The Bible clearly proclaims that believers have full access to the throne of God through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, the Bible also identifies circumstances that can and will hinder a believer’s prayer life. According to James 1:6-7, a lack of faith hinders the Lord’s response to a person’s prayer. According to 1 John 3:22, disobedience can also be a hindrance to prayer. In 1 Peter 3:7, the Bible declares that the prayers of a troubled home will be hindered. In addition to this, the Lord acknowledges the benefit of praying according to His will (1 John 5:14). It is important to pray but also important to insure that your prayer life is not hindered by your personal walk and ways.
Far too many people allow themselves to accept unbalanced viewpoints. For instance, people focus on the glory of leadership while failing to realize the tremendous responsibility that comes with leadership. A student, for example, is only responsible for his own studies, while a teacher takes on the added responsibility for how he leads each of his students. A pastor who can’t rule well his own home has no business taking on the added responsibility of caring for the church of God (1 Timothy 3:4-5). An employee within a company is responsible to God for his own work. Yet, a company owner takes upon himself the responsibility for leading and caring for every individual affected by the company. With these truths in mind, we again focus upon today’s passage. James suggests that believers consider the responsibility that accompanies leadership before taking on a position of leadership.
