Prayer

I remember when I first was saved, I approached a godly woman who lead our bible studies, and asked, "Why should we pray if God already knows what we need and want? Shouldn't He decide to give it or not? Shouldn't we just wait for it?" She had but a short answer. " When we come to our Father to ask him for needs, we show Him our faith."

Last night, as I read God's word, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. This is the passage I was reading. Matthew 17:1-7 "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud which said, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples; heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid."

Here we have two men, Moses and Elias, whom God thought much of, obviously. I can't help but think, there they were, just sitting with God himself, "chatting". Have you ever had those moments with God? Are you too afraid to do what it takes in your life to be able to have that sweet fellowship with God?

I am not even close to what Moses and Elias where but, I have been blessed to have that type of fellowship with God. Sometimes, I just sit on my bed, about to start my time alone with the Lord, and I can do nothing else but take a deep breath and sense His presence. It is so sweet that often I can't utter a word. Just thinking about it gives me a peace.

I then couldn't help to notice the effect it had on Peter, James and John. They were freaked out after they heard the voice of God. We want so much to know God's direction and leading yet when we hear His voice, we "freak out"! We are so attached to our own will that it scares us to submit to His voice and leading.

After reading this, I went to Isaiah 59:1-4 which says, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity."

It is clear that when there is sin in our life, God does not want to hear our prayers. I ask you, could it be, for this reason, we do not have answers to any prayers, or have the sweet fellowship that Moses and Elias had, because of unforgiven sin in our life? The bible says yes.

I was challenged to first of all make sure my life is clean before my righteous and Holy God so that I may more often have that sweet presence of God while I'm alone with Him. I was also challenged to desire that sweet fellowship that my life may be transfigured, having a impact on others.

I challenge you to, as 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine yourselves", if you don't remember of any sin in your life that might not be confessed, ask God to show you, believe me, He will. If you are not a child of God, born again, saved, you need to get that settled because the fact that you are a sinner, you are seperated from God.

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