Hindrances to Prayer

These first 7 came from RA Torry's book Power in Prayer

1. Self Indulgence
The first hindrance to prayer we will find in James 4:3,
"Ye ask and receive not BECAUSE YE ASK AMISS, THAT YE MAY SPEND IT IN YOUR PLEASURES."

2. Sin
The second hindrance to prayer we find in Is. 59:1,2:
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy,
that it cannot hear.  But YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED BETWEEN YOU AND
YOUR GOD, and YOUR SINS HAVE HID HIS FACE FROM YOU, THAT HE WILL
NOT HEAR."...

3. 0ther Gods
The third hindrance to prayer is found in Ez. 14:3, "Son
of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put
the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be
inquired of at all by them?"(R.V.)  IDOLS IN THE HEART CAUSE GOD TO REFUSE
TO LISTEN TO OUR PRAYERS.

4. Not helping the poor.
The fourth hindrance to prayer is found in Prov. 21:13,
"WHOSO STOPPETH HIS EARS AT THE CRY OF THE POOR, HE ALSO SHALL CRY
HIMSELF, BUT SHALL NOT BE HEARD."

5. Not forgiving
The fifth hindrance to prayer is found in Mark 11:25, "And
when ye stand praying, FORGIVE, if ye have ought against any; that
your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

6. Not treating wife right
The sixth hindrance to prayer is found in 1_Peter 3:7, "Ye
husbands, in like manner, dwell with your wives according to
knowledge, giving honor unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel as
being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your
prayers be not hindered." (R.V.)  Here we are plainly told that A
WRONG RELATION BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE IS A HINDRANCE TO PRAYER.

7. Doubting
The seventh hindrance to prayer is found in James 1:5-7,
"But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask IN FAITH, NOTHING
DOUBTING: for he that doubteth is like the
surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he
shall receive anything of the Lord." (R.V.)

8. Not according to God's will. David Wilkerson.

9.  Our Prayers Can Be
Denied When We Show No Diligence
to Assist God In The Answer.
It is the fervent prayer, a prayer needs works of faith. and a death to self to gain
the answer.
Prov 1:28 no diligence or indifference.

10. There is no persistence in prayer. Luke 18:1f

11. Lack of fellowship with God and His word. John 15:7

12. Sometimes there needs to be fasting. Matthew 17:21 Mark 9:29

13. God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6

14. Disobedience to God's direction  and not letting our ministry and fruit remain. John
15:16

15. Stubbornness Zech 7:13 Just as God called and I did not listen so when one calls
God will not listen.

16. Friendship with the world is hostility toward God.  James 4:4; 1 John 2:15,16,17

The following 6 reasons came from Proverbs 1:24f
17. God called and they refused to listen.
18. Did not pay attention to God's stretched out hand.
19. Neglected God's counsel.
20. Did not want God's reproof.
21. Hated knowledge.
22. Did not fear God.

Notes from Don't Pray Without Passion

Notes from Don't Pray Without Passion by Marilyn Sampson

Deep calls to deep. Ps 42:7
Know the mind of God not formulas.

Pray as you hear God's thoughts. Satan is our enemy (John 10:10, 1Pt 5:6-8) but we can head-off tragedy by strategic prayer.

Yield your mind to God's purpose for His will in prayer and action.

Search for the Father's will and follow that John 5:19

We can't anticipate God's thoughts, except by revelation. Isa 55:8,9

Pray God's heart and His will and we will have assurance of an answer 1John 5:14,15
Thy kingdom come, not my kingdom come. Pray to see the kingdom of God increase.
Matt 6:33 Does God answer our needs if we pray or not if we seek the kingdom first? No, we are to pray for our daily bread!
Our seeking first signifies that other needs are second, but not ignored.

What is the Kingdom of God?
1. We lay up treasure there.
2. It is the Father's business Lk 2:49
3. What I am responsible for 2Cor10:13
4. It is the weakness of your brother in Christ.
5. It is what you hear in the spirit.
6. It is praying God's will not our will.

