What are the common hindrances to prayer?

Distraction is the habitual difficulty in Prayer. It takes our attention away from God and can also reveal what we are attached to. Prayer presupposes an effort, a fight against ourselves and the wiles of the Tempter. A simple way of overcoming distractions is to turn our hearts back humbly to the Lord. Sometimes prayer is affected by dryness. Dryness belongs to contemplative prayer when the heart is separated from God, with no taste for thoughts, memories, and feelings, even spiritual ones. Overcoming this difficulty allows us to cling to the Lord in faith. even without any feeling of consolation. If dryness is due to the lack of "roots", because the word has fallen on rocky soil, the battle requires conversion. Other frequent temptations that threaten prayer are lack of faith and acedia. Prayer is the moment of truth for the heart: what is it real love? Sometimes we turn to the Lord as a last resort, but do we really believe he is? Acedia is a form of spiritual laziness due to decreasing vigilance and a carelessness of heart.[See CCC 2732-2733] WHENEVER I START PRAYING, BAD THOUGHTS ENTER MY MIND WHICH FORCE ME TO SIN AGAINST THe ALMIGHTY. I FEEL THAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO STOP ME FROM PRAYING, ESPECIALLY SINCE I LED A BAD PAST. WHAT SHOULD I DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN PRAYER? If you feel you had led a bad past,reconcile yourself with God with a good Confession. Don't worry about the "bad thoughts" that come to you during your prayer. These are seeds of distraction sown by Satan who doesn't want you to pray. What is important is not that pray well, but that you give to God your special time of prayer. Even after 15 minutes of prayer if you feel that you didn't pray successfully, don't worry, what is important is that you have decided to dedicate at least 15 minutes to God daily.