An another obstacle to the prayer : maritals relations

"Husbands, live in the same way by showing understanding to your wife, taking into account her more delicate nature : show her esteem because she must inherit with you the grace of life. Do this so that nothing hinders your prayers" (1 Peter 3: 7).

Here it is made clear to us that bad relations between husband and wife are an obstacle to the prayer.

In many cases, the prayer of a husband is hampered because he is failing his duty to his wife, and it is also undoubted that the prayer of more than one wife is hampered by his failings. to her husband. If husbands and wives carefully sought the cause of not answering their prayers, they would often find it in their reciprocal relations.

A man who has a great piety and a great activity in the work of Christ treats his wife with very little consideration and is often unkind if not brutal ; he is surprised after that not to see his prayers answered. The verse we have just quoted explains this apparent mystery. On the other hand, a woman who is very devoted to the church and very diligent in meetings treats her husband with the most unforgivable negligence, proves to be annoying and shrewd towards him, hurts him by his vivaciousness of language and his indomitable character ; and she is surprised after that to have no power in praying.

There are other things in the relationship between husbands and wives that can not be publicly discussed, but which, without a doubt, are often an obstacle to approaching God in prayer. Under the holy name of marriage can be concealed a sum of sins which is a cause of spiritual death and impotence in prayer. Let every man or woman whose prayers seem to receive no answer spread out before God all his married life and ask him to put his finger on everything that displeases him.

Jeremy Sourdril