Heirs of Life
You [wives] should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. . . . In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her 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. If you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard. 1 Peter 3:4, 7
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This passage encourages husbands and wives to nurture and cherish what God has put within them and to relate to each other as “equal partners in God’s gift of new life.” We can infer that the perspective of being “equal partners” facilitates prayer because we see the contrasting idea in these verses: when husbands demonstrate a lack of respect and understanding toward their wives, God will not hear their prayers. That’s why Peter exhorts wives to respect their husbands and cultivate an inner beauty characterized not by showy outward adornment but by a gentle and quiet spirit. And he instructs husbands to honor their wives as equals and live with them in an understanding way so their prayers don’t get derailed. When we lose sight of who we and our spouses are in Christ, we can humbly ask God’s forgiveness and begin again to live in grace and forgiveness toward each other as the partners God has called us to be.
Ask the Lord to reveal to you anything in your own marriage that may be derailing harmony or hindering your prayers. Pray for a new perspective of your spouse as your partner in God’s gift of new life.
Prayers:
LORD, we need your empowering grace in our marriage! Help us to nurture and cherish the wonderful new life within each of us, to honor and respect each other, and to glorify your Son in our lives together. Teach us your way of compassion, understanding, love, and forgiveness, and remove every hindrance to our prayer lives.
Quotes:
Unless husband and wife are heirs together of the grace of life, and treat each other as becometh saints, how can they expect their prayers to have any weight with God?
Herbert Lockyer
The One Year Bible Readings for today are: Ezekiel 47:1–48:35; 1 Peter 2:11–3:7; Psalm 119:49-64 and Proverbs 28:12-13.
