 Previous |
Do our hearts condemn us?
Message #14 (of 20) from the PrayerPower radio series "Prayer Promises"
In First John, the apostle wrote, "...if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him." [1 John 3:21-22]John was so close to Jesus, he called himself the "disciple Jesus loved." [John 13:23] He knew close fellowship with Jesus when they were together, and he lived in spiritual intimacy with Jesus after His resurrection, as he encourages us to do today [1 John 1:3].His personal love relationship with the Lord was so real to John that the moment it was interrupted by unconfessed sin or disobedience, his heart would have condemned him. He would have felt the grief of the Holy Spirit, the loss of fellowship. John was describing God’s loving response to disciples who live the abiding, surrendered life, whose prayers are heard because of their close fellowship with the Lord. Those who are disobedient, who cherish sin in their hearts, cannot be in fellowship with our holy God--He won’t even hear their prayers [Psalm 66:18, Isaiah 59:2, Proverbs 28:19].God in His sovereign will can answer any prayer at any time in any way He chooses. But if we want the assurance that we can come to Him at any time with any prayer and receive whatever we ask--our hearts must not condemn us, we must not be out of fellowship, we must be living lives that are obedient and pleasing to Him.
Pray with me now -- Lord, may our hearts not condemn us. May we be obedient and pleasing to You, for we ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
ã 1999 PrayerPower Ministries, P.O. Box
1368, Dallas, TX 75380-1368, 1-800-949-PRAY. |
