Three Barriers to Effective Prayer

We all want our prayers to make a difference! What gets in the way of our prayer being effective? God answers all prayer. Sometimes he says yes, sometimes no, sometimes wait and sometimes he is silent. Effective prayer is prayer that makes a difference.

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 (NIV)

For us to claim this verse, we must identify and eliminate barriers to our prayers. Of course, in identifying these barriers, the solutions become obvious, and our prayer life takes on new meaning and power. Here are the three barriers:

Sin

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,

or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;

but your iniquities have made a separation

between you and your God,

and your sins have hidden his face from you

so that he does not hear.

Isaiah 59:1–2 (ESV)

God willfully turns his back when we persist in sin. When we are living a worldly lifestyle, ignoring the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and indulging in our pleasures, our prayers will not be heard. Treating God as if he should serve us is not the way to live and it will lead to a fruitless prayer life.

The prayer God hears when we live like this is the prayer of repentance, asking him to forgive us and become the lord of our lives. Sin separates us from God. Our repentance and his grace end the separation.

Selfishness

You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

James 4:2–3 (ESV)

You pray that you’ll win the lottery. You pray that you’ll get the perfect job, the promotion, the recognition, the award.

Honestly, we pray these sorts of prayers all the time. Sometimes we even think God should grant our requests, that we deserve these things. However, selfish prayer is rarely answered the way we want. God usually answers with a quiet ‘no.’

We don’t need to be selfish in prayer. God will take care of our needs. Remember the words of Jesus:

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.

For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Luke 12:22, 30-31 (ESV)

We can trust God. He will provide for us. This does not mean we never make personal requests. There are genuine personal needs, but I believe we can all distinguish between a prayer for a personal need and a prayer of selfishness.

Out of God’s will

We quickly latch onto the promises of God to answer our prayers but when we ask outside of God’s will the answer we receive is ‘no’ or ‘wait’. Consider these words from Jesus.

 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 15:7 (ESV)

In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

John 16:23–24 (ESV)

Sometimes, we make the mistake of thinking that if we say ‘in Jesus’ name’ at the close of our prayers, we have actually asked in Jesus’ name.

If you have children or when you were a child, you probably heard (or said) something like this: “Mom said we could” or “Dad said we could.” That was all well and good if it was true. But if it wasn’t, trouble usually ensued. When you asked in Mom’s name or Dad’s name, you were saying that they were in agreement with your request. When we ask in Jesus’ name, we are saying he is in agreement with our request.

Asking in Jesus’ name involves a life of abiding in him and his word abiding in us. It means that we have become his disciples, with all that that entails. We are committed to doing his will all of the time. We have died to our own selfish desires and seek to follow him in all ways at all times.

Seeking out God’s will so we can pray in his will and in the name of Jesus’ will result in a powerful and effective prayer life. When we are living in this way, we become aware of petitions that are out of step with God’s will.

We all ask amiss from time to time. I have found that as I draw nearer to God it is so much easier to discern what I should pray and see my prayer make a difference.

Your challenge

Simple: eliminate these three barriers from your life and watch as God moves through your prayers to make a difference in your world. And go ahead and share this with others to help their prayer lives become more effective!