MONDAY October 11, 2021

Requirements for Prayer

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.
Isaiah 59:2

When coming before God in prayer, consider the requirements. A pure heart is essential: Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart... (Psalm 24:3-4). Understand, we cannot approach God if we are living a life of sin. How can we expect God to answer our prayers?

This is clearly stated in Psalm 66:18-19: If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. God hears us pray, but no answer will come if we regard iniquity in our hearts––our petitions will fall on deaf ears.

As long as a person is in willful sin, God will not answer them until there is true repentance and confession of sin. Does God hear sinners? Yes, He does! Remember, He heard your prayer of repentance and saved you when you were a sinner asking for the forgiveness of your sins!

Believers are to pray by faith, believing that God has heard them. God, at times, answers our prayers quickly; on other occasions He delays, and the answers may come even after our lives have ended. The prayers of the saints are always in the presence of God (Revelation 5:8). The answers to our prayers will come in God’s perfect timing, not ours.

Prayer requests should be in accordance with the will of God: “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22). However, it is requests that are made in accordance with His will that are answered: Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14).

The name of Jesus is to be used in prayer: “...whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son...” (John 14:13). Wait on the Lord, He will answer.

The granting of prayer, when offered in the name of Jesus, reveals the Father’s love to Him, and the honor which he has put upon Him.
~Charles Spurgeon~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!