Blockages to God Answering Our Prayers

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Isaiah 53:5 - But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

This passage in Isaiah that is often used to prove that Jesus paid for our sins is also saying that His wounding was to pay for our healing. Incidentally, the Hebrew word used in this verse for “healed” is from the same verb that was used in Exodus 15:26b [Rafa] “I the Lord am your Healer”

Healing is part of the salvation package. It is always God’s will to heal – why else would Jesus had to be wounded/scourged for?

So, we arrive at this dilemma: why doesn’t everyone get healed then?

Similarly, God promised to answer our prayers in general yet why are so many Christians still stuck in defeat and problems.

The answer is not that God wants you to have the sickness or the poverty you are fighting to make you more holy! That is downright heresy and unscriptural (Deut 28:1-14)

I think the right question should be:

What is hindering your prayers?

In the Scriptures we find that the following can hinder healing or answers to prayer in general:

1. Sin - In General

In both John 5:14 & 9:2 John teaches that sin can cause sickness and in James 5:16 we are told to confess our sins so that we may be healed.

2. Marital Disharmony 1 Peter 3:7 tells us that strife and conflict in marriage can hinder prayers (i.e. not treating your spouse right)

3. Sin – Ancestral or Generational sins Exodus 34:7 and Lam 5:7 teach that certain ancestral disobedience can bring a curse on the next generations. If a specific disease persists from generation to generation (including substance or alcohol abuse) you may be looking at a generational sin that has caused this

4. Unbelief Matthew 13:58 and Mark 9:19 show that unbelief or lack of faith can hinder divine healing

5. Curses because of dabbling in the occult Although this is a whole teaching subject in itself (for another time) suffice to say that occult dealings and witchcraft can produce sicknesses. I have seen people instantly healed once we broke the curse in Jesus’ Name that was put on them. (Deut 18:9-13)

6. Curses put on someone by (an) authority figure(s) I have seen people get sick because someone in authority (parents, husbands, teachers, pastors etc) cursed them with words such as “I hope you die!” or “It will never go well with you if you leave this church!” because authority figures have the authority to bless and to curse with words (Joshua 6:26 & 1 Kgs 16:34)

7. Self Curses Because Prov 18:21 says that our words can bring life or death to us, in other words we have the power to create good or evil with our words, we can also speak sickness over ourselves. A lady used to hate her legs and would often say so standing in front of the mirror. Later on in life she suffered terriby with pains in her legs that doctors could not explain. Then her husband reminded her of her self-cursing and she repented and they broke the curse. She was instantly healed.

8. Ungodly beliefs If I sincerely believe that God doesn’t want to heal me, than that is an ungodly or unscriptural belief and it will hinder my healing. Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Prov 18:21 and Job 3:25)

9. Lack of Sanctification 1 Cor 11:30 - In the context of breaking bread and drinking wine to remember the sacrifice of Christ, this passage tells us that if we come together without realising we are the body of Christ and behave in a manner unworthy of a representative of Christ (in this passage it refers to greediness and selfishness (v.17-22)), we will incur judgement on ourselves.

This judgement can be weakness, sickness or death.

Now I don’t think this applies only to misbehaviour at Communion but sinfulness in general in the church.

10. Demonic Influence We see in Matthew 4:24 and Mark 9:25 that sometimes diseases are caused by demons and these need to be cast out in Jesus’ Name

Conclusion

Instead of arriving at the conclusion that God doesn’t want to heal (which contradicts the teaching in the Bible), we need to ask the Holy Spirit what is hindering my prayers for healing? Armed with the principles above we can remove the hindrance(s).

When the answer to your prayer is not forthcoming, always ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the hidden reason. He may even show you a hindrance that I have not even mentioned above!