First Baptist Church of Niles
Bible Study
A Study of Prayer
Locks of Prayer
Locks
These are principals, which will prevent prayer from being successful.
Praying to God with knowing Jesus
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
If you don't know Jesus, God is not to be obligated to respond.
Praying with an unrepentant heart
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened; Ps 66:18
Praying for show
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. Matt 6:5
Praying repetitive empty words
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matt 6:7-8
Prayers not prayed
You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. James 4:2
Praying with a lustful heart
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:3
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:4
Praying while mistreating your spouse
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 1 Peter 3:7
Praying while ignoring the poor
Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
will also cry out and not be answered. Prov 21:13
Praying with bitterness towards someone
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:25-26
Praying with a faithless heart
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Heb 11:6