Devotionals by Raul Ries

THURSDAY September 24, 2026

Understanding Your Wife

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
1 Peter 3:7

Husbands, do you understand your wife? Peter implores husbands to treat their wives with understanding. Why? They are the weaker vessel. This means they are created differently than men, because physically they are weaker, and, because of their hormones, they are more emotional than men. Your wife is to be treated with honor. Remember, she is a gift from God: He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22).

Peter was giving some very important admonitions to the husband. As heirs together of the grace of life... there should be a union of prayer in the relationship. This bond is strained when the husband is insensitive and mistreats his wife. The husband’s prayers are being hindered––literally cut off.

Christian wives in this period of history were experiencing a whole new era as part of the Church. Peter needed to give them biblical guidance from the Holy Spirit. In that culture, women were looked down upon and were not highly regarded. Husbands in biblical times had a concubine for pleasure and a wife to take care of the home, his children, and any other needs. That was a man’s mentality.

The Apostle Paul spoke highly of women, and so did Christ. They were never male chauvinists. They loved and interacted with many devoted women in the Bible. Women ministered to Christ’s needs, and they were the first ones at His tomb when He resurrected (Luke 8:1-3; John 20).  Paul had many co-laborers who were women, such as Phoebe and Priscilla. He always treated women with kindness, honor and respect.

Today, most women are valued and honored, yet there are husbands who choose to neglect and abuse their wives. Shame on them! God will deal with these kinds of men. Husbands, love your wives; dwell with them with understanding, as that is what you are called to do.

If any husbands do not honor their wives, they err from the Gospel way.
~C.H. Spurgeon~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!