A man who paid $50,000 for naked prayer sessions on the advice of "angels" to rid his wife of a curse has told a Sydney court he could not afford the outlay but had no choice.

Tony Golossian, 62, and Arthur Psichogios, 40, have pleaded not guilty to a string of charges mainly relating to sex offences against two women in Sydney between 2001 and 2008.

Frances Psichogios, 38, has pleaded not guilty to charges related to a second woman.

The trio is standing trial at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court, where the husband of one of the alleged victims gave evidence today.

The husband and wife, who cannot be named for legal reasons, trusted Golossian as a respected "holy man" who said that a curse on the woman could only be broken if he (Golossian) prayed over her naked body, the trial has been told.