Clearing out hindrances in our lives will enable us to live in harmony with God and others and to have confidence in prayer.
PRINCIPLES
Major hindrances to prayer are—
Sin: If we humble ourselves, seek God, and turn from sin, God will forgive us and hear our prayers.
Fear: Fear blocks our prayers by undermining our faith. We must accept God’s forgiveness and the new spirit He has given us—one of power, love, and a sound mind.
Guilt: To be free from feelings of condemnation, we must realize that God not only has forgiven us, but has also forgotten our sins, therefore, we can pray with a clean conscience and with assurance.
Feelings of Inferiority: As God’s beloved children, we are not beggar in prayer. We can pray confidently based on God’s Word, Jesus’ testimony, and the Spirit’s advocacy.
Doubt: Doubt hinders our prayers because we don’t truly believe what we are saying. We show our trust in God by making arrangements for the fulfillment of our requests.
Wrong motives: When we have our priorities right---putting God’s kingdom and honor above all else—He will hear our prayers and meet our daily needs.
Bitterness: God will not hear our prayers if we are holding on to iniquity in our hearts, such as jealousy. We need to maintain transparent, pure hearts before God and man.
Unforgiveness: Unforgiveness hinders our prayers by blocking our relationships with God and others. Ephesians 4:26-27 says Do not let the sun go down while we are still angry, and not give the devil a foothold.
Broken family relationships: God will not answer our prayers if we violate His purposes by failing to demonstrate His love and grace to our family members. We must reconcile broken relationships as soon as we can.
Idols: We need to examine our priorities. Anything we value more than God is an idol and will hinder our prayers. God deserves our highest love and respect.
Stinginess: Proverbs 21;13 says If a man shut his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered. If we are stingy, we won’t be heard, but if we are compassionate and generous, our prayers will be answered.
CONCLUSION
Hebrews 12:1 says Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. When we remove hindrances to answered prayer from our lives, we will be able to live in harmony with God and others, and have confidence and effectiveness in prayer.