David Diga Hernandez - 9 Obstacles That Hinder Prayer

So, the first obstacle to prayer: number one, pride. James chapter 4, verse 6, says this: «He gives grace generously.» As the Scriptures say, «God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.» Job chapter 35, verse 12, says, «And when they cry out, God does not answer because of their pride.» All throughout Scripture, we see this pattern: those who become prideful become rejected by God. If you approach the Lord with an unhealthy measure of pride in your life, if you approach the Lord while walking in stubbornness and with a hard heart, that can hinder your prayers.

Number two, impure motives. James chapter 4, verses 2 through 3 say, «You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.» Verse 3: «And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong; you want only what will give you pleasure.» This generation teaches jealousy and envy as virtues. There are people in this generation who believe they have the right to other people’s possessions, so they are stirred by jealousy and envy, producing all sorts of wickedness. In fact, when you approach the Lord with impure motives, the prayers you pray become hindered. When you pray out of jealousy, your prayers are hindered; when you pray out of envy, your prayers are hindered. Are you praying for ministry growth so that others might be saved, or are you praying for ministry growth so that you might compete against those who are doing well in ministry? Are you praying for God to bless you so that you might show off the blessings, or are you praying for God to bless you so that you might be a blessing to others? The motive behind your prayer greatly influences whether or not God will respond to that prayer. Jealousy, envy, self-promotion, and self-pleasure are the things that keep your prayers from being answered.

Number three, mistreating your wife. First Peter chapter 3, verse 7 says this: «In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so that your prayers will not be hindered.» I find it interesting that the Scripture teaches that if a man mistreats his wife, his prayers become hindered. When Jess and I were first married, I remember having a conversation where I said something that really hurt her. I wasn’t trying to be mean or dishonoring; I was just being very matter-of-fact, as I sometimes am, and I didn’t realize how it had affected Jessica. While I was praying, I sensed that something was off; the connection I typically feel with the Lord was disrupted. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that I had indeed been too harsh with my wife, Jessica. The Holy Spirit led me to go back and apologize to her. When I apologized, she started laughing. I thought, «Jess, I’m trying to apologize to you; why are you laughing?» She explained that the other day, when I said that to her, it was a little harsh, and she was hurt. However, she didn’t want to make me feel guilty, be overbearing, or nag me, which I appreciated. Instead, she told the Lord, and then the Lord just told me. This is why, by the way, it’s important in your marriage to ensure that you’re hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit to help guide you in these areas. But the main point is that if you dishonor or mistreat your wife, man of God, that will hinder your prayers, and that is biblical.

Number four, unconfessed sin. Psalm chapter 66, verses 17-19 say this: «For I cried out to Him for help, praising Him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen; He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw His unfailing love from me.» Verse 18 states, «If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.» Holiness matters; righteousness matters. If you sense that disconnect from God and have trouble with doubt, fear, wavering, and confusion, wondering if God is really speaking to you, I’ll tell you where the root lies: it’s in unconfessed sin. When you bury your sin, suppress the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and try to hide wrongdoing from God, you’re damaging your soul and mind. You’re being robbed of peace and the blessings God wants to give you in prayer. Unconfessed sin will block your prayers; holiness brings favor.

Number five: unforgiveness. Matthew chapter 5, verses 23-24 say this: «Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.» Mark chapter 11, verse 25 states, «But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins too.» Here we see in Matthew chapter 5, verses 23-24 that when you’re not reconciled with your brother or sister in Christ, something is blocked in your worship to the Lord. In Mark chapter 11, verse 25, we see that if you are holding unforgiveness in your heart against people for whatever they have done to you, that too will block your prayers. Yes, this is a real issue. Just because some tell you that you have the right to be angry or to hold onto unforgiveness doesn’t mean that Scripture teaches the same thing. I teach the hard truths; sometimes, these truths are not popular. The culture can be enraged by the truth of Scripture, and today’s culture has fanned the flames of bitterness and indignation. They tell you that you have the right to be angry and to hold onto unforgiveness when, in fact, this is not the case. Forgiveness is something you must give if you want to be free and if you want your prayers to be unhindered. Bitterness will destroy you; it will poison you. It will become the lens through which you see every interaction. It will distort your perception of everything that occurs in your life, causing you to see trouble where there is none, making you feel slighted when you have not been, and leading you to think that people are against you when no one is. Bitterness is a lens that blinds you and distorts your perspective, and bitterness and unforgiveness will hinder your prayers.

Number six: timing. God’s timing. Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verse 11 says, «Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time; for He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.» God’s timing is crucial because when we pray, we must pray according to the will of God. When you pray according to God’s will, your prayers are powerful. Sometimes, however, God wills a thing at a different time than we do; indeed, many times God’s timing does not align with our preferred timelines. While this may not necessarily hinder prayer, it can certainly feel like a hindrance. We must trust God’s timing.

Number seven: spiritual warfare. Daniel chapter 10, verses 10-13 say this: «Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said to me, 'O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.' When he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, 'Do not be afraid, Daniel; from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days. Then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.'» Here, we see that spiritual warfare slowed the response; yes, this is an actual issue. I want to emphasize that this is quite simple to address, and we mustn’t become superstitious or paranoid in our approach, thinking that every unanswered prayer is due to some demonic being holding it up. There is no special incantation; there is no special ritual. You simply take your authority against the demonic power. I’ve had people write to me, saying, «Brother David, someone might be putting witchcraft on me,» or, «Brother David, somebody sent a demon to me,» or, «Brother David, a demon is harassing me in my sleep.» I receive these messages, and people ask for help. My response is that you should do what the Bible says: cast it out with the Word, speak against it. It’s truly not that complicated. I say this to encourage you, not to condescend; it’s just a reminder that you can break free from that paranoia and superstitious thought pattern that tells you there are specific things you must do in a certain way to be rid of a demon. No, it’s very simple: the Holy Spirit within you has given you authority, and when you pray against that power, it removes the hindrance to your prayers.

Number eight: insincere repetitions. Matthew chapter 6, verse 7, says, «When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.» God works in response to sincerity, not to systems. Sometimes we treat God like He’s a vending machine; we imagine that if we put in the right type of prayer, we’re going to see the right response given to us. But God, as I said, does not respond to systems; He responds to sincerity.

Now, number nine is doubt. James chapter 1, verse 6, says, «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.» We approach God with faith, knowing that His promises never fail. If we approach God wavering, wondering if He will or will not act, wondering if He can or cannot do it, then that doubt will hinder prayer; that doubt will hinder our ability to pray with faith. When we approach God, we should come with reverence but also with confidence, knowing that what we bring to Him is not impossible for Him.

I believe that sometimes we get stuck in old mindsets and religious notions, imagining that God has the same limitations that we do. No. When you pray, pray with unwavering faith. Boldly pray and do not be tossed to and fro. Stand firm, pray in faith, and believe that God will move.

So, the nine hindrances to prayer are:
1. Pride
2. Impure motives
3. Mistreating your wife
4. Unconfessed sin
5. Unforgiveness
6. Timing
7. Spiritual warfare
8. Insincere repetitions
9. Doubt