“If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me” (Psalm 66:18-20 NLT).

DOES UNCONFESSED SIN HINDER PRAYER?

Have you ever felt as if your prayers are bouncing back to you off the ceiling? That your prayers are being hindered? There are many reasons your prayers might feel impeded. For instance, a husband mistreating his wife will find his prayers hindered (1 Pet. 3:7).

In fact, if you do something to offend a family member or friend and you don’t ask for forgiveness, doesn’t it hinder your communication with them? Certainly it does. Similarly, when we offend God, it affects our communication with Him. Because sin is an offense against God. Sin separates. It hinders communication. And isn’t that what prayer is? Communication with God? So, unconfessed sin absolutely hinders our prayer life.

Yet in confessing, we agree with God that we have offended Him and that we need His forgiveness. Confessing our sin, God hears our prayers and answers. As the apostle John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

So let us join with the psalmist and confess our sins, that our prayers might not be hindered. And that we might experience the forgiveness and cleansing of God’s “unfailing love” through His Son, Jesus Christ.