HINDRANCES TO PRAYER

The aim of prayer is communication with God. In prayer we praise

God for His goodness and righteousness, and thank Him for
blessings received. Also we make requests for needs to be supplied.
God then meets our needs and gives us directions and instructions.
If no answer is forthcoming, the prayer is in vain. We must learn to
have our prayers answered. The Bible lists a number of conditions
for answered prayer. When God does not listen to us we must fine
the reason why. What is in our lives that is preventing God from
answering our prayers? God delights in answering prayers, so why
are they not answered? Following are a number of the reasons why
God does not answer our prayers.
1. OBEDIENT CHILD OF GOD:
Before addressing God as Father we must first be His child.
Calling God our Father means being under His authority, obeying
His commands, and doing His will. When we call Jesus "Lord" yet
do not do His will, we are not acting as children of God. God will
on occasion answer the prayers of nonchristians, but only God's
faithful children will consistently have their prayers answered.
Beloved, if our hearts don't condemn us, we have boldness toward
God; and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep
his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his
Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.
He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him.
By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave
us. 1 John 3:21-24.
2. SIN:
God does not answer those who cherish sin in their heart. To
cherish sin in your heart means there is a sin which you love so
much that you will not give it up. If you conceal your sins your
prayers are not answered, but if you confess your sins in
repentance you will find mercy and your prayers will be answered.
Confession of sin means you agree with God that what you have
done or are doing is wrong by His standards. Failure to confess
your sins and make things right with God and man is a major
cause of unanswered prayer.
"If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord wouldn't have listened."
Psalm 66:18.
"When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you;
Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are
full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the
evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil. Learn to
do well. Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless,
plead for the widow." "Come now, and let us reason together,"
says Yahweh: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as
white as snow.Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as
wool." Isaiah 1:15-18.
"Behold, Yahweh's hand is not shortened, that it can't save;
neither his ear heavy, that it can't hear: but your iniquities have
separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden
his face from you, so that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:1,2.
"He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, but whoever confesses
and renounces them finds mercy." Proverbs 28:13.
3. LACK OF FAITH:
Faith is believing that you have received what you are praying for.
If you doubt, when you pray, you should not expect that you will
receive anything from the Lord. Faith is more than believing God
can answer or is able to answer prayer. Faith is knowing that God
has heard and the answer is on the way. We should not use the
expression "If it by Thy will" for this is an expression of doubt. We
must pray with confidence that God has heard and the answer is
on the way. See Matthew 21:21,22; Mark 9:21-24; 11:22-24;
Hebrews 4:16; 11:6; James 1:5-8
Thus says Yahweh: Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and
makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from Yahweh. For
he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good
comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt
land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh,
and whose trust Yahweh is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the
waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and shall not fear
when heat comes, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be
careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding
fruit. Jeremiah 17:5-8
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, "Why weren't
we able to cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your unbelief.
For most assuredly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of
mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to
there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Matthew 17:19,20.
4. WE DO NOT ASK:
Often we do God's work with our planning, and in our strength,
and at the time and place we think best. The result is a job poorly
done at the wrong time and our needs are not completely supplied.
God does not open doors until we knock. We do not find because
we have not sought God's will. And we do not receive for we have
not asked.
Asking must be specific. Usually a general prayer is not asking, for
how can we know when the prayer is answered if it is not specific?
We do not go to the grocery store and ask for "food." We ask for
the specific items we need. We do not ask the pharmacist for
medicine. We ask for the specific medicine we need. So, we must
take everything to God in prayer making specific requests for our
needs.
"I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and
you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. For
everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who
knocks it will be opened. Luke 11:9,10.
"You don't have, because you don't ask." James 4:2b.
5. WRONG MOTIVES:
At times our requests are not answered because the wrong motives
are behind our asking. God does not hear when we ask to satisfy
our own selfish pleasures or our own interests. Asking with the
wrong motives, is asking beyond our need. God promises to supply
our needs whether great or small. But requesting beyond our needs
is a prayer God usually does not answer.
"You ask, and don't receive, because you ask amiss, so that you
may spend it for your pleasures." James 4:3.
"When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to
stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets,
that they may be seen by men. Most assuredly, I tell you, they have
received their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your
inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father
who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward
you openly." Matthew 6:5,6.
