The first condition for an effective prayer life is to accept Christ as Savior. You cannot be on praying ground unless you have done that. But not all of God's children are on praying ground. Why not?
Isaiah 59:1-2, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: [God is neither deaf nor powerless] but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear."
Psalm 66:18, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."
I don't know how you interpret these two verses, but they say loud and clear to me that if there is unconfessed sin in our lives, not only will God not answer our prayers--He won't even listen to them. If we want to pray effectively, we need to keep our sins confessed.
A friend of mine spent the night with our family a number of years ago. Wanting to be a good hostess, I told him I hoped he would be comfortable and would sleep well. He replied, "Oh, I always sleep well. I sleep clean." At first I thought he meant he had taken a shower before bedtime, but then I realized he had used the Christian's bar of soap, I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." My friend had confessed his sins, and God had cleansed him spiritually, as He promised.
Do you sleep clean every night? Do you walk clean every day? Do you keep short accounts, confessing sin as soon as you are aware of it? Do you stay on praying ground? Are you always ready to pray for yourself and others when the need arises? Wouldn't it be embarassing if someone asked us to pray for him/her, and we said, "Wait a minute. I've got to go confess my sins first. Then I'll be ready to pray for you."
Father, may we stay on praying ground. Amen.
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