With the state of this nation, many people are wondering what in the world is going on. Despite Christians praying, there seems to be never ending economic issues, health issues, jobless issues, political issues, church issues, relationship issues, racial issues, and/or leadership issues, wars and rumors of war, that will not go away.
Jeremiah 33:3a says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you,…” John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
In response, Churches have been having prayer meetings, prayer groups, prayer partners, prayer rallies, bible studies on prayer and all kinds of activities wherein they are calling out to the Lord in obedience to scripture.
Some people go on fasts along with their prayers, believing that fasting expedites God’s answering prayer and giving victory over the problems. What more can Christians possibly do? What do you think is the problem?
Some blame the devil. Some blame a political party or the government. Some blame non-Christians’ sinful lifestyle. Who out there is responsible for God not answering a Christian’s call? It’s not someone out there. It’s someone in here. Unrepentant Christians are the problem. Sin is the problem.
Sin Will Close God’s Ears to a Christian’s Prayer
We realize that God does not have ears. God is a Spirit. ‘Ears’ is an anthropomorphism used to ascribe human characteristics to God so that we can better understand what the Lord is conveying. The issue at hand is that unconfessed sin disrupts our communication with the Lord.
Isaiah 59:2 says: “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen..” Isaiah 1:15
Can we really expect God to listen to our prayers when we live a worldly lifestyle, or Christians that don’t spend time with the Lord reading, praying and meditating on scripture? What about those of us who don’t pray unless we need God to give us something or solve a problem? Authentic Christianity is about having a relationship with the Lord, not acting like He is there only for 911 emergencies.
Christians may think that going to church, bible studies and doing good things makes up for ignoring God outside of spiritual activities. It does not. Living a life of rebellion against God and disobeying Scripture has severe consequences.
1 Samuel 15:22–23 “ …“Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,… “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you….”
Mistreating People Hinders Answers to Prayer
In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus says that the most important commandment is that Christians love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself. Everything Christians do should emanate out of love for God as we interact with people.
The Lord places the treatment of people above things like going to church or doing good deeds. “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” (I Corinthians 13:1-2) What Christian’s do for, or against people is for, or against God (Matthew 25:40-45).
Here in Isaiah, the people are asking God why He is not answering their prayers even though they are fasting and praying. This is how the Lord responds:
Isaiah 58:2-7 “For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’
God answers: “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,….
You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself … Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?”
This is the fasting that the Lord recognizes: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
“Is it not to share your food with the hungry and
to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,…?”
If a person says they are a ‘Christian’ yet hates people, they are not a Christian. They don’t know God. (1 John 4:7-8, and 1 John 4:20).
“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands; And His commands are not burdensome,” I John 5:2-3
Repentance and Obedience Opens God’s Ears
2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Isaiah 1:16-17 “Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed…”.
Isaiah 58:9-11
“If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday….
the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail”.”
In Conclusion
Christian’s have a choice of whether or not they want to live a life of obedience to God. There are blessings for those who do: Psalm 128:1-2 says, “Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to Him. You will eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours.”
And consequences for those who don’t. “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing,….” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Therefore, for any pseudo-Christians who want to ignore God through hate instead of love, oppress, imprison, judge, malign, abuse, ignore, deny justice to, and withhold from, when you are commanded to help, you are on your own…just stop wasting your time praying because God is not listening. However….
1 John 1:9 says “That if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
A Word to the Wise 