Posted on 05/28/2019 5:49:41 AM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination” (Proverbs 28:9).
“. . . even his prayer shall be abomination.” So many people pray their memorized, vain repetitions, which Jesus says, “the heathen do.” So many prayers are directed to the wrong mediator, for there is one mediator between God and man, and that MAN is Jesus Christ. Not his mothers, and not some saved who may or may not be a sinner saved by grace. It is true, some prayers can not penetrate the ceiling of your home, let alone the throne of grace. Today, we are going to look at some hindrances to prayer.
There about seven things that hinder prayer, and this is one of them. Sin, personal sin hinders prayer.
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalms 66:18).
Not only does sin hinder prayer, but also insincerity hinders prayer.
“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:1-3).
It says, you ask, and you don’t receive, because you ask amiss.
Giving God second best hinders your prayers:
“Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts. And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 1:7-9).
God said, “You give me second best, I won’t give you anything.”
The fourth thing that hinders prayer is faithlessness.
God said, “Let a man ask in faith” in James 1:6. You better ask believing, or you'll get nothing.
The, five, is selfishness and that's right here in proverbs.
“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard” (Proverbs 21:13).
A sixth reason for no answered prayer is marriage problems. When the wife and the husband are not getting along together, and not doing right by one another, then their prayers are hindered.
“Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. 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” (I Peter 3:1-7).
Seven, an unforgiving spirit. If you don't forgive others, God will not forgive you:
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).
These are seven reasons that people's prayer life gets shattered. That’s how to kill your prayer life.
Let’s read a chapter of Proverbs a day and see what God might have for us. As the Lord leads, share with us what God has shown you in a special way and by His grace let us build up a devotional repository. Let’s keep our knives and forks handy for some daily bread!
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