But your
iniquities have separated you
from your
God; And your sins have hidden
His face
from you, So that He will not hear.
Prayer is
fundamental for a Christian. Along with Bible reading, fellowship, and
evangelism, it lies at the core of the spiritual life. And, yet, it is a
challenge. Our times of prayer can seem few and frustrating. Why is that?
Today I want
to offer a few quick answers to that question. See if you agree with my list of
the top 5 hindrances to prayer…
#1. Sin
This
hindrance is the biggie. All other hindrances are outgrowths of this one.
The
concept of ‘sin’ is difficult to define in a single phrase or sentence. One
might come close by defining it this way: “Sin is any attitude or action which
is contrary to the character of God.” But ‘sin’ is more than an act or
attitude. It is also a state or condition in which we find ourselves, and it is
a nature we possess.
Perhaps
describing sin would be helpful. The Bible teaches that sin is: missing the
mark of God’s standard (Mt. 1:21 );
breaking God’s law (Rom. 2:23 );
disobedience to God (1 Sam.
28:18 ); rebellion against God (Isa. 59:13 ); lawlessness (1 John 3:4 ); unrighteousness (Rom. 3:5 ); godlessness (Rom. 1:18 ); wickedness (Eze. 28:15 ); going astray (Isa. 53:6 ); iniquity (Psa. 51:2 ); evil (Hab. 1:13 ); falling short of
God’s glory (Rom. 3:23 );
pride (1 Timothy 3:6-7 );
and living independently of God (Gen
3:5 ; Jdg. 21:25 ).
Ouch,
that’s a lot.
So,
sin is repudiation of God and promotion of self. And, if that’s the case, wow,
are we in trouble! It causes one to wonder how we can ever hope to be heard by
God. We all fall short.
Fortunately,
we believers have not been left in that condition. In Christ we were freed from
our state of sin – “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (Romans 5:21 ). That’s a relief
from a positional standpoint, and it is on that basis we gained a judicial
right to enter God’s throne room. Then, in terms of our attitudes and actions,
we have the promise that God forgives us of all sin and grants us cleansing as
we confess them – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 ). And that’s a relief
from a relational standpoint, and it is on that basis that we are bold to enter
into God’s throne room.
But
the obvious observation concerning the things discussed above is that we must
avail ourselves of Christ’s completed work. If we cling to the rebellion and
self-centeredness of sin, we cannot commune with the Father in prayer.
#2. Disobedience
Disobedience
is a particular sort of sin, of course, so, this is really just a subset of the
first hindrance. Still, it’s worth considering as a separate hindrance.
Disobedience,
as I am thinking of it here, is not the unwitting violation of some command. It
is the decision to do something that one knows is against the will of the
Father. This is sometimes referred to as “the sin of the high hand.” This is
the sort of thing a person considers, realizes is wrong to do, and then chooses
to do anyway, thus raising a metaphorical hand toward heaven and saying, “I
don’t give a rip about what You say or care about.”
This
can happen in all sorts of contexts, but it is interesting to note that it is
mentioned specifically as a hindrance when a Christian husband treats his wife
poorly. When a Christian man, one who knows the commands of God to love His
wife as Christ loved the Church, acts toward his wife in a shabby manner, he
demeans the Almighty Who has commanded him to do otherwise. And the
consequence, according to 1 Peter
3:7 , is that his prayers will be hindered. And this is only
reasonable. Why should one expect to enjoy friendly conversation with the One
who has been dismissed and disrespected? Until that relationship has been
restored, prayer has been hindered.
#3. Unbelief
As
the antithesis of faith, unbelief demeans the One the Christian asserts is
Almighty and Utterly Good. It, too, is a subset of sin, but its focus is on the
attitude, whereas the focus of disobedience is on the action.
Unbelief
is doubt expressed inwardly concerning the very character of God. It is a
refusal to accept as true His revelation of Himself. And it can manifest in a
denial of any aspect of His nature: of His power, as though He were incapable
of doing the good things requested; of His wisdom, as though He were unable to
recognize the wisdom of granting requests; of His goodness, as if He would fail
to act in a way that was ultimately and utterly good; and of His omniscience,
as if He does not have enough information to wisely.
Ultimately,
unbelief is doubt that God is God. It is a re-taking of the ‘reins of life.’ It
is judging He Who is Other to be inadequate in one way or another.
And,
if this is all true, how could this be anything but a hindrance? How we enjoy
loving fellowship with Holy God when we are accusing Him of being other than He
has revealed Himself to be? It is impossible. Our prayers will be hindered.
#4. Greed
This,
too, is a subset, and probably a subset of all of the above. It is a grasping
for more, internally and externally expressed, which demonstrates a denial of
God’s power to provide and His wisdom to provide that which is best.
Ultimately,
I believe, greed expressed is a manifestation of anger toward God Almighty. Its
expression is reminiscent of the Israelites misguided actions in the
wilderness. “Not enough food,” they griped. “We want meat! No more of this
tasteless bread from heaven!” How similar is must seem when Christians, who are
enjoying daily the true Bread of Heaven, gripe that they do not have enough of
this thing or that thing.
Christians
who pray with greedy spirits demean the One they address as the “Giver of every
good and perfect gift” and diminish His gift of “all the riches in the
heavenlies in Christ Jesus.” Such ungrateful attitudes and greed, the demanding
for more than the needs of life, must prove hindrances to prayer.
#5. Laziness
This last hindrance is one I often note in my
personal life and one which I suspect is prevalent among believers. It is,
simply, laziness.
Occasionally, when Nicole and I counsel other
couples, we encourage them to spend five to fifteen minutes each day in focused
conversation with one another. It never fails to amaze me how difficult this
assignment can prove. Fifteen minutes is a very short amount of time, and yet
many couples have trouble carving out that much time for focused interaction.
And, in such cases, is it any wonder that the relationships are struggling?
What a difference from the seasons of courtship, when hours were not enough!
But why is it so hard to find the time to
talk? Is it because there are fewer hours in the day? No, of course not. It is
a matter of prioritization. If it matters, people find the time. Most of us
find the time to watch a TV show or read a book. These couples can find the
time to talk, and still they don’t. Why? Because it takes effort, and its not
always ‘natural’ or ‘easy.’ Focused conversation is not like watching TV (which
has been referred to as chewing gum for the brain). It requires concentrated
effort, if it is to be done well.
How much more this is true of prayer!
Communion with the Father is effortful, and those who wish to commune with God
most seek Him with their whole hearts. That time must be prioritized, and the
sinful, lazy urges of the flesh must be squelched.
Well,
there it is: an off-the-top of my head list of 5 hindrances to prayer. Can you
think of others? Are you letting these things hinder your prayers? If so, the
promise is always the same. Come to God in faith, confess your sins, and He
will restore Your communion with Him.
“If
we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just
to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness..”
-- Christian Pilet
