'If I regard inequity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.' Psalm 66:18
Revd. Sidney Elijah Adenaike Ph.D
April 9, 2026
We often hear in the Church that effective prayer is not a “shopping list”, a “gamble” or a “hit or miss” proposition. Necessary steps and guidelines must be rightly followed to present an effective prayer to God. Prayer being a communication with God must not be mechanical; it must flow as entreaties from a gentle human heart into the loving Heart of God.
Inability to pray effectively is the bane of many Christians today. Every believer must understand that the Church as an entity has a spiritual enemy – Satan, whose assignment is to ensure that the Christians never fulfil their divine purpose. Many of our prayers, plans and programmes may be hindered if we do not understand this enemy, his strategies and how to deal with them rightly. At the end of the Lord’s prayer, Jesus said:
“And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13).
The devil is the evil one, a liar, deceiver and the father of lies. If we want to deal with the devil and his work, we must abstain from sin since that is the devil’s enticement. Satan is so much interested in what goes on in the life of a child of God. He is the arch- enemy of our God and therefore also our enemy by design. Praying Christians and believers are a real threat to Satan. He cannot bear it when they gather in the places of worship, to read the Word of God, pray, teach and to encourage one another to live in and proclaim the Kingdom of God. It is apparent that he will do his utmost best to prevent any progress in the gathering. There is one obvious thing about Satan’s attacks – he is consistent and persistent. He acts basically the same when he wants to torment or destroy the people of God for his own reason.
The weapons of Satan are Doubt, Deceit, Discouragement, Division.
The Devil recognizes that fervent prayer is the strongest weapon in the hand of a believer that has power and potency to destroy his scheme. That is why he is leaving no stone unturned in getting the “Church” and “Christians” to lay aside the mighty weapon of prayer.
Prayer is the lifeline of a believer’s relationship with God - a sacred channel through which intimacy and fellowship are deepened, faith is fully expressed, and divine help is sought.
Through prayer, human weakness meets God’s unlimited Power and Strength. Yet, despite praying consistently and sincerely, many people experience frustration when their prayers seem ineffective or unanswered. This often leads to discouragement and the troubling question:
“If God hears and answers prayers, why do some prayers fail to receive a response?”
“Hindrances to prayers” was written to confront this vital but often neglected aspect of spiritual life. Scripture makes it clear that God desires to answer prayer, but it also reveals that certain attitudes, actions, and spiritual conditions can hinder communication between God and humanity.
Effective prayer flows from a heart that is humble, obedient, sincere, and rightly positioned before God. When these conditions are met, prayer becomes a powerful and fruitful spiritual exercise rather than a frustrating routine.
This article is both a mirror and a roadmap. A mirror that reveals areas needing correction, and a roadmap that leads toward restored fellowship and effective communication with God. As you digest this write up, may you gain clarity, experience spiritual growth, and be free from every obstacle that stands between you and a vibrant, impactful prayer life.
From a Christian perspective, receiving favourable answers to prayers depends on faith, aligning with God’s will, and a sincere heart. The Bible teaches that God answers prayer in three ways: “yes”, “no”, or “wait”. Understanding the three types of answers God gives is very important in prayers. When God’s answer is not the one you expect, it can be helpful to remember that “favourable” is not always “immediate”or “as requested”. Sometimes God gives an immediate and direct “yes”to a request, as seen in biblical examples like Hannah’s prayer for a son (1 Samuel 1) or Hezekiah’s prayer for healing (2 Kings 20). God often uses a period of waiting to develop patience, strengthen faith, or prepare a person for something better in return. This delay is part of his perfect timing.
A “no” from God is not a failure of the prayer but an answer from a loving, all-knowing Father who sees the bigger picture. This may indicate that the request is not aligned with His will.
