07 / 08 / 06
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis are mine)

FIRST THOUGHTS:

I had always thought that God hears everyone’s prayers, as long as they folded their hands and close their eyes (real tight). Is this true? I was taught that God is love and does not reject those who call on Him. Les us search deeper: Would God actually ignore someone’s prayer? With that, let us search Scriptures to see what prayers never reach the ears of the Creator of the Universe:

VERSES THAT TOUCH ON THE THOUGHT:

Proverbs 15:8 … “YHVH DETESTS the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.” (The word “upright” in word search means: straight, just, doing what is right in God’s eyes and walking in His ways.)

Proverbs 15:29 … “YHVH is FAR from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” (Let us do a word search: Wicked means: ungodly, wrong, guilty (in regards to sin and willfully committing them) … versus … righteous which means: lawful (obeying God’s Laws), just (in delivering justice), conforming to God’s standards.)

Isaiah 1:15 … “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I (God) will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer MANY prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood.” (MANY are lifting their hands in prayer, yet their hands are guilty of intentional sin. This passage may be only to those who teach disobedience to God’s Laws (For they are destroying lives))

(Many try to justify their sins by claiming there is no Law … but we must call it as we see it … sinning is considered evil by God!) 1 Peter 3:12 … “For the eyes of YHVH are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, BUT the face of YHVH is against those who DO evil.”

1 Peter 3:7 … “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with RESPECT as the weaker partner and as HEIRS with you of the gracious gift of life, so that NOTHING will HINDER your prayers.” (WOW, can you imagine all the prayers that are hindered according to this one verse alone? Men … I am talking about belittling your wives and not treating them with the utmost respect! For example: rolling your eyes when they talk is not respecting them! You who do such things? Your prayers are ignored in heaven!)

1 Chronicles 28:9 … “ACKNOWLEDGE the God of your father, and SERVE him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for YHVH SEARCHES every HEART and understands every MOTIVE behind the thoughts. If you SEEK him, he will be found by you; BUT if you FORSAKE him, he will reject you FOREVER.” (It seems that … in a nutshell … God hears the prayers of those who seek Him with a sincere heart. He is looking for hearts that yearn to be with Him. This, of course, depends on God’s definition of “wholehearted devotion” … not ours!!)

Proverbs 28:9 … “If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are DETESTABLE.” (Okay … okay … I will leave this one alone. Allow just one question: Isn’t this what many are claiming as being done away with?)

LAST THOUGHTS:

God is NOT a genie or a Santa Clause for people to call upon for wishes and desires. Prayer has ALWAYS been for communication between those who seek and desire to commune with a Holy and Righteous God! It is our intimate time of bonding with the Creator of the Universe!!

Just think about it … prayer is a gift from God. Not a routine, chore or a time to claim the possessions or outcome of a circumstance one may think God owes them.