I like to spend time really reflecting on God's Word. There is a lot that can be absorbed when you stop and really let God speak to you as you mediate and ponder on His Word. I think back in the day, I would read the Bible so that I could say, "I read the Bible today." Almost like I was trying to justify to myself that I read the Word today and hoped that God would put something on my heart. But I've realized more now as I've grown and matured that if I'm not really taking the time to listen and just talking over God as I say His words to myself, I won't ever hear what He's telling me. It's like the old adage, "You have more inputs than outputs so use them in that ratio." I was simply reading (or talking) more than I was listening. I'm sure many of you can relate. We all want to know what God wants for us, but maybe we aren't really listening to what's He is saying.
That has lead me to where I am today with my topic; Prayer. As I was taking my walk through some scripture, God led me to a particular verse:
Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. - John 9:31
The context of this verse is where the blind man is given his sight back by Jesus and he is being questioned by the Pharisees. Now, the blind mind is making a very strong point to these religious men caught up in all their leaglism. God doesn't hear you because you are sinners.
I've read that story several times, and read that verse several times and just kind of passed over it. This time through, however, I decided I wanted to really listen to what God was trying to tell me as I analyzed this piece of scripture. So, as I was listening through this passage, the word "sinners" really sat on my heart. I went back and read again, "...God does not hear sinners..." There I sat for nearly twenty minutes and I kept flopping around in my head, "Aren't we all sinners? Didn't God point this out to us before?"
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23
So, I'm a sinner, I'll always be a sinner, and God will never hear my prayers or my calls to Him... Great. Really glad I was listening for God to throw that one at me.
Even as I read the other half of that piece of scripture, it didn't matter because I was still a sinner. I worshiped God, and did what I could to fulfill His will, but that still didn't negate the fact that I was a sinner and He doesn't hear me. This tore me up for a couple days. I couldn't figure it out.
As I still continued to pray and mediate, even though I wasn't sure He was listening, I was listening for an response to my question. Low and behold, I felt His voice in me.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away; Behold, all things have become new! - 2 Corinthians 5:17
How did I forget this? Of course, we have been recreated in Christ. Our old sinful nature has been replaced by a new creation. We are reborn!
But, I was still conflicted. I am a reborn God Loving Christian, but I still do sin. We all still sin and make mistakes. It's in our nature to do these things. How can I ever overcome this?
Then God spoke to me. That still small voice in my head that just spoke to me. It said, "Your missing the point. I realize you are of a sinful nature. All I ask is that you lay your life down for My sake. Stop trying to be sinless, and start trying to be righteous."
The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous - Proverbs 15:29
God simply wants us to be in right standing with Him. He wants us to truly lay our lives down for Him, worship Him, follow Him. He wants us to give everything up to Him and for Him!
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. - Luke 9:23
God knows our hearts. He knows if we are doing life for ourselves or for Him. Taking up your cross is simply doing life for God. Doing life to glorify Him. When you are willing to lay it all down, to give total control up to God, that's when you are truly worshiping God. You aren't trying to get in the way. You aren't saying, "God, I give up all control on these things and surrender my life to you, but... I'm still going to try to figure out my finances on my own and those other couple sins I have, I mean, I'm cool with those too... and I know I need to spend a little more time with my family, but I'm busy with work and my golf league, and I know I've spent a lot less time at church with the children's ministry I worked with... but everything else, Lord, that's for you. I give it to you God... sort of at least..." Right?
That's not laying your life down and giving up control. That's basically you telling God you don't trust Him, and that you trust your decision making more. Now, You saying, "God, I can't do life RIGHT without you, because I'm a sinner. I am TRUSTING you for everything I am, for everything I have, and for everything you are going to do through me. Allow me to be a beacon of your glory here on earth. I'm giving it up to you. Show me where to go. Let your will be my will."
And that, my friends, is when "...God hears you (John 9:31b)"
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