Praying with Sincerity
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I know that we recently have gone through the Tabernacle as a pattern for prayer. Through that I have learned so much, and I thank the Lord for it all. I realize though that there is more to prayer that just a pattern to lead us… Whether through the Tabernacle as a pattern, or through the Lord’s pattern given in Matthew 6, God has paved the way for us to understand what it is that we are to pray about…
After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
I genuinely believe most Christians have a general sense of what to pray… Even the outward aspects of our prayers… Not as the hypocrites, and not in vain repetition...
I’d like us to consider here on our Wednesday evening prayer meetings for a few weeks, the heart of our prayer…
And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.
I’d like to begin tonight with the sincerity of our prayer!
I cried unto him with my mouth,
And he was extolled with my tongue.
The very next verse is one that that I hear all the time. Sometimes I hear someone quote it, and under someone’s breath, I hear we are in the New Testament...
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear me:
The context of Psalm 66 is Praise and Worship - It begins with a call for all ye lands to make a joyful noise unto God!
Beginning in verse 13 we see the Psalm change from “us & we” to “I & my”… In this and through the change of the nature of what is being said we see the transition from Psalmist’s praise into the Psalmist’s worship…
We get to this point within his worship were he makes this statement regarding iniquity where? “In my heart...” Which results in the Lord not hearing me...
Following this statement, there is a very important conjunction…
But verily God hath heard me;
He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
We have been studying sin in Sunday School on Sunday mornings and the awfulness of sin… We need it, but as a saved people, do we still sin? Unfortunately yes.... Does that mean God doesn’t hear our prayers? No,
Do we understand the difference between iniquity and hidden iniquity?
And they have not cried unto me with their heart,
When they howled upon their beds:
They assemble themselves for corn and wine,
And they rebel against me.
When has God ever accepted or been pleased with any half hearted effort from man?!? Did He accept Adam’s covering? Did He accept Cain’s offering? Is half heartedness not hypocrisy? And wouldn’t our Holy and Just God be a hypocrite Himself if He accepted the devotion from those claim to be blood washed saints of God, and at the same time delighting in their sin.
They lacked sincerity… “But verily God hath heard me...”
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord:
But the prayer of the upright is his delight.
Sincerity is important because it is that which opens our heart to God...
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus;
Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised,
As a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke:
Turn thou me, and I shall be turned;
For thou art the Lord my God.
If I have hidden iniquity, is my heart open to the inspection or leading of God?
Sincerity ensures that my prayer is not merely lip service, or to promote myself before the eyes of men, and remember that the Scriptures are clear. God looketh upon the heart…
He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
“But verily God hath heard me...”
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
When we pray sincerely we pray with our whole heart unto God and with a heart opened for God to speak to us!