But either way, let's get into hindrances really quickly.
You know, if you have your Bible and you're still there in James, go to James 4-2.
Go to James 4-2.
When you go to James 4-2, you know, I'll read from Psalm 66-18, one of my favorite
verses.
It just reminds me to keep my heart clean, because I want God to hear me.
I don't want God to answer my prayers.
You go to James 4-2, I'll read from Psalm 66-18.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will, doesn't say he might not hear me.
You know, God understands, he knows I'm weak, he realizes that, you know, I'm really a
good guy, I mean well, it's just that this temptation is just too strong for me,
whatever it may be, you know.
Well, he made it very clear, he will not answer you.
And that's a scary place to be where God's not answering you.
Talk to King Saul when you meet him in heaven.
What did he just say?
The Lord's not answering me.
And he got worse and worse and worse.
But if you're right there in James 4-2, let's take a look.
You lust and have not, you kill and desire to have and cannot obtain.
You fight in war, yet ye have not, because of what?
Because you're not praying, because ye ask not.
But hey, remember, brothers and girls, if I just ask, I'm going to get everything
I want?
Ah, no.
You ask and receive not, here's the key thing, because you ask amiss.
Hey, if you're asking for something that's not good, something wrong, amiss is like,
hey, you're asking, you know, for the wrong thing.
It says that ye may consummate upon your lusts, ye adulterous and adulterous is.
Know ye not that the friendship of the world is the enemy of God?
Whosoever therefore be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
And guess what, when you're the enemy of God, when you're too worldly, he's not going
to answer you.
He doesn't have your back, he's there with you, yeah, you're sealed with the Holy Ghost,
but you won't be filled with his power, you'll be a powerless Christian, just like Lot.
No power to get anybody saved, nobody's listening to you, you're a mock.
That's all they're doing, they're just mocking you.
And I don't want you guys to be that way.
So of course this message is just to get you going, haven't started praying, let's
get that going, because if you're like, hey, are people really going days without
praying?
Yes, we get those phone calls.
I'm struggling with this, I'm struggling with that.
Any tips?
I'm like, how's your Bible?
Well, okay, how's your prayer?
Yeah, you're right.
It's been days, I don't remember, think about it, I don't remember the last time
I prayed.
It must be over a week or something, because even if it was the day before, I'd be like,
yeah, well I prayed yesterday in the morning before I started my day.
Well great, now up it up, two times.
In the Bible, three times.
Some people praise the Lord seven times.
But here's some hinders to prayer.
You can just listen up, or just meet me at 1 John 5-3, James is not that far from
1 John 5-3.
I'll just read from 1 John 2-15, love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world.
If any men love the world, the love of the Father is not in them.
When you don't have the love of the Father, you're in sin.
How do we know?
Because we're commanded to keep ourselves in the love of God.
It says in Jude 1-21, keep yourselves in the love of God.
What does it mean?
Keep yourselves in the love of God.
What does that even mean?
1 John 5-3, if you're there, take a look, for this is the love of God.
That what?
That we keep His commandments.
In other words, that you're a good guy, you're a good Christian.
Keep doing good.
You've got a lot of benefits.
Don't mess up your name.
Don't screw it up.
I'm not talking about being perfect, because the Bible says that a just man falleth.
If you're a just man, you will fall.
But get up.
Get up.
Practice makes perfect.
It says he falleth seven times.
So yeah, you stumble, get up, you stumble, keep moving, keep serving God.
Bottom line, just don't faint, just don't quit, don't cease praying.
Amen?
Proverbs 24-16, for a just man falleth seven times and rises up again, but the wicked
shall fall into mischief.
So the first thing that will hinder you is being too sinful, too worldly, love and
sin too much.
That's going to hinder your prayer life.
As you can tell, the adulterers and adulterers is knowing that the first of the world
is enmity with God.
Remember that.
The other thing that can hinder your prayers is having an unforgiving spirit.
You don't have to go there.
Instead, what you guys can do is just go to 1 Thessalonians chapter number 5, 1 Thessalonians
chapter number 5 verse 16.
Go to 1 Thessalonians chapter number 5 verse 16.
