Hindrances to Prayer

Prayer is a difficult spiritual duty to fulfill.

The main reason is the general presence of sin.

Psalm 66:18 NASB95

If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;

Isaiah 59:2 NASB95

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

All of us can probably identify some specific sins that hinder our prayer lives.

Let’s examine four of the most common hindrances to prayer.

Carnality and unconcern

Our flesh is a serious hindrance to prayer because it is characterized by all sorts of sinful behaviors and attitudes.

When we recieved our new nature at conversion, the old sinful nature remained.

It will be with us until we are glorified — -15

None of us are exempt from the struggle with the flesh.

Romans 7:15 NASB95

For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

Romans 7:19 NASB95

For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

Rom

Romans 7:22–23 NASB95

For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

At conversion, God imputed to us Christ’s payment for sin…

1 Peter 3:18 NASB95

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

He also removed sin’s controlling power

Romans 6:5–7 NASB95

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.

Galatians 2:19–20 NASB95

“For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

However, the tendency to evil remains within us…SELFISHNESS…focusing on our own will and interests against God’s…PRIDE…is at the center of our sin…and keeps us from praying as we ought.

It tends to make us totally unconcerned about the needs of others.

Philippians 2:3–4 NASB95

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Proverbs 21:13 NASB95

He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be answered.

If we lack concern for others, God will be indifferent to our needs.

An Unforgiving Spirit

Mark 11:25 NASB95

“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.

before God will hear your prayers, you need to forgive anyone who has offended you.

Matthew 5:23–34 NASB95

“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. “Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. “Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. “If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

Matt

We cannot truly worship God or expect Him to answer our prayers if we harbor resentment or bitterness for someone…how can we ask God to pour out mercy and grace and love on us if we won’t do the same for others?

We should do everything we can to be reconciled…obviously only God can change the other person’s heart or attitude, but we must do our part to forgive and seek forgiveness.

Refusing to forgive cuts us off from the forgiveness God would grant us...

Matthew 6:14–15 NASB95

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

We also lose the the inner peace, spiritual power and growth the Lord would grant through our prayers.

Strife at Home

1 Peter 3:7 NASB95

You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

this applies even if your spouse is unsaved...

Dwell = live with someone in a close intimate way...

Understanding = deep, experiential knowledge

weaker = protect, provide for, nourish and cherish are implied in this.

Companionship = heirs together so nurture that relationship

Doubt

James 1:6–7 NASB95

But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,

We must have the right kind of asking

ask without doubting = authentic trust in God’s character, promises and purposes

Hebrews 11:6 NASB95

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.