I always saw “Godly marriages”. It was nothing new. I saw strong men that was loved, respected, and supported by his wife. And the husbands adored and protected their wives and family. These were the examples that I saw and wanted to pattern my marriage after.
From what I could tell, the husbands understood their wives and the wives spoke the same language as their husbands. I had no idea what that process looked like, but It’s safe to say that each marriage had its own specific journey. So on January 2, 2009, I began my journey with my wife and there were some things for me to learn…
Little did I know I was marrying a woman that operated strongly in the prophetic realm. To be quite honest, she was growing in her awareness of that as well. There were times that she would hear from the Lord and she would admonish me to change an action or bring to my attention she was aware of a situation and I thought she was being controlling or a know it all.
My misinterpretation was a big point of contention in our marriage. It wasn’t until a couple of years into the marriage that I began to seek an understanding of her gift.
What I realize is that many marriage forums are aimed at being equally yoked and like-minded; however, rarely have I heard of any valiant efforts to understand each other’s gifts and strengths spiritually as well as naturally. So in an effort to pay it forward, here’s what I learned from being married to a prophetic person:
1. The gift of prophecy/office of the prophet carries a heavy burden.
There are times when the prophetic individual experiences correction for others and the prophet doesn’t want to be perceived as judgmental; they battle with saying what they see because they don’t want to offend.
2. Prophetic individuals are super-sensitive to the supernatural realm.
This is important to understand as it relates to environments and relationship building. A prophetic individual’s ability to exist in certain environments may seem limited, but it’s because of the things that they are discerning in the spirit realm that may be “off”.
3. Prophetic individuals pray ALOT!
I mention this because it seemed kind of odd to me that my wife would start praying randomly while driving in the car or in a movie theatre. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not a weirdo that walks around praying obtusely in public, but I’ve noticed that with her and others, their prayer life is quite robust!
4. A prophetic individual’s tone and presence is often very strong.
When they speak, it’s with the full weight and glory of the Lord. (Let that sink in for a minute.) Because they have been in the presence of God so much during prayer, they carry His countenance on them tremendously.
5. Prophetic individuals are very watchful and perceptive, often picking up on things that are uncommon and overlooked. My wife will see the cause of something before the outcome is even revealed.
I highlight just a few elements of prophetic people in an effort to help someone that is married to a person with these gifts. The burden of that gift is heavy and the spouse must understand that reality and do everything possible to undergird them in love, truth, prayer, and intimacy. When I started to understand these things, it put my wife at ease and lifted tension from our marriage.
Do everything possible to understand your spouse’s gifts. Accept them without judgment or opinion and help them to develop it. The gift that they have is for your family and God’s kingdom!
