8 Hindrances to Prayer
This week we’ll continue on the topic of prayer by discussing some hindrances to prayer. Prayer is a very powerful and effective force, but there are actually some things we can do that will hinder our prayers and their effectiveness. They are almost like roadblocks.
When I think of hindrances to prayer I always think of a humorous story that Joe McGee told when speaking at our church one time. I can’t remember all of the details, but I remember him saying that he was praying one time when God spoke to him about how he was treating Denise, his wife. He had either been encountering problems or wasn’t getting an answer to prayer (I don’t recall), and he asked God about it.
Joe said he heard clearly in his spirit that God told him to buy his wife the brand of soda and laundry detergent that she wanted. He had always just bought what he grew up with and was used to, neglecting her preferences. I think he even made a joke about the laundry detergent because she used Tide, and he said that was just sacrilegious since they were from Tennessee (major rivals of Alabama…aka Crimson TIDE). He said that God reminded him of 1 Peter 3:7 which said “…Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.” God was trying to teach him to treat his wife well so that his prayers wouldn’t be hindered.
Aside from how we treat others, there are a few other things that can put a damper on our prayers. I’ve actually learned about 8 hindrances to prayer that can have a negative impact. Let’s take a look…
8 Hindrances to Prayer
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Wrong motives
Like it or not, we can sometimes approach God with wrong intentions, reasons, or motives. We cannot be evil or completely selfish in our prayer life. Yes, God wants us to have the desires of our hearts but not at the expense of others. The Bible says we will not receive if we ask with the wrong motives.
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:3 (NIV)
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Unforgiveness in our hearts
