Humble Prayer

 

…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. Isaiah 59:2

 

God commands us to pray without ceasing.

In a discussion about God’s sovereignty over everything, a friend expressed the almost overwhelming number of people and situations we need to pray about: our nation (the leaders, and all the varying circumstances and national relationships), our children (their spiritual and character formation, education,, etc.) and spouses (marriage, work, finances, relationships, etc,), our churches (the individuals as well as the assembly and the teaching and preaching), and our friends and all the different aspects of their lives.

When you pull that list apart, it’s a lot of prayer! No wonder God said, “Pray without ceasing.”

But, is just praying all the time going to achieve the goal of God working in all of these people, situations, and relationships? Because we pray does it guarantee He will answer as we wish?

Look what God said to Solomon upon the completion of the Temple in 2 Chronicles 7:12-15:

“Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 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 and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.”

I have heard these verses quoted many times as our political climate has become more and more godless. But, the part most seem to say, but not “hear,” is the requirement of God that His people would humble themselves before Him, and before we pray.

I think this is the “how” we need to add to our prayers. Humility in confession of sin and acknowledging our dependence on God in doing anything we ask. There is great truth in the fact that we can boldly approach the throne of Grace. There is a confidence we are to have that when we pray, God hears and will answer. But, the fact is that He is a conditional God. “If we humble ourselves and pray,” then He will hear our prayer.

When we arrogantly approach Him with what we think He ought to do for us, we are seeking our own glory. When we humbly acknowledge His mercy, love, and power in sovereignly knowing what is best for us, then we are giving Him the glory.

There are still a lot of prayers to be lifted before the Lord. The “how” is to offer those prayers anytime (without ceasing) and humbly, so He will hear and answer – for His glory and our good.