DO YOU HAVE THE HEART TO PRAY? (3)

Victor M. Eskew

 

            The spiritual heart is the command center of the human being.  Everything a person does originates from the heart.  As Solomon says:  “..for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23).  Everything would include the act of prayer.  If individuals pray, their prayers proceed from the heart.  In order for prayer to be effective and beneficial, there are certain qualities the heart must possess.  Thus, we have been asking the question:  “Do you have the heart to pray?”  In our last article, we looked at four qualities:  a dependent heart, a seeking heart, a humble heart, and a trusting heart.  Let’s look at other elements needed for men to pray.

            Fifth, when men pray to God, they need a CONTRITE HEART.  David came to understand the need of a contrite heart following his sin with Bathsheba.  For a long period of time he tried to hide his transgressions.  Finally, Nathan confronted David with the words:  “Thou art the man.”  Immediately, David’s spirit was crushed.  He was then in a position to approach God.  In Psalm 51, we have David’s psalm of repentance.  In verse 17, he penned these words:  “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:  a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”  Pharaoh, King Saul, and Judas all spoke the words:  “I have sinned.”  Their words, however, did not spring from contrite hearts.  Their sins had been exposed.  They felt the shame of their actions.  But, they were not crushed.  Thus, their prayers when no higher than the clouds then vanished out of sight.  David, on the other hand, was a broken man.  We hear his wounded spirit in the opening verses of Psalm 51.  “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness:  according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  For I acknowledge my transgressions:  and my sin is ever before me.  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:  that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (vs. 1-4).

            Sixth, an OBEDIENT HEART is of essence when men pray to the Father.  James reveals that the prayers of a righteous man avail much (Jms. 5:16).  A man is righteous when he does what is right.  Doing right involves the commands of God.  In Psalm 119:172, we read:  “My tongue shall speak of thy word:  for all thy commandments are righteousness.”  If a man keeps the commands of God, he is righteous.  His prayer will have an impact upon the God of heaven.  In 2 Kings 20:1, Isaiah speaks some very sobering words to Hezekiah the king.  “In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death.  And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.”  These words troubled Hezekiah deeply.  Immediately, he prayed to God.  “Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.  And Hezekiah wept sore” (2 Kings 20:2-3).  The king reminded God of his obedience to him.  After hearing the prayer, God immediately acted on the king’s behalf.  “And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears:  behold I will heal thee:  on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.  And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake” (2 Kings 20:4-6).  Did Hezekiah’s faithfulness to God have anything to do with God’s answer to his prayer?  Absolutely!  My friends, we cannot live like heathens and expect God to hear our prayers.  Three verses in the book of Proverbs affirm this point as well.  “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord:  but the prayer of the upright is his delight” (Prov. 15:8).  “The Lord is far from the wicked:  but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.”  “He that turneth away his ears from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination” (Prov. 28:9).

            Seventh, as one approaches the throne of God in prayer, he must have a PENITENT HEART.  Even after we become Christians, we struggle with sin.  To enter into the presence of a holy God, one must be holy.  Thus, it is essential for the one praying to exhibit a penitent heart before God.  King Manasseh was a wicked king.  “Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon” (2 Chron. 33:11).  The discipline he received from God humbled Manasseh.  It caused him to pray, and his prayer came from a penitent heart.  “And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and he prayed unto him, and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom.  Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God” (2 Chron 33:12-13).  Dear reader, God is too holy to look upon sin (Hab. 1:13).  Thus, when we bow before Him in prayer, we must come with a heart that is willing to die to our sins and transgressions.  When we do, the blood of Jesus will cleanse us.  Then, we can properly address our heavenly Father.  The prodigal son is a wonderful illustration.  After coming to himself in his sinful state, he returned to his father.  The first words he spoke to his father as he came before him were these:  “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son” (Luke 15:21).  Interestingly, the father did not treat him as a servant.  No, he restored him completely to the position of a son in the house (Luke 15:22-23).

            Prayer is a vital part of the Christian’s life.  It is his communication line to the Father in heaven.  In order for it to be effective, the heart of the one praying must be right in the sight of God.  In this article, we have seen three more elements needed within the heart of the one who prays.  The heart must be contrite, obedient, and penitent.  These elements unlock the door into the throne room of heaven.  These elements cause the one sitting upon His throne to immediately bend his ear to hear the individual’s prayer.