A pastor who grew up as a missionary kid in Africa once told a story about a white-water rafting trip he took with his brothers on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. They planned to begin rafting at the base of Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall in the world, more than a mile wide and three hundred feet high. The mist from the spray fills the air like fog and can be seen fifty miles away. The locals call it “Smoke That Thunders.”

As the pastor sat on the edge of the raft, suited up in an overstuffed life jacket and a thick crash helmet, he thought to himself, “The Zambezi can’t be that dangerous, can it?” Then the guide spoke up: “When the raft flips over…” Not if. When. “Stay in the rough water,” the guide warned. “You will be tempted to swim toward the calm water at the edge of the banks. Don’t do it. That is where the crocodiles wait for you.”

I love that story because it captures something I think many of us feel when we start talking honestly about the struggles of prayer. When the negatives and potential obstacles begin to pile up, sometimes the easiest thing to do is not even try. But that would be a terrible mistake.

In a previous post, we explored three obstacles that undermine our prayer lives: 1) having no plan, 2) no praise, and 3) no pattern. If you have not read that one yet, start there. In this post, we look at five more obstacles that Scripture addresses. The goal is not to discourage you from praying. Quite the opposite. These are words of caution meant to help you identify what might be hindering your prayers so you can set a plan in motion to overcome them.

Our key verse for this series remains Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

With that confidence as our foundation, let’s look at five more obstacles: (Much of this series has been inspired by James Nicodem’s helpful book Prayer Coach, which is a great resource if you want to dig deeper into developing your prayer life.)

Obstacle #4: No Purity

This one is uncomfortable, but Scripture does not dance around it. Willful, unconfessed sin in our lives becomes a massive obstacle to prayer.

The psalmist wrote, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). And the prophet Isaiah was even more direct: “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).

Notice what Isaiah says. The problem is not that God is incapable of hearing. His hand is not shortened. His ear is not dull. The problem is on our end. When we harbor sin that we refuse to confess and forsake, we build a wall between ourselves and God that obstructs the very communication we claim to want.

This does not mean we have to achieve sinless perfection before God will listen to us. If that were the case, no one would ever pray. What it means is that careless and sloppy living, the kind where we knowingly indulge sin and make no effort to deal with it, will corrode our prayer lives from the inside out.

The cross of Christ was the Father’s gift to purchase our forgiveness and to set us free from the bondage of sin. That freedom is meant to be lived in. So, when God convicts you of sin, confess it. When you feel your heart growing cold toward the things of God, bring that to Him honestly. Scripture promises that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Keep a clean slate before God, and you will find that the path to His throne of grace is far less obstructed.

Obstacle #5: No Peace

This obstacle surprised me when I first studied it, because it targets something most of us would not immediately connect to prayer: our relationships.

Peter writes, “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).

Read that last phrase again: “so that your prayers may not be hindered.” Peter draws a direct line between how a husband treats his wife and the effectiveness of his prayers. Friction and contention in marriage do not stay contained in the living room. They follow you into your prayer closet.

Peter lays out three duties for husbands. First, understanding: give genuine effort to listening to your wife. Turn off the distractions, look at her, and intentionally try to see things through her eyes. Do not rush to the fix. Sometimes the relational or emotional dimension of a situation is the biggest issue for her, and she needs you to hear that before you try to solve anything. Second, honor: do not minimize her, belittle her, or be condescending and sarcastic. Treat her with the dignity she deserves. Third, respect: recognize that you are equals in the eyes of God, fellow heirs of the grace of life.

When a Christian husband fails to treat his wife with understanding, honor, and grace, his prayers are hindered. That is not my opinion. That is what the text says.

But the principle extends beyond marriage. Jesus taught that if you are bringing your offering before God and remember that a brother has something against you, you should leave your gift at the altar and go be reconciled first (Matthew 5:23-24). Broken relationships hinder our access to God, which means the pursuit of peace is not optional for the person who wants to pray well.

Now, there are situations where reconciliation is not possible. Some people will not allow for peace regardless of your efforts. Paul acknowledged this when he wrote, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). We cannot control other people’s responses, but we can control our own pursuit of peace. And we must. Do not allow relational offenses, whether in your marriage or in your friendships, to become an obstacle that keeps you from the throne of grace.

If the people around you always seem angry and irritable, it is worth pausing to examine whether you might be part of the problem. That is a hard question, but an honest one.

