(Third part)
Memory verse: (Matthew5:8) " Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God "
The ultimate goal of prayer is to see God. Without seeing God our praying cannot be effective. We need to see God because it’s God who answers prayers. Prayer is a two-way communication between man and God. Daniel said that the people who know their God should be strong (Dan11:32). Our intimacy with God determines the power of our prayers. But to see God, it’s requires that our hearts should pure. Moses on mount Horeb tried to get closer to see the strange sight of the burning bush, it was not a bush but God the consuming fire. When he began taking steps, God called to him and instructed him to remove his shoes because the place he was standing was holy (Ex3:3-5). God spoke to the Israel that He had neither a hearing problem, nor a speaking problem but that it was their sins that had caused God not to answer their prayers. When King Saul began to walk in rebellion against God and other sins, Saul prayed in time of trouble and God never answered him. Sin separates man from God. We need to keep our lives holy if we will see God in our praying.
The scriptures say that the prayer of a sinner is an abomination to God. We need to walk the walk of holiness. It’s the demand of God. He says, be holy because am holy. Holy living makes powerful praying. Someone said a sinning man stops praying and a praying man stops sinning. The instruction has said, the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. The praying man or woman should be a righteous one or else heaven will not listen to him and therefore his prayer would be a waste of time and energy. Only clean vessels can be of great use in the kingdom of God. These holy men of bible days prayed and heaven listened to them, angels were summoned to bring answers to them, they got heavenly interventions, they shook the gates of hell, they destroyed idolatry in their times, they were miracles workers. God’s ear was always opened to hear their prayers and his mouth was always open to give them the needed answers. Its time we get our vessels purified and then carry the fire of prayer that will open the heavens and destroy the works of the devil in our generation. Holiness attracts God and sin repels Him. Sinfulness of people cause God’s presence to depart. And when God’s presence is absent prayer dies.
Tomorrow we will learn ‘ The power of spiritual hunger and thirst’
