Unblocking prayer in marriage

Our prayers can be blocked. And in particular, they can be blocked in marriage if there is a spiritual problem not dealt with in the marriage. And in particular, they can be blocked when the husband is living boorishly with his wife and not in the God-ordained way:

"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" (1 Peter 3:7).

This verse tells me two things, and one of them is wonderful. The wonderful part is that prayer is not normally hindered! Prayer, if a Christian who has done business with God and confessed and desisted from sinful practices offers it, will normally sail up to heaven like a sweet offering and be surely answered, in the way that God deems most appropriate to the situation.

Normal prayer life is an unobstructed access to God that comes with confidence and therefore is fun to do:

"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him" (1 John 5:14-15).

That is the description of prayer-and its results-when we are walking in right fellowship with God. The verses that follow in 1 Peter elaborate. If we want unimpeded access to God, we must see to it that we are compassionate (verse 8), that we don't retaliate (verse 9), and we don't talk trash (verse 10), etc.

"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" (1 Peter 3:12).