GOD LISTENS TO HOLY PEOPLE
Prayers That Move Mountains
I don't know if we have understood this in the past or not, but there are things that get in the way of God hearing our prayers. "For the eyes of the LORD go to and fro over the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him." (2 Chronicles 16:9) God is looking for pure hearts. He goes over the whole earth to find anyone whose heart is loyal to Him, then He shows Himself strong on his behalf." Because of that, 1 Peter 3:11-12 says, "Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right, and His ears are open to their prayers. But the LORD turns His face against those who do evil." If we have sin in our heart, God turns His face away from us and doesn't listen to what we have to say, but if we do what is right, God fixes His gaze on us and we have His ear. That's cool, isn't it! We have God's attention. And we know that if He hears us, He will give us what we ask for. We then become partners with God to bring about His kingdom's work. Most of what this book is about is getting our heart right with God. Once our heart is right, we can take that same freedom to others. We cannot give to others what we do not have ourselves. How many people do you know whose hearts are perfect before Him? Is it even possible? Yes, it is. It is possible because of what Jesus did for us.
Our problem is that we don't even know all of the bad stuff that is in our heart. The Bible says, "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve." (Jeremiah 17:9-10) Even though we think we are right with God, many times there are sins in our heart that we know nothing about. 1 John 1:8 says, "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth." I never understood this verse until about seven years ago. I had spent my entire life trying to do what God was asking me to do, and as far as I knew, I was right with God. I could not see my sin. I could not understand this verse. It was not until God gave me the following two scriptures that my sin was exposed.
Isaiah 32:17-19 says, "The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, though hail comes down on the forest and the city is brought low in humiliation." When we are right with God or "righteous," we have peace and quiet assurance and rest - no matter what happens. But then Isaiah 57:21 says, "There is no peace for the wicked." WHAT!?! Yes! If there are anxieties, fears, insecurities, anger, or frustration, fear, or worry in our life, there is something wicked inside of us that God wants to heal.
Then God began to show me that everything is about what we believe. "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." (Romans 4:3) Abraham's righteousness was that he believed what God said. If we believe the TRUTH, we are right with God, and we have peace and rest, but if we believe a LIE, we are not right with God - we are wicked. The fruit of this wickedness is anger and frustration, insecurities and anxieties, fears and worries. WOW! Our heart is a barometer of where we stand with God. That is so cool! It is all about what we believe. God is now teaching us to trust Him. All we have to do is listen to our heart. One of the greatest prayers I have ever prayed is found in Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." WOW! Every time something presses my button, I turn my heart toward Jesus and open it wide and pray this prayer. God is then faithful to bring to the surface whatever it is that He wants to heal at that moment, and when He does, I come to Him without excuse and say, "I am guilty. God, I am sorry that I have let myself become offended. I am guilty of allowing rejection into my heart. I am guilty of wanting my own way. Will you forgive me?" And He does! The spirits of offense, rejection and control leave, and peace enters. It is amazing!
This holy place is a place of rest. Hebrews 4 tells us about it. "So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God's rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable." (Hebrews 4:9-13) But there are some people who will never enter this holy place of rest, even thought they confess Jesus. "Those who first heart this good news failed to enter because the disobeyed God. God set another time for entering His rest, and that time is today. Today when you hear His voice, don't harden your hearts as you did in the day of rebellion." (Hebrews 4:6-7)
Today we can come before this holy God with our heart-wide-open and allow the Holy Spirit to search us and know us, He shows us the depths of our heart. We then have a choice. We can humbly come before Him without excuse and say, "God, I am guilty." Or we can refuse to turn, and we can hold onto our bitterness and anger and stubborn pride. If we humble ourselves and confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) This confession has to come out of our mouth to come out of our heart, and if at all possible confess your sins one to another so that you may be healed. (James 5:16)
"So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:14-16) Jesus is on our side. He understands us. He is waiting to pour out His mercy and His grace onto us. What He did 2000 years ago makes it possible for us to find peace and rest. It is amazing! Jesus makes us right with God. We are the righteousness of God IN CHRIST JESUS, and this is a place of power. This is a holy place, a place where God can show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are perfect before HIm. "Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from Him whatever we ask because we obey Him and do the things that please Him." (1 John 3:21-22) God listens and acts on behalf of holy people.
