Yesterday morning while reading 1 Peter my attention was drawn to two verses in which Peter touched on something that can hinder our prayers:
The first one comes at the end of a warning to husbands and wives to love each other, summing up this admonishment with this:
"and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." 1 Peter 3:7 (ESV)
The second comes after stating the importance of avoiding temptations to join others in following after lusts of the flesh, human passions, and debauchery and then saying:
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 1 Peter 4:7 (ESV)
It is less clear in the KJV where it is:
The first one comes at the end of a warning to husbands and wives to love each other, summing up this admonishment with this:
"and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." 1 Peter 3:7 (ESV)
The second comes after stating the importance of avoiding temptations to join others in following after lusts of the flesh, human passions, and debauchery and then saying:
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 1 Peter 4:7 (ESV)
It is less clear in the KJV where it is:
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
While reading it made perfect sense that when we live a careless life, doing those things that we have freedom in Christ to do, yet things that are not profitable to do (1st Corinthians 6:12), we hinder our relationship with Christ in the same way we hinder our relationship in a marriage where our communication then as a consequence suffers.
If we truly love the Lord we want to have that right relationship, one where we stay in communion with each other, praying for each other, even for our enemies, forgiving each other as Jesus has forgiven us and steering clear from those things that would hinder our prayers and our communication with the One who loves us the most.
