The Power of Prayer - Removing the Roadblocks to Answered Prayer, Part 2

Have you ever felt like there's something walking your prayers like they're not getting past the ceiling in our last broadcast. I begin to talk about specific roadblocks that hinder our prayers in this broadcast is your three roadblocks that I have struggled with personal and I think I'll stay with thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge shipping chip serves as our Bible teacher of his daily international discipleship program for the middle of a series called our list. The previous program to just mention you can hear it on the shipping remap or Living on the Edge.now it's joining for part two of his message removing the roadblocks to answer prayer number three is sin in the heart or the life the context of this passage. Isaiah 59 verses 1 to 3 is the nation of Israel was very religious very early just got to the temple doing all the right stop offering sacrifices and answers to the prayers as I come to Isaiah, and I say you know many gods, winding down his tire. Maybe a bad day. Maybe just not up to the job anymore. As we pray with this that were good and righteous people just can't come through. Maybe just have what it takes anymore and so Isaiah responds to that in verse one of Isaiah 59. He says Shirley the arm of the Lord is not too short to say, nor his ear to the altar here.

You can almost hear. Isaiah said, look Buster there's a problem here today with God, and trust me is Armstrong to do whatever his ears are hearing your prayers. It's not because he has a hearing problem in verse two he says you want to know the problem is he says but your iniquities have separated you from your God, and yours says hidden his face from you so that he will not hear and then he didn't leave it vague.

Verse three begins in four examples. He says for your hands are stained with blood. Your fingers with guilt, your lips have spoken lies in your tongue mutters wicked things.

The scriptures teach that when there is sin in my life when their sin and my heart doesn't reference to you know having a few ups and downs, and struggles and failing here and there. I mean we all have that were talking about God revealing this is wrong in your heart and your life and you say tough on the change in this one. It's him showing you that your selfish or there's an attitude toward another person or an unforgiving spirit or a moral issue. You say I'm not changing. In fact, the principle here is in verse 18 of Psalm 66 is as if I regard wickedness in my heart. The Lord will not hear. You might ask why, why, you know, God's first and primary goal in your life on this whole planet is not to make you happy or successful or have a connected family or boost your self-esteem is primary purpose on your journey through this planet is to make you like his son. As a byproduct of your relationship with him. Your self-esteem will grow.

There will be blessing you have joy that's incredible, but his number one agenda for your life is to make you just like Jesus loving, holy sure compassionate, honest man or woman of integrity and so when you have an issue in your life that's unresolved and you pray for these things.

God doesn't answer because what he wants to allow us some frustration to occur, so that as you pray, your prayers will shift from the outward focus to asking the question first.

Is this God's will and you check the Scriptures say yes to are you and I would start asking Lord, is there a kink in my hose anywhere is very short in the wire.

Is there something you want to do in my life that unaware unaware of got done with my message. I looked at the whole thing and I just had this kind of awakening.

I looked it on. I thought prayer is such a double-edged sword. There's part of it that so attracts me. It's so exciting of the power, and provision in marriage is coming back together and can come in and the doors that mom and dad. I'm sorry and just pray pray pray in you all the right, but there's another side prayer is that you don't pray like that is okay. Got me. That takes some real serious prolonged honest times before God, we come before his throne, and here's the Des Moines sword what I've learned is when I come in.

I want to believe and want to pray unto God when I know it's according to his will and I want to come boldly and in confidence as I sit quietly before God.

He starts showing me about my attitudes and my pride and words that are coming out of my mouth and the tone of voice that I speak to my kids and the insensitivity that I have for my wife. And he begins to show me all kind areas and on about you unlike the solution don't pray its work for me. I'm serious. That's why I don't want to pray pray because your line.

Prayer changes things. It's true you know what changes the most.

The one who prays and see this is the most critical message in terms of long-term impact because if you decide that you want to experience his power and you want to see the supernatural and you want to see some major things I guarantee you get honest before him, and he's gonna say from a father's love heart Bill June Sally is a kink in the hose. The reason there's no power is there's a kink in the hose is not like your brothers and sisters growing up. He doesn't go hide in the bushes and all that. All that like this right so that when you look at we think God like that is not a says now pointed out, and he'll take away that kink so the long can wash you and cleanse you and forgive you an apostle, its application application is to do what David did. Psalm one 3923 and 24 were David pray search me oh God, I know my heart to test me and see if there's any wicked way in me, and I goes on to say, cleanse me and leaving everlastingly its confession. It's getting honest with God about any sin in my heart or in my life.