PRAYERS THAT MOVE MOUNTAINS:
LORD, You said that there is no peace for the wicked, and there is no peace inside of me, so I am asking You to search my heart and know me. Try my anxious thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in paths of life everlasting. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN
____________
Our problem is that we don't even know all of the bad stuff that is in our heart. The Bible says, "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve." (Jeremiah 17:9-10) Even though we think we are right with God, many times there are sins in our heart that we know nothing about. 1 John 1:8 says, "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth." I never understood this verse until about seven years ago. I had spent my entire life trying to do what God was asking me to do, and as far as I knew, I was right with God. I could not see my sin. I could not understand this verse. It was not until God gave me the following two scriptures that my sin was exposed.
Isaiah 32:17-19 says, "The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, though hail comes down on the forest and the city is brought low in humiliation." When we are right with God or "righteous," we have peace and quiet assurance and rest - no matter what happens. But then Isaiah 57:21 says, "There is no peace for the wicked." WHAT!?! Yes! If there are anxieties, fears, insecurities, anger, or frustration, fear, or worry in our life, there is something wicked inside of us that God wants to heal.
Then God began to show me that everything is about what we believe. "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." (Romans 4:3) Abraham's righteousness was that he believed what God said. If we believe the TRUTH, we are right with God, and we have peace and rest, but if we believe a LIE, we are not right with God - we are wicked. The fruit of this wickedness is anger and frustration, insecurities and anxieties, fears and worries. WOW! Our heart is a barometer of where we stand with God. That is so cool! It is all about what we believe. God is now teaching us to trust Him. All we have to do is listen to our heart. One of the greatest prayers I have ever prayed is found in Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." WOW! Every time something presses my button, I turn my heart toward Jesus and open it wide and pray this prayer. God is then faithful to bring to the surface whatever it is that He wants to heal at that moment, and when He does, I come to Him without excuse and say, "I am guilty. God, I am sorry that I have let myself become offended. I am guilty of allowing rejection into my heart. I am guilty of wanting my own way. Will you forgive me?" And He does! The spirits of offense, rejection and control leave, and peace enters. It is amazing!
This holy place is a place of rest. Hebrews 4 tells us about it. "So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God's rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable." (Hebrews 4:9-13) But there are some people who will never enter this holy place of rest, even thought they confess Jesus. "Those who first heart this good news failed to enter because the disobeyed God. God set another time for entering His rest, and that time is today. Today when you hear His voice, don't harden your hearts as you did in the day of rebellion." (Hebrews 4:6-7)
Today we can come before this holy God with our heart-wide-open and allow the Holy Spirit to search us and know us, He shows us the depths of our heart. We then have a choice. We can humbly come before Him without excuse and say, "God, I am guilty." Or we can refuse to turn, and we can hold onto our bitterness and anger and stubborn pride. If we humble ourselves and confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) This confession has to come out of our mouth to come out of our heart, and if at all possible confess your sins one to another so that you may be healed. (James 5:16)
"So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:14-16) Jesus is on our side. He understands us. He is waiting to pour out His mercy and His grace onto us. What He did 2000 years ago makes it possible for us to find peace and rest. It is amazing! Jesus makes us right with God. We are the righteousness of God IN CHRIST JESUS, and this is a place of power. This is a holy place, a place where God can show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are perfect before HIm. "Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from Him whatever we ask because we obey Him and do the things that please Him." (1 John 3:21-22) God listens and acts on behalf of holy people.
PRAYERS THAT MOVE MOUNTAINS:
LORD, You said that there is no peace for the wicked, and there is no peace inside of me, so I am asking You to search my heart and know me. Try my anxious thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in paths of life everlasting. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN
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