Gentlemen—Could how we love our wives determine if our prayers will be answered?

According to Scripture there is a direct correlation between how we treat our spouses, and if our prayers are hindered or unhindered. The reason clear.

For starters, Ephesians 5:22 says,

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Husbands often quote this verse out of context as proof their wives must obey them. It’s an important verse, but it must be understood that we are talking about marriage centered on God.

That means there is no room for selfish thinking. Christ had no thought of Himself as He gave His life for the church (for us), and He is our standard.

In fact, it’s so important that we understand the analogy of Christ and His bride the Church, and our relationships with our own wives that the following verse was given to us. In 1 Peter 3:7, we read:

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

This isn’t written for pansy guys or non-Christians. This is for real men, who demand strong, romantic, adventurous marriages, and powerful spiritual lives as they build a close relationship with Christ on a daily basis. They want to be faithful men with fervent prayers that get things done.

But if we don’t treat our wives with respect as the weaker partner and heirs of the gift of life, our prayers are hindered, and it will be impossible to have a solid prayer life. Boom! Sometimes it’s that simple.

Gwen never felt the term “weaker partner” implied she was a weaker person. But as we treat our wives lovingly and with respect, there is no risk that they will feel we are being condescending. Our love and kindness will come through blazing all the way.

We have all heard the term “true love.” What could be truer than the love between a man and a woman with God in the center and Jesus as Lord? We were designed for each other. It’s only natural.

A God-centered marriage is the most exciting and rewarding of all human relationships. God himself designed it that way, because marriage is the reflection of His love for the Church. We are His bride—why would we not want to follow His instructions for loving our wives?

If we desire a close walk with Christ, which means we need to be able to communicate with Him, we had better do the right thing by our wives. It’s just that important to God.