God doesn’t “owe” us positive replies to our prayers with nothing from us – our lives must line up with His expectations of us. I don’t think God says, “no” as often as we attribute unanswered prayer to that cause. I think it is more often that He simply does not hear prayers from those out of His will, because God calls us to be a separated people, peculiar, and a special treasure to Him. (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 14:2, Deuteronomy 26:18, Titus 2:14, and 1 Peter 2:9) God’s creation is perfect, therefore, anything added to or subtracted from it causes imperfection and is sin, and where there is sin, He turns a deaf ear. Even the so-called “sinner’s prayer” is heard because the sinner is repenting, which is definitely within the will of God. But His Word tells us that after that we are responsible to live – all day every day – as He tells us, and the only way to know those things is to study His Word. Look at this:
Acts 17:26-30 (CJB)
26 "From one man he made every nation living on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the limits of their territories and the periods when they would flourish.
27 God did this so that people would look for him and perhaps reach out and find him although in fact, he is not far from each one of us,
28 'for in him we live and move and exist.' Indeed, as some of the poets among you have said, 'We are actually his children.'
29 So, since we are children of God, we shouldn't suppose that God's essence resembles gold, silver or stone shaped by human technique and imagination.
30 "In the past, God overlooked such ignorance; but now he is commanding all people everywhere to turn to him from their sins.”
Then, I read Isaiah 59:1-4 (CJB).
1 ADONAI's arm is not too short to save, nor is his ear too dull to hear.
2 Rather, it is your own crimes that separate you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he doesn't hear.
3 For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with crime; your lips speak lies, your tongues utter wicked things.
4 No one sues with just cause, no one pleads honestly in court, they trust in empty words and say worthless things; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.
and
Isaiah 1:15-22 (CJB)
15"When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; no matter how much you pray, I won't be listening; because your hands are covered with blood.
16 "Wash yourselves clean! Get your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing evil,
17 learn to do good! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, defend orphans, plead for the widow.
18 "Come now," says ADONAI, "let's talk this over together. Even if your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; even if they are red as crimson, they will be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel, you will be eaten by the sword"; for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken.
Those scriptures, along with John 9:31 (CJB) “We know that God doesn't listen to sinners; but if anyone fears God and does his will, God does listen to him” make it pretty obvious that much of the result of our prayers is dependent upon us.
Then I hit another obstacle but I will go into that in my next post because this is getting too long.
Acts 17:26-30 (CJB)
26 "From one man he made every nation living on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the limits of their territories and the periods when they would flourish.
27 God did this so that people would look for him and perhaps reach out and find him although in fact, he is not far from each one of us,
28 'for in him we live and move and exist.' Indeed, as some of the poets among you have said, 'We are actually his children.'
29 So, since we are children of God, we shouldn't suppose that God's essence resembles gold, silver or stone shaped by human technique and imagination.
30 "In the past, God overlooked such ignorance; but now he is commanding all people everywhere to turn to him from their sins.”
Then, I read Isaiah 59:1-4 (CJB).
1 ADONAI's arm is not too short to save, nor is his ear too dull to hear.
2 Rather, it is your own crimes that separate you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he doesn't hear.
3 For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with crime; your lips speak lies, your tongues utter wicked things.
4 No one sues with just cause, no one pleads honestly in court, they trust in empty words and say worthless things; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.
and
Isaiah 1:15-22 (CJB)
15"When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; no matter how much you pray, I won't be listening; because your hands are covered with blood.
16 "Wash yourselves clean! Get your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing evil,
17 learn to do good! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, defend orphans, plead for the widow.
18 "Come now," says ADONAI, "let's talk this over together. Even if your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; even if they are red as crimson, they will be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel, you will be eaten by the sword"; for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken.
Those scriptures, along with John 9:31 (CJB) “We know that God doesn't listen to sinners; but if anyone fears God and does his will, God does listen to him” make it pretty obvious that much of the result of our prayers is dependent upon us.
Then I hit another obstacle but I will go into that in my next post because this is getting too long.
