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It is our sincere desire that as you read these bible verses, you would be uplifted and your walk with our Lord Jesus Christ would be deepened.
Pray Without Hinderance
Click Here to Read Isaiah 59:1-2.
Just as there are things you can do to make your prayers more effective, there arealso things you can do (or not do) to make your prayers ineffective. Here are four specific obstacles to effective prayer.
1. Selfishness or Pride. When it comes to having effective prayers, motives are of the greatest importance. If a person comes to God praying for something with a selfish motive, that prayer will not get any higher than the ceiling. God will not answer prayers that come from a selfish motive.
2. Idolatry. Idolatry is not limited to bowing down to images of gold, wood, or bronze. An idol could also be defined as anything or anyone that takes the place of God in your life. It could be a person, a relationship, a career, or even a leisurly activity. When you place something other than God on the throne of your heart, your prayers will go unanswered. As Ezekiel 14:3 says,"Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and put the stumbling block of their iniquity and guilt before their faces; should I permit Myself to be inquired of at all by them?" Amplified Bible
3. Unforgiveness. In Mark 11:25, Jesus says, "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop."Amplified Bible. If you are harboring a grudge against someone right now, your prayer life will suffer. Get rid of that root of bitterness before it destroys you and those around you. If you don't release it, you will be sinning, and that sin will hinder your prayers.
4. Unconfessed Sin. Psalm 66:18 says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." If you feel like your prayers are going unanswered, you may want to consider whether you are harboring some unconfessed sin in your life. Maybe you are committing a sin right now that you do not even categorize as a sin because "everybody is doing it." Yet, if the Bible characterizes that activity as sin, then it is.
If you can identify with any of the problems listed above, confess your sins to God and turn away from that attitude or activity. Once that obstacle is removed, you will again see God working through your prayers.
While we look forward to the glories of heaven, one thing far outweighs them all: the fact that we will be able to spend eternity with Jesus. Dwight L. Moody once wrote, "It is not the jeweled walls and the pearly gates that are going to make heaven attractive. It is being with God." May that truth inspire you as you live out your life on this earth.
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