At the beginning of the year, many believers spend more time in the Prayer Closet. Prayer and fasting for twenty-one days, thirty days, or forty days cycles. What a joy to spend time in the presence of the Lord. To dwell in the secret place of the almighty.

In my Prayer Closet this year, the holy spirit started teaching me about hindrances that cause unanswered prayers. Among the issues, the Lord taught me I felt compelled to share two of them with friends and parishioners.

1. Praying according to the will of God.

As we started the prayers and fasting, I shared this truth that the Holy Spirit was emphasizing in my heart. We need to pray according to the Agenda and will of God.

For a long time, we receive a new year, and we rush to proclaim ” this is my year”. However, there was something different with 2021, the Lord is saying “2021 is the year of the Lord “.

Therefore, when in the Prayer Closet it is up to us to yield and align ourselves to him so that we fulfill His agenda, His Purpose, His Plan for this year.

2. Deal With Unconfessed Sin

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:6 KJV

Understanding that transactions of the Prayer Closet are privy between you and God is the first step to liberation.

We are in an era where the pressure to keep appearances is on the higher end. Sometimes we forget that we can not keep appearances with God. There is nothing to hide from Him. If we keep appearances it for people not for God. Because He looks into the heart. He rebuked Samuel when he sent him to anoint a king. Like us, Samuel was looking at appearances.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

In the process of hiding our shortcomings, failures, and sins from others let us not carry it over to the Prayer Closet. Like David we can tell the Lord to search our hearts and if there be any wickedness to lead us in his way of everlasting.

Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts;
Psalms 139:23 AMP

And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in an everlasting way.
Psalms 139:24 AMP

To listen to a playlist dedicated to this topic. Check out this link below. You will discover

• The Cause of Unconfessed Sin
• The Condition of Unconfessed Sin
• The Consequences of unconfessed sin
• The Conclusion.

Listen to Prayer Closet, a playlist by Pastor Lucy Paynter