The apostle Peter urges husbands and wives to live in harmony with one another in their marriage relationship so that their prayer would not be “hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).
The word hinder means “to cut” or “to interrupt.” Strife in the home is like static on the radio or television. It interferes with clear reception and good communication. An arguing, pouting couple will hardly be a praying one. The static in their relationship will interfere with their effectiveness in prayer.
Prayer is at the heart of our relationship with God. In fact it is safe to say that without an effective prayer life a person has no personal relationship with God. The apostle Peter assumes that prayer will be a vital part of any Christian’s life and marriage. Both private and family prayer provide one of the greatest internal braces there is against marital collapse. It is an old but true saying that the couple that prays together stays together. The more outer pressures there are on marriage, the more important it is that there be a deep spiritual commitment to sustain it. Belief in God, acceptance of his word, and a personal relationship with him are all a part of that commitment.
But quarreling, disharmony, and conflict in any relationship...especially the marital relationship...hinder our effectiveness in praying.
Husbands and wives cannot be wrong with one another and right with God. So, for the sake of our happiness and our personal relationship with God, we must maintain harmony in our marriages.
How many broken marriages could be prevented if husbands and wives would live their Christianity in the home and treat each other with more understanding and respect? The place to prevent most marital tragedies is not the counselor’s office, the pastor’s study, or the divorce courts, but it is the prayer altar where we lay our problems, needs, and frustrations before God. If the lines are kept open from the static of disharmony, the power of prayer can save our homes and our marriages.