If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened
This is psalms 66:18, it explained the reason why many people’s prayers are not heard, most of us failed to see the importance of the Lord’s prayer in Matthew chapter 6 Verse 12, forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Repentance is the first thing Jesus preached to the world, it is written in Matthew 4:17, From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” It is quite obvious those who do not accept His word will not follow the Lord’s prayer to pray “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors“. Now I realized I was one of those who missed this, only after years of praying and meditating the psalms my inner being gets slowly renewed.
Those who have pure hearts will be different. For example, Sheila Self from #144 from Stronger Faith, the first thing she did in her supernatural encounter with God was confessing of her sins. But this is not well understood by the body of Christ. Around 27:40, the host asked, “But back to the question of, you know, why you? I am sitting here ask the question, because there are just tens of thousands of people watching this are saying, why her? Why? Why not me? What do I have to do to get an experience like that?”
Maybe it’s beyond our capability to explain exactly why, but God’s words in the sermon on the mount have indicated the blessings of God only come to certain people. First, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Second, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Too many sheep have been deceived, having too much self-confidence to see their true condition of the heart. God’s children definitely need to learn how to receive this blessing by prayers like the Psalms.
When God told Sheila, she is going to have a ministry, (around 1:1:19 in that video) She said, I had learn enough …… woman didn’t have a part in the church and they couldn’t speak, but God said to her, “I don’t look at your gender. I look at your heart.” This is the reason, God sees her heart so that she received such blessing that others have begged God for years without success. I hope viewers can pick up this key point, as it is written, Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”
Many are unable to see truth that our own hearts are not pure, because we are not serious about some important scriptures. For example, we all know 2 Corinthians 13:5-7, Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.
But what have we done? We don’t really know how to examine ourselves, nor do we seek the Lord for instruction. Not that many would pray something like Psalms 51 or 90 (NKJV);
HAVE mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Our hearts have too little wisdom and almost no fear of the Lord. Now listen to Psalms 36:1-4 (NIV) ;
An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.
For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.
The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good.
Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.
One may ask, can a child of God still behave in a wicked way after accepting Jesus? Listen to God’s word;
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
This is psalms 139:23, 24 (NKJV) and it is the answer to thousands of us who’s hearts are not that pure, but it has been widely overlooked. Although I prayed these, but most of the time I merely repeated the words, they are not what my heart really wants. nor do I seriously waited for an answer. It seems I have hard heart, maybe that’s why it took me so long to understand the scriptures.
I followed the scripture to examine myself, 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. I have too much anxieties, I always want to know tomorrow, next week and next .month and so on. When I saw Chip Wallace‘s respond to Jesus’ word “Man does not live on bread alone”, I know I am very ungrateful immediately, for I focus more on me, not Him.
Chip Wallace told his story, (around 13:40 in that video) he first read the book of Luke, and he was starving, so he went through all 4 gospels then back to Genesis Exodus and so on. He said “I was starving to death”. When he read “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” he knew right away he never fed the spirit. I think he picked up Jesus’ message when he read it the first time, he’s blessed because Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. He sees a lot more than those who has been in the same church for many years, and the scripture is alive to him. He feels guilty if he got up but didn’t read the Bible first. So everyday in the morning he ask God what he need to do. Although he may not realize this is simply the way to imitate Jesus of doing God’s will by asking for the daily bread.
I can see why he has supernatural encounters with God more than many others, because he has pure heart that longs for righteousness. He has more love for the Lord, that makes him very sensitive to his word. The result is, as Jesus said “for they will be filled.” But I have limited love, so it took me many years to see the true meaning from Jesus’ words on spiritual food. I think I have been polluted by the world too much, I am so used to take everything for granted. And I still have to learn more about examining and denying myself. This is the cross I have to take everyday, but I somehow failed to practice it from time to time. I still have difficulty in identifying the Lord’s voice correctly. I am still learning to inquire of the Lord.
May the Lord have mercy on me. I have sinned too much and too often. I must be a stubborn sinner, for I needed to repeat so many times to increase the desire from my heart for these psalms. The born again process may not be what we think it is. It could be very fast for some and very slow for others. Many who think they have, but in fact they may still around half way in the middle. But there is good news for us who do not have very pure heart, apostle Paul prayed for carnal believers in 2 Corinthians 13:7, 9, 14 (NIV)
Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.
We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Now let’s pray something similar with more details, Psalms 119:1-48 (NKJV);
BLESSED are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments.
I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.
I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes.
With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.
I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.
My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.
You rebuke the proud–the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments.
Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies.
Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.
My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.
I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me Your statutes.
Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.
My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.
Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously.
I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.
I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame!
I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.
Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end.
Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.
Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness.
Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.
Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You.
Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your judgments are good.
Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.
Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD– Your salvation according to Your word.
So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances.
So shall I keep Your law continually, Forever and ever.
And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.
I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed.
And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love.
My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes.