Obstacles to Effective Prayer
Thursday, 24 September 2009 16:36
The title of this post is the same as our next session - "Obstacles to Effective Prayer". As followers of Jesus, we could agree that communicating (talking AND listening) with God through prayer is essential to growing closer to Him, increasing our understanding of His plan for us, trusting His plan, and seeing how He wants to use us for His kingdom and His glory.
Charles Stanley describes how some of King David’s prayers are recorded in the Psalms. There we read how he praised the Lord, confessed sin, and cried out about his troubles. He also asked God to hear his prayers and not be silent (Ps. 28:1).
We all want to pray effectively like David, right? But to do so, we should know what the Bible says about the obstacles to our prayer lives being effective.* Wrong motives (James 4:3). Prayers motivated by selfish desires won’t receive an affirmative answer. God wants us to pray for His will to be done - not ours.
* Conflict in relationships. Being resentful or argumentative with others will affect communication with our heavenly Father.
* Lack of generosity (Prov. 21:13). We please God when we tend to the needs of others, or give generously to the church. It doesn't make sense to ask for a blessing yet refuse to obey Him in our giving (1 Tim. 6:17-19).
* Indifference (Prov. 28:9). Apathy to the Scriptures is another stumbling block. God has given us the Bible so that we might know Him and serve Him in every area of our lives. Failure to read and act on His Word consistently will diminish our ability to maintain a godly lifestyle.
To develop a thriving and effective prayer life takes effort and commitment, but the rewards are great. If your prayers have not been answered, consider which, if any, of the above applies to you. Then, start by personalizing the prayers you read in the Psalms or elsewhere in the Bible - God's Word (and will) to us.
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