Sin Hinders Relationship
“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, âWhy canât I get my prayers answered?â 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 personâs 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.”
John Wimber, Prayer: Intimate Communication (Anaheim: Vineyard Ministries International, 1997), 18.