Call forth what God is calling forth.
Rom 4:17 so call forth open doors and opportunities God gives the nations as we ask for them Ps 2:8 We are told to ask, seek and find Luke 11:9,10

How do we grow spiritually?
1. Consecrated, committed and regular prayer.
2. The light of revelation feeds your spirit.Eph 1:17
3. Giving to others

Cry out to God the way Mary did in Luke 1:38 Let it be done to me according to Your Word.!

Prophecy can cause spiritual growth
1Cor14:1
Resistance - means promotion and increase are coming.

Our weapons are prayer and spiritual authority.
Isa 54:17 No weapon formed against you will prosper. But we need to know what is coming against us.
Our armour is useless if we don't know how to use it.
Praying in the spirit is part of the armour. (mine we have the mind of Christ as we pray in the spirit to know how to use the armour)
Counter plan any plan,the enemy has devised.
Run not without aim, fight not as beating the air. 1Cor9:26

Pray in preparation against the spirits that would hinder a meeting or ministry. Better results come when people are expecting and ready to receive from God.

Don't harden your heart against the Lord Heb 4
the Lord speaks through the fruitful vine. You are fruitful when you have paid the price to know God. What keeps us from knowing God is self satisfaction and distractions.

God's voice is quiet
2 Have an attitude of expectation
3 God gives simple answers to specific requests.

God speaks to the heart not the brain
God speaks specificly

Record the directions each day from the Lord

How does God speak to us?
Scriptures
Thoughts and impressions
Hearing a word in your spirit
Peace
Pictures and visions
Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom
Dreams

Growth comes from hearing.
(mine)
[Matt 4:4 Man will live by bread in the physical and God's word in the spiritual. If we don't hear we aren't living.
In the physical if we aren't functioning correctly we stop eat and go to the doctor if needed. It should be the same in the spirit. If we are not hearing from God we need to stop and get it corrected.
Prayer is the vital link of Christian life. Bible study is so we can relate to God and man correctly. Prayer is to empower our relating.]
(end mine)
Don't give place to the devil.___
Pray for strength in your weak areas. "For the ruler of this world is coming and he has no place in me. John 14:30
Worry will give place to the devil, so all worry should be prayed over.

Notes on Thankfulness
Decentralizes self.
Develops humility.
Preserves mental health.
Brings release to your inner man.
- Is like medicine - it edifies the soul. .
Means a thankful heart, which is a healthy heart.
7. Enables you to focus on Kingdom motives.
. Helps you maintain reverence (keeps the things of the Spirit from becoming common).
. Helps you become 'airborne' rising above obstacles. Goes a long way - all the way to the Throne.
Thankfulness and expectation are the keys that unlock the warehouse of heaven and open the way for God to speak to •s. When God talks, awesome things always occur. Live with expectation. Pray with expectation. Listen with expectation.

Prayer Network

David Watson had a good article on his blog.

It was on prayer to start churches. It was not just a little prayer or a lot of prayer, but a commitment to a life of prayer.

This is not a coincidence. I was reflecting on Colossians 4:2 today. Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.

So God is speaking to me about prayer.

Jesus, you are my source. My spirit is willing but my flesh is weak. Help me God to devote myself to prayer.

The Tree Makes the Waters Sweet

Ex 15:25 "Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them.

I see the tree as a type of the cross of Christ.

The cross is the thing we are to take up daily. It is the dying to ourself and living for the purposes of Jesus.

We are to rejoice always. So the sorrow of taking up the cross is unacceptable. We are to do all things with joy. Joy is the foundation of our actions. Isa 55:12, James 1:2-4, Heb 12:2

If we are trying to do something that we don't have joy for we are getting ahead of the game. For it says in Phil. 4:6,7 that in all things that we are concerned about we are to pray. If we are still concerned we are to continue praying.

This is where a lot of people give up on Christianity. They say it is unreasonable to pray until peace comes. One has to take care of their family and work etc.

But to watch TV and ignore God and continue to worry about problems? What's is going on here? We need to go to God when we have an opportunity to to present our problems to Him.