So the king can come out of the house. Roadblock number four as you look over the side of the page is an unforgiving spirit.

That's the key word in their unforgiving we looked at Mark 1124 but maybe didn't know verse 25 comes right after it says therefore I tell you whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you received it.

It'll be years when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him notice life so that your father in heaven may forgive your sins, and unforgiving spirit makes it impossible for God to hear our prayers. How can we who are God's children and his extended mercy and forgiveness. I'm talking about the clenched Grimes. I no longer walk with God not know of these people, but that person is on my blacklist. I don't look at them. I don't talk to them when bad things happen.

I secretly rejoice and unforgiving spirit. Jesus says I forgive you and you didn't deserve it. I command you to lose or forgive others. You have someone you have an unforgiving spirit toward forgive them, forgive, forgive them, so God can take a kink out of your house roadblock number five is the wrong treatment of our mate here you can put it/husband or wife. In verse one of first Peter three it says wives are to submit to their husband but notice what it says in verse seven husband's in the same way be considerate literally means live according to knowledge or with understanding as you live with your wives, treat them with respect and the word respect theirs really means honor used the Kings ladies your funniness upmarket. As with the weaker partner as an heir with you of the gracious gift of life. Now basically men it says were supposed to love our wives, and treat them in understanding compassionate way. Why so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Unity in our homes is a prerequisite for power with God. The word for hinder their means literally to cut upward to cut into if you are a an army and you were running away from another Army. What you do is you would cut up the road to make it a hindrance so they couldn't get their horses and chariots on what he says is that when your life when your marriage isn't what God wants it to be gentlemen when were harsh, insensitive, or ladies when there's a lack of respect and submission what you're doing is you're putting roadblocks between you and God, and effectiveness of your prayers and again asked why would God hold up your prayers because he's more concerned that the wife and the husband's kind of relationship models the love of Christ that he is you getting what you're asking for.

And as you ask and ask and you know it's God's will and you don't get it. Some of you will be like me and you get smart enough to say is there any problem that I should look at and he'll gently take that orange wire and put it in just the right position and say you know maybe your marriage needs a little attention and you get that attention and will get this power on and the things you're praying roadblock number six stinginess in our giving. There is a direct correlation is scripture between the power of prayer and the generosity of our hearts. Proverbs 2113 says if here's a condition, a man shuts his ear to the cry of the poor key to will cry out and not be answered while free PowerPoint when there's people with need and we shut our ears to their cry. It's as God, in turn, then shuts his ears to us. When your heart and my heart is open and pliable and generous to meet the needs of other people. God hears our prayers. In fact, there's a correlation that as we are givers and lovers of others that God promises he'll just keep the pipeline full so that you might interest certain people with money interest certain people with money because he knows of giveaway and something we won't trust with money because of his use on themselves to bring destruction on themselves. So there certain people that God won't trust lots of money to because they have real loose hands real loose hands. I just keep passing on affect the principal and put it down. Look at verse eight, a second print is chapter 9 in bold. It says God is able powerful. The word we get Dumas. It means dynamite God has dynamite power to make now circle all all the time.

The word all shows up. God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound, or overflow in every good work is that a promise to God's job is a great. He says he's got the boatload of grace and mercy and guess, so that all grace can abound for all things for all your needs that you have enough to share. Notice now the context. Verse eight is only true of people who practice verses six and seven. What's verse six, say, remember this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously just a it's a farming agricultural. This is just nuts and bolts. If you know throw out 15 seeds you get X amount of crop you throw out 1500 seeds you get X amount of profits always say that is how it works.

The more you plant the more you so the more you get back and then he now spiritualize his and applies it to us. Verse seven. Each man should give what he or she has decided in his heart, sits a personal matter of generosity between you and God, not pressure, not manipulation, not guilt, not a lot, but as he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly, not under compulsion. Why, here's the reason for God loves a cheerful giver were cheerful. We get our word hilarious. God loves hilarious gibberish.

People are loves people say my stuff, my home, my money, my time, my energy, it's God's I'm get to share it and I'm confident that as I share it keeps the pipeline filled six roadblocks roadblock number one is a prayer… Are you failing to ask roadblock number two. Are you asking the wrong motives asking selfishly roadblock number three is there is there just send in your heart or your life. You just know it and you simply need to confess and repent and decide today.

