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  HINDRANCE TO PRAYER
  by Charles E. Cowman
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Summary: The sermon emphasizes the importance of trusting in God's
timing and not hindering His working by trying to take control through
self-effort in prayer.

Topics: "Effective Prayer", "Faith And Trust"
Scripture References: Psalm 27:14, Psalm 37:5, Isaiah 40:31, Habakkuk 2:3, Galatians 6:9

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DESCRIPTION
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Charles E. Cowman emphasizes the importance of waiting on the Lord in
prayer, rather than relying on self-effort, to see His promises come to
pass. He highlights the need to trust God completely, even when it seems
unsafe or tempting to take matters into our own hands, as our
interference can hinder God's work in our lives. Cowman illustrates that
just as it takes time for God to bring forth natural processes like
growing a rose or making bread, it also takes time for Him to answer our
prayers, and we must patiently sow, till, and trust in His perfect
timing.

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CONTENT
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"And he shall bring it to pass" (Ps. 37:5).

I once thought that after I prayed that it was my duty to do everything
that I could do to bring the answer to pass. He taught me a better way,
and showed that my self-effort always hindered His working, and that
when I prayed and definitely believed Him for anything, He wanted me to
wait in the spirit of praise, and only do what He bade me. It seems so
unsafe to just sit still, and do nothing but trust the Lord; and the
temptation to take the battle into our own hands is often tremendous.

We all know how impossible it is to rescue a drowning man who tries to
help his rescuer, and it is equally impossible for the Lord to fight our
battles for us when we insist upon trying to fight them ourselves. It is
not that He will not, but He cannot. Our interference hinders His
working. --C.H.P.

Spiritual forces cannot work while earthly forces are active.

It takes God time to answer prayer. We often fail to give God a chance
in this respect. It takes time for God to paint a rose. It takes time
for God to grow an oak. It takes time for God to make bread from wheat
fields. He takes the earth. He pulverizes. He softens. He enriches. He
wets with showers and dews. He warms with life. He gives the blade, the
stock, the amber grain, and then at last the bread for the hungry.

All this takes time. Therefore we sow, and till, and wait, and trust,
until all God's purpose has been wrought out. We give God a chance in
this matter of time. We need to learn this same lesson in our prayer
life. It takes God time to answer prayer. --J. H. M.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/charles-e-cowman/hindrance-to-prayer/
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