7Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
1 Peter 3:7
If you are married (as I recently became), there’s a special concern for you in regards to prayer. How we treat our spouses affects our prayer life!
1 Corinthians 11:3 points out a “chain of command” that illustrates the effect on prayer:
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
1 Corinthians 11:3
How a husband treats his wife is how he is asking God to treat him.
Let’s look at the Unforgiving Debtor to see this illustrated. The lord was
“was moved with compassion” (Matthew 18:27) and treated the unforgiving servant kindly. Until the unforgiving servant cast the other servant into prison until that debt was paid (Matthew 18:30). That action changed the attitude of the lord towards the unforgiving servant (sent him “to the tormentors”) for the same length of time as the unforgiving servant was to the other servant (til the debt was paid) (Matthew 18:34).
If I want God’s blessing – how should I treat my wife?
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Luke 16:38
Piper notes that Peter is teaching “not that praying helps us live right, but that living right helps us pray.”
MacArthur gives 3 practical tips on how to care for your wife: Be Considerate, Be Chivalrous, and Be a Companion.
