I am starting to read the book of Isaiah, and I got blown away in the first chapter. I was marinating in the Isaiah 1 and was very convicted about my sin and how it effects my prayers. I would encourage you to read the whole chapter, however here is a highlight in verses 15 through 17.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
16 Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
You see this again in Isaiah 58 when it comes to true fasting. I would also encourage reading this chapter as a prerequisite before you fast. Here is a highlight from the chapter in verse 3 and 4.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
What good is it to sacrifice ourselves in prayer and fasting if we are living active lives in sin? In Joshua 7:7-11, Joshua is on his knees and earnestly praying to Lord, why have the suffered such a defeat and why are they routed by their enemies and God's response is quite simple.
10 The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.
Psalms 66:18 reiterates the same principle, "If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened."
God desires for us to petition Him with our concerns and our prayers. Matthew 7:9-11, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! God rewards those who earnestly seek Him as well. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)
Christ's sacrifice also gives the opportunity to bring our prays to the Father. He is our mediator to the Father and our high priest. "Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." (Romans 8:34) We even have the Holy Spirit interceding for us, when we don't know what to say, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God." (Romans 8:26-27) How amazing is this!!! We can come before the Father through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and offer requests to the Creator of all things!! What a privilege that we have in Jesus! So why block this privilege and opportunity to with sin in your life? Stop cherishing sin, forsake evil, and approach the throne with confidence that God hears and answers prayers according to His will.
Don't delay when it comes to confessing our sins and your wrongs against others. "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." (Matthew 5:23-24)
God answers prayers according to His will, and does everything for His glory, so this is not a remedy to having all your prayers answered. God hears prayers, but He knows what is best for us, so He will respond with a Yes, No, or Wait. However, it is very clear that sin disconnects our prayers from the Father. So if you are feeling frustrated that your prayers are not being answered, but you have sin prevalent in your life, confess and repent from those sins. God wants to answer prayers for His glory, but if you could care less about His commands and are blatantly being disobedient, stop deceiving yourselves, God is not pleased with your sacrifices of fasting and prayer.
Praying for you all! May God reign in your hearts and may you taste and see that He is good and He will always satisfy you! "Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35)
May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts. Your brother in Christ,
Daniel
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