Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear.
Isaiah 59:1 (NIV)
Some of you may recall the days when phone lines would crisscross. I remember talking to my brother in the United States–this was in the days when my parents and I were living in France–and suddenly we’d overhear someone else’s conversation. Apparently, there’s a term for this; crosstalk. This resulted in difficulties hearing one another and we’d have to just hang up and try again later.
I have the same problem in my spiritual life; sometimes my conversations with God feel stilted. It’s as though there is something getting in the way, hindering my prayers. At times the problem stems from the fact that my agenda supersedes His agenda.
A friend of mine was teaching her children The Lord’s Prayer. Her oldest had misunderstood the words and began reciting, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, my will be done…” Although most of us will verbally say, “Thy will be done,” at times our hearts are really saying, “My will be done.”
Another reason my prayers may feel awkward is unconfessed sin; God is holy and He will not tolerate iniquity. The sooner I confess and turn away from my sins, the sooner He will pardon and restore a clear connection between us.
God never has trouble hearing our requests. But sometimes, He whispers “Wait,” “Not yet,” or “I have a better plan.” After all, isn’t that what prayer is truly about? Stepping into God’s presence, laying our requests before Him, then leaving the outcome to Him, trusting He will do what is best and what ultimately brings glory to His name? Prayer is not so much about what we want as it is about what God wants in us – therein is where we find true fellowship with Him.
Thought: “Christians can never sin cheaply; they pay a heavy price for iniquity. Transgression destroys peace of mind, obscures fellowship with Jesus, hinders prayer, brings darkness over the soul; therefore be not the serf and bondman of sin.” – Charles Spurgeon
For further reading:
- James 5:15-16
- Micah 7:7
- Isaiah 58:9
- John 15:7
Excerpt from A Year in God’s Classroom