Hindrance is something that constitutes an obstacle or impediment to development or progress. Any barrier, handicap or limitation is a hindrance in this regard. The Bible teaches that there are various obstacles and hindrances to effective prayers and healthy communication and relationship with God. Often, people have the feeling that some prayers are not answered by God for some unknown reasons. In this situation, God seems silent and distant. On such occasions, people may feel bad that God has not heard their prayers. They begin to lash out at Him and almost conclude that prayer does not do them any good. We must guard against unsavoury comments and a wrong attitude about God’s response to our prayers, so as not to grieve God’s Spirit. We often forget that being followers of Christ does not exempt us from some disappointments and failures in life. However, God has provided a safe and smooth way for us in Christ. The Bible teaches that if we abide in Christ, we shall ask whatever we require, if it is in conformity with God’s will, it will be granted.
We must have genuine faith in God, entrust all our difficulties into His Hands, and sincerely call upon Him in times of distress and need. We must be constantly be full of praise and thanks to God for all His blessings towards us. The psalmist David once said:
“I cried out to Him with my mouth; His Praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me!” (Psalm 66:17-20)
From the above passage, we learn that some prayer requests are rejected for some reasons while others are granted. Let us look at some examples in the Bible that point to the fact that some requests are not honoured for some reasons.
The Bible tells us that it was Satan that hindered Daniel’s prayer by withholding the answer for 21 days (Daniel 10:12-14; Ephesians 6:12). Daniel waited and fasted for twenty-one days for his answer to reach him. Daniel was unaware of what was going on in the spiritual realm, until God revealed it through a spiritual messenger that was sent to him. The prince of Persia in this text refers to a demon that was influencing the rulers of the Kingdom of Persia. Interestingly, this demon delayed the angel sent to Daniel for 21 days, which was about the same amount of time that Daniel was fasting and praying. The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that spiritual warfare can hinder or block the answer to our prayers.
God did not answer the prayer of Moses because He (God) had already passed His judgment on him for disobeying Him at Meribah-kadesh (Deuteronomy 32:48-52; Numbers 20:12). God did not allow Moses to enter Canaan but in exchange, God gave Him the heavenly Canaan.
Joseph prayed for deliverance from prison, but it took years before God could answer his prayer. God did answer Joseph’s prayer but in His own perfect timing (Genesis 39:41).
David asked the Lord to spare the life of his child, but the child died (2 Samuel 12:15-23). The death of this child gave David a godly sorrow that brought him into repentance and confession of his sin against God. This episode led David to write Psalm 51.
We often wonder when we pray in good faith and get an answer that is different from the one we expect. We may fail to see this as part of God’s plan and right answer for us. At times God does not answer our prayer because He plans something better for us or probably tries to avoid a disaster that could have befallen us. The most important lesson in the life of a Christian is that God’s Way is forever perfect. God is always right. God is Truth and Love.
Several principles can help foster an effective and acceptable prayer life. Let us look at some of the hindrances to our prayer and the reasons why God’s people fail to enter God’s promised fullness of life and blessings:
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known My Name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him My Salvation.” (Psalm 91:14-16)
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets in various ways, but in these last days He speaks to us by His Son Jesus Christ, whom He appointed Heir of all things, and through Whom also He made the Universe.
“God, Who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.”(Hebrews 1:1)
In this New Age we have the Holy Spirit to guide us in our walk with God. Jesus is the Word of God personified. So, there is no excuse for not knowing God. Acknowledging God means you know Him personally and intimately and are familiar with His biblical attributes of Omnipotence, Omnipresence and Omniscience. If you are intimate with God, you will recognize His Presence everywhere you go, fear Him and depart from evil (Proverbs 15:3). Christians are admonished in Proverbs 3:6 to acknowledge God in all their ways and He will direct their steps. We must believe that He is the One Who works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. We must know that whatever progress or success we make or achieve is by His Power alone.
The number one hindrance or blocker to prayers is sin (Isaiah 59:1-3). There is a popular saying that:
“Sinning will stop you from praying, and praying will stop you from sinning”.
