Blog » “So that nothing will hinder your prayers”  

Friday, May 10, 2013
Jeff Lampl

  

"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."
1 Peter 3:7 (NIV)  

The movie, The Notebook, began with these lines from James Garner.  

“I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough..”  

I find these lines incredibly moving.  And challenging.  Maybe because I do this so poorly.    He says in essence, “this one thing I did. . .I loved a woman . . and that was enough”.      The movie then plays out how he measured up as  a man, not immediately, but eventually.  

Peter tells us that God won’t hear  the prayers of men who don’t  treat their wives with honor and respect.     Peter even uses the term, “the weaker sex” .   He does so for many reasons, but  his point is this.   In a world where might made right and men wrote the rules,  Peter is saying that men must leverage their strength (be it financial, physical, intellectual, moral, or emotional) on behalf of their wives.  

“so that nothing will hinder your prayers”