Skip to main content

Hindrances to Prayer

Building a successful prayer life post series [James 5:16]
So prayer is a communication with God and a spiritual warfare and is always an effective spiritual exercise; hence effective prayer. However there are stumbling blocks which could make one’s prayers ineffective (or seem a waste) despite the commitment and persistence. We’ll consider those hindrances as given in the bible.
  • Iniquity – Sin is the primary hindrance to prayer. Psalms 66:18; ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me’. The scripture of study (James 5:16) specifies ‘…of a righteous man…’
  • Broken (disunited) marriages is a hindrance to prayer. 1 Peter 3:7; ‘Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.’
    So, YES, your relationship with your spouse counts.
  • Idolatry creates a stumbling block between you and God. Ezekiel 14:3; ‘Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?’.
    An idol is anything that takes first place in your life. It could be your body, a TV program, work, anything. God detests idolatry – First commandment (Exodus 20:3).
  • Unforgiveness is a hindrance. Mark 11: 25; ‘And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.’
  • Hard-heartedness towards the poor. Proverbs 21:13; ‘Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.’
Once you have gotten rid of these hindrances, (with the Word of God and by the Holy Spirit) you fight against the enemy and by the promises of God (Leviticus 26:7-8) victory is yours.
Remain forever blessed.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 91: A Guaranteed Refuge 1

Psalm 91 [short series]. Psalm 91 is a commonly known Psalm that often raises doubts (e.g. Does it really apply to our present realities?), gets misinterpreted (e.g. If you trust God, no trouble will come to you) or gets undermined (e.g. It’s all a metaphor). But the message in the Psalm is such a profound encouragement to keep trusting in God because of the kind of refuge that only He can provide. As we will see in a 4 part study, the Psalm shows us why God is the only refuge you can trust (v2), and this is because: His refuge is guaranteed By His greatness: He can. v1, 11-12 By His promise: He will. v4, 14-16 His refuge is complete Through this life. v3-6, 13 Into the next life. v7-10, 16 His Refuge is guaranteed by His Greatness! Psalm 91:1, 11-12 He can always rescue! T
Read more

Psalm 91: A Complete Refuge 3

Psalm 91 [short series]. As we journey through life, sometimes we go through troubles beyond our control — an addiction, sudden financial lack, sickness, broken relationship, losing a loved one, a hope deferred. How do we navigate those seasons? Or maybe you are currently in such a season and wondering, "How do I live through this?" Previously [1] [2] , we saw that God's refuge is guaranteed. The Psalm also shows the completeness of God's refuge as a reason for how we can navigate the seasons of life. His Refuge is complete through this life! Psalm 91:3-6, 13 God rescues you from troubles beyond your reach and permanently deals with the cause of all problems, Satan himself. His refuge deals with: Sin: snare of the fowler (v3, 11-12) Snares are traps used to catch animals, often made with something enticing or luring, like a cheese trap for a
Read more

The Worshipped King

Matthew 2:1-12. Once, I was with some friends, and we saw a famous person; they all got very excited, but I did not. When they began chatting about the celebrity, they realised why I missed the excitement. Matthew presents Jesus in a famous manner that demands a response that those who know Him can not miss out on. The gospel begins by showing that the nature of Jesus' birth proves He is the one all history and prophecies point to. He is The Promised King. He is of David's lineage (Matthew 1:17, 2 Samuel 7:13). The Promised Saviour. He is the seed of a woman, i.e. not of man but of God, like the first Adam (Matthew 1:18, Genesis 3:15). The Promised Lord. He is Immanuel - God with us - Israel's God is here (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14). So the news is out that Israel's God - The Messiah King, The Saviour, The Lord - whom all generations hoped for is now here.
Read more