Two Hindrances to Answered Prayer

Psalm 91:15 (New International Version)

 ¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
       I will be with him in trouble,
       I will deliver him and honor him.

Hebrews 4:14-16 (New International Version)

 ¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, 

¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. ¹⁶Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

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Two Hindrances to Answered Prayer

When a nightclub opened on the Main Street, a church which was only a few blocks away organized a 24-hours prayer vigil. They asked God to burn the club down. Within a week, lightning struck and the nightclub burned to the ground. The owner sued the church, which denied responsibility. After hearing arguments from both sides the judge said, “It seems that wherever the guilt may lie, the nightclub owner believes in prayer, while the church doesn’t.”

The first hindrance to answered prayer is – prayerlessness. Sound simple, but our prayers are not answered when we don’t pray. Saying we “believe” in prayer is not the same as “praying”. James writes: “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:3). We must take the time to ask God for what we want and need. Sometimes we process situations in our minds, or talk about them with our friends, or wish, or hope, but we don’t pray. Thinking, wishing, hoping, and talking with others is not prayer; only “prayer” is prayer! When we have a need or a situation that concerns us, we’re only praying when we talk to God about it.

God is waiting for us to make request to Him in prayer. He never gets tired of us coming to Him! He is able, willing, and ready to act on our behalf, but only if we pray. Jesus said: “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8 New Living Translation).

The second hindrance to answered prayer is – lack of confidence! When we understand that as God’s redeemed children we have the right to approach Him at any time, we are able to overcome the enemy’s attempts to make us feel condemned. As a result we become confident in approaching Him. We no longer say to ourselves, “I know God can do it, BUT I find it hard to believe He will do it for me.”  We think such thoughts because we don’t think we’re worthy.  Jesus has made us worthy! When we come to God, we can count on Him to be merciful to us. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Grace means God will gave us what we don’t deserve – if we’re confident enough to ask for it. We ask in Jesus’ Name, not in our own name. We’re presenting to the Father all that Jesus is, not all that we are. We’re nothing without Jesus! God is willing to do more than we could ask or think, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, …” (Ephesians 3:20). So we need to exercise faith, and avail ourselves of all He can do by asking confidently.

Helen Poole writes: “My four years old daughter would always pray before she went to sleep. One night she prayed and prayed – her voice getting softer, until only her lips were moving. Then she said, ‘Amen.’ I said, ‘Honey, I didn’t hear a word you said.’ – She replied, ‘Momma, I wasn’t talking to you.” – When you understand that you have the right to talk to God, and that He listens to every word, you pray with confidence.

(By Pr. Jentezen Franklin)

Do you have a Son or Daughter in school, college or university? Please, find a way for Him/Her to read this message. He/She will be very blessed reading words of faith and encouragement.