What Blocks Your Prayers?

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We have discussed the fact that prayer is really nothing more than talking to God. It is your way of speaking to your God in a truly personal, close way that helps to build your relationship.

How do you think your communication with God is going?

It’s about a Relationship

Communication is the key to building any type of relationship. If you do not talk to the other person and listen to what he or she says, then your relationship will become stagnant and likely end. This is true for God as well. If you want to get closer to Him, then you need to spend time each day talking with God and listening to Him.

Are you spending time talking with God each day?

Are you listening to the responses He has for you and are looking for ways He is speaking to you?

We understand the importance of communicating with God, but we should also need to understand that there are things that can block our ability to be able to communicate with Him. This is true of any relationship you will have. If you treat a friend or loved one disrespectfully or rudely, it will harm your relationship with that person. It may even end that relationship.

Each one of us knows the kinds of things that will harm the relationship you have with others. Dishonesty, inappropriate or vulgar comments, physical altercations, or pushing them to do something they do not want to do are all such examples.

Can you think of a time where you crossed the line, causing damage to a relationship?

It is important to understand that you can hinder the relationship with God. The great thing about our God is that He never abandons us and never is too far away. However, we may find that God is ignoring our prayers and is not responding to us.

Willful Disobedience

In Habakkuk 1:13, the prophet writes, “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil, and cannot look at wrong…” God sees our sins for what they are – transgressions of His Law.

God does not approve of this. However, God does not cast us aside because of our sins. If that were the case, H would have never sent Jesus. God understands we are going to fall short as all do (Romans 3:23). So, your relationship with God is not hindered because you have sin in your life. Where it is hindered is if you are willfully disobeying God.

There are many who not only choose to sin, but do so with complete disregard to what God wants. Hebrews 10:26 tells us, “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” What the author is saying here is that when we sin with complete disregard for God, then no sacrifice matters. We honestly don’t care what Jesus thinks or that He died on a cross for us. His sacrifice means nothing, because the person has so blatantly disregarded want God wants from us.

Have you found yourself being willfully disobedient to God?

If you answered that last question yes, you are not alone. Many of us get to a point of deciding it will be our way or no way. However, do not expect God to approve of your behavior or to hear your prayers when you have no regard for Him. This is the number one way that your prayers will be hindered with God.

Praying in Spite

It is safe to say that at some point every one of us has prayed this type of prayer before:

“Lord, I pray that you teach that person a lesson. They are such an evil person that they deserve terrible things to happen to them. Let that person suffer!”

Does this sound like something you prayed before?

Again, you are not alone. David often prayed these kinds of prayers. In Psalm 109, David prayed in this way, demanding that the possessions of his enemies be taken from them, that their children become fatherless, that they be left to wander and beg, and that their days would be few. If David was praying like this, why shouldn’t we be allowed to do so as well?

The reason is because David always returned to the goodness and justice of God. He expressed his anger but understood that he was not the final judge on anything. That role is God’s, who righteously determines what should happen. You may want God to bring calamity on others and believe that it is the right thing, but this is not the prayer that God is asking from you.

Keep in mind that while Jesus was on the cross being mocked by the people below, He forgave every one of them (Luke 23:34). This is what God expects from you, too. He wants you to demonstrate the same type of compassion and forgiveness that Jesus did. So, approaching God seeking vengeance is not going to improve your prayer life.

There is one important note to keep in mind. It is perfectly acceptable for you to express your anger and the hatred you feel for something that someone has done. You may see some as completely evil, maybe even wishing that they were dead. However, your conversation with God should not include asking Him to kill that person. Instead, it should be asking God to change that person’s heart, leading them to repentance. That may not seem like as enjoyable of a prayer, but it is one where God is clearly listening to you.

Is there a person in your life that you absolutely hate? Are you ready to pray for that person?

Praying in Your Lust

We talked about this several weeks ago, but the types of requests you are making do impact if God is listening to you. For example, if your prayer is to continually win lots of money so that you can live a lavish lifestyle, God is likely not hearing that. God is often not going to grant you the desires of your heart if your requests are only going to hurt you.

This is only a small part of the problem here. In Ezekiel 14, God tells the prophets that He is going to answer them according to their hearts. They are approaching God saying things like, “God, you’re going to do exactly as we ask, aren’t you?” They are not asking God’s counsel; they are asking God to give them what they want regardless of what God wants to do or thinks is best. God tells Ezekiel that He will confirm whatever they ask, because that is all they want to hear. It doesn’t mean He is going to do it. It just means He is saying, “Whatever you say.”

When we approach God only looking for one answer and that is all we will accept, then we are not really building a relationship. We are demanding. We are expecting God to do what we want and not caring about what He has in mind.

Are you praying expecting God to do exactly as you demand?

Getting Right with God

This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of everything that can hinder your prayer life with God. If you are trying to think of some other ways, then ask yourself this question: what would hinder a relationship you have with someone else?

You can get that relationship back on the right track, however. It starts with repenting of your demands. It is time to turn your heart toward loving your Father, instead of being a demanding child. This is part of having respect for your Father in heaven but is part of loving Him as well. A demanding person is difficult to love. God will still love you, but He may find it difficult to like you at times.

Jesus wants you to speak to Him as you would speak to any other friend that you love. That you would approach Him with a desire to share your life in a way where the two of you can grow together. Where you can share laughs and challenges, funny stories and tragic events. Where you can have a close, personal relationship.

Is that what you want from God?

Are there areas in your life where you are hindering your relationship with God?

Are you ready to repent of those things?

Bible Passages for the Week:

Monday – James 4:3

 

Tuesday – Psalm 66:18

 

Wednesday – Isaiah 59:2

 

Thursday – Proverbs 28:9

 

Friday – Malachi 1:7-9

 

Saturday – Pick a passage from Scripture that teaches you why God may not listen to your prayer.

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