Improve Your Prayer Life by Living in Harmony with God's Will
Spiritual Questions with Scriptural Answers.
So far in our series, we have examined how we can improve our prayer lives by learning from Jesus (Pt. 1), listening to prayers from Scripture (Pt. 2), and learning from New Testament parables (Pt. 3). As we continue, we want to now focus on improving our prayer lives by living in harmony with the will of God.
Did you know that if your life is out of step with God your prayer life will be hindered? We find this truth in both the Old and New Testaments.
Old Testament Passages About Living in Harmony with God’s Will.
The Proverbs writer says,
“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But He loves him who follows righteousness” (Prov. 15:8-9).
Notice the contrast between the words “sacrifice of the wicked” and “prayer of the upright,” as well as the “way of the wicked” and “him who follows righteousness.” According to the text, God delights and loves those who follow righteousness and strive to walk in His ways, but the wicked’s offerings are an abomination to Him.
Staying in Proverbs 15, we notice more about prayer:
“The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasant… The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous” (Prov. 15:26, 29).
Again, notice the language as the contrast is made between the “thoughts of the wicked” and the “words of the pure.” Furthermore, the text says that God hears the prayer of the righteous, but is far from the wicked.
To put it all together, if I am not living in harmony with God’s will and I choose to live a wicked lifestyle, I should not expect for God to attend unto my prayers because He will not contradict His own will.
New Testament Passages About Living in Harmony with God’s Will.
In the New Testament, we find that if a husband and wife are not on the same page, their prayers will be hindered:
“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Pet. 3:7).
This illustrates the fact that my life, including my relationships, needs to be right with God if I want to enjoy a healthy prayer life. The apostle John stated very clearly that prayers are to be offered from the obedient:
“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).
The word “because” is a conjunction meaning “for” or “for that.” There is a connection between keeping the commandments of God and doing those things that are pleasing in His sight to receiving blessings from Him.
Keeping our focus in the Book of First John, we find another important passage that teaches us the importance of staying connected to God through righteous living:
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
First, notice that there is “confidence.” This word in the original language carries the idea of having boldness and a willingness to be straightforward. Through Christ, our Great High Priest, we can have boldness and confidence to approach the throne of grace (Heb. 4:15-16).
Second, notice the condition: “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Will God hear (listen and respond favorably to) a prayer asking Him to go outside of His will? Will God respond favorably to a prayer requesting an opportunity to sin or do someone harm?
Of course not; however, we can bring out the clear meaning that IF we want God to hear and respond favorably to our prayers, our lives need to be in order and we need to ask those things that are according to and in harmony with His will. We learn of His will as we study His Word!
If we want to improve our prayer lives and have the confidence to know God will answer us, we need to ensure our prayers are in harmony with His will as well as our lives.
May we all be motivated to be more prayerful and mindful of God’s divine will!
Drew Suttles is a minister for the Quitman church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia, and one of my best friends in this world. They live-stream all their Bible classes and sermons on their YouTube channel.
Drew also hosts the “Weathering the Storm” podcast on the Scattered Abroad Network. Drew talks about facing life’s challenges as a child of God. His podcast will be a blessing to your life.
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Thanks Drew
I appreciate you responding and providing this article link.
I read the article and it is very complex, but does not answer the simple question of where in scripture does it say that Jesus or any one else changed the Sabbath to Sunday?
You say the Lord's Day, being Sunday according to your reading of Rev 1:10, was "established by the Lord" . Yet that is not stated in Revelation.
You don't quote anywhere in scripture where it is changed. But just say it was changed.
Where in scripture does the Lord establish this day as his day of worship?
If it is this simple that God changed the weekly time of worship to Sunday then it would be clearly stated in scripture.
The Sabbath is mentioned nine times in Acts, each time it was being kept by the Apostles, and the gentiles.
Surely there would be a detailed explanation of such a major change to observance, yet nothing is mentioned.
As you said Jesus taught that "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath; So that the Son of man is lord even of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27-28).
Which is the exact reason that we should keep it today.
The Sabbath Day was made for us, for our benefit. It is not to harm us.
As "Lord of the Sabbath" we should follow what our Lord is the ruler of.
The context of this verse is very clear. It was the Pharisees who were adding burdens to the Sabbath, and Christ was clarifying how to keep it in a Holy and correct manner.
There is plenty of historical and scriptural evidence to demonstrate that the first century church kept the Sabbath.
The writer of Hebrews concludes: "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God," Heb 4:9
Why do you agree to change the clear words of scripture to keep a non-scriptural doctrine? (Matt 15:7-9)
You have not demonstrated that there is any change in God's commandments, and yet you quote: “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).
Keeping the Sabbath is pleasing to God, as is clearly spelt out in both the New and Old Covenants.
Thanks Drew
Very interesting and informative summary.
You quoted:
“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).
As God's commandments include the fourth "you shall keep holy the Sabbath Day" and as Jesus calls himself "the Lord of the Sabbath", should you not keep the Sabbath Day holy, rather than Sunday, which was instituted in 325AD by the pagan Emperor Constantine?
Mat_12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Mar_2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Luk_6:5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.