That's it. I'm not doing that anymore. Roadblock number four is unforgiving spirit is there someone you need right now just to forgive the let go of may be the need to make a call or write a letter today make restitution. Roadblock number five is there unity in your marriage or does your marriage hinder your prayers and roadblock number six is stinginess in your giving.

Ask the Holy Spirit just search you.

Not because he's down on you, but so he can just get the king of the love our God really love you the right application for this message. Roadblocks to answer prayer for this series of power, whether you're a new Christian or a seasoned follower of Christ. Prayer is absolutely essential to our relationship with God is how we communicate with them as his children, we are given free access anytime, anywhere.

But how does that actually work in this series, you'll discover the steps to developing a dynamic prayer life. How to remove common roadblocks to answer prayer and what it means to pray with confidence for limited time the resources for the power of prayer are discounted and the MP3s are always free for additional ordering and pricing details, visit LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at AAA 83336003 Apple listeners top special offers before we take a minute and jumped right back into what I taught and how that really applies to our lives right now. I just have a big heads up. I mean, this is really really important. Right July for this, and I hope you have a great time with your family. I don't know what you do. I know a lot of people travel a lot of people go to the lake. A lot of people do some really great family times I just want to remind you you been hearing about this match for about a month and I just am going to tell you this happens all the time. I'm going to I'm planning to. Yes, I'm going to do it and it just keeps getting delayed. I don't doubt your intention.

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Thank you in advance for your support will here strip with a final thought about today's message as we close today's program. I know I covered a lot and I went pretty quickly, and in our last program I covered the first three roadblock so that leaned back and just let God speak to you right now you can go to the website LivingontheEdge.org download the notes everything I've said is there its imprint, but what I want you to do is listen to the Holy Spirit right now there's six roadblocks that we talked about. Let me just list them and what I want you to do is say Lord which one of these is something you want me to address so that you can break through in my time with you and in answering my prayers with great power. Okay, if you got that so number one roadblock was prayerless. This we simply don't ask. Number two was asking with the wrong motives were were were asking but it's really about us, not about him. Third was was sent there. There was a relationship or a habitual pattern or something that we know is wrong that we haven't addressed in other words, it was an ongoing sin that we just in rebellion refused to address number four and this gets really close to home and unforgiving spirit. I think of all the things that have tripped me up in prayer. You know the times when I felt not close to God the times when I felt like oh God. You know why and you done this and when I really have prayed and sat quietly and said, Lord, would you would you help me understand why are you answering your what's wrong here or why am I not motivated to talk to you or listen to you and in in more cases than I would really want to admit. I will tell you God will whisper you know you have some resentment toward your wife right you have an unforgiving spirit toward something when your kids did door unit that person in ministry and you know that was nine months ago and you know you haven't let go of all of that. You still have some bitterness in your heart and see part of the whole purpose of prayer, believe it or not isn't just to get answers.

It's for God to change you. It's for God to change me and so often these roadblocks come up so that he can put his arm around you and kindly and gently show you and show me some things that need to be addressed. The next roadblock was a wrong treatment of your mate. I think men, especially here at women about take you off the hook. But that the passage is really clearly directed men. If you are not tender if you're not sensitive if you're not treating your wife with respect if you're not honoring her mean the Bibles will clear it hinders your prayers and so ladies, I'll let you take that to heart. But man I'm going to come directly and say is your relationship with your wife, the kind that God can bless your prayers and I would say today if if it's not you, here's your application, it's really easy you need to express with a very tender heart. I am really sorry, will you please forgive me and then do something that maybe be very hard is begin to pray with your wife just gumming 30 seconds a minute before you go to bed. Even if you do it silently at the beginning more than just around the table praying with your mate will bring transformation in your relationship and then finally the last one is stinginess and you're getting what I know is that historically and in terms of all the research. In America, but only about 2.5% of all the believers eventide and so there may be a barrier that you can't figure out why God's that hearing your prayers when he sing well actually you're not honoring me with your finances so let me just ask you to lean back hear the voice of your father which one of those do you need to address. If you are willing to act to take a step toward him, his promise, he will take big steps toward you now just go obey dutifully the message notes trip just mentioned a couple places go to LivingontheEdge.org and click the broadcasts tab Apple listeners tap fill in notes.

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