[PP] [PREACHING LESSON 5:] WHAT HINDERS THE ANSWERS TO THE PRAYERS OF GOD'S PEOPLE?

 

WHAT HINDERS THE ANSWERS TO 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."

 

Introduction:

a. God is a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God who delights in communicating with His children.

 

b. While God desires to open the windows of heaven to our requests, the scriptures clearly show that certain spiritual blockages can close His ears to our petitions.

 

c. Understanding what hinders our prayers allows the Christian to examine their heart, repent, and restore clear fellowship with the Lord.

 

Six (6) things that hinder God from answering the prayer of the Christian:

 

I. SIN IN THE LIFE OF THE CHRISTIAN HINDERS GOD FROM ANSWERING THEIR PRAYERS.

 

(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 the prayers of Christians who do wicked things.

 

(PSALMS 66:18) "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:"

 

b. King David understood that sin will always hinder a Christian's prayer from being answered.

 

c. Choosing to intentionally ignore the instructions of God's word closes the ears of God to our petitions.

 

II. BEING UNEQUALLY YOKED WITH UNBELIEVERS HINDERS GOD FROM ANSWERING THE PRAYER OF THE CHRISTIAN.

 

(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? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

 

a. Paul warned the Corinthian Church not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. God will not answer the prayers of Christians who continue to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

 

b. God commanded Christians to separate themselves from unbelievers who practice 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."

 

d. Allowing worldly associations to compromise your spiritual devotion breaks the intimate fellowship required for answered prayer.

 

III. AN UNFRUITFUL LIFE HINDERS GOD FROM ANSWERING THE PRAYER OF THE CHRISTIAN.

 

(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 Christians to a fruitful palm tree.

 

(PSALMS 92:12-14) "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;"

 

c. Answers to prayer are promised to those who remain attached to the True Vine and actively live a productive Christian life.

 

IV. UNCONFESSED SIN HINDERS GOD FROM ANSWERING THE PRAYER OF THE CHRISTIAN.

 

(JAMES 5:15-16) "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 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. Sin always hinders the prayers of Christians.

 

(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."

 

b. God will not hear the prayers of a Christian who harbors sin in their heart.

 

(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."

 

c. Attempting to cover up transgressions rather than bringing them to light leaves the spiritual channel between you and God blocked.

 

V. UNBELIEF OR DOUBT HINDERS GOD FROM ANSWERING A CHRISTIAN'S PRAYERS.

 

(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."

 

a. Approaching God without confidence in His power or willingness to answer makes the prayer completely powerless.

 

VI. UNSETTLED CONFLICTS IN THE FAMILY LACKING FORGIVENESS AND UNDERSTANDING HINDER GOD FROM ANSWERING THE PRAYER OF THE CHRISTIAN.

 

(1 PETER 3:7) "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [them] according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."

 

a. Misunderstanding between a husband and a wife will hinder your prayers from being answered.

 

b. Harboring bitterness or refusing to resolve marital strife breaks the domestic peace and directly disrupts your spiritual standing before God.

 

Conclusion:

a. The problem of unanswered prayer is never on God's side, for His hand is never too short to save and His ear is never too heavy to hear.

 

b. If we desire a powerful and unhindered prayer life, we must live out a sanctified, faithful, and fruitful walk before the Lord.

 

c. Let us keep our hearts pure, our families unified, and our faith strong so that we may see the great and mighty works of God manifested through our prayers.

 

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!