Why would God listen to my prayer?

The great escape artist, Houdini, could get out of any jail…except one. He worked at the cell-door lock for more than two hours, which usually took seconds. Exhausted, he fell against the door.                                    It swung open. It had                                    never been locked.^[1]

If you think a door is locked you will unknowingly miss the opportunity to walk through that door. This is an important truth to remember when we go to prayer.

Let’s review:

We saw in our last Devo, Prayer is never a waste of time for the child of God.

        

         {1} Because of Christ we "are not our own", we belong to

         Him, not ourselves. Everything we are belongs to Him and

         everything He is belongs to us! 

Obviously there are limits to that – we will never be deity, or a tiny god. However, everything God wants to impart to us is ours because we are in His family.

Sadly, I have met many believers that share with me they do not believe God hears them pray. They say it feels like their prayers hit the ceiling and bounce back. This is understandable, how can you “feel” accepted by God when you have just sinned? Unless you are a sociopath, {a person with no conscience} emotionally you will feel far from God when you know you have sinned against Him. This is why we must KNOW what God guarantees so we can control our emotions with Truth!   

{2} We have the Key that opens the Door - His Name! 

We never approach God based on who we are…for we always fall short of perfection. The right to go through the door to the Throne of God has been given to us by the grace that Jesus Christ extended us when we placed our trust in Him and entered into a family relationship with God.

Philippians 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name

Hebrews 4:14–16 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Very early in my walk a Truth was shared with me – which Key would open a door better; a gold one or a tin one? Neither, the KEY is do both keys have the shape to unlock the lock? Your elegant words do not bring you before God, the blood of Christ does.

The So What: Do you approach God based on how you “feel?” Why is it so important to go to God immediately after sinning? Are you more powerful than the sacrifice of Christ?

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^[1] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1370). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.