Chapter 5: God Cleansed-Life Requirement

God Cleansed-Life Requirement

Page 93

It was the early 1980’s and, as a woman, I was apprehensive about being asked to speak at the dedication of a new missionary complex in Tokyo, Japan. Very humbly, I spoke to those gathered leaders on the topic of prayer power and how sin in our lives keeps God from answering our prayers. But I did not feel it was a woman’s place to lead those men in a prayer of confession at the end, so a missionary had been assigned to do it.

But communication had broken down somewhere, and after I sat down there was a long, long awkward pause. The minutes passed and we all bowed lower and lower under God’s convicting power, but nobody made a move. Finally, broken and sobbing the leading area pastor stepped to the microphone: “Please, God, forgive me. Forgive me for my prayerlessness…For running my family without prayer…For running my church without prayer…” And prayer broke like a pent –up dam—rising in a crescendo of repentance throughout the whole room as Christian confessed their sins.

One of the most powerful verses about God not answering prayer was written by Peter to the scattered Christians. Peter, who personally knew well what it was for Jesus’ followers to sin, gave this warning in 1 Peter 3:12

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against whose who do evil.

So we see that the Bible clearly teaches that both kinds of sin—those committed before and after salvation—need to be forgiven in order for our prayers to be answered. But Jesus gave an added dimension to sins of Christians being forgiven: We Christians must also forgive them.

There is so much treasure in the words of this book and I cannot possibly do it justice with my little blog, but I can only share with you today the words in this chapter that pricked my heart.

I remember having very similar feelings of brokenness like this pastor was feeling, so as he shared his heart, it put a big question mark in mine. Am I doing my life in God’s strength or my own?

I remember the days of being a missionary, then working in administration in a church. I could relate to being so busy doing God’s work that I could not slow down. My time with God alone had slowly disappeared. Something was missing and I felt as though I was doing everything in my own strength.

Why did I do this?

Life in ministry is busy. Life in general is busy for all of us.

While we lived in the Philippines, I remember reading my Bible to prepare for a class or a Bible study, but this is totally different than just being still and allowing God to speak His words to me, but it is so easy to fall into this.

Setting a time to get alone with God needs to be a priority in my life. I do not want to run my life with Prayerlessness.

I am learning that I honestly need to set aside a time and write it on my calendar as an appointment with God. Would I miss an appointment with anyone else?

Am I Praying God’s Way or am I praying in the rush of everyday life. I will be praying for God to show me. I really want and need to be praying God’s way every day.