What can hinder your prayers to God? Here are 15 things …

We read in the Bible that “… The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16b), but have your ever felt like your prayers weren’t even clearing the ceiling?

In addition to teaching us that earnest prayers of righteous people produce wonderful results, it also teaches us that there are several things that can, very literally, hinder our prayers to God. Here is a list of just 15 such hindrances; it’s not an all-inclusive list, and is given in random order:

1. Neglecting God’s Word.
“If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable,” Proverbs 28:9 (NIV).

2. Unconfessed sin.
“If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened,” Psalm 66:18.

3. Praying with wrong motives.
“You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong — you want only what will give you pleasure,” James 4:2-3.

4. Lack of faith/Doubting God.
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord,” James 1:5-7.

5. Not forgiving others.
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins,” Matthew 6:14-15.

6. Setting up idols in your life.
“Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?” Ezekiel 14:3.

7. Unsurrendered will.
“Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” John 15:6-7.

8. Conflict in your marriage.
“In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered,” 1 Peter 3:7.

9. Unresolved conflict with others.
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God,” Matthew 5:23-24.

10. Prayerlessness itself!
“As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right,” 1 Samuel 12:23.

11. Not abiding in Christ.
“But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” John 15:7.

12. Lack of persistence in prayer.
“Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: ‘Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, “A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.” And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, “Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.” But I tell you this — though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. And so I tell you, 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,” Luke 11:5-10.

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere,” Ephesians 6:18.

“Never stop praying,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

13. God waiting for your obedience.
“For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right,” Psalm 84:11.

14. Pretentious prayers.
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you,” Matthew 6:5-6.

15. Vain repetition from religious zeal.
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” Matthew 6:7-8.

If you want those wonderful results that can come from talking with God (prayer), examine yourself to see if any of the hindrances above (or any other hindrances) are in your life; if so, remove them!

Scotty