4 Things That Make Your Prayer Ineffectual

4 Things That Make Your Prayer Ineffectual 

Luke 18: 1b says, ” men ought always to pray, and not to faint”

As a believer who loves to pray and for this reason has experienced God’s mind boggling support in my life on a continual basis, I know the greatest thing you can do is pray. Through your prayers, God releases His blessings into your life. God can do more than we can hence, we all need His help  and we seek this divine assistance in the place of prayer. 

However, there are many times we pray and we see no result at all. This post will help give us answers to some of the possible reasons. Also, there are Biblical commands to do good works beyond just praying. So sometimes, to only pray could be wrong. Prayer should always be combined with faith. 

Things That Make Prayers Ineffectual

1. Prayer Would Be Ineffectual When Sin is Present

Psalms 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me”

We need to come before God with pure and humble hearts. Praying when we are reeking of sin(s), is almost a complete waste of time and energy. That’s the reason regular confession of our conscious and unconscious sin(s) is important.

Are there areas of your life you need to confess to the Lord? Don’t wait another moment, do it now.

2. Prayer Could Be Ineffectual, When We Pray Selfish Prayers

James 42-3 says “You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

One of the hindrances to God answering our prayers is when we pray selfishly. We can pray to God all day, but if it is for our own selfish benefit only, He might not honour those prayers. He wants to guide us away from our constant “Me, Myself and I” kind of prayers, which is what many believers often engage in.

Consider your recent prayer requests. Have you been asking God selfishly for personal gain(s)? If you have, change the objective of your prayers to be in alignment with God’s precepts regarding prayer.

3. Prayer Could Be Ineffectual, if We Are Praying for Our Own Will, Not God’s Will

1 John 5:14-15 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 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 what we asked of him.”

God’s will is different from man’s will. We need to feed daily on the Word of God and allow God to transform our thought pattern so we can be persons whose prayers reflect the will of God, not ours.

“Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2

4. Prayer Could Be Ineffectual, if We Are Not Doing What We Can to Help

James 4:17 says, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”

A popular quote says, “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.” You may not be able to do much, but you can do something. Shine the love of God on the people around you. Show God’s graciousness and loving kindness to the people you interact with, those in need.  Be a voice of hope in a world where none seems to care anymore.

Summarily, we all want God to answer our prayers. Thus, as you take a cue from the conditions outlined above; make amends where necessary, keep praying and trusting God to do what you cannot do for yourself. God can do more in a moment than we can in a lifetime.

 

 

 

 

Also Read How to Effectively Tell Someone About Jesus