TEXT: JEREMIAH 11:14 KJV
“Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.”
Discussion
Today’s Bible text was a message from God to the prophet Jeremiah concerning His own people. The Lord told Jeremiah not to waste his time praying because He was not going to hear him. God said He would not hear them because of the iniquity in the land. This means that not all prayers are answered by God—not because God cannot answer, but because of disobedience and sin.
No matter what situation a person finds himself in, God’s everlasting arm is long enough to bring him out. However, God does not hear the prayer of a sinner (Proverbs 28:9). For our prayers to be heard, living a righteous life is very important.
Who is a righteous person?
A righteous person is someone who knows his weaknesses, submits those weaknesses to God daily, and works hard to follow God’s instructions with the help of the Holy Spirit. A righteous person is not someone who has never sinned, but someone who has a broken heart and has surrendered at the feet of Jesus Christ. A righteous person has repented of his sins and is always willing to turn over a new leaf.
The problem is not simply the sin, but a hardened heart that is not ready to repent. In the bible text today, God said He was not going to hear the nation because they had developed stony hearts and were not ready to repent.
For example, Jonah disobeyed God, but he cried out for mercy from the belly of the fish, and God heard him and saved him. If God could hear Jonah, for whom Jesus had not yet died, how much more will He hear us, who are heirs of salvation?
This means that a life of disobedience can cause God not to hear the prayers of a believer. That is why it is important to always pray to God for mercy. Make this a regular prayer: ask God to show you mercy, especially for sins committed unknowingly. God may not hear any other prayers when we persist in disobedience, except a sincere prayer for mercy.
Declarations:
I shall not sin against God. The Lord shall have mercy on me and hear my cry. Lord have mercy on me.
Light Up Christian Fellowship