The issue is not being sinless for our prayers to be heard, but the confession of any known sin to God and asking for forgiveness. The point here is the refusal to acknowledge one’s sin and to deal with it. A heart that harbours unconfessed sin will hinder prayers from being answered. Sin creates a barrier between the person praying and God. Sometimes the guilt of sin can weigh down people when praying. Sometimes shame tries to take over their minds. Sometimes they might even feel too ashamed to present themselves to God in prayer. God’s answer of mercy and forgiveness to David’s prayer is the same answer of mercy and forgiveness that we can receive from Him today if we humble ourselves before Him (Read 1 John 1:9). Nevertheless, we do not have to be sinless for our prayers to be answered. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only sinless person who ever lived on earth. But, when we nurse sin in our hearts and approach God in prayer with the feeling of condemnation, we are blocking the pathway of favourable answer to our prayer.
The English word “amiss” means: “Inappropriate, not quite right, or out of place.”
James 4:3 says:
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
James tells us in the text that you are not receiving what you ask for because you ask inappropriately, out of place, or your requests are not quite right. When we ask amiss, it means that our intents and motives are wrong. We want things that are not meant for us or things we should not even ask for. Biblically, we are praying outside of the Word of God, praying to satisfy our selfish desires or sinful lusts. Most prayers fail to bring results in many areas like healing the sick, conflict resolution or bringing peace into a troubled or tension-soaked environment because they are asking amiss. Praying amiss refers to praying for selfish gain, vengeance, or to avoid personal accountability, which are contrary to God’s principles. In short, praying foolishly for things that go against God’s character or principles is praying amiss.
Prayer Promises:
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”(1 John 5:14-15; also read John 9:31; John 15:7)
Praying contrary to the will of God can hinder prayers. God will not support the desire to spend on selfish passions, wrong motives, lack of faith, unconfessed sin, and a lack of alignment with His divine purpose. These are things that can block believers’ connection with God and prevent their requests from being granted.
Ignoring God’s will is not only a disobedience, but a sin against God. Prayers can be hindered and not favourably answered when they are outside of God’s will or contrary to it. Jesus said in the Lord’s prayer: “Thy will be done.” We must submit ourselves to the perfect will of God. Even Jesus submitted Himself to the will of God. Luke records His prayer before His crucifixion:
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42; also read Romans 12:1-2; John 5:30).
Let us submit ourselves to God and pray according to His will.
Prayer Promises
“If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
The Bible has several names for pride such as haughtiness, arrogance, boastfulness, self-exaltation, puffing up, lofty disposition, and self-conceit. Pride in the theological sense is a deadly sin, believed to be the root cause of many other sins and further immoral behaviour and can only be countered by the virtue of humility. This is why some theologians call pride the mother of all sins. Pride is behind every committed sin; it was pride that led Satan to rebel against God in the celestial realm in heaven; it was also pride that led to the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden; and because of pride millions have suffered untold hardship and peril. We must not forget that pride was the first sin both in heaven and on earth. Through pride, Lucifer who was once the chief guardian of the Throne of God became the incredibly evil being that we know as Satan (Isaiah 14:12–15). Pride brings shame, destruction, and ruin. Since the fall, pride comes naturally to every one of us because it is pervasive.
“For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”(Romans 1:21)
One of the things that can hinder prayers and limit the blessings of Christians is ingratitude. Ingratitude is said to be a mark of an unbeliever. Romans 1:21 tells us that two things mark unbelievers: they refuse to glorify God or give Him thanks. A grateful heart and an attitude of thanksgiving are important components of effective prayer. Philippians 4:6 encourages believers to bring their requests to God with thankfulness. Ingratitude is gross disobedience to God’s commandment because He has commanded His people to give thanks unto Him (Psalm 107:1).
In the above text, Paul addresses the issue of ingratitude. He says that because of this bad attitude, people become fools and wallow in futility, and their hearts are darkened.
People who are ungrateful tend to be of negative personality. They are not thankful for what they have received freely from God and so they are unable to see the good side of life. Ungrateful people often have low self-esteem. They are not thankful for the person that God created them to be and therefore are unhappy people. Let us always make it a point of duty to find the good in every aspect of our lives and thank God for them.
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. …. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:12-15)
Major hindrances (blockers) to effective prayer are bitterness and a spirit of unforgiveness toward others. Bitterness is holding grudges against, or not forgiving those who offend us. An unforgiving heart can hinder prayers. Believers are instructed in Mark 11:25 to forgive anyone they hold a grudge against before praying. When we refuse to forgive others, bitterness and resentment will continue to well up in our hearts and undermine our prayers.
