Sin Hinders Answers (John Wimber)

Sin Hinders Answers

There are times when a child of God turns his ear away from the voice of God. He tries to block out the corrections, the companionship and the commandments of God. Selfishness (James 4:3), an unforgiving spirit (Matthew 6:9-15, Mark 11:24-26), and cherishing or holding on to known sin (Psalm 66:18, Isaiah 59:2) are examples of sin that hinders answered prayer. A person can harden their heart and refuse to respond to God where he has spoken about specific sin.

Then he wonders, “Why can’t I get my prayers answered?” If a child of God is praying for various requests and needs, but there is sin in his life that he or she is embracing, God is not likely to respond to that person’s prayer. He often withholds his aid to his children at the point where they are sinning and holding the sin to their breast, because that sin hinders relationship, and God loves us too much to let us go on in our rebellion.

God, because of his love for us, will withhold our requests, because it’s a way of dealing with us until we repent and come back to him and get our lives straightened out with him. See, God created us for relationship with him, and he is committed to removing all that hinders that intimacy.

Perhaps you’ve gone through the motions of repenting; you’ve prayed and you’ve said, “Oh God, forgive me!” But there wasn’t any peace. And so you begin pursuing after the sin again. And you can’t get free from it.

In the meantime you’re saying, “God, help me not to sin. God, help me not to do anymore of this. God, help me.” But there is no response from God; a silent heaven. And you say, “Well, what’s a person to do?”

Quit sinning. Just turn around, cold turkey, and quit doing it, and begin obeying God. God’s help is already available to say “no” to sin and “yes” to him, but God is waiting for you to add faith to his promises and provision, and respond to his help.

There is a powerful story, in the Old Testament, of God’s promise to enter into the promised land. Israel refused to believe God’s promise, and wandered for forty years in the wilderness before finally entering. The author of Hebrews uses this example to teach that we believers need to combine faith with the promises of God in order to see them come to pass. Faith, of course, is also a gift  from God, but is also something that we actively do; faith is active.

Hebrews states “…but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith”  (Hebrews 4:2). Because God has already provided everything we need, “make every effort to add to your faith” godly responses, including saying “no” to sin (2 Peter 1:2-7).

God will respond to you, and he’ll answer your prayers. God has a broader and bigger will than most of us realize. Satan is constantly trying to cut down the perimeter of your desire and belief for the things God would do for you. God’s will is to bless you and give you the peace he promised. Respond to God and give him a chance to show you.

John Wimber, Prayer: Intimate Communication (Anaheim: Vineyard Ministries International, 1997), 18.

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