Standing in the way - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) November 21, 2023
Have you ever wondered if anything in your life is hindering your prayers? It's not a comfortable issue to confront but self-professing Christians can't ignore this point.
We recently considered this subject on August 25, 2023, with the post, Let It Go. We return to this topic because many of us still don't realize that there are things we have done or are doing that stand in the way of our prayers being answered.
Take Naaman for instance. He was the Kingdom of Aram's war commander. Despite his wealth and influence, he suffered from a debilitating disease - leprosy.
However, an Israeli servant girl noted that her master could receive healing if he met with the "prophet who is in Samaria" (2 Kings 5:3). The prophet in question was Prophet Elisha and he lived in Samaria, the capital of the Kingdom of Israel.
Taking a chance, Naaman journeyed to Israel. He, however, didn't get to meet Elisha because the prophet sent a messenger with a simple instruction - “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” (2 Kings 5:10).
Naaman was incensed! How dare the prophet not come to greet him properly. How dare he send him to the filthy River Jordan when there were cleaner water bodies back home. How could he, the warrior of Aram be treated this way?
His staff convinced him that he'd come so far and might as well do this most simple thing. Soon, he agreed and did as Elisha said. As he came out of the river the seventh time, he was completely healed.
Like Naaman, each of us has a problem that requires God's direct intervention. And like the war commander, we have to submit to the Lord to get what we need. Only He has the solution, and we must choose to obey Him in order to overcome.
Often, we think that praying repeatedly is all we need. However, there are times when God expects us to do something specific in addition to our praying. Typically, fasting will quiet our minds enough to hear God's instruction. Or, the Lord will use someone else to point us in the right direction. Whatever approach He uses, we need to be desperate enough for God's solution and we must obey in order to see light at the end of the tunnel.
What stands in our way could be certain lifestyle choices, sin habits, or ungodly attitudes. Yet, once God shows us what needs to go, we must commit to eradicating it.
We don't know what it was about Naaman that contributed to his ailment. But clearly, God wanted to show him that there were things about him that needed to go. His pride, his lack of fear of the Lord, his worship of false gods, his condescending attitude...the list could likely go on.
What is it about you that God is pointing to as a problem that keeps your prayers from being fulfilled by Him? The Lord wants to wean you and get you free from everything that stands in the way of Him granting your heart's godly desires (Psalm 145:19). Are you willing to let Him show you what needs to go? And, will you let go of whatever it is?
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