Reluctant, half-hearted forgiveness is really no forgiveness at all. If we nurse bitterness and unforgiveness towards others, we will suffer the consequences of our actions.
Prayer Promises:
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:6-7; also read Matthew 21:21-22; Mark 11:24)
Another major hindrance to effective prayer is unbelief and lack of faith. The Bible states that believers must approach God in faith, believing in His willingness and ability to provide. Hebrews 11:6 says: “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Implicit faith in God is a major prerequisite for receiving favourable answers to prayers from God. God answers the prayer of faith and Jesus said in Matthew 9:29: “according to your faith...” therefore, you must offer a prayer of faith and believe that God will answer your prayer (Read: Hebrews 11:6; 1 John 5:13-14). A person who has doubts should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. When you pray with doubt in your heart, you are praying amiss. Unbelief hinders you from receiving God’s blessings and promises.
Unbridled tongue can cause setbacks in our prayer lives. The Bible says in Proverbs 18 that death and life are in the power of the tongue and a fool’s mouth is his destruction.
Negative patterns of speech, such as complaining, doubt, and fear, can hinder prayer by contradicting faith and creating spiritual blocks. The Bible teaches that words are powerful and can produce either life or death (Proverbs 18:21). Speaking negatively can undermine the positive declarations and faith-filled requests made in prayer. A person’s tongue can negate the effectiveness of their prayers if they pray for a positive outcome but then speak negatively or express doubt about it. Negative words can nullify the rewards that should come from sincere effort and prayer (Read Proverbs 12:14). Negative speech may invite God’s judgment. In Numbers 14, the Israelites complained against God, expressing a desire to have died in the wilderness. God responded by giving them exactly what they said, and that generation perished in the wilderness. We must endeavour to always guard our mouths. Proverbs 21:23 advises: “He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from trouble”. Similarly, Psalm 141:3 asks God to “Set a guard over my mouth”.
Paul advises believers in Ephesians 4:29 to speak life and edification:
“Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”.
This promotes grace and kindness instead of harm and negativity.
We must speak with grace: Colossians 4:6 says: “Let your speech be always gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person”.
Negative pattern of speech can also do a lot of havoc to our prayers. We must avoid negative pattern of speech like “I can’t”, I’m doomed”, “I’m afraid, is just not in me to make it”, “what a hell, etc.”
The Bible states:
“Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.”(Proverbs 21:13)
“Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honours God.” (Proverbs 14:31)
Neglecting the poor can hinder our prayers because many religious texts state that God expects His people to show compassion and care for the less fortunate. Refusal to help the poor in abject poverty hinders successful prayer. Oppressing the poor according to the Word of God shows contempt for their Maker. Because God cares for the poor, and they are always close to His Heart.
“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honour to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7)
“Again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”(Matthew 18:19)
Mistreating Your Spouse
Peter’s admonition in 1 Peter 3:7 is more specific to husbands. Lack of treating one’s wife with proper understanding and loving care will lead to prayers being hindered. This is about the relationship between husband and wife. It is a specific message to husbands familiarizing them with the divine truth that a wrong and unhealthy relationship between husband and wife (Poor marital relationship) can hinder answers to their prayers as well as their relationship with God. Wives too should obey the Word of God and respect their husbands. Husbands are admonished to be considerate in their relationship with their wives and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with them of the gracious gift of life, so that their prayers are not hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)
Husband and wife are companions or co-heirs of the grace of life (Read Ecclesiastes 9:9). The couple must honestly work together to fulfil the assignment God has given them in marriage and reflect the relationship between Christ and His Church.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. We thank You our Most gracious God of the Universe for hearing and answering us whenever we call. We honour you for always answering the prayers of Your people. We pray that Your Holy Spirit will remove all hindrances on the way of our prayers in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, everlasting Father, may we live to bless and glorify your Holy Name in Jesus Mighty Name we pray. Amen!