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Surely the prayer of someone who refuses to listen to God’s teachings is disgusting.

Proverbs 28:9

Having a hard time hearing God or being heard by him? It might just be because something has wedged its way between you—something in you that you won’t even admit to yourself. Sin that you consider acceptable in your life, in other words sin that you find comfort in and refuse to fully acknowledge because you’re afraid of having to do something about it, will put a wall between you and God. No prayers will pass it and no hand will reach through it.

And the job of tearing it down is yours. If you want your prayers to make a difference, if you want the airways to be clear and the communication to be strong, you have to ditch your sin right now. You can’t claim to be too weak to do anything about it. That’s a lie, and there’s nothing true about it. Sin stopped being your master at the point when you said “I do” to the God who hung on that cross. So act like it. Agree with God about truth, and refuse to listen to the lies this world might tell you. When your focus is on God and his will, your prayers will be powerful and effective (see James 5:16).