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Prayer Blocks

Read: 1 Samuel 14:24-37

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. --James 5:16

Don't you hate it when you send an important e-mail, only to find out when you log back on the next day that the e-mail has come bouncing back to you? Usually this happens because an address is wrong or the recipient changed his or her address. A message you thought was getting through didn't go anywhere.

And don't you just hate it when you send up an important prayer, only to have it come bouncing back to you? That can happen, you know. We can pray in such a way or pray with such a spirit that our prayer doesn't get through. James spoke of praying with wrong motives (4:3), and the psalmist spoke of prayers that are unanswered because sin is cherished (Psalm 66:18-19).

There are other reasons our "knee-mails" don't go through. Dr. Mark Johnson, in his book How To Succeed Where Strong Men Fail, identified these five prayer blocks--things we do that cause the communication line between us and God to fail.

Disobedience. Why should God give you His ear if you have chosen to plug yours to His commandments and to His leading? (1 Samuel 14:24-37).
Secret sin. Why should God offer a helping hand if you're holding one of yours behind your back, clutching sin? (Zechariah 7:12-13).
Stubbornness. Why should God give in to you while you are refusing to give in to Him? (Psalm 66:18).
Self-indulgence. Why should God pour out His favor if you have decided to keep all of it for yourself? (Zechariah 7:12-13).
Mistrust. Why should God answer prayer if you continue to mistrust Him? (James 1:6-8).

Prayer is a great and awesome privilege. It allows you to talk directly with the Almighty God of the universe. Take advantage of it. Avoid the prayer blocks. --DB

REFLECTION

* Which of these prayer blocks is troubling my prayer-life right now?

* Read 1 Samuel 14:24-37. Verse 37 says, "But God did not answer him that day." Why did God refuse to answer Saul's prayer? Do I ever make a similar mistake?

Prayer can be called a "knee-mail" to God.