The motive behind your asking should be to bring glory to God
and to express your love to Him. Since all you receive comes from
God, how can you boast as though you had not received it from
Him? (1 Corinthians 4:7).
"Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father
may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I
will do it. If you love me, keep my commandments." John 14:13-15.
"Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to
the glory of God." 1Corinthians.10:31.
6. NOT PRAYING IN GOD'S WILL:
You can approach God with confidence knowing that when you
pray according to His will, He hears you and you have the thing
asked of Him.
"This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask
anything according to his will, he listens to us. And if we know that
he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the
petitions which we have asked of him." 1 John 5:14,15
Since God wants only the best for you, He does not answer those
prayers that will do you harm. God knows the future, you don't!
He knows what is best, for we do not make wise choices. This is
why it is so important to know God's will. Knowing His will
involves a commitment to God of every thing that comes into our
lives. It means praying, "Lord, I want your perfect will for me and
my family." It involves asking, seeking, and knocking, for God
reveals Himself only to those who are willing to do His will.
To pray "If it be your will..." and to pray, "Your will be done," are
two entirely different prayers. The first is a prayer of doubt and
should never be used. But to request "Your will be done," is asking
God to reveal His will in regard to the thing asked. Learning God's
will involves changing our thinking, our emotional reactions, and
our desires. The Holy Spirit tells us to let God change our thinking
so that we can learn what God's will is. Romans 12:2.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the
Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is
in heaven." Matthew 7:21.
"Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus,
that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please
God, that you abound more and more. For you know what charge
we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God:
your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that
each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in
sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the
Gentiles who don't know God." 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5.
7. UNFORGIVING SPIRIT:
The forgiveness of our sins is dependent upon how we forgive the
sins of those who have sinned against us. The measure we use for
others is the measure God uses for us. An unforgiving and
judgmental attitude is a major cause of unanswered prayer.
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor,
and hate your enemy.' {5:44} But I tell you, love your enemies,
bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray
for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be
children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to
rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the
unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you
have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? If you only greet
your friends, what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax
collectors do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your
Father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48.
"Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors."
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you. But if you don't forgive men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew
6:12,14,15.
"Don't judge, and you won't be judged. Don't condemn, and you
won't be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free. Give, and it
will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together,
and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure
you measure it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:37,38.
"And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other,
just as God also in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32.
8. LACK OF PRAISE, THANKFULNESS, AND LOVE:
The language of the kingdom of God is praise and thanksgiving.
The language of the kingdom of darkness is complaint. When
Israel complained in the wilderness, God answered their prayers
and also punished them.
"Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks,
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you." 1
Thessalonians 5:16-18.
"I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers,
intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men." 1
Timothy 2:1.
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone
who loves is born of God, and knows God." 1 John 4:7.
9. FAILURE TO RESIST SATAN:
God wants you to pray, therefore Satan does not want you to. He
will do all in his power to hinder your prayers. He knows that you
can accomplish more through your prayers than through your
work. Satan would rather have you do anything else than pray.
Your battle is against the kingdom of darkness and against
spiritual forces of evil. These forces are in the unseen realms of the
spirit world. Too often Christians fight against the results of
Satan's work than against Satan himself. To fight this battle you
must wear the armor of God and become skillful in the use of the
offensive weapons God has given you. These weapons are the
sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and praying in the
Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
Jesus prayed, "I pray not that you would take them from the
world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. They are
not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in
your truth. Your word is truth." John 17:15-17.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh
and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers,
against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against
the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore,
put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand
in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6:10-13.
"Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary the
devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may
devour. Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your
brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same
sufferings." 1 Peter 5:8,9
10. PRAYING TO OTHER GODS:
Some Christians are receiving answers that are not from God.
They get them from astrology, Ouija boards, Transcendental
Meditation, yoga, palm readers, seances, etc. Our Father in heaven
to whom we address our prayers is very jealous. Any attempt to
find guidance from other sources will cause God to turn His face
away from us. He alone is truth and only from Him can we learn to
live correctly on earth. Even reading your horoscopes for the fun of
it will hinder your prayers. See Exodus 20:3,4; Deuteronomy 18:9-
14; Ezekiel 14:1-11.
"What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is
anything, or that an idol is anything? But I say that the things
which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to
God, and I don't desire that you would have communion with
demons. You can't both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of
demons. You can't both partake of the table of the Lord, and of the
table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we
stronger than he?" 1 Corinthians 10:19-22.
