Unlocking the Power of Prayer: A Journey of Faith and Confession
Psalm 6:9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.
The Lord HATH, and the Lord WILL! The only thing standing between your prayers which hath been offered up, and the Lord’s answer which shall come down, is the present; this means that God is working even now! His answer is in transit! However, the Lord must prepare us before we can receive even what we have prayed for. In other words, do not be surprised when you discover that it is you He’s working on!
Also, do not think that God’s sovereignty nullifies our ability to influence Him to move in on our behalf; to the contrary, it is His sovereign will that we pray to Him in faith believing, so as to stir Him up to help us in times of need. Prayer is too powerful to become boring or ritualistic. If prayer has become boring to us, then it is because our prayers have become ineffective.
Consider Isa 59:1-2, “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Notice in our text that before David had confidence that God heard his prayer, he first prayed a prayer of confession in verse two; “Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak:”
I submit to you, dear reader, that the primary reason most Christians have lost confidence and effectiveness in their personal prayer life is because of unconfessed, unrepented sin in their lives. However, 1 Jn 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 2 Chron 7:14 is still in the Bible! “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
If we will but get our sins under the blood, confessing that we are weak and frail without Him, He will hear and answer our prayers! Many times we’re guilty of asking the Lord to work on everyone else around us, when the truth is, we’ve not even begun to get totally honest with Him about ourselves. What would happen if all we the people of God were to do this? I tell you, if we’ll do our part, God will do His!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
The Lord HATH, and the Lord WILL! The only thing standing between your prayers which hath been offered up, and the Lord’s answer which shall come down, is the present; this means that God is working even now! His answer is in transit! However, the Lord must prepare us before we can receive even what we have prayed for. In other words, do not be surprised when you discover that it is you He’s working on!
Also, do not think that God’s sovereignty nullifies our ability to influence Him to move in on our behalf; to the contrary, it is His sovereign will that we pray to Him in faith believing, so as to stir Him up to help us in times of need. Prayer is too powerful to become boring or ritualistic. If prayer has become boring to us, then it is because our prayers have become ineffective.
Consider Isa 59:1-2, “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Notice in our text that before David had confidence that God heard his prayer, he first prayed a prayer of confession in verse two; “Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak:”
I submit to you, dear reader, that the primary reason most Christians have lost confidence and effectiveness in their personal prayer life is because of unconfessed, unrepented sin in their lives. However, 1 Jn 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 2 Chron 7:14 is still in the Bible! “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
If we will but get our sins under the blood, confessing that we are weak and frail without Him, He will hear and answer our prayers! Many times we’re guilty of asking the Lord to work on everyone else around us, when the truth is, we’ve not even begun to get totally honest with Him about ourselves. What would happen if all we the people of God were to do this? I tell you, if we’ll do our part, God will do His!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill