Prayer And Sincere Daily Living

“He that turneth away His ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination” (Proverb 28:9)

“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and His ears are open unto His cries” (Psalms 34:15)

“For the eyes of the Lord are intently watching all who live good lives, and he gives attention when they cry to him”. (TLB)

“The eyes of the Lord are on the upright, and his ears are open to their cry”.(BBE)

“God keeps an eye on his friends,his ears pick up every moan and groan”.(MBCL)

A crooked way cannot be straight at the sametime. A mind cannot partake in the Lord’s and devil’s table at the same time. The truth is that there is no way you can pray correctly when you are not living aright. When you are not at peace with God,you should not approach His presence boldly. God told Cain, “Why art thou wroth, and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?”(Genesis 4:6-7)

Sin takes man away from the presence of the Lord!

Sincere daily living quickens an answer to your prayer. So, there should be no way you will please the Lord with the words of your mouth when you live wrongly. What matters is not how long you pray but after the whole exercise,how do you live your life? Do you not know that God’s eyes are over the righteous while He dislikes the ways of the unrighteous.

The Word of God says;

“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and His ears are open unto his prayers, but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12)

Now, let us examine how St. Paul said that you, as a Christian should live your life.

“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God...Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,uncleanness,inordinate affection,evil concupiscence,and covetousness which is idolatry....But now ye also put off all these ; anger,wrath,malice, blasphemy,filthy communication out of your mouth,lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds...”....Put on therefore as the elect of God,holy and beloved,bowels of mercies,kindness,humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering,forbearing one another and forgiving one another...And above all these things, put on charity(love) which is the bond of perfectness” (Colossians 3:3-14)

Christians should understand that prayer works in consonance with their daily lives, conducts, communications and practices. The way you live determines how God should answer your prayer. This may hinder or quicken the result. Your promotion and progress in your spiritual life becomes real when you learn how to live according to what the Lord said in His word. So, despising His law makes your prayer to be an abomination in His sight.

God is holy. He is God of holiness and also wants His children to be holy! (1 Peter 1:15-16)

God demands from you a life of honesty,sincerity,faithfulness,obedience,discipline and truthfulness in all manner of conversations. This includes sharing love towards one another which is the bond of perfectness.

Furthermore, you should search your heart continually, to ask for the grace of God to live holily in His presence. With righteous living, you are living for Him. You are assured of victory when you live righteously in His sight. He will direct your path daily and make you to receive solution in your situation and circumstance. This is possible especially when you walk in obedience to His word. You should abide in Him and cherish His word always. You should equally remember that sin is a great hindrance to every of your success and progress.

The prophet, Isaiah declared many a times, the problem is from you. The Lord is ever-ready to save you.

“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” For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness” (Isaiah 59:1-3)

“Look! Listen!

God's arm is not amputated — he can still save.

God's ears are not stopped up — he can still hear.

There's nothing wrong with God; the wrong is in you.

Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God.

Your sins got between you so that he doesn't hear.

Your hands are drenched in blood,

your fingers dripping with guilt,

Your lips smeared with lies,your tongue swollen

from muttering obscenities”.

(MBCL)

When you read this portions of the Scripture and know that sin is an insanity and a barrier to your progress and promotion in life, then what have you done to come up to the standard that the Lord wants you to be so that He will hear and help you?