A Healthy Prayer Life

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.n The only prayer God hears from a lost person is a prayer for salvation. The lost cannot serve God nor can they please Him. The lost can do nothing but sin. Saved or lost God is against those that do evil. 1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.n God gives us some in site as to where our righteousness falls in line with His. Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.nRomans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: n In Luke we see a comparison between two people. One who thought highly of himself and the other that looked at himself through the eyes of God. Luke 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.n11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.n12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.n13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.n14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.n The righteousness we are looking for in our life is not our self righteousness but God’s. We have access to it by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. It is then that we have God’s righteousness imputed to our account. The following verses will help us look at ourselves through the Word of God to line up with His righteousness in our daily life. Once we accept Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour we will have the righteousness of Jesus Christ when we stand before the Lord. That is our eternal standing before God. Our daily righteousness is dependent on our obedience to the Word of God after salvation. This is our state. Our state can change from day to day or moment to moment. n Part of a righteous life in the eyes of God is to have a healthy prayer life. Unlike what a lot of churches teach the Bible does not teach that God hears all our prayers. Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:n2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.n1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.n We should always be in a healthy state with God so our prayers are heard. If we are right with God we don’t have to get right with Him before we come to Him in prayer. n Now I would like to look at some of the hindrances to prayer that are covered in scriptures. We must remember answers to prayer is a blessing from God. Why would a holy, just and righteous God bless sin? The answer is He can’t bless sin. It’s against His nature. If God could bless sin He would not be holy and perfect.nA) Un confessed sin will hinder prayer. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.nB) Problems between a husband and wife will hinder prayer. 1st Peter tells us a husband can be won to the Lord through a wife’s obedience. 1 Peter 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; When a wife is in subjection to her husband she is being obedient to the Lord. nC) Wrongs un righted will hinder prayer. Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;n24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. If we are not right with the brethren we are not right with God. Some other wrongs would include tithes and offerings. Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.nProverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: If we gave ten percent of our time to God it would come to 16.8 hours a week. This would be our service for the Lord. We are bought with a price. 1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. God wants us. Christ died on the cross for us, not our money. nD) Un forgiveness will hinder prayer. Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.nMatthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:n15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. We need to look at others as we want Christ to look at us. Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.nColossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Forgiveness is not dependant on the worthiness of the individual but on our heart and attitude toward that person. It is our rightness with God that we are concerned with when it comes to our prayer life not another’s. We can’t base our Christian walk on someone else’s relationship with God. We will give account of ourselves. Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.n12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.nE) Self will, rebellion and disobedience will hinder prayer. 1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.n23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. When we go against the Word of God we are telling Him we know better. We want to do things our way and then complain when it turns out wrong. We go to Him in a rebellious, disobedient state and then wonder why our prayers aren’t answered. Most often people will say it must have been God’s will for things to turn out a certain way when in fact had they gone to Him first they wouldn’t be in the mess their in. nF) Indifference toward the Word of God will hinder prayer. John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. How can we keep His Word if we don’t know it? Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. nPsalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.n3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Jesus tells us that if we meet the conditions of His Word we will be in God’s will and we will not ask amiss. John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. nG) Love of pleasures will hinder prayer. James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.n1 Timothy 5:5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.n6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.nH) Pride will hinder prayer. 1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Job tells us that the Devil is king over the children of pride. Job 41:34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.nI) Unbelief will hinder prayer. James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.n7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.nMatthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.nJ) Idols will hinder prayer. In Ezekiel 8:16 the house of Judah turned their backs to the Lord and worshiped the sun toward the east. This is why He says He will not hear them in verse 18. Ezekiel 8:18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. Ezekiel 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? If there is anything we put before the Lord it is an idol. n It should sooth your soul to know God gives us the remedy for hindrances to prayer. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. To confess our sins requires us to honestly judge them according to the Word of God. If we find ourselves out of line we are required to repent. Repentance has two sides. A negative side: to turn from sin and a positive side: turn God ward. Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. nPsalms 119:59 I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.n1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.n We must also pray in the right way. 1 Samuel 12:23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: n24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. nPsalms 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.nJohn 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.n In Ecclesiastes we are told the conclusion of the whole matter. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Then we are told why. Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.n It’s not that we waste God’s time, it’s that we waste the time God has given us. I hope and pray this newsletter will be a blessing in someone’s life. Please pass a copy on to someone who the Lord brings to mind for the glory of God the Father. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.