A Question for Husbands

Guys, let me ask you a question. Have you ever wondered why your prayers sometimes don’t seem to go anywhere? Could it be that you haven’t honored your wife as you should, and it has actually hindered your prayer life? The Bible says that can happen. First Peter 3 tells us, “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” (verse 7 NLT).

Peter was saying you need to understand how important your wife is. If you don’t, if you aren’t united with her as you ought to be, then your prayers will be hindered.

I believe that husbands hold the key to a successful marriage. Why single out husbands? Because God has called them to be the spiritual leader in the home. God has called the man to be the initiator. What are men told to do? They are told to love their wives as Christ loves the church. Why does the church love Christ? Because He first loved us.

The wife’s respect, the wife’s submission, comes as a response to her husband’s loving servant leadership. Just as we became Christians because Jesus won us over with His undying love, with His everlasting love, so the husband can win over his wife by the way he loves her and by the way he serves her.

Sadly, in too many relationships the husband is not the spiritual leader. In fact, the wife is often the spiritual leader in the home. The husband is passive at best and sometimes hostile at worst. Husbands, be the leader God has called you to be.