden that comes with trauma. Pray also that he seeks professional help if he needs it.
4. Pray that he’s bond with sexual partners in the past is broken
1 Corinthians 6:16,18 says that sexual sin affects our own body. Sexual sin in itself brings potent addictive evil spirits with it, which makes it even more obsessive and hard to come off. If your husband has fornicated or was adulterous in the past, pray that the spiritual and emotional ties he may have with the past partner/s are broken in Jesus’ Name never to return. Pray that he also overcomes the habit of infidelity, pornography, intrusive sexual thoughts and any other form of sexual obsessions he may have.
Heavenly Father, I commit my husband’s past sexual life in your hands. Forgive him for fornicating and/or adultery and heal him from any memories, ties and spiritual bonds associated with his past life. If he is struggling with any intrusive thoughts or maladaptive behaviour as a result of living in sin, I pray that you bring every thought captive and break every sinful behaviour pattern. Lord, renew my husband’s mind and purify his heart in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Marriage Notebook
5. Pray that he overcomes guilt about his past sins
Proverbs 28:13 says that we need to confess our sins for us to prosper, give them up and God will show us mercy. Pray that your husband confesses the sins he has committed in the past to God so that he can move on from them.
Father, you have said in your word that if we confess our sins, you are faithful and will forgive us and cleanse us from our sins. I pray that you give my husband a remorseful heart. Bring every sin that needs repentance to his mind, and help him confess it. Forgive him for his sin and help him believe that you have set him free in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Marriage Notebook
Other suggested prayer points about your husband’s past:
- Pray that he can overcome self defeating habits and behaviors from the past
- Pray that he can move on from past failures such as bad deals, failed businesses or jobs, losses, wrong choices, etc
- Pray that he can come to terms with losing close loved ones
- If your husband was previously married, pray that he has a healthy relationship with his ex-wife and children.
- If your husband suffered an accident, injury, or illness in the past, pray that he recovers from injuries or side effects developed as a result.