Ep383. Hindrance to Prayer.
Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
I am taken aback by Peter’s instruction when he says to me,
Husbands, be considerate and treat your wives with respect . . .
as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life,
so that nothing will hinder your prayers (1 Pet 3:7).
Hinder my prayers? I thought prayer was between me and God, not between me and God and my wife.
I experience lots of hindrances to prayer. Laziness is near the top. How much easier to watch YouTube or read a novel than pray. In fact, if you want a good mystery story, my wife and I are enjoying The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. But I am distracted. Back to prayer.
I hinder my prayers by scrolling social media or puttering around the house or listening to great worship music. And now, Peter adds, by not being careful how I treat my wife.
Peter and Paul tell wives to submit. Bible interpreters wrap themselves in knots trying to explain, or explain away, what that means. The Message Bible and the Voice don’t even use the word submit when they say how a Christian marriage should work.
For me, the work of marriage starts with Peter’s warning. If I’m not considerate and respectful, if I don’t treat my wife as an equal heir of salvation, my prayer life will disintegrate.
What do you think? Is Peter preaching to me? Or is he meddling in my private life? Why doesn’t my prayer life depend on my theology? Or on a high view of scripture? Or on agreement with Peter’s patriarchal view of relationships?
Nope. Out of nowhere, he hits me with a rule of life. If you want to pray, he says, have sympathy with your wife’s difficulties in life and health. Respect her. Honor her. Lose your sense of male superiority and entitlement. Be careful of her preferences and interests.
Your prayer life depends on it.
Let’s pray.
O father, you created Eve as a companion for Adam. But how little we moderns understand companionship.
Today you do not question my theology, but my behavior, how I treat my wife, my companion and partner. Are you suggesting that what I do is more important than what I say I believe?
Like the parable of the sheep and goats. You sent away those who said, “We preached and prophesied and did miracles.” You welcomed those who fed the hungry and helped the poor.
Help me to lose my culture of privilege. Help me treat all your children with honor and respect, until I can pray wisely and graciously, without hindrance.
Amen.
I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.
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