In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered (1 Peter 3:7, NLT).
Obviously, this passage describes a husband’s relationship with his wife. Note: how the husband treats his wife impacts the success of his prayers.
I don’t want prayers hindered in my life, in my relationship with my wife and family, with my job, and in my ministry. Yet, Peter writes that according to our relationship with our wives – this will be the measure of the success of our prayers!
It is too easy to get the trees mixed up with the forest with phrases like “weaker than you” and that may be true physically, but my wife is often stronger than I am spiritually and psychologically.
The Bible says that our wives are an “equal partner” in our new life with Jesus. I know that without my partner, in my times of stress as a pastor… without Barbara’s prayers and encouragement… I wouldn’t have found victory.
Realizing that my well-being as a pastor and follower of Jesus had a lot to do with my relationship with my wife, I developed a strategy to pray for my wife years back…
- I set aside time each Monday morning to pray for Barbara. Every Monday for forty-five years.
- One of my prayers is that I can “understand” her thoughts, feelings, and ways – difficult for me and most husbands but needed for a successful marriage.
- I also pray for her ministries and occupation. As a pastor I have never wanted my wife to just be a shadow to my calling, but fully developing her own calling and gifting with Jesus.
- I ask God what I can do for her in the upcoming week. Perhaps shopping or cleaning her car. When I ask God what I can do for Barbara, He likes to answer this request. Example: I’m a dog lover who has put up with cats our entire marriage.
Years ago, a mentor pastor told me before I even knew Barbara, “Grant, your ministry will only be as successful as your marriage.”
I believed him, which is why I pray for my wife regularly.
In a blog, topics are covered quickly; I should spend a few dozen pages now confessing how inadequate as a husband I have been – not listening, getting angry, being sullen, and not understanding.
Fortunately, this blog is only 400 to 600 words, so I get a pass. Hallelujah!
However, I did ask Barbara to comment on this blog…
She said…
I know that my husband is a prayer warrior and to know he prays for me regularly shows that he cares about me and our marriage. Like any couple, we have had disagreements through the years, but he always listens to my thoughts before decisions are made and asks my advice on things that trouble him. I feel that we have truly been partners through the years.
I am grateful that he has endured many years of cats! (Although I believe he secretly enjoys them.)