Obstacle #6: No Passion

When Luke describes Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, he uses striking language: “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

Jesus was not going through the motions. He was all in.

The Bible is full of examples like this. Jacob wrestled with God in prayer and would not let go until he received a blessing. Hannah prayed so fervently, though silently, that Eli the priest thought she was drunk. When the early church prayed together in Acts 4, the place where they gathered was physically shaken (Acts 4:31).

I am not advocating for fabricated emotion. Theatrical prayers that are performed for an audience accomplish nothing. But there is a difference between theatrics and genuine earnestness, and I wonder if many of us have drifted so far toward casual that we have lost the urgency that should characterize our prayers. We can get fired up about sports, hobbies, and politics. We can bring real energy and emotion to a hundred different things throughout the week. But when it comes to taking our deepest needs before the Creator of the universe, something goes flat.

Read through the Psalms and notice the raw, honest emotion that fills those prayers. There is grief, anger, desperation, awe, gratitude, and explosive joy. The psalmists brought their whole selves before God, and so should we. If your prayer life has grown stale, it may be that the problem is not a lack of theology but a lack of passion.

Obstacle #7: No Persistence

Jesus told a parable specifically to address this problem. Luke introduces it by saying that Jesus “told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).

The parable features an unjust judge who neither feared God nor respected people. A widow in his city kept coming to him and asking for justice. For a while, the judge refused. But eventually he gave in, not because he cared about justice, but because the widow’s persistence wore him down. Jesus then turns to His listeners and says, “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?” (Luke 18:7).

There is both contrast and example in this parable. The unjust judge is nothing like God. God is not reluctant to help His children. He is not annoyed by our prayers or slow to care. But the widow models something we desperately need: persistence. She kept coming. She did not give up. And Jesus holds her up as the example for how His followers should pray.

Persistence means faithfully bringing our burdens and requests before the Lord even when it feels like nothing is happening. It means persevering when we feel like God is not hearing us, trusting that His timing is perfect even when it does not match ours. When do you begin praying for the salvation of your children and grandchildren? When do you start praying for their future spouse? Not when they turn eighteen. You start now, and you keep going.

I have had burdens and struggles that I prayed about for years before I saw God answer them with clarity. That kind of waiting is hard. But it is good for us, because it teaches us to trust the character of God when we cannot see His hand.

Obstacle #8: No Partner

One of the interesting features of prayer is its versatility. It can be done in private, in small groups, in public gatherings, or with thousands of people. The focus of this series has been personal prayer, but personal prayer is often enhanced when it is shared with a partner.

Jesus regularly prayed with others. In Gethsemane, He brought His disciples with Him and asked Peter, “Could you not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40). Jesus did not need accountability or assistance, but He still invited His closest friends into that sacred space. If even Jesus sought the companionship of others in prayer, how much more do we need it?

The wisdom of Ecclesiastes captures the principle well: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

In ministry, I treasure when people pray with me. It is actually very rare for me to meet with a pastor friend without us praying together, for one another and for our churches. There is something powerful about hearing someone else bring your name and your needs before God. It strengthens your faith in a way that is hard to explain until you have experienced it.

Here is a simple practice I would encourage: when you pray with someone, make it a habit to pray for them right in their hearing. Do not just pray about generic topics. Pray specifically for the person sitting next to you. Let them hear you intercede on their behalf. I try to do this in the small groups I lead, and the effect it has on people is remarkable. Being prayed for, out loud, by someone who knows you and cares about you is one of the most encouraging experiences in the Christian life.

Clearing the Path to God’s Throne

The past two sermon reflections have examined eight obstacles to prayer: no plan, no praise, no pattern, no purity, no peace, no passion, no persistence, and no partner. That is a long list, and if you are feeling a little overwhelmed, I understand. But please do not let the number of obstacles discourage you from the pursuit. The whole point of identifying these obstacles is to clear them out of the way so you can draw near to God with greater freedom and consistency.

The invitation remains wide open:

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

God is not reluctant to hear from you. He is not annoyed by your prayers. He is not waiting for you to get everything perfect before He will listen. He invites you to come with confidence, so take these obstacles seriously. Take the invitation even more seriously. Address what needs to be addressed and then come boldly to the throne. He is waiting for you there.

2026.02.22 / More Obstacles to Prayer / Pastor Brent Stille