What Prevents Your Prayers from being Answered?

 

What prevents your prayers from being answered?

There are several situations that block answers to our prayers. 

1

Living in disobedience to Scripture:

Proverbs 28:9 states,

“if one turns away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (An abomination is something that is detestable to God.)

Revelation 3:15-16(ESV)

[Jesus said]

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm,  and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Praying to Impress Others:

When you pray in church, be sincere, God knows your heart. Don’t pray to draw attention to yourself. Don’t pray long flowery prayers to make others present think you have a close relationship with your Lord.

Instead, look to communicate your petitions to God in simple, clear-cut language that is sincere, honest, transparent and comes from your heart.  

Matthew 6:7-8(ESV)

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Not Valuing Your Wife:

Scripture directs married men to give complete love, honor, and respect to their wife. Your wife is God’s daughter, and He is offended if you do not value her as you should.

1 Peter 3:7(ESV)

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way,

showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Unconfessed Sin: 

If you have sinful habits that you enjoy and refuse to repent of, God will not listen to your prayers. 

Psalm 66:18-19(ESV)

If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

Unforgiveness:

Unforgiveness is a serious sin against God. The blood of Jesus has paid for every person’s sin against you. To refuse to forgive, is saying that the price Christ pain on the cross, is not enough to cover this sin. If you want to continue in your fellowship with God, you must forgive. 

Mark 11:25(ESV)

And whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

1

Wrong Motives for Asking:

Individuals can pray beautiful flowery prayers that appear to glorify God, while the truth is, the person wants to bring attention and admiration to himself. But God knows each heart. God knows what the hidden motives are, so He does not grant the request.

Jeremiah 17:10(NLT)

“But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

James 4:2-4(ESV)

…You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions