Prayer Blockers in Family Setting

An admonition by Peter, the apostle, to husbands against mistreating their wives, else their prayers would not be answered by God applies to all believers. This is what that Scripture says – “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” There are however other things we can do that would prevent our prayers from ascending to the Father. Proverbs 15:8 states that “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: But the prayer of the upright is His delight.”

          Whom does Scripture describe as a wicked person? We will take our cue from Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devices wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush to evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who sows discord among brethren.”

         Does this Scripture x-ray us in terms of these negative traits? As husbandmen, we must be first partakers of the ‘fruits’, especially in the family setting characterised by close-knit relationships. Most often, we get hurt more by the actions of those closest to us than outsiders. At that level, the first thing that can block our prayer is unforgiveness. When we harbour resentment, offense, bitterness, or anger toward another person, they hinder our prayers. Other prayer blockers are:

1. Pride – James 4:6, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Learn to see yourself through God’s eyes; not through your status, education and other ego boosting factors;
2. Broken Relationship – Mark 11:25, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins.” Mathew 5:23-24 puts it this way, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift”;
3. Lack of Compassion for those in Need – Proverbs 21:13, “Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”
4. Wrong Motives – James 4:3, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasure.” We cannot sneak our wrong motives past God;
5. Doubt – James 1:5-7, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. However, when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”
6. Sin – Isaiah 59:2, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear”;
7. Disobedience – James 4:7, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them”; and
8. Disregard for God’s Commandment – Proverbs 28:9, “If anyone turns a deaf ear to My instruction, even their prayers are detestable.”

These prayer blockers seem to go hand in hand. When we know God’s word, we have a better understanding of sin. Knowing the will of God and desiring to please Him will also enable us to frustrate the enemy’s attempts to exploit our human weaknesses to cause us to err. The solution lies in confessing our faults to other believers, particularly family members, through which we build accountability to help us overcome these weaknesses.

 ***** Some materials sourced from Five More Prayer Blockers by Erin Davis, https://www.reviveourhearts.com; A Hindered Prayer Life, https://www.arkansasonline.com; Prayer Blockers: Sin, Disobedience, and Disregard for God’s Law, https://www.idisciple.org.