Hindrances to our Prayers

With this being a day of prayer for thousands of people, my parents' church had an afternoon prayer service. I took off from work and went. It was very good.

About an hour before I left, I began to meditate on things that hinder our prayers, my prayers, specifically. I was under some conviction. I found some Bible passages on the net on this very topic and the more I read, the more convicted about my prayer life that I got.

I just thought I would share the scripture passages that I found with you. I know that you are familiar with them, but when you see them all together, it can be overwhelming.

Are we praying correctly? Completely? Effectively? I am seeking the Lord on this.
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"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don't forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:12,14,15.
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Isaiah 59:1-2 "BEHOLD, THE Lord's hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, 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 will not hear."
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"If I cherish iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." - Psalm 66:18
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1 Peter 3:7
"In the same way you married men should live considerately with [your wives], with an [a]intelligent recognition [of the marriage relation], honoring the woman as [physically] the weaker, but [realizing that you] are joint heirs of the grace (God's unmerited favor) of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off. [Otherwise you cannot pray effectively.]"
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Isaiah 1:15-18 "When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil. Learn to do well. Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." "Come now, and let us reason together," says Yahweh: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
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Matthew 17:19,20 "Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, "Why weren't we able to cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your unbelief. For most assuredly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."
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Matthew 6:7,8. "In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore don't be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him."
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"You don't have, because you don't ask." James 4:2b.
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James 4:3 "You ask, and don't receive, because you ask amiss, so that you may spend it for your pleasures."
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Matthew 6:5,6 "When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most assuredly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
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1 Corinthians 4:7 "The motive behind your asking should be to bring glory to God and to express your love to Him. Since all you receive comes from God, how can you boast as though you had not received it from Him?"
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1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you."
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1 Timothy 2:1 "I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men."
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James 5:14-16 "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your offenses to one another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effective, earnest prayer of a righteous man is powerfully effective."
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Ephesians 6:18 " With all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints."
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Luke 18:10-14 "Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

I'm also reading two books on prayer that are changing my whole concept of praying.

Thomas Keith Roberts' Why God Waits for You to Pray



And Lee Thomas' Praying Effectively for the Lost