Prayer Blocks

Have you ever thought about your prayer line getting blocked or clogged? 

Have you ever felt like you were praying and praying and God wasn't listening? There's a chance He wasn't?

We don't talk about it often but according to the Bible it is possible. 

1 Peter 3:7
You husbands, likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

 1 Peter 3:10-12

Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. And let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

 1 Peter 4:7

The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer (literally: for the sake of prayers.) 

What Peter is saying here is there is a way to live or think that can hinder our prayers. Notice I say “our” not your prayers.  The good news is there is a way we can think or live that can help our prayers as well.

These scriptures imply our prayers can be obstructed by how we treat our spouse, families, neighbors, anyone.

In these verses Peter is telling us we need to do something on our part so our prayers won’t be blocked.

Apparently, a constant open line to the Father is not automatic. Now more than ever we need to make sure our mind body and soul are lined up so our prayers can be heard and answered.

So you might be asking yourself why does this matter?

There are a lot of reasons, but I’ll start with the most obvious for me. It’s the feeling I’m not connecting with God and He starts to feel distant. For some He may begin to feel nonexistent.

If you are a person who has known the voice of God and truly loves Him if you have experienced the peace that only He can give you can only imagine what it would feel like if that relationship were hindered. There’s an instant perception of instability. Even as prayers are coming out of your mouth the words can seem insincere or empty.

I have listed some verses that teach us about this problem from God’s word, not my opinion.

Isaiah 1:15 ¹⁵When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!

Psalm 66:17-19 ¹⁷I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. ¹⁸If I had cherished sin in my heart, the LORD would not have listened; ¹⁹but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.

Isaiah 59:2 ²But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

John 9:31 ³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.

Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

Scriptures on what sin is:

1 John 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

James 1:¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

James 4:17  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Matthew 6:14-15  ¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Basically anytime we are deciding to do something we know is wrong we are sinning, however, there are times we are sinning, and we don’t know it. These sins are called unintentional sins. I ask forgiveness for sins I know about and the ones I’m unaware of. (example: I may offend someone and never know about it.)

Proverbs 28:13  Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

1 John 2:1  My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

James 5:16 Tell your sins to each other. And pray for each other so you may be healed. The prayer from the heart of a man right with God has much power.

2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Not everyone is familiar with praying, so I want to encourage you, it’s a conversation with you and God. Like any conversation, you speak and then you're quiet to listen. Many people talk at God, giving their list of needs or concerns but they don't allow a time of waiting for the Lord to answer.

So to recap we know we have to repent of sin known or unknown before we have an open line of communication. Repenting means turning away from the sin you're committing.  It can be as simple or as intimate as you want it to be there are no rules on asking for forgiveness.
I have had long conversations with God and at times just whispered, “I’m sorry.” The key is the repentance part. 

Matthew 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 

James 4:8 Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubleminded.

Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

The disciples that walked with Jesus learned the importance of prayer. They asked Him to show them how to pray.

Prayer

Matthew 6:⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

"Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our trespasses,
    as we also have forgiven those who trespass against us.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one’

¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

God knows what we need before we ask, we must put ourselves in a position to receive. We start that by making sure we have no prayer blocks.