Fairy tales often end with the words, “And they lived happily ever after.” But … if we could see the epilogue to those rides off into the sunset, we’d most likely find daily struggles, potentially divisive decisions and angry arguments sprinkled throughout.

Fairy tales stop short of telling us about tension over whose turn it is to wash the dishes, pay the bills or put the kids to bed. They leave out the part about stress over holidays with in-laws, frequency of intimacy and who gets to spend what, when. We naively repeat the words, “for better or for worse,” and then are shocked when the first hint of “worse” rears its ugly head.

If you’ve been married for more than a few days, you’ve likely figured out that blessed unions need work to stay blessed.

And I dare say, the most important “work” we can do as wives is on our knees before God in prayer. Only God can truly protect our marriages and our men. And He invites us to participate in the unleashing of His power by praying for our husbands and turning the key to the storehouse of heaven’s door for blessings outpoured.

We’ve got to remember: The real struggle in marriage is a spiritual one. Our husbands are not our enemy; the devil is (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).