As much as God desires to answer your prayers, there are things that will cause interference in the communication lines between you and God.
Motives, heart attitudes, how you treat others, and sin are all a pretty big deal to God. If you’re not seeing results in your prayer life, it might be a good idea to check up on some of these areas.
Here are just a few things that the Bible mentions could hinder your prayers from being answered.
1. Sin. Psalm 66:18-19 (NIV) says, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.” Make sure you’re walking upright and holy before God. Sin will clog the pipes and hinder your prayers.
2. Arguing. God gives instruction to married couples about being considerate and respectful of one another “so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7 NIV). Arguing, strive, and contention will keep your prayers from being answered. Keep the lines of communication to God open by walking in love with your spouse, being patient, considerate, respectful, forgiving, and tenderhearted with one another.
3. Deceitful Speech. First Peter 3:10-12 (NIV), “For, Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech…For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Always tell the truth. Don’t lie or say things that are misleading to give others a false perception. Lying and deception will hinder your prayers from being answered.
The Take Away:
God is a loving Father, and He wants to answer your prayers. However, there are things that will cause interference. If you’re not getting results in your prayer life, do a “heart check-up.” If there is an area of sin in your life, be quick to ask for forgiveness, then make the necessary adjustments, and get back on track. Once you do, God can begin to work on your behalf and answer your prayers!
