1 Peter 3:7 reads, “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker vessel and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” Considering their obligations to each other, Paul tells wives to be in subjection to their husbands, while husbands are told to love their husbands and be not bitter against them (Col. 3:18-19). There may be many problem areas that are left unspecified, they often come from failing to respect God’s law regarding their sexual relationship. Paul writes, “The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control (1 Cor. 7:3-5, ESV). The only time this sexual restraint is allowed in when they mutually consent for a short time for the purpose of prayer.
Prayer is one of the most difficult things to do when things are not well at home. Further, even the prayers that are uttered, when either or both do not respect God’s law regarding their obligations to each other and the snowball effect begins with each reacting negatively to the other. John writes, “and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him” (1 Jn. 3:22).