WHAT HINDERS THE PRAYERS OF GOD’S PEOPLE?
ISAIAH 59:1-2 “Behold, the
Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that
it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God,
and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear.”
Six (6) things
that hinder God from answering the prayers of a Christian:
I. SIN IN
THE LIFE OF THE CHRISTIAN
(1 PETER 3:12) “For the
eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their
prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”
a. God loves the
prayers of righteous Christians, but He will not answer those who do wicked
things.
b. King David
understood that sin will always hinder a Christian's prayer from being
answered. (PSALMS 66:18) “If I regard iniquity in my heart,
the Lord will not hear me.”
II. BEING
UNEQUALLY YOKED WITH UNBELIEVERS
(2 CORINTHIANS 6:14, 16-18) “Be ye not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness?..."
a. Paul warned
the Corinthian Church not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. God will not
answer the prayers of Christians who continue to be unequally yoked.
b. God commanded
Christians to be separate from unbelievers who engage in worldly things.
c. God seriously
commanded Christians not to love the world.
(1 JOHN 2:15) “Love not
the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.”
III. AN
UNFRUITFUL LIFE
(JOHN 15:16) “Ye have not
chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring
forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of
the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
a. God designed
the life of the Christian to be a fruitful disciple of Christ.
(JOHN 15:8) “Herein is
my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
b. God compares
the Christian to a fruitful palm tree.
(PSALMS 92:12-14) “The
righteous shall flourish like the palm tree... They shall still bring forth
fruit in old age...”
IV.
UNCONFESSED SIN
(JAMES 5:15-16) “...Confess
your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
a. Unconfessed
sin always hinders the prayers of Christians.
b. God will not
hear the prayers of a Christian who harbors sin in their heart.
V.
UNBELIEF OR DOUBT
(HEBREWS 11:6) “But without
faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
VI.
UNRESOLVED CONFLICT IN THE FAMILY
(1 PETER 3:7) “Likewise,
ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the
wife... that your prayers be not hindered.”
Misunderstandings
or a lack of forgiveness between a husband and wife will hinder prayers from
being answered.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
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