"Don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship
have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light
with darkness? What agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what
portion has a believer with an unbeliever? What agreement has a
temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God.
Even as God said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they will be my people." Therefore, "'Come
out from among them, And be separate,' says the Lord, 'Touch no
unclean thing. I will receive you. I will be to you a Father. You will
be to me sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty." 2
Corinthians 6:14-18.
Attempts to find healing by use of New Age medication, charms,
folklore superstitions, witchcraft medicines, pilgrimages to holy
places, will make God jealous and He will not listen to your
prayers. God may make use of medicine and medical advances, but
He expects these to be used with liberal amounts of prayer to your
heavenly Father. You should find what God's will is in your illness
and also call the Elders of the Assembly to lay hands on you when
you are ill.
"Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the
assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick,
and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be
forgiven. Confess your offenses to one another, and pray one for
another, that you may be healed. The effective, earnest prayer of a
righteous man is powerfully effective." James 5:14-16
11. NOT WAITING ON GOD:
If we do not receive an answer the first time we ask, we should
pray again. And if we do not have an answer the hundredth time,
we should go on praying until we do get an answer. If we request
something and stop praying, forgetting what we asked for, God will
also forget and not answer our request. The women who asked
Jesus to heal her daughter would not give up until her plea was
answered. When Daniel prayed for understanding, God sent a
messenger the same day, who was hindered and arrived twenty one
days later. If Daniel and given up before the messenger arrived his
prayer would not have been answered. Let us not grow weary but
be constant in prayer. Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-8.
Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane prayed three times concerning
God's will, and Paul prayed three times concerning his thorn in the
flesh. These are examples to us that we must continue to pray until
we receive an answer from God. Not that we pray only three times,
but to pray until the Holy Spirit reveals that the prayer has been
heard and the answer is coming. Jesus' parable about the
persistent widow teaches us that we should always pray and not
give up. Sometimes our prayers are not answered because we stop
asking, seeking, and knocking.
12. REFUSING TO DO OUR PART:
You cannot sincerely pray, "Your kingdom come" unless you are
doing what God desires you to do to hasten the coming of His
kingdom. As a servant of your Lord you cannot say, "Lord, do this
or that." Servants say, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" The
satisfaction of a servant is to see his Lord satisfied. You may see a
work someone else is doing and desire to do the same, but it is hot
yours to do until God assigns that work to you.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the
Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is
in heaven. Many will tell me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we
prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your
name do many mighty works?' Then I will tell them, 'I never knew
you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.'" Matthew 7:21-23.
"But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping
sheep, that will say, when he comes in from the field, 'Come
immediately and sit down at the table,' and will not rather tell him,
'Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me, while I
eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink'? Does he thank
that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I
think not. Even so you also, when you have done all the things that
are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants. We have
done our duty.'" Luke 17:7-10. "He who loves his life will lose it.
He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.
{12:26} If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there
will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor
him." John 12:25,26.
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the Lord's work, because you know that your labor is
not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58.
"Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us,
if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our
faith; or service, let us give ourselves to service; or he who teaches,
to his teaching; or he who exhorts, to his exhorting: he who gives,
let him do it with liberality; he who rules, with diligence; he who
shows mercy, with cheerfulness." Romans 12:6-8.
"Don't withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in
the power of your hand to do it. Don't say to your neighbor, "Go,
and come again, Tomorrow I will give it to you," When you have it
by you." Proverbs 3:27,28.
13. STINGINESS IN GIVING:
One of God's principles is that you do not receive until first you
have given. The measure you use in giving to others is the measure
God uses in giving to you. If you sow nothing, you reap nothing,
and if you sow much you will reap a bountiful harvest. Also, if you
do not listen to the cry of the poor, God will not listen to your
prayers. Luke 6:38; Colossians 9:6-11; Galatians 6:7-10.
"Honor Yahweh with your substance, With the first fruits of all
your increase: So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your
vats will overflow with new wine." Proverbs 3:9.10. "IWhoever
stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall
not be heard." Proverbs 21:13
14. REPETITION:
Repeating the "Lord's Prayer" in a worship service or reading a
printed prayer is not praying. Prayer is communication with God
in our words for specific requests, with thankfulness for specific
blessings, and praising God for specific things He has done. Too
often we pray the same general prayer, repeating them daily,
weekly, monthly, or as often as we pray. This is not prayer. See
Ecclesiastes 5:1-5.
