Obstacles of prayer – Pastor Guillermo Jiménez

OBSTACLES OF PRAYER

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16 NLT)

According to the verse we just read, Apostle James spoke about effective prayer. This makes us think that there is also ineffective prayer. In other words, there are prayers that don’t produce any result. Why does this happen? It’s because there are circumstances in the lives of people that impede the flow of prayer. Some of these obstacles are:

1.- Doubt.

… 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. (James 1:6 NLT)

Doubting is not believing in someone or something. In terms of prayer, sometimes we ask God for a solution to something, but we are so worried or afflicted that we don’t believe a solution is possible.
This attitude blocks prayer. We indirectly say that the problem is too great for God’s power. If you have any need, believe with all your heart that God can give you the answer: a healing, job, wisdom, direction, strength, etc.

2.- Asking wrongly.

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 4:3 NLT)

Is it possible for us to ask wrongly in prayer? Yes. This obstacle has to do with the purpose or intentions of our prayers. Maybe what we are asking isn’t aligned with God’s will or with His Word and that’s why we don’t receive.

…. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.. (James 5:16 NLT)

Think about it:

Has your worry about a problem been greater than your faith?
Is what you’re asking God for aligned with His Will?
Which of God’s promises sustain your petition?