Hindered Prayer - Effective Prayer

10 Things That Hinder Prayer:

James 5:16 The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 

James 5:16 The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. (NLT)

1. Praying from an unrepentant heart.

Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.

2. Praying while ignoring the poor.

Proverbs 21:13 Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard.

3. Praying for show.

Matthew 6:5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

4. Praying repetitive, empty words.

Matthew 6:7-8 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

5. Praying with bitterness in your heart toward someone.

Mark 11:25-26 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.

6. Praying without knowing God through Jesus.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.”

7. Praying without faith.

James 1:6-7 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

8. Praying without asking for a specific request.

James 4:2 “You do not have because you do not ask.”

9. Praying with wrong motives.

James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

10. Praying while mistreating your spouse.

I Peter 3:7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. If you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard. (NLT)

(Also see Malachi 2:13-16)

10 Things that make prayer effective

1. Praying while delighting in the Lord.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.

2. Praying in secret.

Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

3. Praying by asking, seeking and knocking.

Matthew 7:7-8, 11 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.…If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

4. Praying in agreement with other believers.

Matthew 18:19-20 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.

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.
Check here for some thoughts on "agreeing in prayer" 

5. Praying in faith.

Mark11:24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them and they will be granted you.”

6. Praying in Jesus’ name.

John 14:13-14 Whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

7. Praying while abiding in Christ and His Word.

John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

8. Praying while fasting.

Acts 14:23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (also see Matt. 17:21)

9. Praying from an obedient life.

I John 3:21-22 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

10. Praying according to God’s will.

I John 5:14 This is the confidence we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

The Number 10 - Part Three

Just continuing with the number 10 - Here are some of the ways the Bible focuses on this number that speaks of the perfection of God's Divine order and man's participation in what God is saying or doing:

Ten Repeated Names

There are ten repeated names in the Bible. Seven of these are spoken directly to the individual (4 in the Old Testament and 3 are in the New Testament) and three are spoken by the Lord on other occasions. 

Abraham, Abraham, Genesis 22:11.

Jacob, Jacob, Genesis 46:2.

Moses, Moses, Exodus 3:4.

Samuel, Samuel, 1 Samuel 3:10.

Martha, Martha, Luke 10:41.

Simon, Simon, Luke 22:31.

Saul, Saul, Acts 9:4.

Lord, Lord, Matthew 7:21,22, 25:11; Luke 6:46; 13:25.

Eloi, Eloi, Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34.

Abraham's Faith

 Abraham's faith was proved by a completed cycle of ten trials:—

His departure from Haran.

His flight to Egypt from the famine.

In the seizure of Sarah.

In his war to rescue Lot.

In his taking Hagar.

In his circumcision.

In the second seizure of Sarah at Gerar.

In the expulsion of Ishmael.

In the expulsion of Hagar.

In the offering of Isaac.

The Ten Words Of Psalm 119

There are ten words that describe God's Divine revelation (Word) found in Psalm 119. One or other of these ten words occurs in every verse (except 122). 


1. His Law - Heb. word: torah is from yarah, to project, issue : hence, to point out, to show (Proverbs 6:13). Then, to instruct, teach. The Torah contains God's Instructions to His People, pointing out to them His will. This word is found 25 times in this psalm. 
2. His Way - Heb. word: derek is from darak, to tread with the feet, and denotes the act of walking. Hence it is used of a going, or way, or journeying. 
3. His Testimonies - Heb word: eduth is from 'ud, to turn back again, to go over again, to reiterate, hence, to testify. 
4. His Commandments - mizvah is from zavah, to set up, constitute. Therefore we see, constitutional commands. Found 22 times in this psalm. 
5. His Precepts - Heb. word: pikkudim is from pakad, to take oversight or charge : hence, mandates others. It occurs only in the Book of Psalms.
6. His Word, or saying - Heb. word: imrah is from 'amar, to bring forth to light; hence, to say. The verb is very regularly followed by the words used; hence 'imrah means an utterance and the purport of it.
7. His Judgments - Heb. word: mishpat is from shaphat, to set upright, erect (compare English right, and German richten and recht); hence, to judge. Mishpat means judgment. This word occurs 23 times in this psalm - mostly in the plural.
8. His Righteousness - Heb. word: zedek, is from zadak, to be right, upright, just, righteous. Hence the noun means rightness.
9. His Statutes - Heb. word: ok and hukka is from hakak, to hew, cut in, engrave, inscribe; hence, to decree, or ordain. The noun = a decree or ordinance. Found 22 times in this psalm.
10. His Truth or Faithfulness, Words - Heb. word: dabar is from dabar, to arrange in a row; hence, to set forth in speech. It refers to the articulate form of what is said, whether spoken or written (compare v above); to the mode or manner by which the ipsissima verba are imparted. Found 24 times in this psalm.


These, the Massorah says, "correspond to the Ten Commandments."


Why do you think that only one verse (v 122) in this Psalm does not include one of these 10 words?


Ps. 119:122 Please guarantee a blessing for me. Don’t let the arrogant oppress me! (NLT)
Ps. 119:122  Take the side of your servant, good God; don't let the godless take advantage of me. (The Message)



The Number 10 - Part 1: HERE
The Number 10 - Part 4: HERE

The Number 10 - Part 1

There are four numbers in the Bible that denote completion or perfection. Three, seven, ten, and twelve:

• Three: “divine perfection” 

• Seven: “spiritual perfection.” 

• Twelve: “governmental perfection.” 

• Ten is the number of perfection or completion of God’s “divine order.” With the number ten, everything is complete and in order - it is God's fullness.

The Ten Commandments contain all that is necessary, and no more than is necessary. These commandments are perfect in content and order. The first five concern our relationship with God. The last five concern our relationships with other humans.

The number ten is the start of a whole new order of numbers and the completion of the single digit numbers that come before it.




The tithes represent the whole of what was due from man to God, as marking and recognizing God's claim on the whole. 

Ten is the only one of the perfect biblical numbers in which humans have a part. We cannot be part of the three (divine perfection), seven (spiritual perfection), or twelve (God's governmental perfection), but we are definitely part of the ten since it is the number of completion based on God’s order and human responsibility. It is interesting to note that the number ten is built into our very anatomy. For instance, we have ten fingers to do God’s work and ten toes to walk upright before God.

There are 10 clauses in the Lord's Prayer:

Matt. 6:9            His name is holy
Matt. 6:10          His kingdom will come

Matt. 6:10          His will is accomplished in the earth

Matt. 6:10          His will is accomplished in heaven

Matt. 6:11          He gives us our daily needs

Matt. 6:12          He forgives us for all our sins

Matt. 6:12          He helps us to forgive others

Matt. 6:13          He leads us away from temptation

Matt. 6:13          He delivers us from evil

Matt. 6:13          His kingdom, power and glory are eternal

The first 4, and the last 1 clauses are about God and His glory. The 5th - 9th clauses show God's glory in, and through us...so there are five of each. It is through God's great presence, and His perfect work in our hearts that His glory will be revealed in the earth.

The Number 10 - Part 2: HERE