Wanting to Be Clean

Over the past several articles, I have been listing reasons why our prayers might be hindered. Here are some more reasons: The first is indifference to the Word. Proverbs 28:9 says, “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”

An abomination is something that is repugnant to God, so this is saying that our prayers will be repugnant in God’s ears, if we turn away from hearing the Law. The Law, of course, is found in God’s Word. The Old Testament was often called the Law and the Prophets. We can’t turn our ears away from hearing the Word of God and expect God to hear our prayers.

So this begs the question: Are you spending time in the word? Are you eagerly devouring it to see what God has to say? If not, how can you pray?

But, perhaps the hardest of all hindrances to deal with are the self sins - the self-righteousness, the self-pity, the self-sufficiency, the self-admiration. You know, the ones that feed your pride and egotism. We must yield ourselves up to God in humble submission in order to pray effectiively. That’s the part that so many miss. They refuse to submit – refuse to acknowledge a need.

But the ball is in our court. It’s as if we are standing outside and stewing because there is a sign at the door that says, “Take your shoes off before entering.” And we refuse to do that. But isn’t that what God told Moses to do at the burning bush? God told Moses to take off his sandals because he stood on holy ground. What if Moses had refused?

Remember, it’s not God who ran and hid. It is us. We are like Adam and Eve following the fall who ran and hid when they heard the sound of God coming. We are too proud or too ashamed to stand before God and admit that we have failed, we have sinned, so we stand outside, alone, or we run and hide from God.

What should our response be? This: Psalm 139:23-24 asks God to:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.”

That is the first step. Simply pray and ask God to show you what the problem is. If the problem is a problem on your part, God will reveal that to your heart.

After all, a depositor in good standing at any bank expects to have his checks honored. If he gets an overdraft notice he is sure going to check out why. “Where did I add or subtract wrong? What did I forget to add in?” We will want to get it corrected as quick as we can.

In the same way, if our prayers aren’t answered, we should want to figure out the problem just as quick. That is, unless we already know the reason, and we aren’t willing to fix it. But why would we not want to fix it? We need to give God permission to shine His Word on our hearts and reveal all the dirt that is in there so we can get out the broom and dust pan and clean it up.

Let’s look at the confession of David as we close
Psalm 51
1 “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, (That’s confession) and my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.”

Isn’t that the attitude God wants from us?
Psalm 51:7 - “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
That should be the longing of our heart - to be clean from all our defilement - to be right before our Holy God.

Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Psalm 51:12 – “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

If sin is the reason why your prayers are not being answered, deal with the cause. Confess your sins before God, and be clean.