I have times, even extended periods of time, where it is really tough to pray. I am sure I am not alone; at least I hope it’s not just me!!  Why do we hit walls with our prayers? I think there can be a lot of different hurdles that can attempt to trip us up. Here are a few possible hurdle to consider. Evaluate your heart and circumstances against these hurdles and determine a plan of action to overcome them.

Busyness
“If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.” – Corrie Ten Boom

Sin
“Sin is plenty strong enough to create an ever-widening gap in one’s relationship with God. The wider the gap, the less likely we are to pray. And the less we pray, the wider the gap becomes.” – Bill Hybels in Too Busy Not to Pray Said another way – the more you don’t pray, the more you sin, the more you sin, the more you don’t pray – a downward spiral.  

Complacency
“One reason we stop praying or let our prayer lives fade is that we are too comfortable.” – Too Busy Not to Pray by Bill Hybels.

Selfish-motives
In 1 John 5:14,15, the apostle tells us that our confidence comes from asking “according to His  will.” James similarly exhorts “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” – James 4:3

Dry
David understood; just read Psalm 13. “How long are you going to forget me God, forever?”

Defying the Word
“If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” Proverbs 28:9

Unforgiveness
In Mark 11:25 Jesus says, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Doubts
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;” (James 1:5-7).

Disharmony in Relationships
“These three verses teach us not that praying helps us live right, but that living right helps us pray.” – John Piper (1 Peter 3:7; Psalm 34:10-12, 1 Peter 4:7)

Not wanting to wait on God
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7,8 The verb tense communicates that we are to keep on asking, seeking, knocking.

There are many others. The bottom line is that Satan does not want us to pray; he does not want us to communicate with God. But, even though he may try, these hurdles are not fortress walls that you can not climb. Hurdles can be overcome. There is a way. In the next newsletter we will discuss overcoming those hurdles.

Discuss – Evaluate – Execute:

• Are you or someone you know having a difficult time with praying?
• What are your prayer hurdles? They may be hurdles that are not listed here.
• Be authentic by discussing them with a close friend.
• Strategize and initiate a plan of attack to overcome your hurdles.