Submission by Lori Joiner

Editor’s note: What can hinder a Christian’s prayer life? Scripture encourages believers to examine their hearts, confess wrongdoing and make time to seek God. In the second installment of her series on effective prayer, Lori Joiner considers how unaddressed sin and crowded schedules can affect that relationship, while encouraging readers to approach God with honesty, persistence and trust in His timing.

In the first installment of this series, I shared how people can lose hope in prayer or wonder whether their requests make a difference. In part two, we will look at confession and the time we make for prayer.

Confession and Our Relationship With God

James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (NIV). The surrounding verses describe believers praying in suffering and sickness, calling on church elders and confessing sins to one another. Prayer, care for one another and reconciliation belong together in this passage.

Christ has made it possible for us to go directly to God in prayer. His righteousness is our righteousness when we place our faith in Him and His death on the cross for us.

Confessing our sins also has an important place in our prayer life. If we have sinned against someone, we should acknowledge it, ask for forgiveness and take appropriate steps to repair the harm. If our sin is a private struggle, we need to be honest with God about it.

When we harbor greed, pride, hate or other wrongdoing, those things can shape our motives and what we are willing to bring before God. Confession means acknowledging the truth and turning toward Him. We can speak honestly to the God who sees us with love even when what we need to acknowledge is painful.

An unanswered prayer does not prove that a person has unconfessed sin or insufficient faith. In 2 Corinthians 12:7–10, Paul describes asking three times for his thorn to be taken away. God’s response was, “My grace is sufficient for you” (NIV). Paul’s account points us toward God’s sustaining grace amid weakness.

Confession is part of an honest relationship with God. It does not guarantee that He will grant a particular request, and we should not use someone’s circumstances to judge the sincerity of that person’s faith.

Making Time for Prayer

I once heard a pastor compare hurried prayer to children ringing a doorbell and running away before anyone answers. The picture was of people who hurry through their requests without making time to meet with God.

He also compared prayer to stopping for gas. We may be busy, but we usually recognize that a car cannot keep running without fuel. His illustration made the point that a crowded schedule is a reason to make room for prayer, rather than continually postponing it.

If you are like me, this one hits the bullseye. I find encouragement to stay in prayer when I keep these Scriptures in mind:

• Jeremiah 33:3: God tells Jeremiah, “Call to me and I will answer you” (NIV). Jeremiah is confined in the courtyard of the guard, and the chapter concerns God’s promise of restoration. This is a word to a prophet in particular circumstances, not a promise that every request will be granted as we imagine.
• Psalm 55:17: Amid distress and betrayal, the psalmist cries out to God in the evening, morning and at noon. His prayer reminds us that we can bring our anguish to God throughout the day.
• Philippians 4:6–7: Paul encourages believers to bring their requests to God with thanksgiving. He points to God’s peace guarding their hearts and minds in Christ, rather than promising that every difficult circumstance will immediately change.
• Matthew 7:7–11: Jesus encourages His hearers to ask, seek and knock. He places that invitation within the picture of a Father who gives good gifts to His children. We can approach Him with trust while leaving room for His wisdom about what is good.

Choose a time you can return to—before work, during a walk or when the house is quiet. Some days may allow a longer time in prayer; other days may involve short prayers between responsibilities. The purpose is to make room for God, without treating a schedule or a set number of minutes as a formula for getting an answer.

Making time to seek God’s guidance through Scripture can also help us consider our requests in light of what He has already revealed. We can ask for wisdom about our own responsibilities as well as help with circumstances beyond our control.

So today, search your heart. Is there wrongdoing you need to acknowledge or someone you need to ask for forgiveness? Bring it honestly to God. Then push pause on the busyness and make time to pray.

If your concerns feel overwhelming, try taking inventory of what you can control and what you need to entrust to God. Name those concerns in prayer and consider the next responsible step available to you.

We can keep trusting God as we seek His direction even when we do not yet understand His answer. His response may differ from what we hoped for. Bring your requests to Him, persist in prayer and trust Him with the outcome and the timing.

Feature photo by Pedro Lima on Unsplash