Hindrances to Prayer

Hindrances to Prayer
In I Peter 3:7 Peter writes the words, “that your prayers be not hindered.” “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” So reads Psalm 66:18. Every child of God should pay close attention to these two statements. To do less has the potential of keeping us from God’s richest blessings. As Christians we need a prayer life and we need to have our prayers answered. If there is something amiss in our lives that are causing our prayers to go unanswered then maybe we need to look within ourselves and see what is causing the problem.
Jesus gave us an outline how we are to pray. He taught His disciples to ask for daily bread and expect to get it. He taught us to ask for daily forgiveness and deliverance from evil. He set the example we are to follow when we pray. Remember as He prayed in the garden He said, “I knew that thou hearest me always.” (John 11:42) Based on that verse we should believe the normal Christian life to be a life of regular, daily answer to prayer. But sadly far too many do not have a normal prayer life. The only time they pray is when they need something or get into trouble.
Peter taught that wrong relationship between husbands and wives could cause our prayers not to be answered. I Peter 3:1-7 admonish us to take a close look at our home life. Do you find hindrances there? If so seek the answer from God’s Word about how to make a home life that is pleasing to God.
Jesus taught in Matthew 5:23,24 that wrongs unrighted, debts unpaid, and offended brothers unreconciled, all have a direct bearing on our prayer lives. There is a way to correct this flaw in our lives. Seek God and ask Him to show you how to make all things right. Ask for forgiveness from God. You do believe God will forgive you? He will only if you are willing to forgive others. If you hold a grudge and are unwilling to forgive your brother or sister God may be unwilling to hear and answer your prayers.
A unforgiving spirit greaves the heart of God. Jesus said, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt 6:15)
One of the greatest hindrances to prayer in the church is covetousness. God truly hates this sin in His people. Yet many in the church today are eaten up with this cancer. They seek power, position, money material gain and possessions to be seen of men. Any church member who is guilty of this great sin cannot expect to get his/her prayers answered and will hinder the growth of the church they attend. The spirit will be hindered and one that may need to get saved just might not get that chance. God’s record books will show how this sin is to be dealt with. How do you want God to judge you should your sin keep someone from meeting Jesus or causing the church Jesus died for to stagnate? If this sin is not removed from the Christian then God cannot hear their prayer.
If you have a problem you need God’s help with all you have to do is ask. But first you must make sure you are in the right place, in the right frame of mind and right with God. Have you forgiven all who have wronged you? To get forgiven you must forgive.
God will do His part but He expects you to do your part.