I would say if we do not pray we don't believe in Jesus. Why do I say that? Jesus has promised to answer our prayers that we ask in His name. So to not take advantage of this benefit is crazy.

Let me put it this way. If God offered to pay us $500 an hour to pray, would we pray? I would suggest that almost all of us would pray an hour and some would pray 2 hours a day. What is more important to us? Is money more important to us then God? Our actions speak louder than our words.

The cross is to be taken up daily.
Luke 9:23 "And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.""

Following Jesus
Deny yourself
Take up your cross

To follow Jesus is to be a disciple of Jesus. It is to abide with Him. It is to make Jesus our Lord and King. It is to fear Him.

To deny ourselves we live for Jesus and not ourself.

Don't think of missing out on fun. Think of missing out on what God has for you.

November 25th House Church

Today we read and discussed Philippians 1:21-29

We can serve Jesus with expectant hope of His return.
This hope in service is a purifying influence in our walk. 1 John 3:1-3

Jesus attitude in service is shown in Phil 2:5-8 We deny our desires and look to Jesus for guidance.

Standing firm with:
One spirit
One mind
Striving together

Remember Paul is writing this from prison. But we are to remember those in prison as if in prison with them.

Many teachers talk of the blessings that we get from being Christians but few talk of the cost. Some even deny the cost of following Christ. The Bible talks of those who deny the cross and contrast that with their fleshly appetites. But we are to seek to serve Christ. It makes sense that if you want to play tennis you must give up golf if you are playing that at the same time. In the same way if we are going to follow Christ other things must be given up.

Jude 3 also talks of this striving.

v28 is interesting passage. Our confidence in God in the midst of persecution is a sign to the lost of our salvation and their destruction. The peace Jesus gives is not as the world gives. It is a different kind of peace that is founded on the rock. It is a peace in the midst of trouble, not the lack of it.

Prayed for Uzbekistan in the Operation World book.

Also prayed for our personal needs.

Pattern for Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13 Pattern for Prayer

1 Our Father who art in heaven - Be still and know that God is God.
2 Hollowed be Thy Name - Offer God praise
3 Thy Kingdom come - Pray for God's kingdom to come. World Evangelism & Government leaders
4 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. - Pray for the specific things God is leading you.
5 Give us this day our daily bread. Our daily needs, Physical spiritual
6 And forgive us our trespasses as we have forgiven those who trespass against us, Repentance/forgiveness
7 And lead us not into temptation - God's protection in spiritual war
8 but deliver us from evil. - Healing, freedom, deliverance Bind the strong man
9 For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. - Worship & Thankfulness
10 Amen.- This is the faith of the prayer. Confidence in God.

Pray Through

Another aspect of: repentance, rest, quietness, and trust is to pray through.

Pray until the peace of God comes back. Pray until you see the answer come. Pray until you have assurance from God. Pray until you are assured that God will take care of the problem.

Phil 4:6,7 talk about this. Don't worry but pray. Pray the promises. Pray the Scripture. Believe the Bible not your worry. Decide to believe what the Bible says and not your worries. One of the main ways to move from worry to belief is to pray. Don't lose heart, pray. The Bible is real but our understanding needs to be prayed from our head to our heart.

Make a decision to believe what the Bible says. Abraham hoped when there was no reason to hope. God promised him a son when he was 75 years old and his wife was 65. 25 years later he was still waiting. He did not lose hope but gave glory to God. Abram changed his name to Abraham. Abraham means father of many. Can you imagine all the ridicule from people after that. He had to have known that he was the butt of jokes from his herdsmen. When he met someone and told them his name what was their response? They had to hold back a snicker. But I think he obeyed God in changing his name to keep God's promise ever before him.

Pray in the morning when you wake up. If at lunch the worry persists pray at lunch. If the worry persists when you get home from work pray then. Pray after you eat supper. If the answer does not come, take time off from work and pray.

Fasting can add strength to your prayers. Fast for God's answer.

Continue to pray until you can rest from your worry. Then rest in God and trust His goodness.

Click here for a good article from the web on this subject.
Click here for a good MP3 sermon by David Wilkerson (Crisis Praying) on this subject.