HINDRANCES TO PRAYER
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LESSON #5 NEGLECT OF MERCY
TEXT: PROV. 21:13
REVIEW:
What was our lesson last week?
Unforgiveness
Will god hear your prayers if there is unforgiveness in your heart?
No unforgiveness will stand in the way of your prayers being answered.
Is being right an excuse not to forgive?
No
Sometimes the only way to forgive is by asking for forgiveness.
Why is that?
They may think they were the ones that were wronged or they may be waiting for you to take the first step.
READ TEXT:
Prov 21:13
13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
(KJV)
Another hindrance to our prayers is an unwillingness to hear the cries of the poor
What poor is he talking about?
In the word of God we can divide the poor into two basic groups
1.Physically poor
- In the church
- Out of the church
2.The spiritually poor
- In the church
- In the world
1. Physical poverty outside the kingdom of God
There are a number of physically poor outside the kingdom of God. There is not a lot we can do for them to aleve their poverty on a large scale
- Few of us are in a position to create jobs
- Open soup kitchens
- Open shelters
And the bible when speaking about this kind of poverty, usually deals with nations and rulers of nations
- Kings
- Princes
We can be sensitive to political issues and vote for rulers
- That will create jobs
- That will institute programs to help the handicap
And those that can’t help themselves
What is your definition of poor?
- Someone without a job
- Someone without a home
- Someone with no clothes
- Someone who doesn’t have a car
What is the biblical definition for the physically poor?
The biblical definition of poor is someone that is either too young, too old, or too crippled to help themselves.
This eliminates a lot of the so called “poor”
A lot of the so called poor are only acting a part
I have seen blind beggars raise their dark glasses to count their money.
I have seen the “will work for food” people refuse the easiest of jobs.
I have seen child prostitutes and thieves pose as beggars while looking for opportunities.
And much of the poverty we see around us is a self-imposed poverty.
Prov 6:9-11
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
Prov 18:9
9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
II Th 3:10
10 , that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
We need to be sensitive to the truly poor but at the same time we do not need to be ignorant of the devil’s strategies.
We have a responsibility to be good stewards of what God has placed into our hands
“Biblical charity does not subsidize sin nor should it encourage irresponsibility” Peter Hammond
2. The physically poor in the church
I believe we do have a responsibility to help those that are truly in need in the church.
James 2:13-16
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
There will be times in the church when people will have real needs
We need to be sensitive to those needs
We need to help
Even now, in this church, we are trying to help “Colleen’s House of Hope”
- She attends our church
- She is trying to take care of over twenty abandoned children
- Many of which have AIDS
- Very little help from the government
- We collect food for them every month
- Not something they asked for
- We saw a need and stepped in to help
I believe this is what God wants us to do
Help and support each other
We have given money for
- Men and women to purchase train fare to look for jobs
- We have given money for electricity when somebody was down
These are good things. In fact if we don’t do these things God has said He will not hear our prayers
- He will not have mercy on us
Are you able to see and meet the needs of someone else?
Is your heart soft to those in need?
- Or do you stop your ears
- Do you block out the cry for help
Every one of us here can spare a tin of food
- But how many of you have given?
Prov 19:17
17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
“Be aware of religious con-men”
There are people out there who know all the religious terminology
- They know all the catch phrases
- They know the “lingo”
- They know how to play church
I have seen them come in and rip off some unsuspecting good-hearted saint who only meant good
Watch out for these people
I personally do not give money to these men and women and their so called ministries
- I place my money into my church
- I know our vision
- I see the results of my giving
- I know were it goes
There are also professional converts
- They come into a church
- They answer an alter call
- They play at being a Christian
Only to borrow money from the unsuspecting and then you never hear from them again
I will be honest
- I have been taken advantage of in this area myself
Two good rules here
Never loan more than you are willing to give away.
If you cannot afford to loose it, do not lend it.
The danger is that after you have been burnt a time or two you allow your heart to become hard
- You feel you can’t trust anyone anymore
We must guard ourselves from this hardhearted attitude if we want God to hear our prayers
Prov 17:8
8 A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
3. Spiritual poor in the church
Jer 5:4
4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.
Our text, I believe, is dealing with a spiritual poverty
That we need to be sensitive to
Many times we are too busy in the church
- We get so caught up in “doing”
- We forget to take time to listen
- We forget the spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters
Note: Not talking about counseling, that is the pastors job
Talking about helping the new convert
- Taking time to show them how to witness
- Answer their bible questions / help them find an answer if you don’t know
- Helping to hold them spiritually
- Praying for them
- Checking up on them when they miss a service
It comes down to being concerned about them, about there needs
Many times we get so caught up in our own spiritual needs we forget the needs of others.
But God tells us
- When we help to meet their needs
- When we show them mercy
- When we hear their cries
He will hear ours
It is amazing how small our needs become when we begin to meet the needs of someone else.
There is always someone you can help
- You can uplift
- You can encourage
Our church needs to be a spiritual refuge
- There are multitudes
- Who are dying spiritually
Many of you came to this church because you were spiritually hungry.
- You were not being fed were you were
- Perhaps you were being fed the wrong food
Amos 8:11
11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
I will preach and feed those who come into this church
- But you
- As disciples
- As children of God
- You too can feed the spiritually hungry
Jer 22:16
16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.
4. Spiritual poor in the world
There are many who are lost in their sin
They are in need of salvation
They are dying in there sin
They are dying from spiritual hunger
Many churches today have covered their ears to a lost and dying world
They say
- If they want God they know were to find Him
- We are too busy trying to care for our own, let alone trying to reach others
- We don’t have to go to the street
They have covered their ears to the cries of hunger
They go about their business like all are saved
- They go to the store
- They go to the petrol station
- They go to school
Never hearing the cry of the lost
They have closed their ears and their eyes
If we follow this religious trend we will lose our vision and God will no longer hear our cries.
We must never become so calloused to the world that we no longer hear their plea.
1 Pet 3:15
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Matt 25:41-46
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
I Jn 3:16-17
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
How is your heart tonight?
Have you shut out the world?
Have you shut out those in need?
If we show mercy, God will show us mercy,
If we will hear the cry of others, He will hear our cry.
