We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to Him. John 9:31 CSB
Yesterday we began talking about the importance of prayer. Prayer is our talking to God and Bible study is God talking to us. This conversation is a critical part of our relationship with Him. None of us want to spend time talking to someone who is not listening. But the Bible tells us that God does not listen to sinners. We are told in Isaiah 59:2 that our sin creates a barrier between us and God. We are told in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are all sinners, so that’s a problem isn’t it? Well, not really because God sent his Son, Jesus to save us from our sins (John 3:16). Jesus intercedes for us and mediates between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5).
According to our scripture passage today, our sin can cause God to not listen to us. We must confess our sin. I don’t know why we are reluctant to admit when we have done wrong, but I have a news flash for you. God already knows. He just wants you to admit it. He wants you to come clean. If you admit it, He will clean you up. We are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 15:29 tells us that the Lord is far from the wicked, but hears the prayers of the righteous. God doesn’t expect perfection, just devotion. He wants us to whole heartedly seek Him and try our best to be in HIs will. We are told in Jeremiah 29:13 that we will find God when we seek Him with our whole heart. If you are having problems doing this, pray about it. God waits for us with open arms. He will meet us where we are. We don’t have to clean up to come to Him, He will clean us up if we only ask. He will help us to remove those barriers.
God doesn’t want us to worry, He wants us to pray. We are told in Philippians 4:6 not to worry about anything, but to pray about everything. Worrying is actually a sin because it indicates a lack of faith. I know we are all guilty of this from time to time. What’s important is that we realize that worrying is useless but prayer can change things. Matthew 6:27 tells us that we can’t add a cubit to our height by worrying. Worrying does not produce any benefit whatsoever, so instead of worrying about something, we should pray about everything. In James 5:13-14, James encourages his readers to pray if they are suffering, sing praises if they are cheerful, and to let the church elders pray over them if they are sick.
Any relationship gets it’s start with conversation. It stays strong with constant, open, honest communication. Our relationship with God is no different. We should always be in communication with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. We should pray in good times and bad. Our prayer should not be only in times of trouble, but we should also be continually praising and thanking God for the good that He has provided and done for us.
None of us want to have a one-sided conversation. Be sure that God hears you. Don’t let your sin separate you from Him. Confess your sins and repent. When the devil tells you that God won’t listen to you or won’t answer your prayer because you don’t deserve it or God doesn’t care about you, remember that he is a liar. We are told in John 8:44 that the devil is a liar and there is no truth in him.
God loves you. He wants to be there for the good times and the bad. He wants you to trust in Him. Be sure He can hear you. Confess your sins and repent, be honest with Him. He already knows all about it. Ask Him to help you remove any sin in your life that may have put a barrier up between you and Him.
Have a great day!