I have heard a lot of people tell me that they don't feel like God is hearing their prayers. He's just not answering them, they say. I'm not sure they understand who God really is. He is not a magic genie - rub his belly three times and make a wish and he grants it. Read these two verses and see if you don't learn a little about God and His answering our prayer.
"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." - Isaiah 59:1-2
It won't hurt to read that again. Our sin causes God not to listen. So when someone tells me God is not hearing their prayer my next question is, 'So what's going on in your life that would cause God not to answer?"
I have a friend who stresses out about many things at work. Her husband has had a series of injuries or medical conditions. She prays but things just aren't getting any better. So I ask, "How has your worship been?"
"Well, we haven't been to church for quite a while. Just can't find the right church."
"So, why would God answer your prayer then?"
Another person struggles at work too. "The people don't like me. If feels like they're ganging up on me. I pray about it but nothing improves."
"Hmm. Have you examined yourself to see if there's something God wants you to change first before He answers?"
"No. Not really."
She has never been married but has had two children and seldom goes to church. Yet, nothing seems to be wrong in this person's mind.
I'm not innocent either. I pray, but not as often as I should. Is my pitiful prayer life keeping me from receiving answers to MY prayers? I also am a great procrastinator. Maybe if I would get after the tasks God has for me my prayers would be more readily answered? Don't get me wrong. God has blessed me greatly already. But how much more awaits if I would only, completely, surrender all?
There is a great misunderstanding in many people's minds about who God is and what His character is like. God does not need us. He is the Creator of The Universe. What makes us think that He should answer OUR prayers? We should be praying for mercy and forgiveness and worshiping on bended knee! But God often proves to inconvenient for us. Still we want Him to answer our prayers. Really?
God is an amazingly loving and gracious God. He would move mountains and part oceans for His faithful children. He has done that for Israel. He has done that for present day people as well. He is still on His throne! He still works miracles!
The question we need to ask ourselves is this. Are we truly His children? Or is our "religion" a faith of convenience? Look, all are welcome into God's family. But it is to be on HIS terms that we enter in to it, not ours.
"The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught." - Isaiah 29:13
Have we truly placed our faith in Jesus? Are we walking in obedience to God's Word? Have we removed all the "idols" from our lives and placed our faith in Christ alone? Is He worthy of our worship and praise? Yes! Then let's do those things . . . first! Let us worship and praise Him. Let us seek forgiveness for our sins, FIRST. Let God see the change in us. Then let us see what God is willing to do in our lives. Open the flood gates!
In Christ Alone - Keith and Krysten Getty
Is He Worthy? - Chris Tomlin
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