I'm going to continue to read where it says in Mark 11 25, when you stand praying,
forgive.
Forgive.
If you are ought against any, that's your neighbor, that's your church member, that
could be your wife.
And we'll get into that in a second.
You're like, man, you didn't have a Valentine's sermon this morning.
Oh, we'll get there.
We'll have a little bit of Valentine's time before this is over.
We'll talk about love, amen?
It says really quickly, forgive if you are against any, that your father also, which
is in heaven, may forgive your trespasses.
But if you do not forgive, neither will your father, which is in heaven, forgive
your trespasses.
You guys should know this already.
But to me, to repeat things that you already know, it's good.
It's good for you, it's good for me, it's good for everyone.
You know?
There's nothing new under the sun.
So if you're expecting me to preach something new, teach you something new, well, if I
do great.
If not, you know what?
I'm still getting the job done.
To put your remembrance of these things, to me, is not grievous.
You know, to me, it's great.
So what do we got?
Number 1, too sinful, too worldly, love and sin too much will hinder your prayers.
Number 2, having an unforgiven spirit will hinder your prayers.
And we already saw how important prayer is.
You saw how Jesus prayed, you saw how much the Bible mentioned prayer, praying for one
another, praying to the Lord.
Another thing, here's your Valentine's message, having an improper husband-wife relationship.
Improper husband-wife relationship.
It's not worth it.
Hey, husband's wives, something's going on, get it right.
It ain't worth it.
You don't get it right.
You don't get worse.
Well, he did this, she did this, she said this, he said this.
Just got to stop that.
Quit it.
Don't let the sun go down upon your wrath.
Don't go to sleep angry.
Somebody step up and say, I'm sorry, my bad, you know, even if it's not your bad.
Just to diffuse.
I'm sorry, honey, I'm sorry, babe, whatever you use in your house, you know.
Why, brothers and girls, listen to this, 1 Peter 3-7, likewise your husbands dwell
with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife.
And you're not giving honor to your wife when you're calling her names, amen.
I'm not talking about picking on her here and there, every man does that, amen.
But when you're flat out dogging out your wife, you know, don't do that.
You know, it's going to come back to you, you're going to suffer for it.
Wives, just be patient if your husband just happened to, you know, be in that mood
where he's just making you feel, you know, like the worst person ever.
Not that it's happening in my house, but here's the key thing.
Giving honor to the wife as unto the weaker vessel and as being heirs together of the
grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.
It ain't worth it.
I want my prayers to be answered, don't you?
That fight, hey, get it over with, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please, I'm sorry, whatever.
Just get it, get it over, and mean it too, guys, come on, sorry, no, honey, I really
am sorry, my bad, I'm sorry, I was an idiot, I'm stupid, I can't, I can't, I can't,
I'm sorry I said that the food sucks, whatever, you know.
Worse than ever, I didn't mean that, it came out, it just came out.
And it depends on the heart to not speak it through.
Get a cookbook, no, I'm just kidding.
Mrs. Anderson's cookbook on Amazon, no discounts, people.
Gee, work hard on that.
Pay double.
So what else will hinder you?
Hinder your prayers.
We already saw too sinful, we already saw unforgiving spirit, we already saw an improper
husband-wife relationship, and another one is when you start to despise God's word.
Sunday evening, people, no, I'm just kidding.
Where's everybody at?
I guess it's not that important, I'm just kidding, I'm sure people have some real
serious legitimate reasons why they're not here tonight, you know, I'm sure they
have something that, you know, the Lord will buy, but despising God's word is going
to make God quickly say, don't talk to me, talk to the hand.
How do you know?
You guys are there in 1 Thessalonians 5, simple verses, receive, rejoice evermore,
pray without ceasing, and everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you, quench not the spirit, despise not prophesying, why, because it's
going to hinder your prayers, and look, obviously if people are, you know, missing that were
here this morning, this is not an attack, I'm just poking fun of it, you know, if
I offend you, I'm sorry, but I'm just being funny, trying to be funny, you know, so
don't go around, where were you, where were you, where were you, you know, don't
do that, we'll get to that later if you see your brother sin, no, just kidding.