About this episode
Do you often find yourself giving “helpful suggestions” to your husband? Are you silently annoyed with him much of the time? Or have you made a habit of criticizing him either out loud or in your mind? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’ll love this conversation with Ann Wilson, author of How to Speak Life to Your Husband (When All You Want to Do is Yell at Him). Ann brings so much wisdom, humility, and hope to this episode. Prepare to walk away encouraged and challenged in the best way.
How to Speak Life to Your Husband
Ann’s journey toward understanding the power of her words started with what she thought was going to be a normal speaking event alongside her husband, Dave. What she didn’t expect? Dave’s confession to the audience: “Sometimes husbands feel that the moment we walk through the door, our wives are booing us.”
Ouch.
Ann was stunned—and a little defensive. But instead of dismissing it, she asked God a hard question: Am I booing my husband? The answer was yes.
That moment sent her on a path of personal change. She began to see that what she thought was “helping” her husband actually came across as constant correction. As she put it, “God began showing me that I was praying for Dave to change, but God wanted to change me.”
And that’s when everything started to shift.
What’s It Like to Be Married to Me?
Ann started using the reflection question, What’s it like to be married to me? It’s a sobering thought—and a helpful one. She realized her thoughts and internal monologue about Dave had turned negative. “I’d get stuck in this spiral, thinking about all the ways he wasn’t seeing me or showing up.”
But instead of venting or stewing, she sensed God nudging her: What would happen if you prayed for him as much as you complained about him?
That one question was a game-changer.
She started to notice how even her everyday speech had
