Praying rightly, specifically, and intentionally
1Pe 3:7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
1Pe 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
1Pe 3:9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
1Pe 3:10 For "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;
1Pe 3:11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.
1Pe 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
This scripture is a big deal. It is a big deal because Peter states that our prayers can be hindered. What? This scripture so different than what we normally hear because Peter is saying that it is not that praying helps us live right, but that living right helps us pray. It is true that prayer is a way to help us live (Colossians 1:10). But Peter is saying that there are ways to live that hinders our prayer and there are ways to live that helps our prayers. Look at what he says later in this letter.
1Pe 4:7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
1Pe 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
From these two sets of scripture, we can pull out truths about how we should be living.
1Pe 3:7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
First, Peter is telling husbands that your prayers can be hindered if you do not treat your wife in a right manner. If we as husbands are not treating our wives in an understanding way, trying to understand her and being sensitive to her needs, our prayers will be hindered. If we as husbands, do not hold her honor on the same level as ours, belittling and demeaning her, our prayers will be hindered. Husbands, are you living this way?
Second, Peter continues to tell us in verses 8 and 9 that it’s not just husbands, but all are to have “unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind,” and that we are not to repay evil for evil but to bless. Then he backs up what he is teaching by quoting Psalm 34.
1Pe 3:10 For "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;
1Pe 3:11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.
1Pe 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
It says in Psalms 34 that God listens to the prayers of those who keep their tongues from evil, who do not create dissention among the brothers with their mouth, who look for peace and pursue it, and those who do righteousness. Again, Peter is telling all believers how to keep their prayers from being hindered.
1Pe 4:7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
1Pe 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Third, Peter calls us to be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of our prayers, self-controlled to keep from evil, sober-minded so that our minds are not drunk with the intoxicating pull of the things of the world. Look at this quote from John Piper.
“Jesus does not kiss a drunk wife. He may carry her off the street and back to bed. He may be utterly patient with her, and set before her hot coffee and fresh starts. But he will not kiss a drunk wife. What do I mean? I mean that when the bride of Christ, the church, is drunk with the world, she may turn to him for a brief kiss of prayer, but her breath wreaks so bad of worldliness that he turns his face away.”
-John Piper, desiringgod.org-
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