Following are a few of the obstacles to an effective prayer life.

1. Natural Resistance
2. Sin
3. Human Reasoning
4. God's Character
5. Laws of Nature

1. Natural Resistance
As followers of Christ we are expected to pray, and in fact, we are commanded to pray.  We seem to resist the work of prayer.  Whether it is a lack of understanding or an unwillingness to give of our time, we choose not to pray.  In becoming more Christ-like, we need to develop the same attitude toward prayer that He had.  We see in the Gospels that He prayed frequently and for many different reasons.  Consider the following verses that are statements made by Jesus Christ.  What do they have in common?

John 5:36 "But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish--the very works that I do--testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me."
John 12:50 "I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me."
John 15:9 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love."
John 18:11 "So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?'"
John 20:21 "So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.'"

These verses and many more indicate a close relationship with the Father.  The communion is at a very deep level that can only be attained through a persistent prayer life.  He overcame the natural resistance that we have to praying.  He prayed in a regular and meaningful way.  How often do we put our full self into prayer?  How often are our prayers about seeking to know God and to understand His will?  How often are our prayers made with our full attention, concentrating only on God and our communication with Him?  Are we determined to improve upon this area in our own lives?

2. Sin
Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day.  That is until they sinned of course.  After sin had entered into their lives, they hid themselves from God, or so they thought.  It is the intention of trying to hide themselves that I notice in the story.  We do much the same thing when we sin.  It is difficult for us to immediately go to God to confess, repent and ask for His forgiveness.  What are some of the reasons that we find it so difficult to do so?

The basic problem with sinful behavior is that the act of disobedience to God attempts to take Him off the throne and leads us to believe that we know better than He or that we are on par with Him.  This is a deception that we fall into every time we choose to go our own way rather than to heed His warnings and commandments.  Sin is a barrier to close communion with God as we shun Him in our decision to act sinfully.

Genesis 3:9 "Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?'"
This is after sin entered into the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve.  They heard God in the Garden and as Adam said, "so I hid myself."  Was God really confused about where Adam and Eve were?  This story is a beautiful picture of God giving the opportunity for confession and repentance to those of us who will humble ourselves.  God knows each of our sins and He allows us the opportunity to restore fellowship with Him through humility and confession.  We are instructed in James 5:16, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.  The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."  This section of Scripture talks about the prayer of faith for our restoration.  Do we actually follow this teaching?  We can also find comfort in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Why is it so important to humble ourselves before God?  If God knows about each of our sins, why is it important for us to confess them to Him?

3. Human Reasoning
A number of things affect us in our ability to grow close to God.  Why do we rationalize our actions?  Why do we allow a conflict in our understanding to stop us in our tracks?  Why do we object to what God says to be true?  What is the baggage we carry from past life experiences?  What is our overall worldview and what is my current attitude and mood?  Is my striving to know God about a relationship or a philosophy?  

In the three-part Sunday School lesson, Know vs. Believe, we covered many of these areas and it would be a good follow-up to this lesson for self evaluation. The goals of this study are:

• To reveal to ourselves our own prejudices in bible study.
• To reveal to ourselves our own flexibility or stubbornness in bible study.
• To help us to learn to search for truth.
• To help us to become more sound in our bible studying.
• To help us firm up the foundations of our beliefs.
• The big question will be whether I will renew my mind by the washing of the word, or will I filter the word through my current beliefs?

Romans 12:1-3 Emphasis on verse 2
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
Ephesians 4:23
"And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind."
Titus 3:5
"...by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,"

We sometimes like the world and want to partake in what it has to offer.  When we become entangled in the ways of the world, we lose track of the ways of God.  What are some of the ways that we get ensnared?

We must ask ourselves what prayer really is to us and what it really is to God.  I am not speaking of what it means or of how to do it.  What is it, really?  Is prayer a mechanical process, a mere function that we must go through?  Is prayer a calculated formula that derives an answer from an impersonal God?  Is prayer a means to an end that will enable us to gratify our selfish desires?

4. God's Character
We are a spec of dust on the road compared to the vast greatness of God and all of His creation.  Who am I?  Moses asked it of God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"  David asked it of God, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?"  When Solomon wanted to build the temple, he asked, "But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him?"  So we ask, who are we that such a great God would pay any attention to us?  We are but specs in His creation.  Why would He hear us?  Why would He care about us or about what we have to say?

We need to spend time in the Scripture to learn about God and His attributes.  Only then will we be able to understand how to approach Him for the purpose of building a true relationship with Him.  Think about the people we care about in our lives.  It takes time, conversation, observation, and questioning to gain a deeper understanding of how they think and of what motivates them to do the things they do.  It is no different in our relationship with God.

We may not comprehend everything and we may actually create more questions.  That is okay because growth comes as we continue to move forward.  In any relationship there are multiple layers to be uncovered and our relationship with God is no different in this respect.  From vast galaxies to sub-atomic particles, from the seen to the unseen, it is all His creation and there is endless knowledge for us to discover.  Will we glorify Him as we seek answers?  Will we glorify Him by seeking truth and accepting it?  Will we seek to glorify God or to glorify ourselves in all that we do?  Do our prayers tell God how it is or do they express faith in what He has told us?  Do we believe and trust in what God says?

5. Laws of Nature
Can the laws of nature be altered or is all of creation a mechanism that must operate on the strictest of rules?  If everything is matter and energy that must operate within set parameters, can God and prayer be ruled out as having no consequence?  Science can explain the normal operations of creation, but it cannot deal with morality and sin.  Science cannot explain the wickedness of some people and the evil they perpetrate upon others.  Do we allow science to affect how we pray?  Do we look at physical limitations or do we believe God is greater than what we see or understand?

Daniel 12:5-6, "Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river.  And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, ‘How long will it be until the end of these wonders?'"

James 5:17, "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months."

Matthew 12:13, "Then He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand!' He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other."

Mark 11:21, "Being reminded, Peter said to Him, ‘Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.'"

Luke 8:24, "They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!' And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm."

These are but a few examples of biblical events that go beyond nature and our understanding.  What laws of nature were challenged?  How did these things come to pass?  What should our attitude be toward the circumstances we face?

God's will, nature, and plans are to be considered above anything else we see or know when it comes to prayer.  We must not allow our minds to limit our prayers and our faith by the hindrances we perceive.  Most obstacles are in our mind and prevent us from praying with faith.  Even the obstacles that we can see are no match for God, the Creator of all things, seen and unseen.  We must recognize that God is a personal God and that He desires to have a deep relationship with us.  His will is first and foremost as we seek to walk with Him in obedience and to work with Him to accomplish His plan.  We must accept His sovereignty and we must believe that there are no obstacles that limit Him.  We then need to learn to overcome the personal issues we have that keep us from going to God in regular, faithful prayer.

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