"In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they
think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore
don't be like them, for your Father knows what things you need,
before you ask him." Matthew 6:7,8.
15. BELIEVING GOD IS OBLIGATED:
Some Christians believe that God is obligated to answer their
prayers because they are faithful in attendance, tithing, Bible
reading, praying, and doing good. Doing all these things does not
obligate God to answer us. Our works do not give us a claim on
God that He must provide our needs or give us all the things on our
"want list." Our prayers are answered because of our relationship
with Jesus. Only when we are in Him and He in us can we
approach God with our requests and expect answers. Our attitude
should be the same as Habakkuk's, who said he would rejoice in
the Lord regardless of what happened. See Habakkuk 3:17,18.
"My God, turn your ear, and hear; open your eyes, and see our
desolations, and the city which is called by your name: for we do
not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for
your great mercies' sake. Lord, hear; Lord, forgive; Lord, listen
and do; don't defer, for your own sake, my God, because your city
and your people are called by your name." Daniel 9:18,19.
16. FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS:
God has revealed to us, in the Bible, what He expects of the family
unit and the relationships between its members. In God's sight the
family unit is holy and He hates anything that destroys that unit.
Therefore, Satan will attempt to destroy all strong family ties.
When we fail to abide by God's rules in family relationships our
prayers are hindered.
"You husbands, in like manner, live with your wives according to
knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as
being also joint heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers may not
be hindered." 1 Peter 3:7.
17. LACK OF TIME:
It is strange that we have time to eat, to entertain, to visit, and to
do many other things, but we cannot find time to pray. Also, when
we pray our mind wonders, the telephone rings, or someone comes
to the door. This is the work of Satan. He purposely creates these
obstacles to keep us from praying. We must find time to pray. If we
wait until we are at leisure to pray, we will never have the
opportunity to do so. All who desire to do intercessory work or to
make progress in their prayer life must make the time by setting
aside a period for prayer. We must beg God to protect our prayer
time so that our enemy may not snatch it away.
Also, we must pray without ceasing. Pray for your children as they
leave for school. Thank God for His provisions as you prepare
meals. At work thank God for the job; pray for His blessings for
the company, your boss, and fellow employees. When you lay
awake at night, pray for those the Lord's puts on your heart. As
you meet those you love, thank God for them. If you meet a person
who irritates you or has hurt you, pray, "Lord, give me the attitude
you want me to have toward this person." When tempted to sin
pray for relief and protection. In all things, at all times, continually
communicate with your heavenly Father. See Luke 18:1-8.
" With all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit,
and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for
all the saints." Ephesians 6:18.
18. NOT PRAYING IN JESUS' NAME:
The night Jesus was arrested He spent considerable time
instructing the disciples. Seven times He told them to begin praying
in His name. Praying in the name of Jesus means that you have
been given the power and authority of Jesus to do the work of God.
All authority has been given to Jesus, which in turn has been made
available to us. Therefore there is no excuse for not accomplishing
the work of God. Whatever task God has assigned you, you can do
with the authority of the name of Jesus.
In baptism, you were buried with Christ in the name of Jesus.
Demons are cast out in the name of Jesus. Peter healed the lamb
man in the name of Jesus. His name has not changed. The
authority is still there in His Name. So, today you can do the same
in the name of Jesus.
Just adding the words, "In the name of Jesus" to the end of your
prayers does not guarantee that your prayers will be answered. To
pray "in the name of Jesus" means you are making your request to
God by the authority of His Son to whom all authority has been
given. Jesus only gives this authority to those who know the will of
God and pray accordingly. Your will must be in complete harmony
with the will of the Father. God's will is that you become like His
Son. When you remain in Jesus and His words remain in you, you
will know His will. Then, you can ask whatever you wish and it will
be given you. You cannot seek wealth, health, prosperity, success,
ease, comfort, spirituality, or fruitfulness for our own enjoyment,
advancement, or prosperity. Prayers that are answered are those
that bring glory to the Father. (See John 14:13,14; 15:16;
16:23,24.).

Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and
the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to
himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of
men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax
collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.' But the
tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to
heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a
sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather
than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:10-14

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