On Prayer
By Michelle Davids
Many of you may have even received the prayer wheel through email. This email is asking people to pray for our soldiers and for the innocent people who are caught in the middle of war. However, before we pray to God, we must all examine ourselves. (3Cor13:5) Sometimes people may wonder, "why haven't our prayers been answered?" Well there is an answer. God sends rain on the just and unjust, Matt5:45 and blessing on the good and the bad! Rom2:4
To truly receive the 'spiritual blessings' (Eph1:3) from God, you MUST meet His requirements of Obedience, Humility & Purity. Then God may hear and answer your prayers. Therefore take into consideration the following hindrances to prayer revealed in scripture:
1. If we are not right with God or have sin in our lives, God will not hear us. (John 9:31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.)
2. Disobedience to God. (1 Samuel 14:37 So Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him that day.)
3. Secret sin in our lives. (Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.)
4. Indifference. (Proverbs 1:28 "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.)
5. Neglect of mercy. (Proverbs 21:13 Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard.)
6. Despising the law. (Proverbs 28:9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.)
7. Bloodguiltiness. (Isaiah 1:15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.) This applies to warning others of the truth contained in God's Word.
8. Iniquity. (Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.)
9. Stubbornness. (Zechariah 7:13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen," says the LORD of hosts.)
10. Instability. (James 1:6,7 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;)
11. Self-indulgence. (James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.)
So if any of the above are present in your live,
God will not hear you. Your prayers are ineffective and of no value in the
Kingdom and bestow no spiritual blessings on those you are praying for. Only
true prayers will be heard by God. The sinner must come to Him in broken hearted
humility and cry out for mercy! Ps51:17 "The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a CONTRITE heart, O
God, thou wilt not despise!"
Psalm 4:3 "But know that the LORD has set apart[1] for Himself him who is
godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him."
Proverbs 15:29 "The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of
the righteous."
Psalm 34:17 "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them
out of all their troubles."
Sometimes, prayers are not answered because it's not within God's Divine Will
(Exodus 33:20, 2 Corinthians 12:8). Nevertheless, Christians are told to
"pray without ceasing" 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
So what are the conditions of a true prayer?
1. Contrition (broken heartedness) (2 Corinthians 7:14)
2. Wholeheartedness (Jeremiah 29:13)
3. Faith (Mark 11:24)
4. Righteousness (James 5:16)
5. Obedience (1 John 3:22)
Why pray to God in Vain, begin with repentance, followed by heartfelt obedience, then approach Him in confidence and love!