If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. {Psalm 66:18}
They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not. {Psalm 18:41}
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. {Proverbs 1:28}
It’s pretty awful isn’t it, when God Himself turns away from us and doesn’t want to hear our prayers anymore. That’s why I always pray this prayer to Him from my heart:
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. {Psalm 139:23-24}
Because the truth is, no one can really know their heart. The Bible tells us in Jeremiah that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, and that only God can know it. {Jeremiah 17:9-10} Plus Proverbs tells us,
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. {Proverbs 21:2}
That’s why it’s so crucial to turn to the Lord all the time and bring our hearts to Him. We need to ask Him to show us what we’re doing wrong, and where we are standing before Him. Yes, it’s going to take courage to do this, it’s not an easy prayer. But better that, than to stand before Him someday and realize too late that we’re lost; that we’ve been too fearful and cowardly to face Him when we had all the time in the world, and now it’s too late. The truth is though, there is nothing to be afraid of with the Lord because He loves us so much. There is also nothing He doesn’t already know about us. From the moment we took our first breath until the last, He knows our every thought, every spoken word and every deed. There is nothing He doesn’t know about us. The Bible tells us,
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. {Hebrews 4:13}
I was talking to the Lord one night about a certain sister in church. The Lord stopped me. I didn’t think I was saying anything negative about this sister at all, I was just commenting on what I thought about some of her decisions. But He wouldn’t let me go on about this lady. The Lord basically told me to stop talking to Him about her. Pretty amazing, because I’ve talked to Him about other people and He did not stop me, but this lady He wouldn’t let me talk about her at all. She was a wonderful lady. I never had any issue with her. As a matter of fact I loved her. I found out later on why the Lord wouldn’t let me criticize her decisions to Him. She hates talking anything negative about people. She wouldn’t let anyone bad mouth anybody in front of her. It doesn’t matter if we had every right to think so about another person, she wouldn’t let us do it. Then I knew why God wouldn’t let me talk negative to Him about this lady at all: He loves her. She wasn’t perfect by any means, but because she wouldn’t speak evil of anyone, the Lord also wouldn’t let me speak evil of her to Him. This blew my mind away. I asked the Lord later on why He let me talk to Him about other people but her, no. He said He wanted me to talk to Him about other people so that He can deal with them and correct them, and of course pray for them that they will do what is right before Him. But with her He just wanted me to pray for her that the Lord will bless her instead, and so I did.
Apostle Peter tells us,
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 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.
This is one of the things that can turn God away from answering our prayers – when we hurt and bad mouth one other. The Bible tells us that we will be judged according to the words we speak, not just by the things we do.
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. {Matthew 12:36-37}
We fly off so easily often with one another, not thinking that the things we say can offend God, because we think we’re not saying it to Him so therefore it’s all right. The truth is we forget God not only knows everything, but He also hears everything. We’re not just saying things to one another, but to God. He is the judge of all men and our hearts. If we do wrong, we will reap the wrong we’ve done. If we do right, we will also reap the right we’ve done. That’s why it’s so important to have our hearts set right with God, so that He will lead us to do what is good. What we end up doing, whether good or bad, it all starts from our hearts. Jesus tells us,
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. {Matthew 12:35}
Two things I learned from being corrected by the Lord in talking to Him about that special lady. First, it taught me that talking to God about people is okay and very much encouraged by Him, so that He can show us what to feel and think about them. He can correct us if we’re thinking evil of them. He can also show us what to pray for regarding them. Second thing is, that if we do what this lady did and not talk negative about anyone to other people, the Lord Himself will defend us. He will rebuke those who come against us and will correct them. He will not let anyone hurt us, but will be against those that are against us. He will also hear our prayers. When we cry out to Him and ask Him to help us, He will be with us and bless us. I have seen it happen to this lady. The things that she was desiring for in her life the Lord granted to her. There is really a reward to those who do what is right and pleasing before the Lord.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. {Ephesians 4:29-32}
Prayer
Father, You are so wonderful and merciful and gracious. You are so amazing Lord, there is no one like You. I just love You so much.
Thank You Father that You know how to correct us and show us the way. You know how to lead us in the right path of righteousness with You, if we would just be willing to open our hearts to You and be corrected by You. Whom You love You correct.
Please Father, help me to continue to talk to You and love You, and bring myself to You. Help me to love people and not hate them and harbor ill feelings against them, even if they’ve hurt me. Help me to also stop talking negative about people to other people. Sometimes it’s not easy at all, especially when we want someone to commiserate with us. But You are there. You will commiserate with us and share our hurts and comfort us. You will show us how to feel and what to think about people. Help me Father to continue to have the courage to talk to You about people, so that You can show me the way to feel about them and how to even pray for them.
I love You Lord and You mean the world to me. I thank You Father with all of my heart for Your love for me and for Your truth in my life. I ask all these things in Your most wonderful and precious name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
#repost5/2019
